Latest news with #TheLyrid
The National
22-04-2025
- Science
- The National
Rare 'smiley face' planetary alignment to form in night sky this week
A 'smiley face' planetary alignment will light up skies across the world this Friday. Known as a triple conjunction, the celestial event will bring Venus, Saturn and the crescent moon into a triangular formation near the horizon. The two planets will act as the eyes of the smile, while the crescent will form its mouth, according to Nasa solar system ambassador Brenda Culbertson. Of the two planets, Venus will be brighter. The alignment will be visible for about an hour to anyone from Europe, parts of Africa, and the Americas. However, it will not be visible from the Gulf region with the naked eye. 'The planets and the Moon will indeed be visible in the UAE sky, but the smiling face formation will not be seen in the UAE or any of the GCC countries,' Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, told The National. He said Venus, Saturn and the waning crescent Moon, will rise together in a compact group of no more than three degrees across the sky starting at 4am UAE time. 'The grouping will appear striking in the dawn sky, with the Moon leading ahead of the two planets,' he said. 'As of 6am, with sunrise at 5.45am UAE time, the alignment will no longer be visible to the naked eye.' At around 9am UAE time, the alignment will form a distinct smile-like pattern with Venus and Saturn as the eyes and the crescent Moon as the mouth. 'But this will only be visible to observers in far western Europe, parts of Africa, and the Americas.' 'The smile-shaped alignment will not be visible from the Arabian Gulf or the Arabian Peninsula, but we will still be able to enjoy seeing the bright planets and the crescent Moon before sunrise,' he added. A cosmic week The Lyrid meteor shower will also reach its peak this week, in the early hours of Wednesday, April 23, offering a chance to witness bright streaks of light dash across the sky. The Lyrids, which originate from debris left behind by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, are one of the oldest known meteor showers, with records of observations dating back more than 2,600 years. While not the most intense of meteor showers, they are known for fast-moving meteors and the occasional bright fireball. The next meteor shower will not be visible in the UAE until August, when the Perseids will light up the night skies. About 100 to 150 meteors are expected to streak across the skies.
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
See A ‘Shooting Stars,' A ‘Pink Moon' And Mars: April's Night Sky
The Lyrid meteor shower will peak on Monday-Tuesday, April 21-22, 2025. On the first day of each month, I pick out North America's celestial highlights for the month ahead (which also applies to northern hemisphere mid-northern latitudes). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more. With both a lunar and solar eclipse, March was a busy month for sky-watchers. As we move into spring in the Northern Hemisphere, April will be quieter, but with some fabulous moon views, Venus becoming a very bright 'Morning Star' and a full 'Pink Moon' rising amid the season's first meteor shower, there are still plenty of reasons to look up. Here's everything you need to know about stargazing in April 2025: When: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 Where: Western sky Look west after unset for a delicate 17%-lit waxing crescent moon. Do so with binoculars, and you'll see that just above the moon, the sky is busy with stars. That's the Pleiades star cluster, also called the "Seven Sisters" for its seven bright stars. To the upper-left of the pair, you'll see Jupiter. When: Saturday, April 12, 2025 Where: Eastern sky Rising during dusk tonight will be the full "Pink Moon," so-called for the sprouting of the pink moss phlox, according to Almanac. As well as being the full moon that determines the date of Easter Sunday, this is also a relatively distant, so small-looking, full moon — a "micro moon" as opposed to a "supermoon." Bright star Spica will appear next to the moon. Fisherman and pier walkers have a scenic view of the setting full Pink Moon, named after blooming ... More wildflowers, at dawn at the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) When: Monday-Tuesday, April 21-22, 2025 Where: Eastern sky The first meteor shower of the new season, the Lyrids, will peak overnight on April 21-22. That's good timing because a waxing gibbous moon will set before midnight, leaving a dark moonless sky for the 10-20 "shooting stars" per hour. When: Late April 2025 Where: Eastern sky After dominating the post-sunset night sky for all of 2025 so far, Venus dipped into the glare of the sun in late March. Come late April, the planet will be surging in brightness as it climbs into the pre-dawn night sky. See it in its new apparition as the 'Morning Star' by casting your eyes east about an hour before sunrise. The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium and use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
