All articles tagged with #astronomy
Presolar grains in meteorites—older than the Sun—are helping scientists test how our solar system formed. Evidence of aluminum-26 without iron-60 argues against a simple nearby supernova trigger and favors a scenario where winds from a Wolf-Rayet star delivered aluminum-26 into the nascent solar nebula; researchers are using nanoprobe analysis of meteorite grains to confirm this, though the origin story remains under debate.
Space.com reports that the March 3 total lunar eclipse—the blood moon—will be visible across the Americas, Asia and Oceania and can be watched for free via three YouTube livestreams: Time and Date LIVE (about 4:30 a.m. EST), the Virtual Telescope Project (about 3:30 a.m. EST), and Griffith Observatory (about 3:37 a.m. EST); if viewing is hindered by weather or location, a live blog offers updates. This will be the last blood moon until New Year’s Eve 2028.
Six planets—Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Jupiter—will appear rising near the western horizon after sunset in a rare planetary parade. The alignment is a line-of-sight effect, not a true orbital chain. Bright planets (Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter) are visible to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune require binoculars or a telescope. For best viewing, find a clear western outlook about 20–30 minutes after sunset; the grouping is not a single-day event and lasts for weeks. No special equipment is needed for the brightest worlds, though binoculars help with the fainter ones, and a red-night mode app can aid night vision.
Astronomers using the Chandra X-ray Observatory have detected the first astrosphere—an outer wind-driven bubble—around HD 61005, a young sun-like star about 117 light-years away nicknamed the 'Moth.' The feature results from the star’s powerful stellar wind colliding with interstellar material and, captured in a multi-wavelength image, offers a glimpse of what our solar system’s early heliosphere may have looked like.
As of March 1, 2026, the Moon is in a Waxing Gibbous phase at about 94% illumination, revealing Mare Imbrium, Tycho, and more with binoculars or a telescope, including Apollo landing sites; the next Full Moon is March 3, and the piece also includes a quick primer on the eight lunar phases.
A total lunar eclipse, known as a blood moon, will light up the skies over North America, Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday as Earth's shadow reddens the Moon; viewing times vary by city with dark-sky locations offering the best view, and Jupiter will also be visible nearby. The next total lunar eclipse isn’t until late 2028/2029, and while ancient cultures once read the red Moon as an omen, today it’s celebrated as a striking astronomical event.
Astronomers warn that rapid growth in satellite megaconstellations could contaminate Earth's atmosphere and endanger orbital safety: re-entering satellites release metals (copper, lead, alumina) and rocket plumes emit lithium, potentially altering atmospheric chemistry and heating. Projections suggest up to a million more satellites could add about a billion kilograms of alumina to the upper atmosphere. Debris growth raises collision risks (Kessler syndrome) and ground hazards as fragments survive re-entry, with FAA estimates of tens of thousands of fragments from Starlink potentially surviving annually by 2035. Astronomy and observations would suffer from light pollution; researchers urge global regulation to define a safe atmospheric carrying capacity for launches and re-entries and to fund studies on atmospheric impacts.
Six planets align in a rare 'planetary parade' after sunset across California, with Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn visible to the naked eye and Uranus and Neptune detectable with telescopes; visibility varies by location due to clouds (SF Bay Area may be obscured, LA and San Diego should be clear, northern California could miss it); the event recurs only every few years, with the next alignment not until 2028.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s automated alert system went live and issued roughly 800,000 notices on its first night, flagging asteroids, supernovas and other transient events by comparing about 1,000 new images to a reference; alerts can be filtered by type, brightness, or frequency to manage volume, with millions per night expected as the system scales.
A Bristol photographer, Josh Dury, captured a planetary parade from Worth Matravers, Dorset, featuring Earth and six other planets (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) plus the Moon in a single wide shot, after a long journey and timing with sunset; another view is expected after Saturday sunset.
JWST spectroscopic data of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy IRAS 07251-0248 reveal a rich mix of small organic molecules (benzene, methane, acetylene, diacetylene, triacetylene) and solid carbon-rich grains in its buried nucleus, along with the first outside-the Milky Way detection of the methyl radical CH3. The chemistry appears driven by cosmic rays fragmenting carbonaceous materials and PAHs, producing a diverse organic inventory far exceeding models’ predictions. This implies deeply obscured galactic nuclei can act as factories of organic molecules, with potential implications for prebiotic chemistry and galactic chemical evolution. Findings published in Nature Astronomy showcase JWST’s power to probe extreme, dust-shrouded environments.
A planetary scientist proposes Titan grew large after an ancient collision with an extra moon, a cataclysm that could explain Saturn’s tilt and rings and align Cassini-era data with Neptune’s gravitational influence.
NASA says a six-planet alignment will brighten the night sky this Saturday (weather permitting): Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter should be visible to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune will require binoculars or a telescope. The display is best at twilight and visible worldwide, with viewing times varying by location and planets roughly 10 degrees above the horizon. Venus will be the brightest after the Sun and Moon; Mars will appear as a red dot; Saturn will have a yellowish hue; Jupiter will be high overhead; Mercury will be the hardest to spot, best about 30–60 minutes after local sunset. The event illustrates how planetary orbits shift relative to Earth and even informs mission planning; keep an eye out for related celestial events later this year, like a total lunar eclipse and a Venus–Jupiter pairing on June 8–9.
A total lunar eclipse will turn the Moon blood-red on Tuesday, visible from North America, Central America and western South America in the morning, and from Australia and eastern Asia at night; partial phases will be seen from Central Asia and much of South America, while Africa and Europe won’t see it. Totality lasts about an hour, and observers don’t need special gear—just a clear sky. The event follows a recent “ring of fire” solar eclipse and occurs as Earth’s shadow reddens the Moon by filtering sunlight through the atmosphere.
A total lunar eclipse, popularly called the blood moon, will be visible to skywatchers in 2026, with guidance on when and where to watch. The AP News piece highlights viewing in major cities (including Chicago) and offers tips on timing and conditions to maximize the viewing experience.