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8 US states from where October’s ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse will be visible – IndiaTimes
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Goodnight stars, wherever you are: Light pollution making our cosmic theater barely visible
Alarming report says Earth’s surface is getting brighter, leaving people in big cities with very little to see in the skies at night
POTSDAM, Germany — Stars in the night sky are vanishing due to light pollution, according to stargazers around the world. These citizen scientists say Earth’s surface is rapidly getting brighter, eroding star visibility. For those living in major cities like New York, it can be nearly impossible to see the countless stars which cover the sky each night.
The findings are based on observations from citizen astronomers worldwide over the past 12 years. They reveal a worrisome trend – most people on earth can no longer see the shimmering Milky Way without a telescope. In big cities, people are lucky to even glimpse the Big Dipper now.
Study authors from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences say the change in visibility is equivalent to around a 10-percent annual increase in luminosity — faster than satellites have previously indicated. The growth of light pollution is occurring despite policies which cut down on streetlamps, billboards, neon signs, and car headlights usage.
To put this problem in perspective, lead author Dr. Christopher Kyba says estimates that a child born in an area where 250 stars were visible would likely see fewer than 100 in the same location 18 years later.
“In many inhabited places on Earth, the night sky never fully grows dark. It instead glows with an artificial twilight caused by the scatter of anthropogenic light in the atmosphere,” researchers write in a media release.
Known as skyglow, the phenomenon is responsible for the visible brightening of the night sky and the erosion of our ability to see stars. Its ubiquity and luminance has increased exponentially over much of the last century.
Light pollution can also be a health problem
Satellites that can measure global skyglow are limited in resolution and sensitivity. They are often blind to the wavelengths produced by modern LED lights that have come to dominate technology over the past decade. So, the international team evaluated 51,351 citizen scientist observations of naked-eye stellar visibility from 2011 through 2022.
They asked participants worldwide to compare star maps at different levels of light pollution to what they could see with their own eyes through the online platform Globe at Night. The study in the journal Science found the night sky has increased in brightness from artificial light by roughly seven to 10 percent per year.
“The contributions of individual people work together as if they were a global sensor network, making new science possible,” says Kyba in a statement.
Estimates show that the Milky Way galaxy is no longer fully visible to one-third of humanity — including 60 percent of Europeans and 80 percent of Americans. Scientists have found excessive artificial lighting at night can have a number of adverse consequences. It disrupts our sleep, messes with wildlife, and is a big waste of energy.
“Skyglow affects both diurnal and nocturnal animals and also destroys an important part of our cultural heritage,” says Constance Walker, co-author of the study and head of the Globe at Night project.
“Perhaps the most important message that the scientific community should glean from the Kyba et al. study is that light pollution is increasing, notwithstanding the countermeasures purportedly put into operation to limit it,” says Fabio Falchi and Salvador Bará in a related release. “Awareness must greatly increase for artificial light at night to be perceived not as an always-positive thing, but as the pollutant it really is.”
South West News Service writer Mark Waghorn contributed to this report.
Green comet to become visible for first time in 50,000 years
A bright green comet will appear in the night skies above Earth, visible for the first time in 50,000 years.
The recently discovered comet, which was given the catchy name C/2022 E3 (ZTF), will soar its closest to the sun on Jan. 12, and will become visible in the Northern Hemisphere in the morning sky.
In Australia, though, it will become visible from early February as it makes its closest pass by Earth on Feb. 2 when it will be a mere 42 million kilometers away.
Comets can be distinguished from stars by their streaking tails of dust and energized particles – which will cause this one to glow bright green. The glow is caused by an envelope that firms around the comet as it passed by the sun and its icy exterior instantly turns into gas.
Discovered in March last year by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera in southern California, the comet passes by the far outer reaches of the solar system each time it orbits the sun – which is why it’s taken so long to swing by Earth once more.
It last made its appearance over our blue planet about 50,000 years ago, when a mere two million humans roamed and our ancestors the Neanderthals were not yet extinct.
According to NASA, the comet – though notoriously unpredictable – has been steadily brightening as it approaches the sun, and should be easy to spot with binoculars.
If we’re lucky, it may even become visible to the naked eye in dark skies, NASA said.
2024 total solar eclipse will be last visible in U.S. for at least 20 years, NASA says
The next total solar eclipse – when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun – could be your last chance to see one occur for decades to come.
Such an event is expected to cross over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada on April 8, 2024. And according to NASA, that will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. until August 2044.
During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking the sun’s light and darkening the sky as if it were early in the morning or late in the evening. The last time this type of eclipse event took place over the U.S. was in August 2017, when people were able to see the event across the entire continent for the first time in nearly 100 years.
Total solar eclipses happen every one to three years, but the events are usually only visible from Earth’s poles or from the middle of the ocean.
While next year’s eclipse won’t be visible from coast-to-coast, the path of totality does go across a dozen states, including Texas, Arkansas, New York and Pennsylvania. Totality will start over the South Pacific Ocean before crossing over Mexico, into the U.S. and ending after crossing Canada’s Newfoundland and Labrador. States not in the path of totality will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse.
The first spot in North America expected to witness totality is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT, according to NASA. While the eclipse will last a couple of hours, totality will last just about four minutes. It’s only during these few minutes that it’s safe for people to remove their special eclipse glasses.
What to expect
The long-awaited moment of a total solar eclipse – totality – makes up just minutes of an hours-long process, and aside from that moment, it’s crucial for people to wear special eclipse glasses so as to not hurt their eyes.
The event will begin with what’s called the partial stage, when the moon has not yet fully covered the sun, giving the giant star a crescent shape. This can last between 70 and 80 minutes in most places. As the moon closes in on totality, “Baily’s Beads” will appear – small light rays from the sun that quickly paper along the moon’s horizon. Then, right before totality, the beads will disappear, leaving only a single bright spot referred to as the “diamond ring.”
That’s when the moment finally comes – the sky is dark and the sun appears like a glowing black orb.
“During totality, take a few seconds to observe the world around you. You may be able to see a 360 degree sunset. You may also be able to see some particularly bright stars or planets in the darkened sky,” NASA says. “The air temperature will drop and often an eerie silence will settle around you. It is also worth stealing a peek at the people around you – many people have a deep emotional response when the Sun goes into totality.”
After just a couple of moments, the process that led up to totality will repeat in reverse, and the eclipse will come to an end.
Upcoming celestial events
Even though the total solar eclipse is still over a year away, it’s not the only opportunity to see a celestial event from right outside your home. The annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central and South America on Oct. 14 this year, which will be the last time this kind of eclipse will be visible from the continental U.S. until 2039, NASA said.
And if you’re craving a bit of space before the fall, you only have to wait a few weeks.
A bright green comet known as C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is set to make its first and likely only appearance to human eyes. The comet, which is believed to have traveled billions of miles through space, is expected to make its closest approach to the sun on January 12 and its closest approach to Earth on February 2, at which time people may be able to catch a glimpse of the comet with just their binoculars – and if they’re really lucky, with the naked eye.
Next total solar eclipse will be last one visible from U.S. until 2044
The next total solar eclipse – when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun – could be your last chance to see one occur for decades to come.
Such an event is expected to cross over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada on April 8, 2024. And according to NASA, that will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. until August 2044.
During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking the sun’s light and darkening the sky as if it were early in the morning or late in the evening. The last time this type of eclipse event took place over the U.S. was in August 2017, when people were able to see the event across the entire continent for the first time in nearly 100 years.
Total solar eclipses happen every one to three years, but the events are usually only visible from Earth’s poles or from the middle of the ocean.
While next year’s eclipse won’t be visible from coast-to-coast, the path of totality does go across a dozen states, including Texas, Arkansas, New York and Pennsylvania. Totality will start over the South Pacific Ocean before crossing over Mexico, into the U.S. and ending after crossing Canada’s Newfoundland and Labrador. States not in the path of totality will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse.
The first spot in North America expected to witness totality is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT, according to NASA. While the eclipse will last a couple of hours, totality will last just about four minutes. It’s only during these few minutes that it’s safe for people to remove their special eclipse glasses.
What to expect
The long-awaited moment of a total solar eclipse – totality – makes up just minutes of an hours-long process, and aside from that moment, it’s crucial for people to wear special eclipse glasses so as to not hurt their eyes.
The event will begin with what’s called the partial stage, when the moon has not yet fully covered the sun, giving the giant star a crescent shape. This can last between 70 and 80 minutes in most places. As the moon closes in on totality, “Baily’s Beads” will appear – small light rays from the sun that quickly paper along the moon’s horizon. Then, right before totality, the beads will disappear, leaving only a single bright spot referred to as the “diamond ring.”
That’s when the moment finally comes – the sky is dark and the sun appears like a glowing black orb.
“During totality, take a few seconds to observe the world around you. You may be able to see a 360 degree sunset. You may also be able to see some particularly bright stars or planets in the darkened sky,” NASA says. “The air temperature will drop and often an eerie silence will settle around you. It is also worth stealing a peek at the people around you – many people have a deep emotional response when the Sun goes into totality.”
After just a couple of moments, the process that led up to totality will repeat in reverse, and the eclipse will come to an end.
Upcoming celestial events
Even though the total solar eclipse is still over a year away, it’s not the only opportunity to see a celestial event from right outside your home. The annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central and South America on Oct. 14 this year, which will be the last time this kind of eclipse will be visible from the continental U.S. until 2039, NASA said.
And if you’re craving a bit of space before the fall, you only have to wait a few weeks.
A bright green comet known as C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is set to make its first and likely only appearance to human eyes. The comet, which is believed to have traveled billions of miles through space, is expected to make its closest approach to the sun on January 12 and its closest approach to Earth on February 2, at which time people may be able to catch a glimpse of the comet with just their binoculars – and if they’re really lucky, with the naked eye.
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All Planets In Our Solar System Visible At Same Time From Earth
The photo, posted by NASA, was taken by astronomer and photographer Tunc Tezel.
American space agency NASA recently shared a picture that captures a rare phenomenon: all the planets of our solar system witnessed from Earth simultaneously. The phenomenon known as the ‘Planet Parade’ allows people to see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Planet parade is an astronomical phenomenon during which several planets may be observed in the sky by the naked eye.
The sight was shared by NASA as the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) yesterday. In the ‘After Sunset Planet Parade’ image posted on January 2, a wide range of planets such as Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Saturn, and Mercury can be seen sparkling against a purple sky in the late evening.
Featuring Mars, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, and Venus in one frame, the photo quickly went viral as internet users marvelled at the dazzling dusk time scene. Taken by astronomer and photographer Tunc Tezel in December 2022, the image also featured bright stars like Altair, Fomalhaut, and Aldebaran.
Posting a new astronomy-related image each day, NASA’s APOD tradition stretches back decades. Every day there is a new image along with a short explanation written by a professional astronomer, providing a perfect mix of informational and entertaining content.
APOD’s first photo of 2023 featured “the largest rock in our solar system” famously called the ‘pale blue dot’ through a photo taken by NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1990.
Today’s photo, by photographer Tommy Lease, shows the awe-inspiring Kemble’s Cascade of Stars, which is an asterism (a group of stars different from a constellation). APOD’s tagline, “discover the cosmos”, promises that each day is a new foray into the vast, intricate universe in which we live.
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Every planet in the solar system visible in rare “planet parade” Wednesday
The planets of the solar system were lined up in the sky Wednesday night in an astronomical phenomenon, visible from Earth, known as a “planet parade.”
The phenomenon, which was also visible Tuesday night, gave skywatchers a good view of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn with the naked eye. With a pair of binoculars or a telescope, Uranus and Neptune could also be seen.
The planet parade is not an extremely rare occurrence — it tends to happen at least every couple of years. In fact, the eight-planet alignment last happened in June.
In order to see the phenomenon, it was recommended you look south after sunset. From east to west, the planets appeared in this order: Mars, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Venus.
“People should look southward about 30 to 45 minutes after sunset to catch Mercury and Venus before they’re too close to the horizon to observe,” said Vahé Peroomian, a professor of astronomy and physics at the University of Southern California. “Jupiter, Saturn and Mars will be visible once it gets dark, from southeast to east.”
Planets can appear together in the same part of the sky during their orbits around the sun, Peroomian told CBS News.
“Mercury completes one orbit in 88 days, and Venus in 225 days. The outer planets move a lot slower: Jupiter takes 12 years to orbit the Sun, Saturn takes 29,” he said. “So, as long as Jupiter and Saturn are visible, which happens unless they’re on opposite sides of the Sun from our point of view, then the remaining planets will eventually line up.”
It is a bigger feat for Neptune and Uranus to also be visible at the same time as they take 165 years and 84 years, respectively, to orbit the sun.
Both planets “spend considerable time on opposite sides of the Sun from our vantage point,” Peroomian said.
On Wednesday night, Uranus and Neptune were relatively close together, but because Uranus moves around the Sun twice as fast as Neptune, the planets will go back to being far apart from one another, he said.
As a result, “it won’t be possible to see both planets in the night sky at the same time for several decades,” Peroomian added.
Every planet in the solar system visible in rare “planet parade” Wednesday
The planets of the solar system were lined up in the sky Wednesday night in an astronomical phenomenon, visible from Earth, known as a “planet parade.”
The phenomenon, which was also visible Tuesday night, gave skywatchers a good view of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn with the naked eye. With a pair of binoculars or a telescope, Uranus and Neptune could also be seen.
The planet parade is not an extremely rare occurrence — it tends to happen at least every couple of years. In fact, the eight-planet alignment last happened in June.
In order to see the phenomenon, it was recommended you look south after sunset. From east to west, the planets appeared in this order: Mars, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Venus.
“People should look southward about 30 to 45 minutes after sunset to catch Mercury and Venus before they’re too close to the horizon to observe,” said Vahé Peroomian, a professor of astronomy and physics at the University of Southern California. “Jupiter, Saturn and Mars will be visible once it gets dark, from southeast to east.”
Planets can appear together in the same part of the sky during their orbits around the sun, Peroomian told CBS News.
“Mercury completes one orbit in 88 days, and Venus in 225 days. The outer planets move a lot slower: Jupiter takes 12 years to orbit the Sun, Saturn takes 29,” he said. “So, as long as Jupiter and Saturn are visible, which happens unless they’re on opposite sides of the Sun from our point of view, then the remaining planets will eventually line up.”
It is a bigger feat for Neptune and Uranus to also be visible at the same time as they take 165 years and 84 years, respectively, to orbit the sun.
Both planets “spend considerable time on opposite sides of the Sun from our vantage point,” Peroomian said.
On Wednesday night, Uranus and Neptune were relatively close together, but because Uranus moves around the Sun twice as fast as Neptune, the planets moved further away from one another, he said.
As a result, “it won’t be possible to see both planets in the night sky at the same time for several decades,” Peroomian added.
A total lunar eclipse will be visible around the world on Tuesday
A total lunar eclipse that is called a ‘Super Blood Wolf Moon’ is seen from Encinitas, California, U.S., January 20, 2019.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Skywatchers on four continents will have the chance next week to catch the last total lunar eclipse for three years.
The eclipse will occur Tuesday, with the moon set to turn blood red as it slips into Earth’s shadow. The celestial show will be visible to viewers in North and Central America, Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands and parts of South America.
Lunar eclipses occur when the moon, Earth and sun are aligned and the moon passes into Earth’s shadow. Total lunar eclipses are sometimes known as blood moons because of the dramatic coloring caused by Earth’s atmosphere, which scatters light from the sun and brandishes it on the face of the moon.
After Tuesday’s eclipse, the next total lunar eclipse will not occur again until March 14, 2025, according to NASA.
As the moon slips into Earth’s shadow, it will first dim and darken before turning a reddish hue. Across the United States, the period known as totality — when the moon is fully engulfed in Earth’s shadow — will be visible for almost an hour and a half.
The moon will begin to enter the outer part of Earth’s shadow at 3:02 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. As the partial eclipse progresses, it will look like a bite is being taken out of the lunar disk, according to NASA.
Totality will last from 5:17 a.m. until 6:42 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. During this time, the moon will appear copper-red in color.
Weather permitting, people in Hawaii and Alaska will have the chance to see every stage of the skywatching show as it unfolds.
Unlike with solar eclipses, a lunar eclipse can be viewed safely with the naked eye. Skywatchers can even use binoculars and telescopes for more dramatic views.
“If you want to take a photo, use a camera on a tripod with exposures of at least several seconds,” say NASA officials.
While the next total lunar eclipse won’t happen until March 2025, a so-called penumbral lunar eclipse — when Earth’s faint outer shadow falls on the moon’s face — will occur next year in May, followed by a partial lunar eclipse in October 2023.