A logo of Meta Platforms Inc. is seen at its booth, at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups, at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 17, 2022.
Benoit Tessier | Reuters
Check out the companies making headlines after the bell:
Meta Platforms — The Facebook parent plunged more than 13% after missing earnings estimates for the third quarter. Meta beat revenue estimates, posting a better-than-expected decline year-over-year but shared disappointing guidance for the fourth quarter.
Ford Motor — Ford Motor shares dipped 1.1% in postmarket trading despite surpassing estimates on the top and bottom lines. The automaker took a $2.7 billion noncash writedown on its Argo AI venture, which resulted in an $827 million net loss.
ServiceNow — The software stock soared 12.4% postmarket as earnings per share came in 12 cents ahead of Wall Street expectations. Other cloud stocks also rose in extended trading, including Arista Networks, which added more than 7%.
KLA Corp. — The maker of chip equipment added more than 1% in after-hours trading. KLA topped Wall Street’s estimates and raised its forward guidance. Other chip stocks also gained after hours, including Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Applied Materials.
Align Technology — The maker of Invisalign dental straighteners toppled 16.8% after missing earnings estimates for the recent quarter. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.36, while analysts anticipated $2.18 a share.
Sleep Number — The retail stock cratered more than 20% in extended trading after issuing weak guidance as it copes with slowing demand and chip supply issues. Sleep Number topped Wall Street’s expectations on the top and bottom lines in the quarter just ended.
Teladoc Health — The telehealth stock jumped more than 8% in extended trading on strong quarterly results and an upbeat outlook for the fourth quarter.
O’Reilly Automotive — Shares gained more than 3% after hours following a beat on revenue and earnings for the third quarter. O’Reilly Automotive also lifted its guidance for the full year.
United Rentals —Shares dipped 1.6% postmarket after revenue in the recent quarter fell short of Wall Street estimates. United Rentals’ board also authorized a $1.25 billion share repurchase program.
The five major planets in our solar system have lined up in a rare formation that sky watchers can see with their own eyes.
Astronomers say the formation is expected to remain in the sky through the rest of June. The planets involved are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They are the brightest planets in the solar system.
Seeing two or three major planets close to each other can be a common sight. But the American Astronomical Society said in a statement that seeing all five together is rare. The last time such a planet formation happened was in December 2004.
The society said the best time to watch the five planets is shortly before the sun rises. They will be “stretching across the sky from low in the east to higher in the south,” the statement said.
Some astronomers are calling the event a “planet parade.”
A map published by the Astronomical Society’s Sky & Telescope magazine shows the planets appearing from left to right in this order – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Mercury will appear at the lowest point on the horizon.
This graphic image shows the positions of the five major planets in our solar system. The planets are lining up in a rare formation that is expected to be visible in the sky through the rest of June. (Image Credit: Stellarium, with graphic additions by Bob King)
People in the Northern Hemisphere should look toward the east-southeast horizon, while those in the Southern Hemisphere should be looking toward the east-northeastern horizon.
The planets should be visible without special equipment such as a telescope. But binoculars will be helpful. Cloudy weather will also affect visibility, so astronomers suggest some planning for the best experience.
“If it’s cloudy on the dates of note, you still have all the mornings in between to take in the view of the five naked–eye planets adorning the southeastern horizon,” the society said. “Just make sure you set your alarm and wake up on time.”
Mercury is the most difficult to see because it is closer to the glow of the sun. But the other planets should be easy to see, even without the use of binoculars, for several more days.
On June 19th, the American Space Agency NASA tweeted about the beginning of the unusual planet lineup. “Look up starting tonight to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn spread out and appear to line up in the sky.” NASA noted that on June 23, sky watchers got a special treat, when the “crescent moon” joined the lineup.
A “crescent” describes the shape of the moon as it appears early in its first quarter or late in its last quarter. During this period, only a small edge of the moon is visible and is lit up by the sun.
As June ends, the planet parade will come to an end. Astronomers predict the next chance to see the five-planet formation will be March 2041.
NASA says June is also a good time for more serious sky watchers to observe one of the best-known “globular star clusters.” These “clusters,” or groups, are spherical collections of stars gathered closely together at their centers. They can include tens of thousands to millions of stars. They orbit the centers of many galaxies.
The one currently most observable is called M13, also known as the Hercules Cluster. But the space agency notes that binoculars or a telescope will be necessary to see it. “Find M13 in the constellation Hercules, which is high in the east in the first couple of hours after dark in June,” NASA advises.
This image, captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, shows the M13, or Hercules constellation, located 25,000 light-years from Earth. Image Credits: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team)
A constellation is a group of stars that forms a shape in the sky and has been given a name and has a story behind it.
The stars in M13 are thought to be around 12 billion years old. That is nearly as old as the universe itself, NASA notes.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the American Astronomical Society, Sky & Telescope and NASA.
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Quiz – 5 Planets Align in the Sky in Rare Formation
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn have been aligning in order this month for the first time in 18 years. This week will offer the peak viewing time to see the planet parade.
You won’t need a telescope to see the rare grouping of planets, as they will all be visible to the naked eye. It might still be difficult to see Mercury, however, because of how dim it appears.
As we get closer to the end of June, Mercury will become brighter as it gradually climbs higher above the horizon each night, according to Sky and Telescope.
The best day for viewing will be on Friday, June 24, when the waning crescent moon joins the lineup of planets. Looking toward the southeast, the moon will appear positioned between Venus and Mars.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will align in order through the end of June. (WGNO)
The best time to look to the sky will be about 45 minutes to about 1 hour before sunrise through the end of June. Keep in mind that June has some of the earliest sunrises of the year, so this means the ideal viewing time is just before 5 a.m.
This “parade of planets” hasn’t been seen from Earth since 2004, and it won’t happen again until 2040, experts say.
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will still be visible for most mornings in July, but the group of planets will spread out farther and farther as the month goes on.
Earthlings are able to see five of their closest planetary neighbors all lined up in a row this month.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn arealigned in their natural order across the morning sky in a rare conjunction.
In astronomical terms, conjunction is when two or more objects appear to line up in the sky.
Over the next week, Mercury will become easier to spot as it moves away from the sun. The planet is typically difficult to view, but Mercury will reach its greatest elongation, or farthest point from the sun, on June 16, making it easier to see, according to EarthSky.org.
And on June 24, about an hour before sunrise, skygazers can peep an extremely rare solar system extravaganza. The waning crescent moon will also be in position between Venus and Mars — taking the place of Earth in the planetary lineup.
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It’s the icing on the conjunction cupcake.
Sky & Telescope says the best time to see the planet conjunction on June24 is 45 minutes before sunrise looking East to South. (Sky & Telescope)
“Planets are often getting closer to each other and farther away from each other, but this is just a particularly fun order. It’s just coincidence,” Michelle Thaller, an astronomer at NASA told the Washington Post. “It’s just kind of this really sort of fun tour of the solar system that you can take for free.”
Over the next few months, the planets will appear to spread out across the morning sky. And by September, Venus and Saturn won’t be viewable for most morning sky observers, according to NASA.
All eight planets will never perfectly align due to our different orbits and tilts. Conjunctions of several planets happen fairly often, but the conjunction of five planets only happens about every 20 years.
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According to the Washington Post, the last time five planets aligned was in Dec. 2004 and the next time it will happen will be in 2040.
June will include a rare “planet parade,” this month as five planets line up in the dawn sky. Even more, they’ll be in their proper order from the sun.
The view of all five naked-eye planets will greet early risers throughout the month, Sky & Telescope reported, and while seeing two or three planets close together – something known as a conjunction – is a rather common occurrence, seeing five is somewhat more rare. Making this month’s lineup even more spectacular is the planets will be arranged in their natural order from the sun.
“Throughout the month of June, shortly before the sun rises, viewers could see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — in that order — stretching across the sky from low in the east to higher in the south,” Sky & Telescope said. “Mercury will be tougher to spot: Early in the month, viewers will need an unobstructed eastern horizon as well as binoculars to potentially see the little world.
“As the month wears on, Mercury climbs higher and brightens significantly, making it easier to see, and thus completing the planetary lineup.”
The last time five planets visible to the naked eye were strong across the horizon in order was in December 2004.
Here are Sky & Telescope’s viewing tips:
Find a place with a clear view low toward the east to maximize your chances of catching Mercury.
Bring binoculars.
You’ll also need to make sure you’re in position well in time to enjoy the view of all five planets — you’ll have less than half an hour between when Mercury first appears above the horizon and when it essentially gets lost in the glare of the rising sun.
Beginning in the early morning hours of Friday, June 3, the five planets of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will align in planetary order.
This rare phenomenon has not occurred since December 2004, and this year, the distance between Mercury and Saturn will be smaller, according to Sky & Telescope.
Stargazers will need to have their binoculars handy along with a clear view of the eastern horizon to spot Mercury near the start of the month, the space magazine said. As June progresses, Mercury will become brighter and easier to see, according to Diana Hannikainen, observing editor of Sky & Telescope.
The rest of the planets should be consistently visible to the naked eye, she added.
The best time to view the five planets is in the 30 minutes before sunrise, she said. The night before you plan to view the alignment, check when the sun will rise in your area.
Some stargazers are especially excited for the celestial event, including Hannikainen. She flew from her home west of Boston to a beachside town along the Atlantic Ocean to secure an optimal view of the alignment.
“I’ll be out there with my binoculars, looking towards the east and southeast and crossing all my fingers and toes that it is going to be clear,” Hannikainen said.
You don’t have to travel to catch a glimpse of the action because it will be visible to people around the globe.
Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere can see the planets from the eastern to southeastern horizon while those in the Southern Hemisphere should look along the eastern to northeastern horizon. The only requirement is a clear sky in the direction of the alignment.
If you wake up and the weather blocks the sky, don’t worry, Hannikainen said.
“Just keep looking throughout the month of June and as soon as you have a clear morning, go out and enjoy that view,” she said.
The moon joins the party
In addition to the five planets, the waning crescent moon will also be in alignment between Venus and Mars on June 24.
Unlike on the days leading up to it, this special celestial alignment can be viewed in the hour before sunrise, Hannikainen said.
By the next day, the moon will have continued its orbit around the Earth, moving it out of alignment with the planets, she said.
If you miss the five-planet alignment in sequential order, the next one will happen in 2040, according to Sky & Telescope.
There will be seven more full moons in 2022, according to The Old Farmers’ Almanac:
June 14: Strawberry moon
July 13: Buck moon
August 11: Sturgeon moon
September 10: Harvest moon
October 9: Hunter’s moon
November 8: Beaver moon
December 7: Cold moon
These are the popularized names associated with the monthly full moons, but the significance of each one may vary across Native American tribes.
Lunar and solar eclipses
There will be one more total lunar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse in 2022, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but only blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as the sun’s light can be damaging to the eye.
A partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China. Neither of the partial solar eclipses will be visible from North America.
A total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET — but the moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.
Meteor showers
Check out the remaining 11 showers that will peak in 2022:
Southern delta Aquariids: July 29 to 30
Alpha Capricornids: July 30 to 31
Perseids: August 11 to 12
Orionids: October 20 to 21
Southern Taurids: November 4 to 5
Northern Taurids: November 11 to 12
Leonids: November 17 to 18
Geminids: December 13 to 14
Ursids: December 21 to 22
If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to a place that isn’t littered with city lights to get the best view.
Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes — without looking at your phone or other electronics — to adjust to the darkness so the meteors will be easier to spot.
A diagram showing the location of the moon, Jupiter and Venus before sunrise on April 26, 2022. (Image credit: Starry Night)
The celestial highlight in the days ahead will involve the three brightest objects in the nighttime sky: the moon and the planets Venus and Jupiter.
On Tuesday morning (April 26), you’ll want to be sure to set your alarm. About 45 minutes before sunrise, look low toward the east-southeast horizon. Here, you’ll see Venus hovering 4 degrees to the upper right of Jupiter; about a dozen degrees away to the planets’ right will be a waning crescent moon, seemingly admiring from a far those two brilliant worlds.
Come the very next morning (April 27) at about the same time, a slightly thinner lunar crescent will have moved in to join the two planets, forming an eye-catching triangle formation. The moon-Jupiter side will measure 4 degrees, while the moon-Venus side will measure 5 degrees; Venus and Jupiter will have closed the gap between them to just 3 degrees.
Related: Partial solar eclipse of April 2022: When and where it is and how to watch it online
A diagram shows the location of the moon, Venus and Jupiter in the early morning sky as seen from New York City on April 27, 2022. (Image credit: Starry Night)
Of course, what we’ll be seeing both mornings is an illusion of perspective. The two planets are nowhere near each other; they just happen to line up with each other from our Earthly vantage point. Venus will be 90.3 million miles (145.4 million kilometers) from us, while Jupiter is nearly six times farther away at 530 million miles (852.8 million km). Meanwhile, the moon is by far the closest at just 239,000 miles (384,000 km) away.
Weather permitting, for those with no tall obstructions (such as trees or buildings) toward the east-southeast, this triangular trio should make for a very striking visual spectacle, no doubt attracting the attention of even those who don’t give more than a casual glance to the sky. I suspect the combination of the objects’ great brightness, their closeness to one another and their low altitude will induce more than a few people to call local media outlets and maybe even police stations to report a UFO sighting.
Snuggle time!
Finally, on Saturday morning (April 30), Venus and Jupiter will appear to snuggle close together, separated by just one-half degree, or equal to the apparent width of the moon. The two planets will rise side-by-side that morning, with Jupiter on the left, Venus on the right. Venus will be markedly brighter at magnitude -4.1; Jupiter will shine at magnitude -2.1 and will be about one sixth as bright as Venus.
A diagram showing the locations of Venus and Jupiter early in the morning of April 30, 2022. (Image credit: Starry Night)
Binoculars and telescopes can provide some magnificent views of Venus and Jupiter for several days around April 30. Venus will appear slightly gibbous, while Jupiter will display a large disk crossed by cloud bands and accompanied by the four Galilean satellites, which change their respective positions to each other hour by hour and night to night.
Venus and Jupiter will still be very close to each other on Sunday (May 1), when Jupiter will be to the upper right of Venus; in the mornings that follow, the giant world will steadily pull away to the west.
Migrating worlds
This week’s celestial displays mark a stark change from the beginning of April, when only one of these two planets was even on stage. That was Venus, which has been a dazzling morning object since mid-January.
Jupiter had disappeared into the sunset fires during the latter part of February and passed through conjunction with the sun on March 5. Since then, it has been a morning object, but was still too close to the sun’s glare to be seen at the start of this month.
This largest of planets only became visible around April 8, when Jupiter finally began appearing about a half hour before sunrise, very low to the eastern horizon and 20 degrees — the equivalent of the width of two fists held at arm’s length — to the lower right of Venus.
Since then, Jupiter has been slowly ascending — getting higher and more prominent; Venus will continue to rise more or less at dawn’s first light right on through the middle of August. In essence they are like two ships passing each other in the morning twilight.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers’ Almanac and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
As they say, the best things in life are free. When it comes to what to watch and experience this month, very few opportunities come close to that of witnessing the rare alignment of four planets in the predawn sky. Beginning around Sunday morning (April 24th), Aussies can witness Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn together from the comfort of their own home, without paying a cent.
In Australia – or anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere, for that matter – the sun’s path in the sky is at a steeper angle to the horizon, meaning that the string of planets will unfurl higher above the sunrise point. To see the alignment of Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn, you should look in the direction of the sunrise (sort of southeast) about an hour before the sun comes up.
According to NASA, skywatchers that face east at a flat horizon will be able to spot Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn as the planets appear “strung out in a line across the morning sky”. Provided that conditions are clear – which, if you are from Sydney, they probably won’t be – the planetary quartet should be bright enough to see even without the aid of binoculars or telescopes.
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In any event, Jupiter – despite being the second brightest planet in this celestial party – appears lowest on the horizon, which will likely make it difficult to spot. This is expected to change as the month goes on, with NASA stating that “heading into the last week of April, Jupiter will be high enough above the horizon in the hour before sunrise to make it more easily observed.”
This same event would look vastly different from any other point in the galaxy. Given every planet in our solar system is said to orbit the sun on the same flat plane, they appear to form a straight line in the Earth’s skies as they occasionally swing past each other in their orbit. It’s all a matter of perspective, and this month we are catching four planets’ orbits at a particularly opportune time.
As mentioned, Jupiter will appear the lowest and furthest to the left, then moving up in an invisible line going to the right, it will be followed by Venus, Mars and Saturn. An app like Stellarium can be useful in tracking planets if you plan on catching them this month.
Mercury will also be visible this month, but not at the same time as the others. You could consider Mercury’s appearance in the evening a bit like a scene after the credits in your favourite Marvel movie, only teasing what is to come.
From late June to early July, an even rarer alignment of five planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — will be visible in the sky before sunrise.
Who needs Netflix when you’ve got the greatest show in the galaxy above you?
Skywatchers are in for a cosmic treat this month: a rare alignment of four planets in the predawn sky.
Beginning around Sunday morning, stargazers will be able to see Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn appear in a straight line across the southeastern sky before sunrise.
The midmonth alignment is a relatively unusual opportunity for people to see multiple planets in the sky with the naked eye — and it’s a prelude to an even rarer planetary alignment that will happen later this year.
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To see the planetary quartet, skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere should head outside about an hour before the sun comes up and gaze southeast, in the direction of the sunrise.
Looking east at a flat horizon, Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn will appear “strung out in a line across the morning sky,” according to NASA.
If conditions are clear, all four planets will be bright enough to see with the naked eye, without the aid of binoculars or telescopes.
Sky chart showing the close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter before sunrise on April 30. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
In the Southern Hemisphere, the sun’s path in the sky is at a steeper angle to the horizon, compared to in the Northern Hemisphere, which means the string of planets will unfurl higher above the sunrise point.
The same alignment is viewable before sunrise in the Northern Hemisphere.
In both cases, Jupiter will be the second-brightest planet in the celestial gathering but will appear lowest on the horizon, which could make it tricky to spot. That will change as the month goes on, according to NASA.
“Heading into the last week of April, Jupiter will be high enough above the horizon in the hour before sunrise to make it more easily observed,” the space agency said in its monthly roundup of skywatching tips.
The Big Dipper is an asterism – a well-known pattern of stars – within the constellation Ursa Major. Credit: Preston Dyches/NASA
Though this month’s skywatching event makes it look like the planets form a neat line in space, it’s actually just a matter of perspective.
Each planet in the solar system circles the sun on the same flat plane, which means that as they occasionally swing past each other in their orbits, they appear to form a straight line in Earth’s skies.
This tidy positioning, however, would look very different from any other vantage point in space.
The planets will be viewable in the predawn sky all month, and April’s alignment will set the stage for an even more spectacular skywatching event this winter.
From late June to early July, five planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — will be visible in the sky before sunrise in a major alignment that only occurs every few years.
After James Webb Space Telescope officials released a stunning image of a single star, the team is ready to get other telescope parts in line with the observatory’s mirrors.
The $10 billion telescope successfully aligned with its near-infrared camera (NIRCam), as the star image showed. But the observatory still has four other instruments that it must be able to switch between with perfect alignment to obtain sharp images of distant objects.
The work will begin with the guiding instrument (called the Fine Guidance Sensor or FGS) and then extend to the other three instruments, a NASA update stated Thursday (March 17). Webb engineers expect that this process, called “multi-instrument multi-field alignment,” will take six weeks to complete.
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Webb should complete its commissioning period around June, six months after launching on Dec. 25 on an ambitious mission to observe the universe from deep space and gather data on objects ranging from exoplanets to galaxies.
Switching between cameras in space is complicated, but the telescope will eventually be able to use multiple instruments at the same time, according to the update, which was written by Jonathan Gardner, Webb deputy senior project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Ground-based telescopes have the advantage of having engineers available on site to potentially remove instruments not needed in between investigations. However, on Webb and other space telescopes, the procedure is different.
“All the cameras see the sky at the same time; to switch a target from one camera to another, we repoint the telescope to put the target into the field of view of the other instrument,” Gardner wrote.
The goal of the new alignment, Gardner said, is to “provide a good focus and sharp images in all the instruments” while knowing the relative positions of each instrument’s field of view.
The James Webb Space Telescope after separating from the Ariane 5 rocket that carried it into space. This is one of our last views of the impressive telescope. (Image credit: ESA)
Last weekend, Gardner continued, engineers learned the positions of three near-infrared instruments in relation to the FGS, and updated that information in the software used for telescope pointing.
FGS reached its own milestone recently, which was finishing “fine guide mode.” That occurs when the guider zeroes in on a guide star to the instrument’s highest possible precision. Additionally, engineers are taking “dark” images to see what happens when the instrument has no light reaching it, which allows personnel to more precisely calibrate the instrument.
The last instrument to be aligned will be the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) as it is awaiting a cryogenic cooler’s ability to bring it to its operating temperature of minus 448 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 267 degrees Celsius.)
This gif shows the “before” and “after” images from Segment Alignment, when the team corrected large positioning errors of its primary mirror segments and updated the alignment of the secondary mirror. (Image credit: NASA/STScI)
Gardner also explained how the instruments will work together to look at a target.
“With parallel science exposures, when we point one instrument at a target, we can read out another instrument at the same time,” he said. “The parallel observations don’t see the same point in the sky, so they provide what is essentially a random sample of the universe.”
Parallel data, he concluded, allows scientists to “determine the statistical properties of the galaxies that are detected. In addition, for programs that want to map a large area, much of the parallel images will overlap, increasing the efficiency of the valuable Webb dataset.”
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
