The Sky, November 20-26: Sun sets earlier on Thanksgiving than Christmas

The Sky, November 20-26: Sun sets earlier on Thanksgiving than Christmas

Special to CosmicTribune.com, November 21, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 ■ First-quarter Moon (exact at 5:50 a.m. EST Monday morning). The Moon accompanies Saturn more closely than it did yesterday, as shown. ■ The tiny black shadow of Io crosses Jupiter’s face from 9:16 to 11:26 p.m. EST, moving across Jupiter from east […]

Why does FBI care about solar hurricanes? Observatories closed worldwide for unspecified reasons

Why does FBI care about solar hurricanes? Observatories closed worldwide for unspecified reasons

Special to CosmicTribune.com At the same time Hurricane Florence was bearing down on the east coast of the U.S. and a massive hole opened in the Sun’s corona, at least seven solar observatories/space webcams shut down worldwide, reports say. The National Solar Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico shut down on Sept. 6 and has not […]

A 1967 solar flare led NORAD to conclude its early-warning radars were being jammed by the Soviet Union

A 1967 solar flare led NORAD to conclude its early-warning radars were being jammed by the Soviet Union

On May 23, 1967, … all three of the United States’ ballistic missile early-warning radars became simultaneously jammed. Located in the high-latitude areas of Alaska, Greenland, and the United Kingdom, these radars were designed to detect incoming Soviet missiles, and any attack or disruption of these radars were considered to be an act of war. […]

‘Built like an armored tank’, Juno swoops through debris, radiation in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere

‘Built like an armored tank’, Juno swoops through debris, radiation in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere

July 4, 2016 [CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION] NASA’s Juno spacecraft was to fire its main rocket engine late Monday to slow itself down from a speed of 150,000 mph (250,000 kph) and slip into orbit around Jupiter. With Juno on autopilot, the delicately choreographed move comes without any help from ground controllers. The […]

For the next Summer solstice and full moon match-up, wait until 2062

For the next Summer solstice and full moon match-up, wait until 2062

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, Laurie Hatch] A Full Moon sets as the Solstice Sun rises in this June 20 dawn skyscape. Captured from a nearby peak in central California, planet Earth, the scene looks across the summit of Mount Hamilton and Lick Observatory domes on a calendar date that marks an astronomical change […]

Omega Centauri is the largest globular star cluster and also nearby … and ancient

Omega Centauri is the largest globular star cluster and also nearby … and ancient

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, Roberto Colombari] This huge ball of stars predates our Sun. Long before humankind evolved, before dinosaurs roamed, and even before our Earth existed, ancient globs of stars condensed and orbited a young Milky Way Galaxy. Of the 200 or so globular clusters that survive today, Omega Centauri is the […]

Solstice Sun at Lulworth Cove

Solstice Sun at Lulworth Cove

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, Chris Kotsiopoulos (GreekSky)] A southern exposure and striking symmetry made Lulworth Cove, along the Jurassic Coast of England, a beautiful setting during December’s Solstice. Five frames in this dramatic composite view follow the lowest arc of the Sun, from sunrise to sunset, during the shortest day of the year. […]

New Year’s Eve solar storm could impact GPS

New Year’s Eve solar storm could impact GPS

A powerful solar storm set to slam Earth today will make for stunning views of the Northern Lights just before New Year’s Eve. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center said the “strong” storm could allow the Northern Lights to dip as far south as Oregon and Illinois. NOAA classifies solar storms […]

1 2 3