Latest news with #Messier44
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Look up: This planet is about to pass through cosmic beehive in unique sky event
The second-closest planet to Earth is about to pass through a beehive in the sky — a beehive of stars. Starting Thursday, Mars should be seen passing through the Beehive star cluster, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The best time to see the red planet pass through the stars is two hours after sunset on Friday, May 2, according to the space website When the Curves Line Up. The star cluster, also known as Messier 44, is typically best seen during the spring night sky toward the constellation Cancer, according to NASA. The Beehive is made up of around 1,000 young stars that are all loosely connected by gravity. These stars, between 600 and 700 million years old, are considered young in contrast to the Milky Way Galaxy, which is 4.6 billion years old. Mars can be seen with the naked eye, though binoculars can be used for a closer look as it passes through the star cluster, according to When the Curves Line Up. While the moon is expected to be over 30% illuminated, some stars in the cluster could be washed out. If stargazers cannot see Mars make its passage, they will get another chance — but will have to wait a while. Mars infrequently passes through the star cluster every year, either in the spring or fall. The red planet's passage through the cluster should happen again starting Oct. 11, 2026, When the Curves Line Up wrote. The famed astronomer Galileo took the first telescopic view of the star cluster in 1609, EarthSky reported. Using a paper tube and two pieces of glass, he counted 40 stars. Over a century later, astronomer William Messier added the cluster to his catalogue of nebulous objects in the sky, resulting in its scientific name. Halley's Comet debris soon to leave glowing streaks in the sky It's one of the biggest moons of the year — so why can't you tell? Watch unique sky event from your backyard as planet passes through a cosmic beehive Here are 10 photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope after 35 years in space Why won't you be able to see the closest supermoon of 2025?
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
9 reasons to look up this May, from vanishing rings to a flower moon
May's night sky is filled with entertainment for stargazers, whether you're interested in observing planets, meteors, the moon, or even globular clusters. Grab your binoculars, set up your telescope, and get outside—here's what to look for in the cosmos throughout the month. Just after sunset, look to the west to spot a celestial 'swarm.' The stars of the Beehive Cluster (Messier 44) will appear to buzz just below the crescent moon. Take a closer look, and you might notice one of the 'bees' has a reddish hue—that's Mars joining the fun. (Here are five famous constellations that (almost) anyone can find.) The Beehive cluster, located about 577 light-years away, contains more than a thousand stars. While some can be seen with the naked eye, the cluster's dazzling display is best seen through binoculars or a telescope. The Eta Aquariid meteor shower, active from April 20 to May 21, peaks on the night of May 5 into the morning of May 6. The shower is linked to Halley's Comet, and observers can expect around 10 meteors per hour— potentially more if you're in the Southern Hemisphere. Though it might not be the most prolific show of the year, the Eta Aquarids are known for their super-fast meteors that leave glowing streaks across the night sky. These incandescent debris trails can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. On May 6, Saturn experiences its equinox—an event that happens only once every 15 Earth years. The sun shines directly over Saturn's equator during this time, causing the planet's famous rings to appear edge-on and nearly vanish from view. The phenomenon offers a rare chance to see Saturn with its rings strikingly thin and faint, as sunlight hits them at a dramatic angle. If you've never seen a globular cluster, you'll soon have a good chance to look at one. Globular Cluster Messier 5 (M5) will be 'well-placed' for observation on May 11, meaning it's reached its highest point in the night sky. Globular clusters are densely packed groups of gravitationally bound stars—tens of thousands to millions of them—that form a glittering spheroid shape. Located about 25,000 light-years away, M5 offers a glittering glimpse into the Milky Way's early history. A telescope will reveal its dense core and halo of faint stars. (Explore the galactic map that could guide aliens to Earth.) See May's 'flower moon' reach full bloom on May 12. Per the Farmer's Almanac, each month's full moon often reflects natural events; in May, spring flowers are typically in bloom across North America. As with April's full moon, May's full moon will be a micromoon that appears slightly smaller and dimmer than 'normal' full moons. Micromoons occur when the moon reaches apogee, the point in its orbit farthest from Earth. Looking for Saturn? On the night of May 22, the planet will be just 2°28'—or the distance of about 2.5 pinky fingers at arm's length—away from the waning crescent moon. If you observe Saturn through a telescope, its rings will appear quite thin, thanks to the recent equinox. That said, you won't be able to fit both Saturn and the moon into the field of view of a telescope. If you want to see both simultaneously, you'll have to do so with binoculars, though Saturn might not be well magnified. Clear skies permitting, May 26 will offer some of the best stargazing conditions of the month. The new moon means no lunar light interfering with dark skies, providing optimal viewing for faint stars, galaxies, and nebulae. If you don't have your own optical gear, see if you can borrow binoculars from your local library or sync up with a local astronomy club for a stargazing session with telescopes. (These are the world's best stargazing spots.) Don't worry if you missed M5 on May 11—you have another chance to see a 'well-placed' globular cluster on May 28. Messier 4 (M4) is the closest globular cluster to Earth at just 5,500 light-years away. M4 has more than 100,000 stars, including an estimated 40,000 white dwarfs. White dwarfs are ancient stars, or rather, the ultra-dense cores of ancient stars that have burned up all their fuel. They're quite dim, so you won't be able to see them without a reasonably high-powered telescope. On May 31, Venus will reach its greatest western elongation—the maximum distance west of the sun in our sky. This places the bright 'morning star' prominently in the pre-dawn hours. Venus, the third-brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon, is easy to spot—and during greatest elongations, it's especially striking.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch unique sky event from your backyard as planet passes through a cosmic beehive
Down on Earth, it is about to look as though a reddish star in the Beehive star cluster is moving. The reality is it's not a star, it's Earth's neighbor, Mars. Between May 1 and 6, Mars is expected to make its approach through the Beehive star cluster, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Mars infrequently passes through the star cluster once every year, either in the spring or in the fall, as it did in December 2024, BBC Sky at Night reported. The best night to see Mars make its passage is May 2, two hours after sunset, the space website When the Curves Line Up wrote. The moon's illumination should be over 30%, which could wash out the naked-eye view of some of the cluster's stars. Scientifically designated as Messier 44 and located in the constellation Cancer, the Beehive is made up of around 1,000 stars loosely connected by gravity, NASA stated. It is best seen in the spring night sky and covers a part of space large enough to fit about three full moons. Mars should be seen making its way through the star cluster with a pair of binoculars, When the Curves Line Up wrote. This star cluster is unique for being positioned along the elliptic, the invisible plane in which all the solar system's planets line up as they orbit around the sun. Though Mars resembles a star in the night sky, it's far closer than the stars that make up the Beehive. The star cluster is 600 light years away, according to NASA, while the space agency reports that Mars is 142 million miles from Earth. While second-century astronomer Ptolemy noted the cluster as 'the nebulous mass in the breast of Cancer,' Galileo made the first telescopic view of the star cluster in 1609, when he counted 40 stars, EarthSky wrote. Here are 10 photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope after 35 years in space Why won't you be able to see the closest supermoon of 2025? This newly found green comet may not have survived its trek past the sun Here's what a Beatles song and a fossil have to do with a NASA mission to study asteroids 4 planets align in early-morning sky: How and where to spot them
