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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight: Here's where, what time to see zooming fireballs
The Perseid meteor shower of 2025 peaks on Aug. 12 and 13, with shooting stars and bright zooming fireballs expected to light up the August sky. Here's what time it starts and where to watch. The Perseid meteor shower is one of three active meteor showers in the month of August — and the most popular — as it peaks during the warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere. The meteor showers are particles released from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle during its numerous returns to the inner solar system and its called Perseids because the area of the sky where the meteors originate is located near the constellation of Perseus. The Perseids are active through Aug. 23, while the Alpha Capricornids kicked off on July 12 and the Southern Delta Aquariids started on July 18. Here's what to know about all the August meteor showers, when they peak, where to get the best views and what are the moon phases. When is the Perseid meteor shower? The Perseid meteor shower of July 2025 is active from July 17 through Aug. 23 and will peak on the night of Aug 12-13. This will be very close to the August full moon — Aug. 9. According to the American Meteor Society, the Perseids potential can reach 50-75 shooting meteors per hour for stargazers and they will be best viewed after midnight. Note that they can appear from any direction. What is the best time to see the Perseid meteor shower tonight? Perseid's firey bright meteors should be most visibile after midnight and into the early morning hours, but before dawn on Aug. 12 and 13. The best times to watch the meteors zoom across the sky will be between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. No equipment is needed to watch the meteor showers, just patience and preferably a dark sky. When is the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower? The Alpha Capricornids are active through Aug. 12 and can be seen from both sides of the equator, reaching their peak on July 29-30. While the Alpha Capricornids do not produce many shower meteors per hour, it is known for its number of very bright fireballs, described as 'vivid' and 'brilliant bursts' by Forbes. When are the Southern delta Aquariids? The Delta Aquariids are a strong meteor shower that kicked off on July 18 through Aug. 12, reaching their peak on July 29-30. They aren't known for being the brightest, but they do produce between 10-20 meteors per hour near their peak. What are the moon phases for July 2025? 🌓 First Quarter: Aug. 1 🌕 Full Moon: Aug. 9 🌗 Last Quarter: Aug. 16 🌑 New Moon: Aug. 23 🌓 First Quarter: Aug. 31 When is the next full moon? The next full moon in September will be the harvest moon. It will occur on Sept. 7, 2025 Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team This article originally appeared on What time is the Perseid meteor shower peak tonight? How you can see it Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Can you still view the strawberry moon? Why is moon so low in sky? When is next full moon?
Miss this week's "strawberry" full moon? The full moon peaked at 3:30 a.m. June 11, but prime viewing will continue in Bucks County Wednesday night when the full moon rises at 9:25 p.m. in our southeast skies. It is the lowest full moon in decades because we are near what's called a Major Lunar Standstill — a phenomenon that occurs every 18.6 years when the moon's orbit is tilted at its maximum angle, reaching its highest and lowest points in the sky. This accounts for the lateness of its rise in the night sky. June 12's rise will occur even later, at 10:15 p.m. Thursday night. June's full moon, also known as the rare strawberry moon, appeared this week next to the bright red Antares star in the constellation Scorpius during a Major Lunar Standstill. Here's what to know about June's full strawberry moon, the moon phases and the summer solstice. The strawberry moon reached peak illumination at 3:44 a.m. on June 11, 2025, according to the Almanac. The moon appeared bright and full on Tuesday night, June 10, and will again be visible June 11 in the clear skies over Bucks County until setting at 5:15 a.m. June 12. To catch a glimpse, find a location with unobstructed views of the horizon. Click here to see moonrise and moonset times in your area. 🌓 First Quarter: June 2. 🌕 Full Moon: June 11. 🌗 Last Quarter: June 18. 🌑 New Moon: June 25. Similar to April's Pink Moon, June's Strawberry Moon gets its name from the seasonal strawberry harvest, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Ripening berries are traditionally ready to be harvested around this time in the northeastern United States. While strawberries are of course a reddish-pink color, the color of this moon phase is not derived from the 'strawberry' name, but this year it coincidentally has a reddish glow since it is closer to the horizon and the light rays pass through the densest layers of the atmosphere. The June solstice will mark the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere as it heralds the start of the new season of summer, which this year will begin at 10:42 p.m. ET on June 20, 2025. The July full moon, known as the buck moon, will be visible on July 10, 2025. USA Today trending reporter Maria Francis contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Can you still view strawberry moon? Why is moon so low in the sky?
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Still waiting on your tax refund from the IRS? Here's how to check your status
While the deadline to file your taxes has come and gone, there are still some Americans who have yet to receive their return. The IRS has received and processed over 140 million returns and have refunded over 93.5 million individuals and households in 2025, which means approximately 47 million people have yet to receive their return. According to the IRS, the average refund amount is $2,939 this year. Taxpayers who file electronically and choose direct deposit typically receive their refunds less than 21 days after they file, but it might take longer for certain people to receive their refunds, especially if the agency finds an error or needs more time to review the documents. "The IRS works hard to get refunds to taxpayers quickly, but taxpayers shouldn't rely on getting a refund by a certain date," according to the agency's website. Here's how to check your refund status. The reason for tax return delays is most often tied to errors found in the tax return, or returns that need more review, causing the process time to extend longer than the typical 21-day timeframe. The IRS issues the bulk of refunds in 21 days or less for those who file electronically or choose direct deposit. The agency also contacts taxpayers by mail if it needs more information to process the return. Other factors that cause delays include: The return has errors, is incomplete or is affected by identity theft or fraud The return needs a correction to the child tax credit or recovery rebate credit amount The return has a claim filed for an earned income tax credit, additional child tax credit, or includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation The time it takes a taxpayer's bank or credit union to post the refund to the taxpayer's account Taxpayers can use the "Where's My Refund?" tool available on the IRS website to check the status of a refund. The tool requires you to enter your Social Security number, filing status and the exact refund amount on the return. It will then respond with one of the following: Return received (processing) Refund approved (preparing to issue refund by date shown) Refund sent (send to your bank or in the mail) Taxpayers who file electronically should wait 24 hours before checking their refund status, according to the IRS. If you filed a paper return, you should wait four weeks before checking. IRS reps can only check the status of a refund if it's been 21 days or more since the taxpayer filed the return electronically, it's been six weeks or more since the taxpayer mailed the return, or if the "Where's My Refund?" tool tells the taxpayer to contact the IRS. Contributing: Maria Francis, USA TODAY NETWORK This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here's how to check your tax refund's status Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Still waiting on your tax refund from the IRS? Here's how to check your status
While the deadline to file your taxes has come and gone, there are still some Americans who have yet to receive their return. The IRS has received and processed over 140 million returns and have refunded over 93.5 million individuals and households in 2025, which means approximately 47 million people have yet to receive their return. According to the IRS, the average refund amount is $2,939 this year. Taxpayers who file electronically and choose direct deposit typically receive their refunds less than 21 days after they file, but it might take longer for certain people to receive their refunds, especially if the agency finds an error or needs more time to review the documents. "The IRS works hard to get refunds to taxpayers quickly, but taxpayers shouldn't rely on getting a refund by a certain date," according to the agency's website. Here's how to check your refund status. The reason for tax return delays is most often tied to errors found in the tax return, or returns that need more review, causing the process time to extend longer than the typical 21-day timeframe. The IRS issues the bulk of refunds in 21 days or less for those who file electronically or choose direct deposit. The agency also contacts taxpayers by mail if it needs more information to process the return. Other factors that cause delays include: The return has errors, is incomplete or is affected by identity theft or fraud The return needs a correction to the child tax credit or recovery rebate credit amount The return has a claim filed for an earned income tax credit, additional child tax credit, or includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation The time it takes a taxpayer's bank or credit union to post the refund to the taxpayer's account Taxpayers can use the "Where's My Refund?" tool available on the IRS website to check the status of a refund. The tool requires you to enter your Social Security number, filing status and the exact refund amount on the return. It will then respond with one of the following: Return received (processing) Refund approved (preparing to issue refund by date shown) Refund sent (send to your bank or in the mail) Taxpayers who file electronically should wait 24 hours before checking their refund status, according to the IRS. If you filed a paper return, you should wait four weeks before checking. IRS reps can only check the status of a refund if it's been 21 days or more since the taxpayer filed the return electronically, it's been six weeks or more since the taxpayer mailed the return, or if the "Where's My Refund?" tool tells the taxpayer to contact the IRS. Contributing: Maria Francis, USA TODAY NETWORK This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here's how to check your tax refund's status Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
May 2025 full moon is a flower moon and micromoon. Here's when to see it.
The May 2025 full moon, also called the "flower moon," officially occurs on Monday, May 12, giving skywatchers who are now enjoying milder conditions a chance to see a micromoon. Micromoons look a bit smaller and dimmer than usual. They occur when a full moon coincides with the point in its orbit when it's farthest from Earth, known as apogee. As a result, the micromoon will appear about 14% smaller and 30% dimmer than usual. Even so, May's moon will appear full to our eyes starting Sunday night May 11 through early Tuesday, May 13. The full flower moon will reach peak illumination at 12:56 p.m. on May 12, 2025, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The moon will also appear bright and full on Sunday (May 11) and Tuesday (May 13). To catch a glimpse, find a location with unobstructed views of the horizon. During spring, flowers start to bloom across North America, inspiring the name of May's full moon, according to the almanac. The almanac said full moon names "come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources." The 'flower moon' name has been attributed to the Algonquin people. The next full moon will be the strawberry moon, which appears on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Here are the rest of the full moons for 2025: June 11: Strawberry Moon July 10: Buck Moon Aug. 9: Sturgeon Moon Sept. 7: Harvest Moon Oct. 6: Hunter's Moon Nov. 5: Beaver Moon Dec. 4: Cold Moon Contributing: Maria Francis, USA TODAY NETWORK; Emily Barnes, New York Connect Team; Tiffany Acosta, Arizona Republic This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: May 2025 full moon date and time: When to see the flower moon
