Latest news with #TheVirtualTelescopeProject
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Stadium-sized asteroid approaching Earth May 9, how to see in Texas
A stadium-sized asteroid will pass by Earth on Friday, May 9. And if you're interested, you could see it happen in real time, thanks to a livestream from The Virtual Telescope Project. Known as the main belt asteroid 612356 2002 JX8 is not expected to post a threat to Earth during the 2025 flyby, according to NASA. Scientists at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies who track the long-term potential orbits of near-Earth objects have said it is unlikely that a large asteroid capable of causing widespread damage will strike Earth in the next 100 years. With that being said, the Virtual Telescope Project's YouTube channel will go live at 2:30 p.m. MT (4:30 p.m. ET), just a few hours before 2002 JX8 makes its closest approach to Earth at (11:02 GMT). The stream will also show views of the asteroid Vesta, which reached opposition on May 2, and is still relatively bright in the night sky. The asteroid is expected to safely come as close as 4.2 million kilometers or 2.6 million miles, according to Gianluca Masi, the founder of The Virtual Telescope Project. Masi's organization has successfully captured several images of 2002 JX8 in the run up to its Friday, May 9, flyby, in which the asteroid appears as a distinct dot of light that could be seen shifting position relative to the stars behind it. The Virtual Telescope Project offers free online observing sessions for the public for asteroid flybys and similar events, as well as access to individual robotic telescopes. Potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) such as 2002 JX8 are categorized as such based on their brightness (magnitude +22.0 or lower/brighter) and their ability to perform a "threatening close approach to Earth," according to NASA, which is defined as coming within 0.05 astronomical units, or 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) of our planet. For reference, 1 AU is the equivalent of 93 million miles (150 million km), the average distance separating Earth and the sun. More: What time is the ETA Aquarids? Here's when to see meteor shower in Texas Source: This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Watch stadium-sized asteroid approach Earth live today on YouTube
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A stadium-sized asteroid will fly past Earth on May 9, and you can watch it live (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. On May 9, a stadium-sized potentially hazardous asteroid will pass by Earth, and you can watch the flyby happen in real time courtesy of a livestream from The Virtual Telescope Project. The main belt asteroid 612356 2002 JX8 is estimated to have a diameter of 950 feet (290 meters) according to NASA, and will pose absolutely no threat to Earth during its 2025 flyby. The Virtual Telescope Project's YouTube channel will go live at 4:30 p.m. EDT (20:30 GMT) on May 9, just a few hours before 2002 JX8 makes its closest approach to Earth at (11:02 GMT). The stream will also show views of the asteroid Vesta, which reached opposition on May 2, and is still relatively bright in the night sky. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to explore the solar system with your own eyes? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. "We did follow-up observations of the Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8, slowly approaching our planet: on 9 May 2025, it will safely come as close as 4.2 millions of km [(2.6 million miles)] from us, 10.9 times the average lunar distance," wrote Gianluca Masi, founder of The Virtual Telescope Project in a recent blog post. "We will show it live!" Masi's organization has successfully captured several images of 2002 JX8 in the run up to its May 9 flyby, in which the asteroid appears as a distinct dot of light that could be seen shifting position relative to the stars behind it. The Virtual Telescope Project offers free online observing sessions for the public for asteroid flybys and similar events, as well as access to individual robotic telescopes. Potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) such as 2002 JX8 are categorized as such based on their brightness (magnitude +22.0 or lower/brighter) and their ability to perform a "threatening close approach to Earth," according to NASA, which is defined as coming within within 0.05 astronomical units, or 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) of our planet. For reference, 1 AU is the equivalent to 93 million miles (150 million km), which is the average distance separating Earth and the sun. NASA scientists believe that there are around 4,700 PHAs whizzing around our solar system, based on observations from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. However, we will likely never see one actually impact our planet's surface. The agency estimates that an asteroid with a diameter of around 500 ft (140 m) impacts Earth just once every 20,000 years, while an asteroid with a diameter of 3,000 ft (1,000 m) collides with our planet once every 700,000 years. Scientists at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies responsible for tracking the long term potential orbits of near-Earth objects have also stated that it is unlikely that a large asteroid capable of causing widespread damage will strike Earth in the next 100 years. That leaves you plenty of time to get to know the night sky! If you want to catch a glimpse of a solar system planet or globular cluster for yourself, then be sure to check out our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals in 2025.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
New Comet Discovered — Here's When And Where To See It
A newly discovered comet has been spotted in the night sky. Tentatively called comet SWAN25F, it's currently visible in binoculars and is expected to reach its brightest on May 1, 2025. Found in late March, comet SWAN25F has significantly increased in brightness, but it's not visible to the naked eye. Only those with telescopes and large binoculars (around 10x50mm) can observe it now. Now 8th magnitude, it can be found during twilight above the northeastern horizon an hour before sunrise only from the Northern Hemisphere. It's just below Scheat, one of the bright corner stars of the Great Square of Pegasus. Virtual planetarium stargazing app Star Walk can be used to find it. It should be visible from the Northern Hemisphere until mid-April, when it moves into the constellation Andromeda, according to Stargazing. After that, it will be lost in twilight as it approaches the sun. Comet SWAN25F will reach perihelion — the closest it gets to the sun — on May 1, 2025. After that date, it will emerge into the post-sunset evening night sky, but it will only be seen from the Southern Hemisphere. After perihelion, it's expected to reach 5th magnitude — the limit for human vision, but good for watching through binoculars. 'The comet shows a nice ion tail, with fine structures,' wrote Gianluna Masi, an astronomer at The Virtual Telescope Project, who imaged the comet on April 8 from Manciano, Italy. Astrophotographer Mike Olason has been posting new images from Tucson, Arizona, while experienced comet imagers Michael Jäger and Gerald Rhemann have also been posting photos from Weißenkirchen, Austria. Comet SWAN25F is not its official designation because its discovery has not been officially announced. While its orbital path is being refined — with the help of amateur astronomers worldwide — it will keep this initial name. Once that work is complete, it will be officially announced and given a new name by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center. Comet SWAN25F was discovered in late March by astronomer Michael Mattiazzo, Australia. Already relatively close to the sun, it was detected in images from the SWAN Instrument aboard NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. The lateness of its discovery is likely due to a sudden outburst and, thus, a spike in its brightness. SOHO, a satellite that studies the sun, was launched almost 30 years ago. One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space. In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's Terms of Service. We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain: User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in: So, how can you be a power user? Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's Terms of Service.
