Latest news with #Regulus
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Forbes
Mars Meets The Moon As ‘Space Clouds' Gather: June's Night Sky
Each month, I pick out North America's celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more. Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere have a complicated relationship with June. It's a great month to get outdoors to go hiking and camping, but with the solstice coming on June 20, the hours of true darkness are short. So what's a stargazer to do? Stay up late and make those short nights count! Here's everything else you need to know about stargazing and the night sky in June 2025: When: local moonrise during dusk on Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Where: eastern horizon Tonight's full strawberry moon will appear on the southeastern horizon just as the sun sets in the west, then hang low all night. This is its "lunar standstill," when it rises as far southeast as it ever does during its 18.6-year cycle. The moon actually reaches 100% illumination at 3:45 a.m. EDT on June 11. When: after sunset on Monday, June 16, 2025 Where: western sky In the west, after sunset tonight, two lights will shine very close to one another — reddish planet Mars and blueish star Regulus. The brightest star in the constellation Leo, 'the Lion,' Regulus, is 78 light-years distant. It and Mars will be less than a degree apart tonight and June 16. When: before sunrise on Monday, June 23, 2025 Where: eastern sky In the east-northeast, a slender waning crescent moon will be under half a degree from the Pleiades, a spectacular open cluster of stars also called the "Seven Sisters" and M45. As a bonus, Venus will shine brightly nearby. When: any night in June Where: high up in the eastern sky June is the best time to point a small telescope at the constellation Hercules close to the bright star Vega. Also called M13, it's a dense ball of thousands of ancient stars that orbits in the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. It's about 22,000 light-years from the solar system. When: after sunset on Friday, June 27, 2025 Where: western sky If you've never seen the tiny planet Mercury, here's a great chance to see it with a moon at its spectacular best. A slender 9%-lit waxing crescent moon will shine to the upper-right of tiny Mercury, visible just above the western horizon. When: June 30-July 21, 2025 Where: northern sky During twilight, look to the northern sky from the Northern Hemisphere for high altitude noctilucent clouds, web-like "space clouds" that grow as ice crystals form around dust in the high atmosphere left by meteors. When: after sunset on Sunday, June 29, 2025 Where: western sky This is June's celestial highlight — a very close conjunction of the moon and Mars. Taking place after sunset in the west, the moon and Mars will appear less than a fifth of a degree apart. That's super close. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
June skygazing: A strawberry moon, the summer solstice… and Asteroid Day!
While the relatively short nights of summer mean less dark skies for stargazing, this month should still provide plenty to occupy those of us given to looking to the sky. June will feature several opportunities to see Mars and the moon in close proximity to Regulus, the iconic blue star(s) that shine from the heart of Leo, along with two weeks' worth of excellent opportunities for observing Mercury. And did you know that June 30 is International Asteroid Day? The first evening of June will find the crescent moon sitting squarely between Mars and Regulus, the brightest member of the constellation Leo. Interesting fact: while it looks like a single object, the blue 'star' we see as Regulus isn't just one star. It's actually four. The largest and brightest, Regulus A, is significantly hotter than our sun and way, way brighter than our sun, and is believed to be in a binary orbit with a much smaller object. This object is most likely a white dwarf, but it has never been observed directly. The other two stars–Regulus B and C–are also dwarf stars, and are also locked in a binary orbit. Anyway, keep Regulus in mind, because we'll be returning to it later in the month. This month, the moon will reach peak illumination in the early hours of June 11. If you're on EDT, the full moon will be at 3:44 a.m. This month's moon is called the Strawberry Moon, and of all the lovely names for the full moon, June's might just be the prettiest. The name refers to the berries that ripen as the summer solstice approaches, not the color of the moon itself, which will remain resolutely silver. Several Native American languages use this term, including Ojibwe, Oneida, and the Mahican dialect of the Stockbridge-Munsee band of Wisconsin. Other languages have similarly poetic names: in the Catawba language it's the 'River Moon' and in Cherokee it's 'They Are Arriving/Plants in Garden are Sprouting Month', while in Seneca and Tunica it's simply the 'Summer Moon.' Our solar system's innermost planet can be difficult to observe—it's small, dim, and a lot of the time, it simply gets lost in the glare of the sun. However, this month marks one of the regular periods when Mercury appears far enough removed from the sun to be visible to the naked eye. Throughout June, Mercury will approach its maximum eastern elongation,the point at which it appears furthest east of the sun. Unfortunately, its magnitude—i.e. its apparent brightness—will decline over the course of the month, and by the time it hits maximum elongation in early July, it'll be dim enough that you might struggle to spot it without the aid of a telescope or some binoculars. This means that mid-June will offer the best balance of elongation and magnitude. As per the ever indispensable Farmer's Almanac, Mercury should be visible between 9:00 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. local time, low in the sky to the west-northwest. On June 26, it'll peek out from slightly below and to the left of the crescent moon. [ Related: Mercury stuns in incredibly detailed new images. ] So, another thing about Regulus: it sits close to the plane of the solar system, which means that it is often seen in close proximity to the moon and the planets. This month brings one such occasion: for the nights of June 16, 17, and 18, Regulus will appear right next to Mars. The proximity of the Red Planet and the blazing blue heart of the constellation Leo should make for a pretty spectacular celestial juxtaposition. In the Northern Hemisphere, June 20 is the day on which the sun is highest in the sky, aka the summer solstice! This is the day on which the North Pole is tilted most directly toward the sun, bringing 24-hour daylight to the Arctic Circle and the longest day of the year to the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. Summer is here, y'all! [ Related: Agencies plan for near-Earth asteroid's close encounter in 2032. ] June 30 marks the anniversary of the Tunguska Event, a frankly terrifying asteroid strike that remains the largest asteroid impact event in recorded history. On June 30, 1908, an asteroid estimated to be about 160 to 200 feet wide exploded several miles above the surface of a remote area of Siberia. The force of the detonation is estimated to be comparable to between 3 and 50 megatons of TNT, and registered on seismographs around the world. For comparison, the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had yields of 0.015 and 0.021 megatons, respectively.) The resultant shockwave flattened an estimated 80 million trees over an area of 830 square miles and broke windows hundreds of miles away. In 2014, a group of scientists proposed that June 30 be designated International Asteroid Day. The UN adopted the idea two years later. The day recognizes the potentially calamitous effect of asteroid impacts—what might have happened had the Tunguska asteroid hit a city instead of a barren part of Siberia doesn't really bear thinking about—and to raise awareness about the importance of asteroid-tracking endeavors. Anyway, hopefully June's stargazing endeavors won't reveal any terrifying asteroids hurtling toward us. Whatever you're setting your sights on, though, you'll get the best experience if you get away from any sources of light pollution—and you make sure to check out our stargazing tips before you head off into the darkness. Until next month!
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wyoming Skies: June brings summer solstice and constellations in every direction
June 20, 2025, brings us the summer solstice. Supposedly, that means warmer weather has finally arrived in Wyoming. This month, if you go out after it gets dark, you will see some wonderful stars and constellations in every direction. If you face north you will see a 'W' above the northern horizon; those five stars are the constellation Cassiopeia. The Little Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor, is halfway above the northern horizon. And almost overhead you can see the Big Dipper, the most well-known group of stars in Ursa Major. If you follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper you'll run into the brilliant star Arcturus. Arcturus marks the bottom of Boötes, a constellation that looks like a kite or ice cream cone. If you continue the arc from the handle of the Big Dipper, you'll hit another bright star, that is Spica in the constellation Virgo. And follow that curve to Corvus, a quadrilateral-shape group of stars. Facing west you'll see the twin stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, above the horizon. They'll slip toward the horizon more each day. And higher in the sky, you can see the spring constellation of Leo. It's easily picked out by locating the Sickle, a group of stars that look like a backward question mark. The bright star at the bottom of the Sickle is Regulus. If you look to the south, you can see two constellations very close to the horizon; Scorpius resembles a fishhook or the letter 'J,' and Sagittarius is obvious as a group of stars that resembles an old-fashioned teapot. And here's a fun fact, the spout of the Teapot it is pointing toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Finally, when you face east you will see a definite sign that summer is here because the Summer Triangle shines brightly in the sky. The Summer Triangle is made up of these three bright stars: Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus, and Altair in Aquila. Under dark skies, you'll see the Milky Way arching up from the northeast horizon, starting under Cassiopeia, passing overhead through Cygnus and Aquila, finally ending up in the south going through Sagittarius and Scorpius. What's cool about the Milky Way is that this glowing patch of stars, gas and dust is a spiral arm of our galaxy. In order of brightness in the evening sky you will find: Mercury, Arcturus, Vega, Capella, Altair, Antares, Spica, Pollux, Deneb, Regulus and Mars. Planets this month are split between the evening and morning sky. In the June evening sky, look for Mars as a steady red light slowly moving across the stars of Leo. Mars will be closest to the bright star Regulus on the evening of June 16. Jupiter has dominated the evening sky for months, but is challenging to spot in the bright western twilight and will slip away toward the beginning of the month. It's being replaced by Mercury emerging in the evening sky about 30-40 minutes after sunset. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the sun on July 4. Morning observers can catch brilliant Venus before dawn; it reached its greatest distance from the sun at the end of May. Golden Saturn is higher in the sky than Venus and will move away from Venus each day. The moon is a great way to locate stars and planets. The moon is near Mars on the evening of June 1, and will float near Saturn on the mornings of June 18 and 19. Then it visits Venus on the mornings of June 21 and 22. Then it will move back to the evening sky, so the moon will float near Mercury on June 26 and will pay Mars another visit on the evening of June 29. The full moon of June occurs overnight on June 10-11. It's the Full Strawberry Moon — named to coincide with the abundance of strawberries harvested this month — and will lie near the bright star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion. The full moon will be visible all night. A fun trio to look for on the evenings around June 24 is Mercury forming a line with Pollux and Castor in the evening twilight. Binoculars might help spot them. There is a meteor shower this month that might be worth watching for before dawn on the morning of June 7. It's the daytime Arietids. They are the most active daytime meteor shower, but how can you watch for them in the daytime? Its radiant — or point where the meteors seem to originate — rises before the sun. So you might catch meteors shooting up from the horizon before dawn. How fun would that be to see?
Edinburgh Reporter
3 days ago
- Science
- Edinburgh Reporter
The astronomical sky above Edinburgh and Lothian in June
June hosts the annual celebration of all things pagan: the Northern Hemisphere Summer Solstice. The Solstice, which occurs on 21 June at 3:42 am, marks the Sun's most northerly altitude and the beginning of astronomical summer which will last for 93 days 15 hours and 37 minutes. If you were to stand on the Tropic of Cancer, the Sun would be directly overhead at local noon. In Edinburgh and Lothian, the Sun will reach 57.5 degrees at 1:14 pm. Due to an effect known as the 'precession of the equinoxes' the Sun is not in Cancer (The Crab) in modern times but Taurus (The Bull). This, the longest day of the year, will last 17 hours 36 minutes and 24 seconds and you will cast your shortest shadow of the year. Within a few hours of the Solstice, though, the Sun leaves Taurus (The Bull) and enters Gemini (The Twins) and recedes from Earth by 397,520 km over the month. Daylight lengthens from 17:12 (17.206 hours) on 1 June to 17:31 (17.514 hours) on 30 June so we lose 18 minutes of twilit night time by the end of June. Since the Sun will be at its shallowest point below the northern horizon in June, and Edinburgh and Lothian sits in the 50–65 degrees band of latitude, we have an excellent opportunity to observe polar mesospheric clouds, also known as noctilucent clouds from the Latin for 'night shining'. Noctilucent clouds form in the mesosphere around 80 km above the Earth. They are visible after sunset and before sunrise when the observer is still within twilight but the clouds are sunlit (from below). Typically they are to be found between north-east and north-west lying below 15 degrees altitude. The first quarter Moon shows up on 3 June at 4:41 am in Leo (The Lion). Lunar apogee (furthest from Earth) occurs on 7 June at 11:37 am and takes the Moon to 405,580 km away from Earth—around 21,180 km further than average—subtending an angle of 29.5 arc-minutes. This is followed by the full Strawberry Moon which makes an appearance on 11 June at 8:44 am in Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer). The Moon enters last quarter on 18 June at 8:19 pm in Pisces (The Fishes). Lunar perigee (closest to Earth) occurs on 23 June at 5:38 am and finds the Moon some 363,160 km away from Earth—around 21,240 km closer than average—subtending an angle of 32.9 arc-minutes. The new Moon appears on 25 June at 11:32 am in Auriga (The Charioteer) beginning a new synodic month which will last 29 days, 8 hours and 40 minutes. Regulus in Leo (The Lion) will be 1.8 degrees south of the first quarter Moon on 2 June at 1:30 am. The Pleiades (M45) in Taurus (The Bull) will be 0.6 degrees south of the waning crescent Moon on 23 June at 2:59 am. For the inferior planets: Mercury begins the month in Taurus (The Bull) and ends in Cancer (The Crab) and approaches Earth by 64,772,840 km. Contrarily, Mercury decreases in brightness from -2.17 to 0.40 magnitudes over the month as it's sunlit phase reduces until it reaches dichotomy (half-phase) on 28 June. Venus begins the month in Pisces (The Fishes) and ends in Taurus (The Bull) and recedes by 35,575,400 km so decreases in brightness from -4.39 to -4.14 magnitudes over the month. The 'Morning Star Planet' will reach greatest western elongation on 1 June at 4:30 am and dichotomy (half-phase) later the same day. She reaches aphelion (farthest from the Sun) on 12 June. On 22 June, Venus will appear below the waning crescent Moon in the pre-dawn eastern sky. For the superior planets: Mars remains in Leo (The Lion) all month but recedes by 34,393,273 km. Consequently, the 'Red Planet' fades in brightness from 1.28 to 1.49 magnitudes over June. At midnight on 16/17 June, Mars will be 0.7 degrees north of Regulus in Leo (The Lion). On 29 June at 11:00 pm, Mars will be within 0.2 degrees of the waxing crescent Moon, low in the western sky. The following night, it will be fully occulted by the Moon but this event will be below our horizon. Jupiter begins June in Taurus (The Bull) and ends in Gemini (The Twins). The 'Gas Giant' recedes by 9,528,863.7 km and diminishes in brightness from -1.91 to -1.89 magnitudes. Jupiter reaches (solar) conjunction on 24 June and is lost to us for observing. Earth and Jupiter will be farthest apart for the year on 26 June. Saturn remains in Pisces (The Fishes) all month but comes closer by 73,493,246 km. The 'Ringed Planet' increases in brightness from 1.08 to 0.96 magnitudes. On 19 June at 3:47 am, Saturn will be 3.4 degrees south of the waning crescent Moon and reaches western quadrature on 22 June. Uranus remains in Taurus (The Bull) all month but comes closer by 33,228,276 km. Neptune remains in Pisces (The Fishes) all month and comes closer by 74,218,490 km. The 'Blue Planet' reaches western quadrature on 23 June. The Blaze Star, the recurrent nova T CrB in Corona Borealis (The Northern Crown), should continue to be monitored for it's much-anticipated brightening as the constellation is highly visible during evening and night hours all month. At the time of our sky map, some constellations visible are Draco (The Dragon) at zenith, Perseus (The Hero) in the north, Cygnus (The Swan) in the east, Leo (The Lion) in the west, and Serpens Caput (The Snake's Head) in the south. The ecliptic hosts Sagittarius (The Archer), Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer), Scorpio (The Scorpion), Libra (The Scales), Virgo (The Maiden), Leo (The Lion) and Cancer (The Crab). We also see 2 bright star triangles in the June sky: The 'Spring Triangle' of Arcturus in Bootes (The Herdsman), Denebola in Leo (The Lion) and Spica in Virgo (The Maiden) in the south and the 'Summer Triangle'—Deneb in Cygnus (The Swan), Vega in Lyra (The Lyre) and Altair in Aquila (The Eagle)—in the east. Circumpolar constellations—always above the horizon at the latitude of Edinburgh and Lothian—include Ursa Minor (The Little Bear), Ursa Major (The Great Bear), Camelopardalis (The Giraffe) and Cepheus (The King). Like this: Like Related
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Catch a glimpse of the ‘strawberry moon' and other night sky events this June
Whether you're waking up early to spot Venus in the pre-dawn sky, staying up late to peep the Lagoon Nebula, or spending the whole night on the hunt for meteors, June's night sky has something for every stargazer. Here's what to keep an eye out for when you look up this month. (9 must-see night sky events to look forward to in 2025.) On June 1, Venus will reach its farthest distance west of the sun from the perspective of Earth—a point known as greatest western elongation. This is a particularly good time to get a glimpse at Earth's neighboring planet, as it won't be drowned out by sunlight. In some time zones, the exact timing of this event occurs on May 31, while in others, it's on June 1. But the best time to view Venus is just before dawn, when it rises in the eastern sky in the Northern Hemisphere, or the northeastern sky if you're in the Southern Hemisphere. Missed seeing the "well-placed" globular clusters in May? The Great Hercules Cluster, or Messier 13, reaches its highest point in the night sky on June 2, putting it in a prime viewing position. Discovered in 1714 by English astronomer Edmond Halley, for whom the iconic Halley's Comet is named, the Great Hercules Cluster is a collection of more than 100,000 stars densely packed into a glittering, spheroidic shape. While it can be hard to discern with the naked eye, it's easily visible through binoculars. As its name implies, the prolific daytime Arietid meteor shower doesn't peak at night, but during the day. That, of course, makes most of the meteors nearly impossible to see. But there's still a chance of spotting shooting stars in the predawn hours on June 7, just before the estimated peak during the daylight hours. And if you want to "see" the daytime activity, visit the NASA Meteor Shower Portal and look for colored dots—those indicate meteors associated with the active meteor shower. This month's full moon, known as the "Strawberry Moon," won't take on the red hue of its namesake fruit, but it is lovely nonetheless. The nickname, popularized by the Farmers' Almanac, is derived from Indigenous traditions in North America that link full moons to annual harvesting and hunting events. In June, that's the ripening of wild strawberries. (Learn about the lunar cycle and the origins of each month's full moon name.) Old European nicknames for the June full moon include the Mead or Honey Moon. According to NASA, this might be tied to the honey harvesting that happens during this month—and it could be the inspiration for the modern honeymoon, as ancient traditions called for June weddings. Mars and the bright star Regulus—known for its colorful twinkling—will have a close encounter on June 16, with peak viewing occurring around 90 minutes after sunset. Regulus is a four-star system, as opposed to a single star, but only three of those four individual stars will be visible during this event through the eye of a telescope. Then, around midnight, the Butterfly Cluster will be "well-placed" in the night sky, reaching its highest point above the horizon. To see this butterfly-shaped open cluster of stars, grab a pair of binoculars. Star clusters aren't the only "well-placed" celestial objects this month. The Lagoon Nebula, or Messier 8, is a swirling cloud of interstellar gas where stars are born, located some 5,200 light years away. It reaches its highest point in the night sky around midnight on June 22. From mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, the Lagoon Nebula can sometimes be seen with the naked eye under ideal viewing conditions. Otherwise, binoculars or a telescope is the best way to spot them. On this night, there's a new moon lunar cycle, which means the sky will be plenty dark for stargazing. While brighter celestial objects like planets and stars are typically visible through the moon's light pollution, dimmer ones like distant galaxies and nebulae will be easier to see during the new moon, particularly through a telescope. (These are the best stargazing sites in North America.) If you're a photographer, this is the perfect time to try your hand at astrophotography. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Milky Way's galactic core rises high in the night sky throughout the summer, making it a prime focal point. The Bootids are a notoriously variable meteor shower, producing astonishing displays of hundreds of shooting stars some years, and just a few other years. If you're willing to try your luck, the meteor shower is expected to peak on June 27. And luck is already on your side—the moon will be barely illuminated as a waxing crescent, so it won't impede your view of fainter shooting stars. To close out the month, the waxing crescent moon and Mars will put on a little show. Our celestial neighbors will pass within 1°16' of each other; if you hold your arm out fully toward the moon and stick your pinky finger up, your finger's width is about the distance between the pair, so you'll be able to see them simultaneously through binoculars. Keep an eye out for the "earthshine" phenomenon, where light reflected from Earth makes the unlit part of the crescent moon glow faintly. This most commonly happens just after sunset or right before sunrise.
