Latest news with #PrestonDyches
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
NASA Urges Public To Look At Night Sky Now As ‘Nova' Nears
In the wake of 2024's total solar eclipse and rare displays of the Northern Lights, a third once-in-a-lifetime sight could be possible in 2025 as a star explodes as a nova for the first time since 1946. With T Coronae Borealis (also called T CrB and the 'Blaze Star') due to become 1,000 times brighter than normal and become visible to the naked eye for the first since 1946, NASA is advising sky-watchers to get to know the patch of sky it's going to appear in. T Corona Borealis is a dim star that will briefly become a nova (new star) sometime during 2025, increasing from +10 magnitude, which is invisible to the naked eye, to +2 magnitude, which is about as bright as Polaris, the North Star. It's a 'cataclysmic variable star' and a 'recurrent nova' — a star that brightens dramatically on a known timescale, in this case about 80 years. That last happened in 1946, so it's due any day now. Astronomers first predicted T CrB would explode between April and September 2024 after it suddenly dimmed in 2023 — a telltale sign that an explosion is imminent. However, that didn't happen. It was then predicted by scientists to 'go nova' on Thursday, March 27, 2025, but that also failed to happen. The 'Blaze Star' is about 3,000 light-years away from the solar system. When it does finally 'go nova,' it will become visible to the naked eye for a few nights. Unless you know where that star is in the night sky, it's not going to be an impactful event. NASA's Preston Dyches makes that point in a new blog post published this week — and it includes a valuable sky chart (below) showing everyone where to look. T Coronae Borealis is a dim star in a constellation called Corona Borealis, "Northern Crown," a crescent of seven stars easily visible after dark from the Northern Hemisphere. 'You'll find Corona Borealis right in between the two bright stars Arcturus and Vega, and you can use the Big Dipper's handle to point you to the right part of the sky,' writes Dyches. 'Try having a look for it on clear, dark nights before the nova, so you'll have a comparison when a new star suddenly becomes visible there.' He advises practicing finding Corona Borealis in the eastern part of the sky during the first half of the night after dark during May, 'so you have a point of comparison when the T CrB nova appears there."' T Coronae Borealis is a binary star system that consists of two stars at the end of their lives: a white dwarf star that's exhausted its fuel and is cooling down and a red giant star that's cooling and expanding as it ages, expelling hydrogen as it does. That material is gathering on the surface of the white dwarf. When it reaches a critical point, it triggers a thermonuclear explosion that causes a sudden and dramatic increase in brightness. The explosion only affects its surface, leaving the white dwarf intact, so the whole process can occur again and again, according to NASA. One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space. In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's Terms of Service. We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain: User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in: So, how can you be a power user? Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's Terms of Service.
Axios
03-03-2025
- Science
- Axios
How to see 7 planets align in "great planetary parade" Friday
Look to the sky Friday night for the rare chance to see seven planets lined up. The big picture: Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars will appear together in a "planetary alignment" or "parade of planets" shortly after sunset Friday, according to the astronomy website and app Star Walk. Feb. 28 is considered the best day to see the alignment worldwide. What is a planetary parade? Zoom in: A planetary alignment is when planets appear close together. There are different kinds of planetary alignments, according to Star Walk. Mini alignments include three planets, small alignments four planets and large alignments have five or six planets, according to Star Walk. A great or full planetary alignment, which is extremely rare, includes all planets. What time will the planets align tonight? To see the seven-planet alignment, find a place with a dark sky without light pollution and with a clear view of the horizon. Sunset times vary and can be calculated using the Sun calculator at The best time to starting to look for the planets is about half an hour after sunset, experts advise. How to see the planetary alignment What we're watching: Four planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter — will be visible to the naked eye. Start looking below the horizon after sunset, Star Walk says. To see Uranus and Neptune you'll need to use a telescope after it gets dark, Preston Dyches, a public engagement specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told NPR. NASA says Mercury and Saturn " will be too low and faint for most observers to spot." Zoom out: What makes this celestial event special is that the planets will be in roughly the same region of the sky during the dark sky phase of a new Moon, Axios' Christine Clarridge reports. This offers a better chance for visibility. Weather and cloud conditions can impact the ability to see the planets. Between the lines: There will be more chances to see multiple planets in March, per EarthSky. Total lunar eclipse coming in March What's next: A total lunar eclipse — when the Moon will pass into Earth's shadow and appear to turn red — is coming. NASA says it'll happen on the night of March 13 or early in the morning on March 14, depending on time zone. More from Axios: Economic blackout targets retailers from Amazon to Walmart Exclusive: Target to open Warby Parker shops in some stores Tooth fairy payouts drop to lowest rate in years
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA says 7 planets will align tonight. When's the last time this happened?
It's unlikely you'll be able to walk outside and see a line of planets, but according to NASA, a seven-planet parade happening tonight could be visible in some form in parts of the U.S. The upcoming cosmic event also follows a series of planets, like Mars and Jupiter, visible in various geographic regions nationwide in January. If you can't wait for next month's total lunar eclipse, tonight's event might hold you over. Here's what we know about Friday's planetary alignment. Parade of planets 2025: A seven-planet alignment happens in late-February, but it could be tricky to see it The planets in our solar system orbit the sun essentially along the same line across the sky in a plane called the ecliptic. For that reason, planets in our Earthly sky always appear somewhere along a flat, disc-shaped plane, according to EarthSky, a website dedicated to cosmic news. The ecliptic is also the reason that we on Earth sometimes observe planets appearing to approach closely to each other in the sky "while they careen around the cosmic racetrack," according to NASA. "We see the racetrack of the planets from the perspective of one of the racers ourselves," Preston Dyches, who hosts NASA's "What's Up," a monthly video series that describes what's happening in the night sky, wrote for NASA. "When viewed edge-on, this disc appears as a line." Whenever planets become visible, these events are often referred to as planetary alignments. While alignments themselves aren't special, it is rare to have an opportunity to observe multiple planets simultaneously without the need for instruments like ground telescopes. Such an event is also commonly known as a "planet parade," though NASA noted that the moniker is not a technical astronomical term. The colloquial term refers to how the planets form a straight line and look like they're marching across the night sky. The phenomenon took place last June and then most recently again in January, when four bright planets and two faint planets were visible all month in the night sky. Four planets have remained widely visible in the night sky through much of February: Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus and Neptune are also still around, but they won't be appearing as brightly and will require a telescope to see, according to NASA. According to Star Walk, the next "planet parade" Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are frequently seen in the night sky. But because Venus and Mercury orbit closer to the sun than Earth, with smaller, faster orbits, it's more rare for them to make an appearance, according to NASA. Venus is visible for only a few months at a time when it reaches its greatest separation from the sun. Mercury, which takes 88 days to orbit the sun, is visible for only a few weeks, or even days, at a time. Mercury is expected to join the other planets in being visible to the unaided eye by Friday, Feb. 28. Planet parades must be observed during twilight between dawn and sunset so a glowing sky does not obscure the view. So, find a dark place free of light pollution with a view of the western horizon. Mercury and Saturn will be low in the sky, basking in the post-sunset glow, which will make both planets too faint for most observers to spot. The planet parade that began in January will come to an end by mid-to-late February, as Saturn sinks increasingly lower in the sky each night after sunset, according to NASA. Will an asteroid hit Earth? Likely not. NASA gives 'all clear' as odds fall to near zero USA TODAY reporter Janet Loehrke contributed. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Planet alignment tonight could be last in many years, experts say
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Planet parade to dance across the sky Friday night: How to see it
Look up in Michigan's night sky Friday night to catch a rare seven-planet parade. The planets will appear to line up in the sky as they orbit the sun, known as a planetary alignment or planet parade, according to NASA. "While they aren't once-in-a-lifetime events, planetary parades afford an uncommon opportunity to look up and appreciate our place in our solar system," public engagement specialist Preston Dyches wrote for NASA, "with diverse worlds arrayed across the sky before our very eyes." Here's what to know. The seven-planet alignment will take place Friday just after sunset. Planet parades are observable during twilight, so a bright sky does not obscure the view. Seven planets in our solar system — Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Mercury and Neptune — will align in the night sky, according to Science Alert. The planets will appear in a line or arc from east to west, NASA said. "Astronomical events like the planetary alignment provide people the opportunity to think more deeply about the universe around them. Fueling this curiosity directly leads to a better understanding of scientific concepts," said Joey Rodriguez, assistant professor in the physics and astronomy department at Michigan State University, in a statement. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be easily visible in the night sky, according to Star Walk. Uranus and Neptune will also be around, but they won't be appearing as bright and will require a telescope to see, according to NASA. Mars will appear above the southern horizon in the Gemini constellation. Jupiter will appear in the Taurus constellation, Uranus in the Aries constellation, Venus and Neptune in the Pisces constellation, and Mercury and Saturn in the Aquarius constellation, Star Walk said. The four-planet lineup that began in January concludes this month as Saturn sinks increasingly lower in the sky each night after sunset, according to NASA. While Mercury will briefly join Saturn in the post-sunset glow, both planets will be too low and faint for most observers to spot. For the best viewing chances, head to an open area away from urban light pollution, experts advise. Michigan is home to six dark sky state parks, three international dark sky parks and an international dark sky sanctuary. The Alpena area has three Dark Sky Preserves: Rockport State Recreation Area, Thompson's Harbor State Park and Negwegon State Park. In Mackinaw City, Headlands International Dark Sky Park, 15675 Headlands Road. In Empire, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 9922 Front St. In Munising, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. In Paradise, the Great Lakes Museum and Whitefish Point Light Station, 18335 N. Whitefish Point Road, and Tahquamenon Falls State Park at 41382 W. M-123. In Port Austin, Port Crescent State Park, 1775 Port Austin Road. In Clayton, Lake Hudson Recreation Area, 5505 Morey Highway. In Carp Lake, Wilderness State Park, 903 Wilderness Park Drive. Keweenaw Dark Sky Park in Keweenaw County and Dr. T.K. Lawless Park in Cass County are international spots. And, finally, the Beaver Island State Wildlife Research Area is an international sanctuary. Keep an eye on the weather forecast ahead of the event, as a clear night sky will be optimal for taking in the rare alignment. Stargazers have one more opportunity in 2025 to catch a multi-planet lineup, according to NASA, when four planets become visible before sunrise in late August. USA TODAY and the Lansing State Journal contributed. Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: When is the planet parade 2025? How to see all 7 planets
Washington Post
27-02-2025
- Science
- Washington Post
A rare seven-planet ‘parade' will light up the sky. Here's how to see it.
If you bring a telescope and get away from city lights Friday evening, there's a chance you'll see seven planets parading through the sky. Most of the planetary alignment, which is colloquially referred to as a planet parade, will be visible to the naked eye just after sunset Friday, according to Preston Dyches, writer and producer of NASA's monthly sky-watching video series, 'What's Up.'
