A green comet likely is breaking apart and won't be visible to the naked eye
NEW YORK (AP) — A newly discovered green comet tracked by telescopes has likely broken apart as it swung by the sun, dashing hopes of a naked-eye spectacle.
Comet SWAN, hailing from the Oort Cloud beyond Pluto, has been visible through telescopes and binoculars over the past few weeks with its streaming tail, but experts said it may not have survived its recent trip past the sun and is fading fast.
'We'll soon be left with just a dusty rubble pile,' astrophysicist Karl Battams with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory said in an email.
Comets are balls of frozen gas and dust from billions of years ago. Every so often, a comet passes through the inner solar system.
'These are relics from when the solar system first formed,' said Jason Ybarra, director of the West Virginia University Planetarium and Observatory.
The newest comet was discovered by amateur astronomers, who spied it in photos taken by a camera on a spacecraft operated by NASA and the European Space Agency to study the sun.
The comet won't swing close to Earth like Tsuchinshan-Atlas did last year. Other notable flybys included Neowise in 2020 and Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake in the 1990s.
The comet, also designated C/2025 F2, would have been visible just after dark slightly north of where the sun set. Its green color would have been difficult to see with the naked eye.
This might have been the object's first ever trip past the sun, making it particularly vulnerable to breaking apart, Battams said. After its flyby, what's left of the comet will disappear into the outer reaches of the solar system, past where scientists think it came from.
'It's going to go so far out that we have no idea if it's ever going to return,' said Battams.
___
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
9 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Northern lights could be visible again in some US states after weekend solar storms
NEW YORK (AP) — Northern lights may be visible in parts of the U.S. Monday night following weekend solar storms. The sun burped out a huge burst of energy called a coronal mass ejection last week, prompting space weather forecasters to issue a rare, severe solar storm alert on Sunday, though it wasn't as strong as last year's record . Another one headed toward Earth on Monday could produce more aurora sightings. Authorities are monitoring for possible disruptions, though the worst is already over. The weekend's storms may have caused brief disruptions to high-frequency radio, said Erica Grow Cei, a spokesperson with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Auroras could be visible — especially in darker, rural areas — in Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine and northern parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Iowa, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. Here's what to know about auroras and how to spot them. What are northern lights? The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle , making the light displays more common and widespread. Colorful northern lights have decorated night skies in unexpected places and space weather experts say there are more auroras still to come. Last spring, the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades slammed Earth, producing light displays across the Northern Hemisphere. And last fall, a powerful solar storm dazzled skygazers far from the Arctic Circle when dancing lights appeared in unexpected places including Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City. Aurora displays known as the northern and southern lights are commonly visible near the poles, where charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's atmosphere. Skygazers are spotting the lights deeper into the United States and Europe because the sun is going through a major facelift. Every 11 years, its poles swap places, causing magnetic twists and tangles along the way. Severe storms are capable of scrambling radio and GPS communications. The sun's active spurt is expected to last at least through the end of this year, though when solar activity will peak won't be known until months after the fact, according to NASA and NOAA. What do solar storms do? Solar storms can bring more than colorful lights to Earth. When fast-moving particles and plasma slam into Earth's magnetic field, they can temporarily disrupt the power grid. Space weather can also interfere with air traffic control radio and satellites in orbit. In 1859, a severe solar storm triggered auroras as far south as Hawaii and caught telegraph lines on fire in a rare event. And a 1972 solar storm may have detonated magnetic U.S. sea mines off the coast of Vietnam. Space weather experts aren't able to predict a solar storm months in advance. Instead, they alert relevant parties to prepare in the days before a solar outburst hits Earth. How to see auroras Northern lights forecasts can be found on NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center website or an aurora forecasting app. Consider aurora-watching in a quiet, dark area away from city lights. Experts recommend skygazing from a local or national park. And check the weather forecast because clouds can cover up the spectacle entirely. Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that aren't visible to the naked eye. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Northern lights could be visible again in some US states after weekend solar storms
NEW YORK (AP) — Northern lights may be visible in parts of the U.S. Monday night following weekend solar storms. The sun burped out a huge burst of energy called a coronal mass ejection last week, prompting space weather forecasters to issue a rare, severe solar storm alert on Sunday, though it wasn't as strong as last year's record. Another one headed toward Earth on Monday could produce more aurora sightings. Authorities are monitoring for possible disruptions, though the worst is already over. The weekend's storms may have caused brief disruptions to high-frequency radio, said Erica Grow Cei, a spokesperson with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Auroras could be visible — especially in darker, rural areas — in Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine and northern parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Iowa, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. Here's what to know about auroras and how to spot them. What are northern lights? The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making the light displays more common and widespread. Colorful northern lights have decorated night skies in unexpected places and space weather experts say there are more auroras still to come. Last spring, the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades slammed Earth, producing light displays across the Northern Hemisphere. And last fall, a powerful solar storm dazzled skygazers far from the Arctic Circle when dancing lights appeared in unexpected places including Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City. Aurora displays known as the northern and southern lights are commonly visible near the poles, where charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's atmosphere. Skygazers are spotting the lights deeper into the United States and Europe because the sun is going through a major facelift. Every 11 years, its poles swap places, causing magnetic twists and tangles along the way. Severe storms are capable of scrambling radio and GPS communications. The sun's active spurt is expected to last at least through the end of this year, though when solar activity will peak won't be known until months after the fact, according to NASA and NOAA. What do solar storms do? Solar storms can bring more than colorful lights to Earth. When fast-moving particles and plasma slam into Earth's magnetic field, they can temporarily disrupt the power grid. Space weather can also interfere with air traffic control radio and satellites in orbit. In 1859, a severe solar storm triggered auroras as far south as Hawaii and caught telegraph lines on fire in a rare event. And a 1972 solar storm may have detonated magnetic U.S. sea mines off the coast of Vietnam. Space weather experts aren't able to predict a solar storm months in advance. Instead, they alert relevant parties to prepare in the days before a solar outburst hits Earth. How to see auroras Northern lights forecasts can be found on NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center website or an aurora forecasting app. Consider aurora-watching in a quiet, dark area away from city lights. Experts recommend skygazing from a local or national park. And check the weather forecast because clouds can cover up the spectacle entirely. Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that aren't visible to the naked eye. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Italy's Mount Etna is erupting again. Stunning photos show the volcano sending ash into the sky and turning into a 'lava fountain.'
Mount Etna's eruption in June 2002 in Italy. () Italy's Mount Etna erupted early Monday, causing tourists to flee as it spewed a massive plume of hot volcanic debris into the air. Videos circulating on social media purportedly show people on guided tours running from the eruption. The explosive activity has since moved to a 'lava fountain,' according to the nation's volcano monitoring agency. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in Italy said in a translated social media post that a pyroclastic flow, which is a combination of hot ash, rock fragments and gas, was 'probably produced by the collapse of material from the northern side of the Southeast Crater." Located on the eastern coast of Sicily between the cities of Messina and Catania, Mount Etna rises roughly 10,900 feet, making it the tallest active volcano in Europe. Derived from the Greek word 'Aitne,' meaning 'I burn," Mount Etna erupts frequently, though its lava has not come close to nearby towns since the 1800s. Advertisement Mount Etna is considered one of the most active volcanoes in Europe, and the popular tourist destination is visited by 1.5 million people per year. Etna erupted twice last year, forcing the closure of the Catania Airport due to volcanic ash and low visibility. In 2021 alone, it erupted 11 times within three weeks. Before this week, the most recent notable eruption was on Feb. 11. Mount Etna erupted in southern Italy early Monday. (Salvatore Allegra/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Giuseppe Distefano/AP) (Giuseppe di Stefano/Reuters) (Giuseppe Distefano/AP) Advertisement (Giuseppe Distefano/AFP via Getty Images) (Giuseppe Distefano/AP) (Giuseppe di Stefano/Reuters) (Joachim Herrmann/Reuters)
