Latest news with #TropicofCancer
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New moon of May 2025 leaves the night sky dark to see the summer constellations tonight
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The new moon of May occurs on May 26. Two days later the moon will make a close pass to Jupiter in the evening sky, and the summer constellations will be rising. New moons happen when the moon is directly between Earth and the sun. They share a celestial longitude (called right ascension by astronomers), a projection of the Earth's longitude lines on the sky measured eastward from the point where the sun crosses the celestial equator. This position is also called a conjunction. If the sun and the moon line up perfectly the result is a solar eclipse; but that does not happen most of the time, as the moon's orbit is tilted 5 degrees relative to Earth's orbit. (The next solar eclipse is due on Sept. 21). That means seeing the new moon isn't possible, due to the sun's glare. Even if the sun were blocked, the moon would be facing away from us, showing the dark side, which would just be black on a black background. Lunar phases are determined by the moon's position, rather than one's position on Earth, so to find the time of a lunar phase one only needs to count the hours difference from Universal Coordinated Time in London to whatever time zone. So, when the moon reaches the new phase in New York, it will do so at 8:02 p.m. on May 26, at 11:02 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (0302 UTC May 27), according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. It will do so at 8:02 p.m. (May 26) in Los Angeles, 4:02 a.m. May 27 in Paris, and 12:02 p.m. May 27 in Tokyo. On May 26 the sun sets at 8:16 p.m. in New York, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory; the longer days of the Northern Hemisphere late spring and summer months start to become apparent. Sunset actually gets earlier as one moves south because in the tropics, between latitudes 23.5 degrees north, the Tropic of Cancer, and 23.5 degrees south, the Tropic of Capricorn, the day length doesn't change much over the course of the year the way it does in more northerly or southerly regions. In Miami, which is only about two degrees north of the Tropical latitudes, sunset on May 26 is at 8:05 p.m. The reverse is true in the Southern Hemisphere where days are getting shorter – sunset in Buenos Aires is at 5:52 p.m. local time. In New York, a half hour after sunset, one might still be able to catch Jupiter, which will be about 10 degrees high in the west (the width of your fist at arm's length equals around 10 degrees in the sky). The sky will still be a little bit light as civil twilight, when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, ends at 8:49 p.m. Jupiter will therefore be hard to see, but as the sky gets darker it will start to come out. It won't be up for long, though; the planet sets at 9:54 p.m. local time. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the wonders of the night sky? 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. Mars will be about halfway up the sky – 44 degrees high – in the southwest at about 9 p.m. Eastern Time, and sets at 1:02 a.m. May 27. The planet is distinctly reddish, though dimmer than usual as it is in a part of its orbit that is receding from Earth. It is still relatively bright, however, and its steady light makes it easily recognizable near stars that twinkle. Saturn, in the constellation Aquarius, rises at 2:42 a.m. May 27, and Venus follows at 3:29 a.m. By 4:30 a.m. Saturn and Venus will be respectively 19 degrees and 11 degrees high, with Venus almost due east and Saturn more to the southeast. Sunrise in New York City is at 5:29 a.m. On May 28 the conjunction of the moon and Jupiter will happen at 9:13 a.m. in New York, so the moment when the two bodies are at closest approach to each other won't be observable from there. But by 9:00 p.m. that evening the thin crescent moon will be low in the western sky and Jupiter will appear almost directly below it. The sun's lingering light will make it a challenging observation; with a clear sky and unobstructed horizon one should be able to make them both out. The conjunction will be more visible in Asia, where it happens late enough that the day-old moon, appearing as a thin crescent, and Jupiter are both above the horizon still as the sky is darkening. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, for example, sunset is at 6:41 p.m. local time and the moon and Jupiter will become visible at about 7:00 p.m. The conjunction itself is at 7:13 p.m. local time according to Jupiter sets at 8:04 p.m. from Dhaka, and the moon will look as though it is directly above Jupiter and slightly to the left. From Yangon, Myanmar, the conjunction occurs at 7:13 p.m. local time, and Jupiter is 18 degrees high at sunset, which is at 6:33 p.m. At the moment of conjunction, the planet will be 9 degrees above the horizon, accompanied by the thin crescent moon on the right. If you're looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe planets in the night sky, our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now can help. Our guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can also help you prepare to capture the next skywatching sight. In mid-northern latitudes, late May is when the days get significantly longer than in the spring. In such locales it doesn't get fully dark (to the eye) until at least 9:30 p.m. – in New York City astronomical twilight, when the sun is between 12 and 18 degrees below the horizon and the last of the daylight disappears, ends at 10:15 p.m. on May 26. At 10 p.m., as one can look southwest and see Mars, which will be among the stars of Leo the Lion. Leo will be about halfway to the zenith in the sky at this hour. Regulus, Leo's alpha star, will be to the left of Mars, and that marks the lower right corner of the rough trapezoid formed by the Lion's body and tail. If one looks above Regulus, one sees Gamma Leonis, or Algieba, the Lion's front shoulder, and from there one can usually spot the "sickle" that is the head and mane. To the left and up from Regulus and Algieba is Delta Leonis (Zosma). If one looks left of Zosma one will see Denebola, or Beta Leonis, the end of the Lion's tail. Denebola and Zosma form a right triangle with Theta Leonis, or Al Haratan, the latter of which is the Lion's hindquarters. Looking north, one can orient with the Big Dipper, almost directly above the northern horizon (at 10 p.m. it will be a bit to the left, in the north-northwestern direction). The bowl will be almost upside down and the two stars that point to Polaris, the pole star, are on the left and lower side of the bowl. The stars are called Dubhe and Merak, and Dubhe is the one closer to Polaris – one finds Polaris by making a line between the two and continuing until one reaches Polaris. Following the handle of the Dipper one can "arc to Arcturus" –a sweeping motion along the curve of the handle gets you there, to the brightest star in Boötes, the Herdsman. Continuing that arc one hits Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. If one draws a line between Dubhe and Merak away from Polaris one reaches Leo. In the East, Vega, the bright star of Lyra, the Lyre, is about 30 degrees high. It is bright enough that even in light-polluted areas it is distinct. Vega is one of the three stars of the Summer Triangle, the others are Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus, the Swan, and Altair, the eye of the Eagle. By 10 p.m. Deneb is left and down from Vega, about 10 degrees above the horizon (it actually rises just after 7:00 p.m. in mid-northern latitudes, but the sky is too bright to see it until later). Altair rises at 9:54 p.m. local time in New York, and by midnight it is 23 degrees high in the east. The Summer Triangle's narrowest point always faces southward, (it is almost a right triangle with the 90-degree angle at Deneb) so it is a good direction finder, especially as it gets higher in the sky. By midnight, looking southeast, about 21 degrees high (depending on how far north or south one is) one will see Antares, the brightest star (the "heart") of Scorpius, the Scorpion. Above Antares are three medium-bright stars that form Scorpius' head and claws. From darker-sky locations, above and to the left of Scorpius is the fainter (but much larger) constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder or Healer. Ophiuchus can be recognized by a long, almost rectangular pentagon of medium-to-faint stars that extends above Scorpius; initially (at about midnight) he will appear to be lying on his side. On either side of Ophiuchus are the constellations Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda, the head (Caput) and the tail (Cauda) of the serpents Ophiuchus holds. In the southern hemisphere, days are getting shorter. In Santiago, Chile, for example, the sun sets early, at 5:44 p.m. local time on May 26. That means the sky gets dark enough to see stars by 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. local time. Observers in mid-southern latitudes can see Scorpius in the east-southeast, with Antares about 15 degrees above the horizon. Looking more directly southeast, about 43 degrees high is Alpha Centauri, also called Rigil Kentaurus, our nearest stellar neighbor. Rigil Kentaurus marks the front legs of the Centaur. The Centaur represents (per Ovid) Chiron, the centaur who according to legend taught Heracles (Hercules), Jason, and Theseus. Just above Alpha Centauri is Hadar (Beta Centauri) and looking upwards a little further is the Southern Cross (Crux). There is no pole star in the southern skies, but Crux points towards the southern celestial pole. Turning right towards the southwest, one can see Canopus at about the same altitude as the Cross; it's the brightest star in Carina, the Ship's Keel. From Carina in the Keel, as one looks to the right, towards the west one will see Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, and the alpha star of Canis Major, the Bog Dog. Between the Dog and Canopus, and above both, is Puppis, the Poop Deck. Puppis and Carina are two of three modern constellations that once made up Argo, the ship of Jason. The third constellation is Vela, an oval of seven stars (one can see nine if the sky is dark) that sits above Carina and Puppis.
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Why do Andhra Pradesh and Telangana get so hot during the summer?
On May 12, 17 districts of Andhra Pradesh recorded temperature above 41° C, with the A.P. State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) saying heatwave-like conditions are set to prevail in the northern districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Paravathipuram-Manyam and East Godavari, and Kakinada. Mercury levels surged past the 40° C mark across all 33 districts of Telangana on April 21. Adilabad was the hottest with a maximum temperature of 44° C, according to data from the Telangana Development Planning Society. Situated on the eastern side of the Deccan plateau in South India, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana feature regularly on the list of Indian States most prone to heatwaves during the summer. Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana experience very hot summers due to a mix of geographical and climatic reasons. First up: the geographical location of the States. Latitudinally, both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana fall under the Tropic of Cancer. This puts the States in the Torrid (or tropical) Zone – a region characterised by its hot and humid weather. 'Both AP and Telangana are near the Tropic of Cancer, therefore the sun is vertically above these States during summer months, leading to increased solar radiation and heating,' Mahesh Palawat, Vice president Meteorology and climate Change at Skymet, told The Hindu. Telangana experiences an additional layer of continental climate too. Telangana is a landlocked State, with no major water bodies nearby to moderate temperatures. As a result, it experiences a continental climate, where temperatures can rise sharply during the day. This is also true for interior districts of Andhra Pradesh, which are far from the sea. According to Mr. Palawat, most parts of Telangana lie on the rocky terrain of the Deccan plateau with black soil, which absorbs more heat, causing temperatures to spike. 'Land surface, terrain and green cover make a lot of difference to the temperature of an area,' Vimal Mishra, professor at IIT Gandhinagar, told The Hindu. 'If you compare these States to regions which are under intensive agriculture or have dense forests, those areas are much cooler due to evaporative cooling,' he said. Evaporative cooling is a process that leads to a reduction in temperature of the surroundings as water evaporates. Water requires energy to convert from liquid to gaseous state. In drier climates, when water evaporates, it takes up heat from the surroundings as its source of energy to convert to vapour, thus cooling the surroundings. 'The terrain of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is rocky and there isn't much agriculture during summer at least, and effect of irrigation is minimal,' Dr. Mishra said. He also said that there is ample research to show that irrigation makes a lot of difference to summer air temperatures, and it can reduce dry bulb temperatures and suppress heatwaves. This phenomenon is very well pronounced in areas like the Indo-Gangetic plains, he added. 'Irrigation involves using water on land surface, which is stored as soil moisture. During high temperatures in summer, evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants causes evaporative cooling in the area, reducing the intensity of heatwaves,' Dr. Mishra said. The rocky terrain of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana does not allow for this phenomenon to be pronounced enough for it to make a difference in temperatures. Lack of sufficient rainfall is another factor that leads to high summer temperatures in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 'Between March and May, these States don't get enough rainfall to cool down the temperatures. Monsoon reaches here after June 10. This causes less cloud cover and more sunshine, hence leading to higher temperatures,' Mr. Palawat said. Loss of forest cover also leads to reduction in evapotranspiration, leading to increase in localised temperatures. According to the State of Forest Report 2023, Andhra Pradesh lost 138.66 sq km of forest cover compared to the 2021 assessment, while Telangana lost 100.42 sq km. Challenges and mitigation According to Dr. Mishra, the absence of early warnings forecast system based on hourly observations is one of the biggest challenges to mitigating heatwaves. 'The India Meteorological Department has started working in this area, but lot of progress is still to be made.' Understanding the risk is the first step towards mitigating impact of heat waves, which should be followed by differentiating districts based on dry heat and humid heat, Dr. Mishra said. 'Early warning systems have proven to be very effective for heatwaves, but they remain ineffective because we don't understand the differential risk – heat challenges require different solutions based on the local nature of impacts,' he said.
News18
23-04-2025
- Health
- News18
GK: Tropic Of Cancer Passes Through This Village In Jharkhand
The Tropic of Cancer runs through Jharkhand, passing through Ranchi, Ramgarh, Lohardaga, and Latehar. It influences climate, culture, and biodiversity What many recall as a simple line in geography textbooks takes on a vivid presence in Jharkhand. Tropic of Cancer, a significant latitudinal marker, passes through four districts in the state — Ranchi, Ramgarh, Lohardaga, and Latehar — making Jharkhand one of the few Indian states directly intersected by this imaginary yet influential line. According to Abhishek Anand, a scientist at the Ranchi Meteorological Centre, the Tropic of Cancer holds particular scientific and cultural relevance in this region. Notably, it traverses localities such as Kanke and Ormanjhi, where a signboard in Ormanjhi now visibly marks its path, turning a classroom concept into a real-world encounter for passers-by. The Tropic of Cancer is not merely a geographical reference; it plays a pivotal role in climate and weather patterns. It represents the northernmost latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead. When the sun aligns with this line, the intensity of solar radiation peaks, particularly in the areas it crosses, such as Jharkhand. As a result, regions along this line experience oppressive summer heat and frequent temperature extremes. Meteorologists utilise this latitude as a key point for understanding seasonal changes, temperature variations, and climate forecasting. It is a crucial element in the analysis of monsoon behaviour and solar patterns across the subcontinent. Cultural And Astronomical Importance This region's unique biodiversity is also partly attributed to the climate shaped by the Tropic of Cancer. The intense solar exposure contributes to the development of distinct flora and fauna, making the area ecologically diverse and valuable. A Line That Comes To Life For those travelling along the route to Ormanjhi, spotting the signboard that reads — 'You are crossing the Tropic of Cancer" — offers a moment of geographical wonder. This presents an opportunity to witness a concept once confined to textbooks now etched into the earth itself. It stands as a symbol of how geography intertwines with daily life, shaping climate, culture, and the natural world around us.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Zero shadow day in Bengaluru on April 24; step outside at 12.17pm and see the sun do magic
BENGALURU: Bengaluru will experience the ' zero shadow ' phenomenon at exactly 12.17pm on April 24, when the sun is directly overhead, according to scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA). Niruj Mohan Ramanujam, Head of IIA's Science Communication, Public Outreach, and Education (SCOPE) section, explained that during this event, the sun reaches its zenith, causing vertical objects to cast no visible shadows as they fall directly beneath them. All locations in India situated below the Tropic of Cancer—including Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mangaluru—experience Zero Shadow Day , according to Ramanujam. In Bengaluru, this phenomenon occurs typically around April 24–25 and again on August 18, he stated. Zero Shadow Day will reach the Tropic of Cancer on June 21, the summer solstice and the end of Uttarayana—the sun's northward journey in the Hindu calendar, Ramanujam added.
Hans India
22-04-2025
- Science
- Hans India
‘Zero shadow' to hit Bengaluru on April 24
Bengaluru: At exactly 12.17 PM on April 24, when the sun is directly overhead, Bengaluru will experience the 'zero shadow' phenomenon, according to scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA). Niruj Mohan Ramanujam, Head of IIA's Science Communication, Public Outreach, and Education (SCOPE) section, said that during this event, the sun reaches its zenith, causing vertical objects to cast no visible shadows as they fall directly beneath them. All locations in India situated below the Tropic of Cancer—including Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mangaluru—experience Zero Shadow Day, Ramanujam told PTI. In Bengaluru, this occurs typically around April 24–25 and again on August 18, he added. Zero Shadow Day will reach the Tropic of Cancer on June 21, the summer solstice and the end of Uttarayana—the sun's northward journey in the Hindu calendar, Ramanujam further said.
