Latest news with #SummerTriangle
BBC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
How and when to see June's Strawberry Moon, Summer Triangle and other celestial events
Skygazers are in for a treat this June as a number of potentially dazzling celestial events grace our include the Strawberry Moon the Summer Triangle, the longest day of the year, with other sights to behold along the north of Scotland has already been treated to displays of stunning aurora this month with the potential for more to come, thanks to a number of geomagnetic storms taking place on the ever the chances of seeing these sights is dependent on the capricious nature of the UK's weather which is definitely expected to be more changeable throughout June than it was in the spring. Summer Triangle It all begins with the Summer Triangle, external, a bright three-cornered pattern of stars, called Vega, Deneb, and Altair. The trio gets higher in the sky during the summer months and becomes more and more prominent. They form what is known as an asterism or noticeable pattern of stars, created from three different constellations - Cygnus the Swan, Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the are best seen rising in the east after sunset, forming a huge triangle overhead. The Strawberry Moon June's full Moon comes next, rising in the east on 11 June. Known as the Strawberry Moon, it was named by Native American and European cultures to signal the time of year that wild strawberries were harvested, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, external. Historically it was a way to keep track of time and monitor the changing the northern hemisphere, it will be the lowest full Moon until 2043 staying unusually close to the horizon. Its position may mean it takes on an apt reddish tinge because of the way the thicker, lower layer of atmosphere diffracts the light. The Summer Solstice Ten days later on 21 June, it is the summer solstice, the day of the year in the northern hemisphere with most much you get will vary depending on where you are in the UK and the higher your latitude the more you will this point, the northern hemisphere is most tilted towards the Sun. In the southern hemisphere, however, the Earth will be tilted away from the Sun and experiencing a winter solstice or shortest period of daylight of the year. The summer solstice marks the start of astronomical summer - a time some people associate with the beginning of the season, although meteorologists mark it from the beginning of word solstice comes from the fact the Sun appears to stand still - from the Latin words sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand still).The date of the solstice shifts between 20 to 22 June because the calendar year doesn't match with the time it takes Earth to orbit the actually takes the Earth 365 full days and one quarter to orbit the Sun, which is why we have a leap year every four years to bring our calendar and Earth's movements back into alignment. Peak of Bootid meteor shower The June Bootid meteor shower will be active from 22 June until 2 July, peaking on the 27 June. Normally the shower is weak, but occasional outbursts can produce a hundred or more meteors in an hour. There will be a chance of seeing the showers whenever the radiant point in the constellation Boötes is above the horizon. The best time is likely to be before dawn or soon after dusk but check the weather where you are before venturing out - either by downloading the BBC Weather app or via the BBC Weather if you would like to share your pictures with us - and aren't already a BBC Weather Watcher - you can create an account and enjoy snapping away.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
What does Milky Way galaxy look like when it's visible from Earth? When is Milky Way season?
What does the Milky Way look like? Sometimes, the billions of stars comprising our home galaxy appear especially vibrant during 'Milky Way season' as the band arcs across the night sky. The reason has much to do with the cycle of the moon, but it also has to do with how high in the sky the Milky Way should appear from our perspective here on Earth, specifically in the United States. Here's everything to know about our Milky Way, including how (and when) to see the stunning natural phenomenon. The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. Because it appears as a rotating disc curving out from a dense central region, the Milky Way is known as a spiral galaxy. Our planet itself is located along one of the galaxy's spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA. The Milky Way sits in a cosmic neighborhood called the Local Group that includes more than 50 other galaxies. Those galaxies can be as small as a dwarf galaxy with up to only a few billion stars, or as large as Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The Milky Way got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. While the Milky Way is generally always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse of the band of billions of stars comprising our galaxy. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to see the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is from March to September. Those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the entire continental United States, could have spectacular views of the Milky Way on clear nights with a new moon. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the southeast, travels across the southern sky and sets in the southwest, according to Typically, the sky is darkest between about midnight and 5 a.m., according to Capture the Atlas. Stargazers can observe the Milky Way galaxy by looking for the Summer Triangle, "a shape formed by three bright stars" that spans across the Milky Way, according to In Florida, the National Park Service recommends the Everglades: 'Each month around the time of the new moon, Everglades National Park offers superbly dark conditions that are ideal for viewing the Milky Way. On a dark night and in a dark place within the park, look to the south to find the Milky Way. 'In the Northern Hemisphere, the center of the Milky Way will be low in the southern sky, and the glowing band will sweep upward in an arch across the eastern sky to the northern horizon. Some parts of the faint silvery or milky cloud will be slightly mottled. The brighter spots are caused by star clouds, which are concentrations of millions of stars that are too faint to see as individual stars. The darker areas are caused by clouds of interstellar dust that block our view of the stars beyond. 'Viewing the Milky Way with a pair of binoculars will provide enough magnification to resolve the Milky Way into thousands of individual stars,' the section about Florida and the Milky Way on states. Spectators will have the best luck on cloud-free nights and in locations away from city light pollution. DarkSky International maintains a website that lists all designated dark sky communities around the world, including 159 locations in the U.S. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Milky Way season: How it got its name, when to see it in Florida sky
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Look up, Washington: Milky Way galaxy shines over Memorial Day weekend
The Milky Way could be coming to a sky near you. The billions of stars comprising our home galaxy should appear especially vibrant in late-May as the band arcs across the night sky. The reason has much to do with the cycle of the moon, but it also has to do with how high in the sky the Milky Way should appear from our perspective here on Earth, specifically in the United States. Here's everything to know about our Milky Way, including how to see the stunning natural phenomenon. The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. Because it appears as a rotating disc curving out from a dense central region, the Milky Way is known as a spiral galaxy. Our planet itself is located along one of the galaxy's spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA. The Milky Way sits in a cosmic neighborhood called the Local Group that includes more than 50 other galaxies. Those galaxies can be as small as a dwarf galaxy with up to only a few billion stars, or as large as Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The Milky Way got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. While the Milky Way is generally always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse of the band of billions of stars comprising our galaxy. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to see the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is from March to September. And for several days in May, the Milky Way may be even more visible than usual. The peak days to view the Milky Way will be from Tuesday, May 20, to Friday, May 30, according to science news website LiveScience. That's the period between the last quarter moon and the new moon, when skies should be darker. Those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the entire continental United States, could have spectacular views of the Milky Way on clear nights with a new moon. Typically, the sky is darkest between about midnight and 5 a.m., according to Capture the Atlas. Stargazers can observe the Milky Way galaxy by looking for the Summer Triangle, "a shape formed by three bright stars" that spans across the Milky Way, according to In the Northern Hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the southeast, travels across the southern sky and sets in the southwest, according to Spectators will have the best luck on cloud-free nights and in locations away from city light pollution. DarkSky International maintains a website that lists all designated dark sky communities around the world, including 159 locations in the U.S. Timing up your viewing experience with a new moon phase will also help so that light reflected off our celestial neighbor doesn't drown out the billions of stars lighting up the Milky Way, astronomers say. Just like Earth, half of the moon is always illuminated by the sun, while the other half remains dark. A new moon represents the start of a new lunar cycle, when the illuminated side of Earth's natural satellite is facing away from our planet, rendering it effectively invisible to us. As the moon orbits around Earth and Earth orbits around the sun, the amount of sunlight that reflects off the moon and travels to our eyes changes every day until the moon appears as full. The next new moon is May 26, according to the website TimeAndDate. Cloud cover forecasts from the National Weather Service are a mixed bag for viewing the night sky on May 26, the day of the new moon. At 11 p.m. on May 26, cloud cover in central and eastern Washington is predicted to range from 18% to 31%, according to the NWS. The lower the percentage, the clearer the sky will be. These percentages are considered "good" viewing conditions by But the picture gets muddier moving west. In Seattle, cloud cover is predicted to be about 66%, which approaches the "poor" range for seeing the sky, according to The NWS shows improved cloud cover conditions across western Washington on May 27. This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Is Milky Way visible from Washington? How to watch on Memorial Day
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Milky Way will be visible through May in Tennessee. Here's when to look
If the rainstorms break over Tennessee, people may just get a glimpse of the Milky Way this weekend. But if you can't, you have a chance through the end of May. Every evening we get a glimpse of the vast cosmos that is our galaxy with the different stars that twinkle in the night sky, but in May, the celestial light show is even more brilliant. The view of our home galaxy will be on display over the weekend and into the next week, and should be exceptionally vibrant, especially in the United States, in late May as the band arcs across the night sky. Here's a look at how long it should be visible and if Tennesseans could get a chance to see the cosmic event. Technically, you can always see the Milky Way, but some times of the year are better for viewing than others. The end of May just so happens to be that time. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to see the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is from March to September. Peak days to view the Milky Way started on May 20 and go through May 30, according to science news website LiveScience. The best viewing time is between about midnight and 5 a.m., according to Capture the Atlas. The reason we can see so many stars during this time of year is due to the cycle of the moon and how high in the sky the Milky Way appears from our perspective here on Earth. At this time of year, on clear nights, especially with a new moon, Tennessee and the rest of the United States will have a good view of a fraction of the stars that make up our home galaxy. To get the best view of the bands, people should look toward the Summer Triangle. Which is "a shape formed by three bright stars" that span across the Milky Way, according to In the northern hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the southeast, travels across the southern sky and sets in the southwest, according to To get the best view, stargazers should look on a clear night away from light pollution. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Milky Way will be visible through May. Here's when to look in TN
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Milky Way will be visible over Memorial Day weekend: What to know
The Milky Way is expected to stand out in the sky in the coming days. The billions of stars comprising our home galaxy should appear especially vibrant in late-May as the band arcs across the night sky. The reason has much to do with the cycle of the moon, but it also has to do with how high in the sky the Milky Way should appear from our perspective here on Earth, specifically in the United States. Here's everything to know about our Milky Way, including how to see the stunning celestial phenomenon. The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. Because it appears as a rotating disc curving out from a dense central region, the Milky Way is known as a spiral galaxy. Earth is located along one of the galaxy's spiral arms, roughly halfway from the center, according to NASA. The Milky Way sits in a cosmic neighborhood called the Local Group that includes more than 50 other galaxies. Those galaxies can be as small as a dwarf galaxy with up to only a few billion stars, or as large as Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The Milky Way was named thanks to our perspective on Earth, as it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. While the Milky Way is nearly always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse of the band of billions of stars that together create our galaxy. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to view the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is between March and September. For several days in May, the Milky Way may be even more visible than usual. The peak days to view the Milky Way will be from Tuesday, May 20, to Friday, May 30, according to science news website LiveScience. That's the period between the last quarter moon and the new moon, when skies should be darker. Anyone in the northern hemisphere, could have spectacular views of the Milky Way on clear nights with a new moon. The best time to look is when the sky is darkest - which is between midnight and 5 a.m., according to Capture the Atlas. Stargazers can observe the Milky Way galaxy by looking for the Summer Triangle, "a shape formed by three bright stars" that spans across the Milky Way, according to In the Northern Hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the southeast, travels across the southern sky and sets in the southwest, according to Spectators will have the best luck on cloud-free nights and in locations away from city light pollution. DarkSky International maintains a website that lists all designated dark sky communities around the world, including 159 locations in the U.S. Though still several days away, the Memorial Day weekend is predicted to be soggy and cloudy on Saturday night and cloudy on Sunday and Monday nights in western New York, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo. Mostly cloudy skies are also predicted Tuesday and Wednesday nights, which could make for some difficult skygazing. A longer term forecast was not immediately available. Timing your viewing experience with a new moon phase will also help your viewing chances because the light reflected off the moon will not drown out the billions of stars within the Milky Way, astronomers say. Just like Earth, half of the moon is always illuminated by the sun, while the other half remains dark. A new moon represents the start of a new lunar cycle, when the illuminated side of Earth's natural satellite is facing away from our planet, rendering it effectively invisible to us. As the moon orbits around Earth and Earth orbits around the sun, the amount of sunlight that reflects off the moon and travels to our eyes changes every day until the moon appears as full. The next new moon is Tuesday, May 26, which is the day after Memorial Day. Contributing: USA Today Network This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Milky Way will be visible over Memorial Day weekend: What to know
