Latest news with #CapturetheAtlas
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Milky Way photos: Instagram-worthy images show our galaxy visible in the sky
Can you see the Milky Way galaxy from Earth? Yes! And as stargazers and skywatchers know, it's a stunning sight to see. Comprised of billions of stars, the Milky Way galaxy got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. During 'Milky Way season,' the billions of stars comprising our home galaxy appear especially vibrant. The reason has much to do with the cycle of the moon, but it also has to do with how high in the sky the Milky Way should appear from our perspective here on Earth, specifically in the United States. While the Milky Way is generally always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse. Below are photos of the Milky Way galaxy as seen from Earth and information on how to see the stunning natural phenomenon. The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to see the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is from March to September. Those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the entire continental United States, could have spectacular views of the Milky Way on clear nights with a new moon. Spectators will have the best luck on cloud-free nights and in locations away from city light pollution. DarkSky International maintains a website that lists all designated dark sky communities around the world, including 159 locations in the U.S. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Milky Way photos: Comprised of billions of stars and seen from Earth
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Milky Way photos: Instagram-worthy images show our galaxy visible in the sky
Can you see the Milky Way galaxy from Earth? Yes! And as stargazers and skywatchers know, it's a stunning sight to see. Comprised of billions of stars, the Milky Way galaxy got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. During 'Milky Way season,' the billions of stars comprising our home galaxy appear especially vibrant. The reason has much to do with the cycle of the moon, but it also has to do with how high in the sky the Milky Way should appear from our perspective here on Earth, specifically in the United States. While the Milky Way is generally always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse. Below are photos of the Milky Way galaxy as seen from Earth and information on how to see the stunning natural phenomenon. The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to see the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is from March to September. Those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the entire continental United States, could have spectacular views of the Milky Way on clear nights with a new moon. Spectators will have the best luck on cloud-free nights and in locations away from city light pollution. DarkSky International maintains a website that lists all designated dark sky communities around the world, including 159 locations in the U.S. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Milky Way photos: Comprised of billions of stars and seen from Earth
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
What does Milky Way galaxy look like when it's visible from Earth? When is Milky Way season?
What does the Milky Way look like? Sometimes, the billions of stars comprising our home galaxy appear especially vibrant during 'Milky Way season' as the band arcs across the night sky. The reason has much to do with the cycle of the moon, but it also has to do with how high in the sky the Milky Way should appear from our perspective here on Earth, specifically in the United States. Here's everything to know about our Milky Way, including how (and when) to see the stunning natural phenomenon. The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. Because it appears as a rotating disc curving out from a dense central region, the Milky Way is known as a spiral galaxy. Our planet itself is located along one of the galaxy's spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA. The Milky Way sits in a cosmic neighborhood called the Local Group that includes more than 50 other galaxies. Those galaxies can be as small as a dwarf galaxy with up to only a few billion stars, or as large as Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The Milky Way got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. While the Milky Way is generally always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse of the band of billions of stars comprising our galaxy. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to see the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is from March to September. Those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the entire continental United States, could have spectacular views of the Milky Way on clear nights with a new moon. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the southeast, travels across the southern sky and sets in the southwest, according to Typically, the sky is darkest between about midnight and 5 a.m., according to Capture the Atlas. Stargazers can observe the Milky Way galaxy by looking for the Summer Triangle, "a shape formed by three bright stars" that spans across the Milky Way, according to In Florida, the National Park Service recommends the Everglades: 'Each month around the time of the new moon, Everglades National Park offers superbly dark conditions that are ideal for viewing the Milky Way. On a dark night and in a dark place within the park, look to the south to find the Milky Way. 'In the Northern Hemisphere, the center of the Milky Way will be low in the southern sky, and the glowing band will sweep upward in an arch across the eastern sky to the northern horizon. Some parts of the faint silvery or milky cloud will be slightly mottled. The brighter spots are caused by star clouds, which are concentrations of millions of stars that are too faint to see as individual stars. The darker areas are caused by clouds of interstellar dust that block our view of the stars beyond. 'Viewing the Milky Way with a pair of binoculars will provide enough magnification to resolve the Milky Way into thousands of individual stars,' the section about Florida and the Milky Way on states. Spectators will have the best luck on cloud-free nights and in locations away from city light pollution. DarkSky International maintains a website that lists all designated dark sky communities around the world, including 159 locations in the U.S. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Milky Way season: How it got its name, when to see it in Florida sky
Metro
28-05-2025
- Science
- Metro
Milky Way will be most visible until this date in the US - here's how to see it
Billions of stars that make up the Milky Way are at peak visibility to the naked eye in the US – but not for long. The large spiral system comprised of about 100 billion stars is easiest to see from midlatitudes of the Northern Hemisphere including the whole continental US, now more than any other time of the year. Prime time for viewing the spectacular phenomenon stretches from the last quarter moon on May 20 through the new moon on May 30, according to Live Science. Here is everything to know about catching a glimpse of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way is 'dominated by just two arms wrapping off the ends of a central bar of stars', according to NASA. Its major arms contain the highest densities of young and old stars, while the minor arms are mostly made up of gas and star-forming pockets. The Milky Way includes the Sun, and the Earth is within the galaxy. Interstellar dust obscures much of the Milky Way from optical telescopes, but scientists have been able to decipher it using radio and infrared telescopes. Milky Way season runs from February to October. While the galaxy can be visible in the night sky for about eight months out of the year, its bright core is easiest to spot in late May. During Milky Way season, the Galactic Bulge or Galactic Center which is the most brilliant section of the galaxy, comes into view. Several factors play into the chances of seeing the Milky Way, with the most important one being latitude. The best time to see the Milky Way is between midnight and 5am. The night of the new moon, which happened on May 26, was another ideal moment. More Trending Even within the US, there are discrepancies in top times to witness the phenomenon. Most of the contiguous states are in higher latitudes andthe window there is from late March to late August, according to Capture the Atlas. In the southern US states, the window is slightly larger, from late March to late September. Due to differing latitudes, the UK has its own best time to see the Milky Way. The UK sits at a high latitude, and the best bet for galaxy gazing there is from mid-March to mid-May. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Trump kisses former Fox News host while swearing her in as new top prosecutor MORE: Shocking moment cop shoots driver through windscreen while clinging to car hood in Miami MORE: Full list of 36 US bank branches to close in just three weeks
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Look up, Washington: Milky Way galaxy shines over Memorial Day weekend
The Milky Way could be coming to a sky near you. The billions of stars comprising our home galaxy should appear especially vibrant in late-May as the band arcs across the night sky. The reason has much to do with the cycle of the moon, but it also has to do with how high in the sky the Milky Way should appear from our perspective here on Earth, specifically in the United States. Here's everything to know about our Milky Way, including how to see the stunning natural phenomenon. The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. Because it appears as a rotating disc curving out from a dense central region, the Milky Way is known as a spiral galaxy. Our planet itself is located along one of the galaxy's spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA. The Milky Way sits in a cosmic neighborhood called the Local Group that includes more than 50 other galaxies. Those galaxies can be as small as a dwarf galaxy with up to only a few billion stars, or as large as Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The Milky Way got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. While the Milky Way is generally always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse of the band of billions of stars comprising our galaxy. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to see the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is from March to September. And for several days in May, the Milky Way may be even more visible than usual. The peak days to view the Milky Way will be from Tuesday, May 20, to Friday, May 30, according to science news website LiveScience. That's the period between the last quarter moon and the new moon, when skies should be darker. Those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the entire continental United States, could have spectacular views of the Milky Way on clear nights with a new moon. Typically, the sky is darkest between about midnight and 5 a.m., according to Capture the Atlas. Stargazers can observe the Milky Way galaxy by looking for the Summer Triangle, "a shape formed by three bright stars" that spans across the Milky Way, according to In the Northern Hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the southeast, travels across the southern sky and sets in the southwest, according to Spectators will have the best luck on cloud-free nights and in locations away from city light pollution. DarkSky International maintains a website that lists all designated dark sky communities around the world, including 159 locations in the U.S. Timing up your viewing experience with a new moon phase will also help so that light reflected off our celestial neighbor doesn't drown out the billions of stars lighting up the Milky Way, astronomers say. Just like Earth, half of the moon is always illuminated by the sun, while the other half remains dark. A new moon represents the start of a new lunar cycle, when the illuminated side of Earth's natural satellite is facing away from our planet, rendering it effectively invisible to us. As the moon orbits around Earth and Earth orbits around the sun, the amount of sunlight that reflects off the moon and travels to our eyes changes every day until the moon appears as full. The next new moon is May 26, according to the website TimeAndDate. Cloud cover forecasts from the National Weather Service are a mixed bag for viewing the night sky on May 26, the day of the new moon. At 11 p.m. on May 26, cloud cover in central and eastern Washington is predicted to range from 18% to 31%, according to the NWS. The lower the percentage, the clearer the sky will be. These percentages are considered "good" viewing conditions by But the picture gets muddier moving west. In Seattle, cloud cover is predicted to be about 66%, which approaches the "poor" range for seeing the sky, according to The NWS shows improved cloud cover conditions across western Washington on May 27. This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Is Milky Way visible from Washington? How to watch on Memorial Day
