Latest news with #CelestronNexStar4SE
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Venus is at its farthest from the sun on June 1: Here's how to see the bright 'morning star' this weekend
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Venus reaches its point of greatest western elongation on June 1, at which time the dazzling 'morning star' will be at its most distant point from the sun in Earth's sky during its pre-dawn apparition. The rocky planet will hit the orbital milestone at 00.00 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT) on June 1, while Venus is below the horizon for skywatchers in the U.S, according to stargazing website At this time, Venus will be separated from the sun by a gulf of 46 degrees along the line of the ecliptic, which is the apparent path taken by the sun and planets as they journey through the constellations crowding the night sky. The best time to spot Venus for stargazers in the U.S. is during the pre-dawn hours on May 31 and June 1, when the planet will appear as a bright, magnitude -4.3 morning star rising over the eastern horizon, easily visible to the naked eye (remember, the brightest objects in the sky have lower or negative magnitudes). You'll need a telescope with an aperture of at least 60mm (2.4") to see the planet's disk, which appears half lit at this point in the Venutian orbit, according to telescope-maker Celestron. Venus has been a regular fixture in the morning sky following its inferior conjunction on March 22, when it passed between Earth and the sun, marking an end to its evening appearances. Its tight orbit around the sun ensures that Venus never strays far from the horizon, at least in comparison to Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, whose distant orbits allow them to be seen throughout the night when conditions allow. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the planets of our solar system for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. While June 1 may mark the point of greatest separation between the sun and Venus during its morning apparition, it won't be the highest that the planet will rise above the eastern horizon over the coming months. This is because a planet's altitude in the sky is dependent in part on the inclination of the ecliptic relative to the horizon, which shifts throughout the year due to Earth's wobbling orbit. Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
See a lunar scar darken the crescent moon tonight
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. May 30 presents a perfect opportunity to spot Mare Crisium — a dark Nevada-sized patch — etched into the delicate curve of the crescent moon before it sinks below the horizon around midnight. Skywatchers in the U.S. will find the moon's sickle-like form hanging around 30 degrees above the western horizon after sunset on May 30, with around 16% of its surface illuminated by direct sunlight, according to stargazing website On May 30, the moon is in the constellation Cancer, with the Beehive cluster close to its left and Mars shining just beyond. To the right, the bright stars Castor and Pollux also make an appearance. The moon is among the most popular targets for astronomers, thanks to the ever-shifting play of light and shadow across its surface. As it makes its near month-long journey around Earth, a myriad of different regions and features come into stark relief, changing night by night. And yet, for all this variety, the moon only ever shows a single side to us as it's tidally locked to our planet. One such feature is the dark lunar maria (Latin for 'seas'), formed when molten lava flooded a network of impact basins that scarred the moon's surface billions of years ago. These lava flows swiftly cooled in the frigid environment of space, leaving behind vast basaltic plains that remain easily visible to the naked eye today. Mare Crisium, or the 'Sea of Crises', can be spotted on the night of May 30 as an oval-shaped dark patch on the moon's northeastern limb, close to the terminator — the line that separates day from night on any solar system body. Spanning 345 miles (555 kilometers), this lunar mare is visible to the naked eye, though a pair of 10x50 binoculars will reveal more of the craggy region surrounding the lunar sea. An entry-level 6-inch telescope, meanwhile, will allow you to pick out the 14-mile-wide (23 km) Picard Crater that stands alone near the south-western rim of the Nevada-sized plane, according to NASA. Just above Picard lies the similarly sized Peirce Crater, with the smaller Swift Crater just beyond. Before the moon dips below the western horizon around midnight local time, moongazers may also catch sight of its shadowed expanse faintly glowing — an effect known as earthshine, caused by sunlight reflected off Earth softly illuminating the moon's night side. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to explore the lunar surface for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. The closest humans have come to Mare Crisium was during the final moon mission of the Apollo era, when Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ron Evans and Harrison "Jack" Schmitt landed on the eastern edge of Mare Serenitatis. However, Mare Crisium did serve as the landing site of the Soviet Luna 15 and Luna 24 robotic missions, and it made headlines again in March 2025 with the successful touchdown of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander. Anyone interested in exploring the lunar surface for themselves should check out our guides to the best binocular and telescope deals available in 2025. Also, be sure to read up on our guide to photographing and exploring the moon's surface. Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
See Jupiter pair up with a sliver of the moon tonight
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Jupiter will soon end its brilliant year-long showing on consecutive evenings with a rendezvous with an exceedingly thin and very young crescent moon. Indeed, for the first opportunity on Tuesday, May 27, the moon itself will appear so thin and low that it may be rather hard to detect in the sun's afterglow; and seeing Jupiter itself will not be an easy task either, appearing to sit about 10 degrees to the upper left of the slender lunar sliver. The moon will be only about 1% illuminated and will be about 24 hours or fewer past the new moon phase. The pair will be setting less than one and a half hours after local sunset, but the following evening will offer a somewhat better chance of making a sighting. See the moon up close! Want to see Jupiter up close? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Do you have a favorite phase of the moon? Romantics will almost certainly be drawn to a full moon, but during its 29.5-day cycle, going from one new moon to the next, our satellite offers up plenty of other choices. Have you ever been drawn to the precise semicircle of a first or last quarter moon? Maybe you've been surprised upon heading out to work or school in the morning, and seeing the moon, about two-thirds illuminated and still clearly visible against the blue daytime sky? But no matter what your favorite phase is, surely, we can all agree that for sheer beauty, nothing can beat a razor-thin crescent moon hanging over the western horizon in the fading evening twilight. Often, people are surprised and delighted when they see the moon in this fashion. To obtain an approximate age for a young crescent moon, simply add the number of hours or days that have elapsed from the time of new moon through the date and time of sunset at your location on a particular evening. Most folks — just casual observers — are unlikely to notice a young crescent moon until three or four days after it is new, when the fattening crescent has moved out of the evening twilight and into the dark night sky. A two-day old moon is not difficult to see if you know where to look. But to see a moon one day old — or less — requires planning and patience. The new moon occurs at 11:02 p.m. EDT on Monday night. So, on Tuesday evening, in order to enhance your chances for getting a view of both the hairline-thin crescent moon and Jupiter, make sure that your prospective viewing site has a very clear and unobstructed view toward the west-northwest part of the sky. Carefully note exactly where on the horizon the sun sets (but don't look at the sun directly without a safe filter). A half hour after sunset, check the area of the sky almost directly above where the sun set. The moon will be no higher than 6.5 degrees above the horizon. As we have pointed out on many other occasions, 10 degrees is roughly equivalent to the apparent width of your clenched fist held at arm's length. So, about half an hour after sunset the moon will appear just over a "half fist" above the horizon. And Jupiter, which will be nothing more than a bright, white dot against the bright twilight background, will appear only 5 degrees higher. At that moment from the East Coast, the moon will be only 21.8 hours old and 1.2 percent illuminated. By the time it's half-past sunset on the West Coast, the moon's age will be three hours older, the illuminated crescent will be 0.4 percent wider and will appear about one-degree higher in the sky. You can accentuate your chances of picking up both moon and planet by scanning around that part of the sky with binoculars; once you see them, getting a glimpse of the wire-like crescent and Jupiter with your unaided eyes should be a bit easier. On the following evening (Wednesday, May 28), the still delicately thin crescent is noticeably wider (5 percent illuminated) and considerably higher (17 degrees) above the west-northwest horizon a half hour after sunset. On this date, even people who aren't looking for the crescent moon should see it readily. Thanks to the steep angle that the ecliptic — the line in the sky along which the sun, moon, and planets appear to travel — makes with the horizon, the crescent looks like a thin "smile" in the sky. As for Jupiter, it will be sitting about 8 degrees directly below the moon. After Wednesday, you can pretty much say goodbye to Jupiter as an evening object, as it will be rapidly swallowed up by the sunset glow within the following week. It will be in conjunction with the sun on June 24 and will not reappear again until sometime in mid-July when it will transition to the early morning sky. However, it is destined to put on a nice showing in the predawn sky during midsummer, being positioned among the stars of Gemini, the Twins. And in early August it will team up with brilliant Venus making for an attractive celestial scene; the two planets will appear side-by-side on the morning of August 11 and will be closest to each other the following morning, separated by just 0.87 of a degree, an eye-catching sight to be sure! So, for Jupiter this is not "good-bye," but rather, "till we meet again this summer ..." If you're looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe the night sky, our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now can help. Our guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can also help you prepare to capture the next skywatching sight. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope and other publications.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
See the crescent moon rise close to Saturn and Neptune early on May 22
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The moon will rise with Venus and the ice giant Neptune in the pre-dawn sky on Thursday, May 22. Stargazers in the U.S. will see the celestial trio rise around 3:30 a.m. EDT (0715 GMT), with the waning crescent moon holding the high ground over magnitude 1.14 Saturn, which will be visible around four degrees to its lower left in the eastern sky. Neptune — invisible to the naked eye at magnitude 7.92 — can be found lurking roughly two degrees (or two finger widths) to the left of Saturn. (On the magnitude scale used by astronomers, lower numbers signify brighter objects). For example, at its brightest, the planet Venus shines with a magnitude of about -4.6.) Neptune may be visible under dark skies with the help of powerful 25x100 binoculars as a star-like point of light, but a small, 4-inch telescope capable of around 150x magnification will be needed to resolve its pale blue disk, according to telescope manufacturer Celestron. Saturn, meanwhile, will shine brightly through binoculars, with the planet's iconic ring system appearing as small bumps, or 'ears' either side of the planet's disk, according to NASA. However, the Saturnian system truly comes alive when viewed through a telescope, which will reveal details in the gas giant's rings, along with a diverse collection of gravitationally bound moons. Larger backyard telescopes with a roughly 8-inch aperture may even be able to resolve the Cassini Division — a gap between Saturn's outer A ring and B ring that comes close to spanning the width of the planet Mercury, under good conditions. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the planets of our solar system for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. The crescent moon also makes for a fascinating viewing target. The northwestern region is home to the smooth, dark plains of the lunar maria (Latin for "seas"), while the brighter southern highlands are covered in craters left by ancient asteroid impacts. The moon's crescent will slim over the coming days as it approaches the new moon phase on May 27, when it will vanish into the glare of the sun. The following morning, on May 23, the moon will rise to the left of Saturn and Neptune, closing in on a striking close encounter with Venus, a brilliant "morning star" hovering close to the eastern horizon. Venus —often dubbed Earth's twin is climbing higher each morning as it heads towards greatest western elongation on May 31 — the point in its orbit when it appears farthest from the sun in the morning sky, according to Stargazers interested in exploring the wonders of the solar system planets and Earth's moon for themselves should check out our guides to the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals in 2025. Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
House-size asteroid will pass between Earth and moon on May 21
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A newly discovered house-size asteroid is set to make a close, yet harmless approach to Earth on May 21, passing within one-third of the Earth-moon distance. The close approach will happen at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET on May 21 (1730 GMT), at which point the asteroid, designated 2025 KF, will pass a mere 71,700 miles (115,000 km) from Earth, according to NASA. During the pass, the asteroid will be travelling at a speed of 25,880 miles per hour (41,650 kph) relative to Earth. Its trajectory will see it pass closest to our planet's south polar region before continuing its long, looping orbit around the sun. 2025 KF is not currently considered to be a potentially hazardous object. It also poses no risk of impacting the moon, missing Earth's natural satellite by roughly 140,844 miles (226,666 km). TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the planets of our solar system for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. The rocky body was discovered on May 19 by astronomers at the MAP project in Chile's Atacama Desert, according to the Minor Planet Center, just a few days ahead of its close approach. Asteroid 2025 KF is estimated to have a diameter ranging between 32 and 75 feet (10 - 23 meters), making it approximately the size of a house. Even if 2025 KF were to hit Earth, its small size means that it would likely burn up in the atmosphere, posing zero threat to those living on our planet, per NASA. NASA has catalogued close to 40,000 near-Earth asteroids since it began watching the skies for potentially hazardous objects back in the summer of 1998, and we know today that close passes with automobile-sized asteroids occur on a yearly basis. RELATED STORIES: — What are asteroids? — US Representatives worry Trump's NASA budget plan will make it harder to track dangerous asteroids — After the Arecibo collapse in 2020, a lone NASA radar dish in the Mojave desert stepped up as a leading asteroid hunter Of that number, around 4,700 are classified as potentially dangerous asteroids, though scientists at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies have said that it's unlikely that any asteroid capable of causing widespread damage to Earth will strike our planet in the next century. It's also worth noting that 2025 KF's rendezvous doesn't even come close to breaking the record for the closest asteroid pass of Earth, which occurred in 2020 when a car-size asteroid passed a mere 1,830 miles (2,950 km) from our planet's surface and survived to tell the tale.
