This year – on March 3, 2021 – the red planet Mars and the Pleiades star cluster – also known as the Seven Sisters – stage their closest conjunction on the sky’s dome until February 4, 2038. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/closest-mars-pleiades-conjunction-until-2038…
Tag: close encounter
Farthest known object in the solar system identified
Astronomers have confirmed that an object with the nickname of Farfarout is, to date, the farthest object we’ve seen in the solar system. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/farthest-known-object-solar-system-farfarout…
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe had a surprise close encounter with a comet
A spacecraft on a mission to the sun had a surprise encounter with a comet last year – and discovered evidence that it may not be a comet after all Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2263407-nasas-parker-solar-probe-had-a-surprise-close-encounter-with-a-comet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Astronomers measure a change in orbit for infamous asteroid Apophis
Astronomers in Hawaii have detected the Yarkovsky effect – a minuscule push imparted by sunlight – for asteroid Apophis. The effect is particularly important for Apophis, because it relates to the possibility of an Earth impact in 2068. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/asteroid-99942-apophis-encounters-2029-2036-2068…
Drone warns surfer of very close encounter with 5-foot shark in Australia
A program that uses drones to warn surfers of nearby sharks recorded a very close encounter off the coast in New South Wales. Source: https://www.livescience.com/drone-warns-surfer-shark-encounter-australia.html
The cycle of close and far Martian oppositions
Like so much in the sky, very close approaches of Mars happen in cycles. Become a Mars guru, here. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/close-and-far-martian-oppositions…
Moon and Mars rendezvous in early October
The moon and Mars are near each other on the sky’s dome on the night of October 2, 2020. From South America, the moon will appear to occult (cover over) Mars. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-mars-rendezvous-in-early-october…
Venus-Regulus conjunction in early October
Brilliant Venus, in and of itself, is worth getting up for, but the tantalizingly close encounter of Venus with the star Regulus won’t happen again for another 8 years. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/venus-regulus-conjunction-in-early-october…
Where no spacecraft has gone before: A close encounter with binary asteroids
CU Boulder and Lockheed Martin will lead a new space mission to capture the first-ever closeup look at a mysterious class of solar system objects: binary asteroids. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-09-spacecraft-encounter-binary-asteroids.html…
How to see Comet NEOWISE
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is basically a binocular object, although some experienced observers with pristine skies are reporting they can see it with the eye alone. This post has information and charts that will help you see the comet. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/how-to-see-comet-c2020-f3-neowise…