Latest news with #ShannonSchmoll
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Recognizing National Space Day, National Astronomy Day at MSU's Abrams Planetarium
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)– Since 1997, National Space Day has been held on the first Friday in May. This year, National Astronomy Day is the day after it — Saturday, May 3rd; two National Astronomy Days are held each year, in the spring and fall, in conjunction with the first quarter moon cycle. Starting today and extending through the month, will have weekend showings of a series of shorts collectively called 'One Sky.' Dr. Shannon Schmoll, director of Michigan State University's Abrams Planetarium, says they have activities to offer all the time, and not just on these special days. The showtimes will include a live expert pointing out elements viewers can look up and find in their own night sky. The shorts feature themes on how different places and cultures around the world relate to the night sky and constellations like Orion's Belt. The Planetarium also offers a subscription service for a Sky Calendar that describes what watchers can see in the sky each day of the month. The calendar is free in May for space and astronomy aficionados. Coming up on Wednesday, May 7th is the centennial opening of the first planetarium in the world, which is located in Munich, Germany. Celebrations around the event will take place throughout the planetarium community. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
The Aurora Borealis Might Be Visible in the Northern US Tonight
Skygazers in the northern region of the US and Canada might catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights as soon as tonight and into tomorrow. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center just issued a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm watch for April 16, when plasma ejected from the sun is expected to reach Earth's magnetic field. Minor geomagnetic storm conditions are likely to carry on until April 17, the agency reported. The colorful lights splashed across the night sky are caused by geomagnetic storms in our atmosphere and the SWPC pays attention to when these might occur. Geomagnetic storms in the atmosphere can arise from a cosmic phenomena called coronal mass ejections (CME). These surging ejections of solar wind come from the corona, the sun's outermost layer. CMEs consist of plasma and magnetic field, and they can take hours or days to reach Earth. When CMEs arrive, they cause disturbances in our atmosphere by disrupting our planet's magnetic field. This creates geomagnetic storms. Coming sooner than expected, the first CME actually arrived earlier today, reports. As a result, a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm is currently raging in our atmosphere. It's still too soon to tell if this is the first of two CMEs that erupted from the sun on Sunday, or if one CME "ate" the other one to make this a cannibal combination. Forecasters say the storm is strengthening into a G3-class. Most places in the US won't have an opportunity to see the aurora borealis, but people in US regions as far south as Iowa, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wyoming might get a chance to see the lights, according to Accuweather. However, clouds, rain and snow might make it hard to see. For the best chance of seeing it, you'll need to have an unobstructed view of the northern horizon and be using long-exposure photography to capture images of the phenomenon. The Northern Lights have certain times of year when they're more likely to be observed. You have the best chance of catching aurora borealis in March, April, September and October, as these are the months near the spring and autumn equinoxes, when the Earth's position to the sun is ideal for geomagnetic storms. "The equinoxes are the transition points between which hemisphere is tilted toward the sun," Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium, told CNET last month. "At this point, the Earth's magnetic field is at a more favorable angle, closer to perpendicular, that allows easier interaction of the charged solar particles with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere." April is a good month for watching the Northern Lights because we're at Solar Maximum -- the period of the highest solar activity in the 11-year solar cycle. "During this time, we expect to see more sunspots, and therefore there's a higher chance of high-impact space weather occurring on any given day," Elsayed Talaat, director of the Office of Space Weather Observations at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said last October. So, if you live in a place where the aurora borealis might be visible tonight, make sure to head away from city lights and check out the night sky to the north.
Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Science
- Voice of America
ຈັນທະຄາດ ຫຼື ‘ກົບກິນເດືອນ' ເລີ້ມຕົ້ນຂຶ້ນໃນວັນພະຫັດມື້ນີ້
ຈັນທະຄາດເຕັມດວງ ຈະແນມເຫັນໄດ້ໃນຊີກໂລກເຂດຕາເວັນຕົກ ໃນຕອນຂ້າມຄືນຂອງວັນພະຫັດມື້ນີ້ ໂດຍຈະເຫັນໄດ້ທີ່ສຸດຢູ່ໃນທະວີບຂອງອາເມຣິກາເໜືອ ແລະອາເມຣິກາໃຕ້. ນັກສ່ອງເບິ່ງທ້ອງຟ້າທັງຫຼາຍ ໃນທະວີອາຟຣິກາ ແລະເຂດຕ່າງໆຂອງທະວີຢູໂຣບ ຍັງອາດຈະໂຊກດີ ພໍທີ່ໄດ້ເຫັນພຽງເລັກນ້ອຍຂອງປະກົດການເທິງທ້ອງຟ້າດັ່ງກ່າວ. ຈັນທະຄາດ ເກີດຂຶ້ນເມື່ອດາວໂລກ, ດວງຈັນ ແລະ ດວງຕາເວັນ ໂຄຈອນມາລຽນກັນ ແລ້ວເງົາຂອງດາວໂລກ ທີ່ເກີດຈາກການບັງແສງດວງຕາເວັນ ທີ່ເອີ້ນກັນວ່າ 'ກົບກິນເດືອ' ຫຼື ຈັນທະຄາດນັ້ນ. ດວງຈັນ ຈະເບິ່ງຄືວ່າ ເປັນໜ່ວຍສີທອງແດງໃນທ້ອງຟ້າ ອັນເປັນປະກົດການທີ່ຮູ້ຈັກກັນຄື ເດືອນເລືອດ ຫຼື red moon. ສີຂອງດວງຈັນເປັນຜົນມາຈາກການກັ່ນຕອງຂອງແສງຕາເວັນຜ່ານຊັ້ນບັນຍາກາດຂອງໂລກ. ນັກສ່ອງເບິ່ງທ້ອງຟ້າ ຈະບໍ່ຈຳເປັນຕ້ອງໃຊ້ອຸປະກອນພິເສດ, ແວ່ນຕາ ຫຼື ສິ່ງຂອງໃດໆ ເພື່ອເບິ່ງຈັນທະຄາດເຕັມດວງຄັ້ງນີ້ ເຖິງແມ່ນວ່າ ກ້ອງສ່ອງຄູ່ ຫຼື ກ້ອງສ່ອງດາວ ຫຼື telescope ອາດຈະສະໜອງການເບິ່ງໄດ້ດີກວ່າສາຍຕາ. 'ຕາບໃດທີ່ທ້ອງຟ້າແຈ້ງສະຫວ່າງ ເຈົ້າກໍ່ສາມາດແນມເຫັນມັນ' ທ່ານນາງ ແຊນນອນ ເຊີໂມລ ຜູ້ອຳນວຍການຂອງ ສູນທ້ອງຟ້າຈຳລອງ ເອບຣຳສ໌ (Abrams Planetarium) ຢູ່ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລຂອງລັດມິຊິແກັນ ໄດ້ກ່າວຕໍ່ອົງການຂ່າວເອພີ. ໃນທະວີບອາເມຣິກາເໜືອ ການເບິ່ງໃນເວລາທີ່ດີທີ່ສຸດ ຈະແມ່ນ 2 ໂມງ 59 ນາທີ ຕອນເຊົ້າໝືດ ວັນສຸກທີ 14 ມີນາ ມື້ອື່ນນີ້. ນັ້ນເປັນເວລາທີ່ດາວໂລກ ຢູ່ເລິກສຸດ, ເງົາມືດທີ່ສຸດ - ທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ ອຳບຣາ (umbra) ເຊິ່ງຈະຄ່ອຍໆປົກປິດດວງຈັນຈົນທັງໝົດ. ດວງຈັນຄາດໝາຍວ່າ ຈະຖືກປົກປິດທັງໝົດພາກໃນ 65 ນາທີ ເຖິງຢ່າງໃດກໍ່ຕາມ ຈັນທະຄາດຈະໃຊ້ເວລາປະມານຫົກຊົ່ວໂມງ ໃນປະກົດການຕັ້ງແຕ່ຕົ້ນຈົນສຸດ. ທ່ານສາມາດເຂົ້າໄປເບິ່ງໄດ້ທີ່ ເວັບໄຊ້: [ ສຳລັບສະຖານທີ່ແຫ່ງໃດ ແລະເມື່ອໃດ ທີ່ຈະເກີດປະກົດການ ດວງຈັນເລືອດ ຈະສາມາດແນມເຫັນໄດ້ ໃນພາກພື້ນຕ່າງໆ ຂອງຊີກໂລກນັ້ນໆ. ອ່ານຂ່າວນີ້ໃນພາສາອັງກິດ A total lunar eclipse will be visible in the Western Hemisphere overnight Thursday, with the best views in North America and South America. Skywatchers in Africa and parts of Europe may also be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the celestial spectacle. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth, the moon and the sun line up and the Earth's shadow blocks, or eclipses, the moon. The moon will look like a coppery red ball in the sky, a phenomenon known as the blood moon. The moon's color is the result of stray bits of sunlight filtering through Earth's atmosphere. Skywatchers won't need any special equipment, glasses or gadgets to see the eclipse – although binoculars or a telescope could provide a better view. "As long as the sky is clear, you should be able to see it," Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, told the Associated Press. In North America, peak viewing time will be at 2:59 a.m. EDT (6:59 GMT) March 14. That's when the Earth's deepest, darkest shadow - the umbra – will cover the moon. The moon is expected to be totally obscured for 65 minutes, although the eclipse will last for about six hours in its entirety. Check here [ for where and when the blood moon will be visible in different parts of the hemisphere.
Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Science
- Voice of America
Total lunar eclipse to be visible from Western Hemisphere on Thursday
A total lunar eclipse will be visible in the Western Hemisphere overnight Thursday, with the best views in North America and South America. Skywatchers in Africa and parts of Europe may also be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the celestial spectacle. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth, the moon and the sun line up and the Earth's shadow blocks, or eclipses, the moon. The moon will look like a coppery red ball in the sky, a phenomenon known as the blood moon. The moon's color is the result of stray bits of sunlight filtering through Earth's atmosphere. Skywatchers won't need any special equipment, glasses or gadgets to see the eclipse, although binoculars or a telescope could provide a better view. "As long as the sky is clear, you should be able to see it," Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, told The Associated Press. In North America, peak viewing time will be at 2:59 a.m. EDT (6:59 GMT) March 14. That's when the Earth's deepest, darkest shadow – the umbra – will cover the moon. The moon is expected to be totally obscured for 65 minutes, although the eclipse will last for about six hours in its entirety. Check here for where and when the blood moon will be visible in different parts of the hemisphere. The last total lunar eclipse occurred in 2022, but the world won't have to wait long for the next one. A total lunar eclipse will happen overnight this September 7 and 8 and will be visible across Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. A partial eclipse will occur later this month, on March 29. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.
Voice of America
11-03-2025
- Science
- Voice of America
Total Lunar Eclipse to Turn Moon Red
A total lunar eclipse is about to make the moon appear a reddish color across the Western Hemisphere. The event will happen Thursday night into Friday morning. The best places to see the eclipse will be in North America and South America. Parts of Africa and Europe may also get brief views. A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth, and moon line up just right, with Earth positioned between the sun and moon. This causes the Earth to create a shadow on the moon. In a total lunar eclipse, the Earth's shadow covers all of the moon. Another kind of eclipse is a solar eclipse. In a solar eclipse, the moon gets in a position where it blocks light from the sun, causing a partial or full shadow on Earth. A total lunar eclipse can also be called a blood moon. It makes the moon appear reddish-orange, similar to the element copper. The color comes from small amounts of sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere. The American space agency NASA says lunar and solar eclipses happen between four and seven times a year. The last total lunar eclipse was in 2022. This one will be visible for about one hour starting Friday morning at 2:26 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The time when the Earth's shadow covers all of the moon will be close to 3 a.m. EDT. 'As long as the sky is clear, you should be able to see it,' Shannon Schmoll told the Associated Press. She is the director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University. No special equipment will be needed to see the reddish moon. The total lunar eclipse may be harder to see in Europe and Africa because the moon will be close to setting. Michael Faison is an astronomy expert from Yale University. He told the AP, 'This is really an eclipse for North and South America.' Zoe Ortiz is a historian with the University of North Texas. She noted that different civilizations have observed lunar eclipses for thousands of years. This helped ancient people learn things about the behaviors of the sun, moon, and stars. 'They were looking at the night sky and they had a much brighter vision than we do today,' Ortiz said. The ancient Greek thinker and writer Aristotle observed that Earths' shadow on the moon during a lunar eclipse was always curved. This fact supported proof that the Earth is round. The next total lunar eclipse will appear in the sky September 7, across parts of Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. Parts of the Americas will get the next chance to see one in March 2026. I'm Caty Weaver. Adithi Ramakrishnan wrote this story for The Associated Press. Andrew Smith adapted it for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________________________ Words in This Story shadow – n. a dark area created by something blocking light curve – n. a line that bends around in the same way as a circle
