Latest news with #SkyatNight
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How to see the flower moon in UK skies next week
The flower moon will rise over the UK on 12 May, but will be a little smaller than most full moons. A micromoon rises behind the so-called liver bird, the symbol of Liverpool that sits on top of the city's Royal Liver Building. (Alamy) The flower moon will rise over British skies on 12 May, but it will be a little smaller than most full moons, making it what is known as a 'micromoon'. The moon will appear full over most of the weekend, but will be at its best on Monday night. A full moon is when the moon appears as a complete circle in the sky: this is because the whole side of the moon facing us on Earth is lit up by the sun's rays. Because the moon does not produce its own light, we only see the parts of it that are lit up by other objects like the sun. This one will appear smaller, as it's further away. Where and when is the best time to see it? The flower moon will rise over the UK at 9.28pm BST on 12 May, according to Sky at Night. The moon will rise in the southeast beneath the constellation Libra and will not rise very high in the sky, and will stay in the southern part of the sky, setting in the southwest before dawn. A micromoon rises over the Czech capital of Prague last month. (Alamy) Why is it called the flower moon? The names we use for full moons today (such as cold moon, wolf moon and harvest moon) come to us indirectly from Native American traditions. Nasa's Gordon Johnston wrote: 'In the 1930s, the Maine Farmer's Almanac began publishing Indian names for the full moons, tying these names to the European months." The flower moon is named as such because it coincides with a time of year when flowers are abundant – it's also known as the corn-planting moon or milk moon, according to NASA. What is a micromoon? In contrast to the better-known supermoon, this month's flower moon will be a "micromoon". This means it appears very slightly smaller from Earth. Both supermoons and micromoons are due to the fact that the moon's orbit is not a circle – it's elliptical. This means that the moon is sometimes closer to Earth and sometimes further away - a micromoon occurs when a full moon happens when it is furthest away from the Earth.
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
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Venus and crescent moon to form ‘smiley face' in the sky this week
Earth's neighbouring planet Venus will be shining brightly in the morning sky this week - and might just flash us a grin with help from the moon. All of this week, Venus will be visible shining brightly as a morning star in the Eastern sky around sunrise in the days up to April 25. But on the morning of April 25, sky watchers might be able to spot a 'triple conjunction' which looks a tiny bit like a smiley face. Venus is shining brightly all through this week just before and during sunrise. The best viewing time is 5.00AM local time, according to the BBC's Sky at Night magazine. Because the sun will not rise until just before 6am, Venus will shine out like a very bright star on the eastern horizon. (It's worth being careful here, as the Sun will rise in the same area of the sky, and looking directly at it can damage eyesight.) Through the week, Venus will rise in roughly the same place, while the Moon moves eastward and becomes thinner as it moves towards its new moon phase. On the mornings of April 24th and April 25, the moon, Venus and Saturn will form a 'smiley face' in the sky (although you may have to bend your neck and squint a bit). NASA says, 'Around April 24th and 25th, you'll find Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon gathered low in the east as dawn warms up the morning sky. Those with a clear view to the horizon might also pick out Mercury looking bright, but very low in the sky.' NEWSThe waning crescent Moon will align with Venus and Saturn on April 25, giving you a chance of seeing a smiley face in the sky. — Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) April 21, 2025 The triple conjunction will appear in the Eastern sky on the morning of the 25th, with Venus and Saturn becoming the 'eyes' and the crescent moon becoming the 'mouth'. It will be visible around the world for about an hour before sunrise. NASA Solar System Ambassador Brenda Culbertson said, "Venus is higher above the eastern horizon with Saturn lower, and a thin, crescent Moon a bit lower and a little farther north. The thin, crescent Moon looks like a smile. 'To some people, the triangle of bright objects may appear as a smiley face. "Anyone wanting to try for a glimpse of the conjunction should find a clear eastern horizon from which to observe.' Through the week, the moon will travel Eastward in the sky, getting closer to Venus. With each passing day, the crescent of the moon will get thinner. When it enters its 'new moon' phase, it will not be visible, but that will not happen until April 27.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How to see ‘pink micromoon' light up UK skies this weekend
This month will see a very special full moon rise on Sunday night - a pink micromoon. Depending on the weather, the micromoon should be very visible from Britain on Sunday evening. The moon should look 'bold and bright' in the night sky, Sky at Night magazine promises. Sadly, pink moons are not actually pink. In reality, it's more likely to be an orangey colour as the full moon rises over the horizon. Instead, the term 'pink moon' comes from American terminology for different moons of the year. NASA's Gordon Johnston writes, 'The Maine Farmer's Almanac first published Native American names for the full Moons in the 1930s. Over time these names have become widely known and used." The term 'Pink Moon' comes from a spring flower, Wild Ground Phlox, also known as Moss Phlox which grows in North America, and appears at the time of April's full moon. The full moon is linked to the date of Easter, with Easter falling on the Sunday after the full moon that appears after the spring equinox. The rules date from the First Council of Nicaea in 325BC, with the council deciding that the moon would help pilgrims travel for Easter. In contrast to the better-known 'supermoon', the Pink Moon this month will be a 'micromoon'. Both supermoons and micromoons are due to the fact that the Moon's orbit is not a circle - it's elliptical. This means that the Moon is sometimes closer to Earth and sometimes further away - a 'micromoon' occurs when a Full Moon occurs when the Earth is furthest away. The scientific term is 'apogee moon'. NASA says that 'micromoon' 'is a recently coined term to describe the full moon near apogee. Apogean full moon is more descriptive of 'micromoon' events but is, perhaps, more limited in time by its specification of apogee.' On 13th April, the Pink Moon will rise at 21:08 BST. The moon will reach its peak brightness at 1.22am BST, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How to see seven planets lining up in ‘parade' in UK this week
Seven planets are set to line up this week and all will be visible from the UK in the evening sky. The planetary parade of Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury and Saturn visible this week will be the last time seven planets can be seen so clearly at the same time until 2040. The best opportunity for stargazers to see as many planets as possible will be just after sunset on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and particularly Friday this week. The latest parade goes one better than last month's event, when six planets - Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - could be seen. But now Mercury has joined the planetary party, as they all gather closely on one side of the Sun. The BBC's Sky at Night magazine said: 'There is an imaginary line that the path of the Sun traces across the daytime sky, and this is known as the 'ecliptic'. 'The ecliptic is due to the fact that Earth and all the other Solar System planets formed out of the same flat disc of gas and dust that once surrounded our infant Sun. 'This means the planets in the Solar System all occupy roughly the same orbital plane – Earth included – and therefore all more or less follow the line of the ecliptic in the sky. So, when multiple planets are visible in the sky, they'll located be roughly along this line.' It is thought that four of the planets - Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Mars, will be largely visible, while Saturn may be tricker to see as it will be low on the horizon. A telescope will be needed to see the other two planets, Uranus and Neptune. Royal Observatories Greenwich said: "In late February, Mercury will also join the parade, creating a total of seven planets on display in the sky. "However, by this point it will be much more difficult to see Saturn and Neptune as they will be very low on the southwestern horizon after sunset." It is thought the best time to see the planetary parade will be just after sunset on Friday 28 February because Mercury will be higher in the sky. Experts advise finding a dark area, and using a sky mapper app to track down the planets. Planetary alignments are relatively common, but alignments of five or six planets are rarer, and alignments of seven planets even more so. Alignments of all eight planets occur once every 180 years or so. The next planetary alignment of at least five planets will be towards the end of October 2028, and then again in February 2034. The next alignment of seven planets is forecast to happen in 2040.
