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Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Science
- Los Angeles Times
When it comes to watching shooting stars, California is your best bet, oddsmakers say
When it comes to exploring the wonders of the night sky, sports betting touts are hardly considered astronomical authorities. Perhaps that's why a recent ranking by the betting website Action Network has some local astronomers scratching their heads over a decision to name California the best state in the nation to stargaze. By the website's calculation, California topped the list of states, with Colorado, Oregon, Utah and New Mexico following closely behind. 'The Action Network has analyzed sky visibility, elevation, historical meteor activity, and astronomical infrastructure to compile a ranked list of the best states for witnessing celestial events,' the website announced. Although professional astronomers acknowledge that California is an ideal location for star parties, they said the list has its flaws. 'The ranking of those places doesn't necessarily make any sense at all and is probably based on a variety of assumptions, maybe some judgment involved about which of those states have more dark sky territory and accessibility,' said Ed Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory. Experts also took issue with the ranking's focus on the states with the highest chances of spotting an asteroid, since you can't actually see an asteroid with the naked eye from anywhere. An asteroid is a small rocky object that can be so dim and faint you would need a telescope and know how to operate it to locate the object, said Bob Stephens, an amateur astronomer with the Riverside Astronomical Society. 'Some asteroids could be seen telescopically, even in the Los Angeles area, if you have an instrument that is large enough to do it,' Krupp said. Despite doubts about the website's methodology for picking the best stargazing state, California experts do agree there are plenty of areas within the state that allow people to enjoy a variety of cosmic events. The Golden State — along with the others — has large areas of wilderness that are far enough away from city light pollution to view certain cosmic events. But getting away from city lights isn't always a solution. Krupp said the observatory was inundated with questions about how to view the Perseid meteor shower, which peaked overnight and early Wednesday. Unfortunately, a nearly full moon for Southern California spectators made it very difficult to see shooting stars. Even so, the general guidance Krupp shared is to 'get out of town' and go somewhere high that's clear of light pollution. There are five internationally recognized Dark Sky Places in California, all in the southern part of the state, according to Dark Sky International, an organization that works to combat light pollution. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park have been designated Dark Sky Parks, possessing 'exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment,' according to the organization. Julian and Borrego Springs are considered Dark Sky Communities, which were designated as such after showing 'exceptional dedication to the preservation of the night sky through the implementation and enforcement of a quality outdoor lighting ordinance, dark sky education and citizen support.' Getting the best view depends on what you want to see. If you're interested in meteors, you want to have a darker, less polluted location so that you can enjoy them more, Stephens said. If you're interested in seeing galaxies and clusters, it does benefit you to go to Dark Sky areas; you don't absolutely have to, but they'll be more spectacular in those designated areas. 'There's inexpensive robotic telescopes that can be operated from anywhere that can show you a lot, but I hesitate to tell people to start there because you spend $500 and then you lose the interest and it sits in a closet,' Stephens said. Enjoying cosmic events can be as easy as heading to your local observatory. You can observe double stars and clusters at star parties up on the lawn at the Griffith Observatory, he said. There are plenty of astronomical societies across California that are hosting star parties or outreach events. 'Every month our local club goes down to the local shopping center under the parking lot lights to show people the moon, planets and some of the brighter clusters,' Stephens said. 'Ultimately astronomy is a social event, so it's best done with other people.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Griffith Observatory turns 90
The Griffith Observatory is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a special event on Wednesday. Festivities include exhibits, sky viewing, and a rare lunar event called the major standstill southern moonrise, managers announced. The celebration kicks off just before noon; admission is free. Since opening its doors in 1935, more than 7 million people have peered through the observatory's iconic telescope — more than any other telescope on Earth. Director Ed Krupp says the goal has always been to make astronomy accessible and free to the public. This Wednesday's event is part of a year-long celebration honoring the observatory's legacy of science education and public outreach. The 90th anniversary campaign features star parties, special lectures, new programming, and a community storytelling project to highlight the observatory's impact over the decades. Visitors throughout the year will also get a chance to take part in commemorative exhibits and experiences designed to inspire future generations of sky watchers. From training pilots in celestial navigation during World War II to starring in iconic films and undergoing a $93 million renovation, Griffith Observatory has been a cultural and scientific landmark for nine decades. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Lyrid meteor shower creates a light show for Earth Day. Here's how to get the best view
Shooting stars will usher in Earth Day starting late Monday night as the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak — and Californians will have some of the best views in the country. The annual meteor shower event will be most visible in April and is named after the constellation Lyra, the harp, located near the point in the sky where the Lyrids appear to originate. The shower is one of the oldest on record, with observations dating back more than 2,700 years. The peak of the event will be Monday night into the early morning hours of Tuesday, Earth Day. Thanks to clear skies, almost all of California is forecast to have good viewing conditions, along with some regions of other western states, parts of the Southwest and a pocket of the Midwest, including areas west and south of Chicago, according to AccuWeather. In Los Angeles and other major cities where light pollution is pervasive, stargazers will have some difficulty seeing the shower despite the ideal weather conditions due to the light pollution from homes, businesses, streetlights and cars. 'These events are notoriously invisible for the average person because we're all drowning in artificial light, and so there's really not a prayer for most people to get to see this at all,' said Ed Krupp, the director of Griffith Observatory. Read more: What you can do to reduce light pollution To get a clearer view of the stars, Krupp suggests those in Southern California should head out to the mountains or desert. Once hopeful viewers are 'far from urban encroachment,' their chance of catching more shooting stars is much better, he said. Krupp, who's been serving as the iconic L.A. observatory's director since 1974, said it's important for people to temper their expectations of what they could see from the meteor shower. 'The very name sort of suggests that there are meteors pouring down on you,' he said. 'You're not likely to see more than one meteor a minute, and the Lyrids are not that populous, so the average time between one and then the next might be three minutes or so. It's a process that demands patience and attention.' The name 'meteor shower' might also incorrectly imply that what viewers are seeing are meteors themselves, or the leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids, instead of the trail left behind them. 'You're seeing a glowing tunnel of hot air that might be 10 miles in diameter produced by this very tiny little pebble that's passing through the atmosphere and burns up,' Krupp said. Still, Krupp said seeing just one shooting star is a special experience, and one that will often elicit cheers if you're in the company of other stargazers. He described the celestial lights as 'charmers,' saying there is an 'emotional, uplifting' feeling you get when you witness one pass through the sky. Read more: Going to Joshua Tree to watch the Perseid meteor shower? Get ready to see a crowd Krupp's best tips for an optimal viewing experience include dressing warm and making yourself as comfortable as possible, given that dedicated viewers could be staring up at the sky for at least a few hours, going well past midnight. Shooting stars can be easy to miss, he added, so staying focused and being patient are key. He warns against cell phone use, both because of the light it emits and the distraction it causes. With the peak of the shower coming during the first few hours of Earth Day, Krupp chuckled at the alignment of the galaxy's display and our observance of the holiday. 'The cosmos is a cold, random and uncaring place, but somehow it manages to converge with our own emotional bonds,' he said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
18-04-2025
- Science
- Los Angeles Times
The Lyrid meteor shower creates a light show for Earth Day. Here's how to get the best view
Shooting stars will usher in Earth Day starting late Monday night as the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak — and Californians will have some of the best views in the country. The annual meteor shower event will be most visible in April and is named after the constellation Lyra, the harp, located near the point in the sky where the Lyrids appear to originate. The shower is one of the oldest on record, with observations dating back more than 2,700 years. The peak of the event will be Monday night into the early morning hours of Tuesday, Earth Day. Thanks to clear skies, almost all of California is forecast to have good viewing conditions, along with some regions of other western states, parts of the Southwest and a pocket of the Midwest, including areas west and south of Chicago, according to AccuWeather. In Los Angeles and other major cities where light pollution is pervasive, stargazers will have some difficulty seeing the shower despite the ideal weather conditions due to the light pollution from homes, businesses, streetlights and cars. 'These events are notoriously invisible for the average person because we're all drowning in artificial light, and so there's really not a prayer for most people to get to see this at all,' said Ed Krupp, the director of Griffith Observatory. To get a clearer view of the stars, Krupp suggests those in Southern California should head out to the mountains or desert. Once hopeful viewers are 'far from urban encroachment,' their chance of catching more shooting stars is much better, he said. Krupp, who's been serving as the iconic L.A. observatory's director since 1974, said it's important for people to temper their expectations of what they could see from the meteor shower. 'The very name sort of suggests that there are meteors pouring down on you,' he said. 'You're not likely to see more than one meteor a minute, and the Lyrids are not that populous, so the average time between one and then the next might be three minutes or so. It's a process that demands patience and attention.' The name 'meteor shower' might also incorrectly imply that what viewers are seeing are meteors themselves, or the leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids, instead of the trail left behind them. 'You're seeing a glowing tunnel of hot air that might be 10 miles in diameter produced by this very tiny little pebble that's passing through the atmosphere and burns up,' Krupp said. Still, Krupp said seeing just one shooting star is a special experience, and one that will often elicit cheers if you're in the company of other stargazers. He described the celestial lights as 'charmers,' saying there is an 'emotional, uplifting' feeling you get when you witness one pass through the sky. Krupp's best tips for an optimal viewing experience include dressing warm and making yourself as comfortable as possible, given that dedicated viewers could be staring up at the sky for at least a few hours, going well past midnight. Shooting stars can be easy to miss, he added, so staying focused and being patient are key. He warns against cell phone use, both because of the light it emits and the distraction it causes. With the peak of the shower coming during the first few hours of Earth Day, Krupp chuckled at the alignment of the galaxy's display and our observance of the holiday. 'The cosmos is a cold, random and uncaring place, but somehow it manages to converge with our own emotional bonds,' he said.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Seven-planet parade lines up in the sky on Friday: How to see it from SoCal
A celestial phenomenon is forming in the Northern Hemisphere on Friday, as seven planets are expected to appear lined up in the night sky. Most are expected to be visible to the naked eye, though not all seven. The alignment is known as a planet parade — a planetary lineup in space from Earth's perspective. The alignment takes place over time as each planet in the solar system orbits the sun at its own speed and distance, continually changing their relative positions. All the planets orbit roughly along the same plane, known as an ecliptic plane, or arc across the sky if you are viewing it edge-on, according to NASA. NASA recommends observing the planet parade shortly after sunset. A telescope and knowledge of a planet's location among the are ideal to enjoying the celestial lineup. The alignment, which may be spotted about 10 degrees above the horizon, will be visible for a while just after sunset Friday. Sky watchers may have a difficult time spotting the entire parade — all seven other planets in our solar system besides our own — without optical aid, said Ed Krupp, director of Griffith Observatory. The planets "are always more or less on the same path, and occasionally a few more of them are visible in the night sky,' Krupp said. 'But the general message is that, 'I will go outside and see these planets strung like pearls across the sky.' That's just not the case.' Krupp noted that some of the planets require a telescope, as they are below the detectability of the human eye. And he said people should not expect the celestial show to dominate their view, especially due to the air conditions and light pollution in Los Angeles. Read more: How a chunk of a SpaceX rocket wound up behind a Polish warehouse Some planets, including Mars, Jupiter and Venus, will appear brighter, said San Diego Community College astronomy professor Lisa Will. And though the planets may appear close to one another, they are hundreds of millions of miles apart, as NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory noted. Due to Earth's atmosphere, celestial objects appear dimmer as they rise and set, making it difficult to see even brighter planets until they move higher above the horizon. Also, buildings and trees may obstruct the view near the horizon. A dark, dim clear sky is the ideal setting, often in remote deserts and other areas far from city lights. About five planets may be visible without a telescope: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, according to NASA. But, Krupp noted, Mercury — because it is small and orbits closest to the sun — is the hardest to see with the unaided eye, especially if the viewer does not know their way around the night sky. 'If you wanted to see Mercury, you might get lucky around the evening, shortly after the sunset, in the twilight, but only if you knew where to look,' Krupp said. 'Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are all up in the sky between the western horizon and a bit overhead to the east.' Uranus is on the threshold of human vision, Will said. Uranus and Neptune are hard to spot without a telescope, as both planets are blue and orbit in the dim outskirts of the solar system. Krupp said that even an experienced amateur astronomer with a telescope will have a hard time detecting Uranus and Neptune. Read more: SoCal stargazers, mark your calendars for top astronomical events of 2025 'Sometimes all people need is some guidance, and here in the observatory we have instructors and put out telescopes every night free to the public,' Krupp said. 'But I worry people will be disappointed. You want people to have the direct experience of those photons from those objects going into their eyes and knowing what they're looking at.' The next planetary parade will be visible in late August — when four planets are expected to be viewable at once before sunrise. The next two parades after that will occur in October 2028 and February 2034. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
