Nestled in the constellation Taurus, a spectacle of swirling cosmic gasses measuring half a dozen lightyears across glows in shades of emerald and auburn. The Crab Nebula was born of a supernova, the explosion of a giant star, and now, a lab machine the size of a double door replicates how the immense blasts paint the astronomical swirls into existence. Source:…
Tag: crab
Moon, in Gemini, points to Mercury and Venus
These next few evenings – May 26 and 27, 2020 – the moon moves out of the constellation Gemini and into the constellation Cancer. The lit side of the waxing crescent moon serves as your arrow in the sky, pointing right at the planet Mercury. Mercury may be visible to the eye alone around an hour after sunset. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-in-gemini-points-to-mercury…
April’s 2nd first quarter moon on April 30
Tonight – April 30, 2020 – enjoy the second of two April first quarter moons, as it lights up Cancer the Crab, one of the faintest constellations of the zodiac. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/aprils-2nd-first-quarter-moon-on-april-30…
What is pareidolia?
Seeing a dog in a patch of clouds, or a face in the moon, are examples of what’s called pareidolia. Look here for photos to test your own ability to see things that aren’t there. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/seeing-things-that-arent-there…
Cancer? Here’s your constellation
Here’s how to find the constellation Cancer in your sky. Plus Cancer’s place in sky history, lore and science. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/cancer-heres-your-constellation…
Moon and faint Cancer on March 6
The constellation Cancer the Crab is faint, the faintest constellation of the zodiac. Yet the bright moon on March 17, 2019 can help you locate it. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-and-cancer…
The force is strong in neutron stars
Physicists at MIT analyzed data from earlier experiments in particle accelerators, in order to probe the workings of the strong nuclear force that operates inside atoms. Their work sheds light on this force – one of the 4 fundamental forces of nature – and also illuminates the structure of a neutron star’s core. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/neutron-stars-strong-nuclear-force…
The Beehive: 1,000 stars in Cancer
On a dark night, look for it as a smudge of light, with 3 times the moon’s diameter. It’s really a wondrous cluster of stars called the Beehive, or M44. Source: https://earthsky.org/clusters-nebulae-galaxies/praesepe-beehive-cluster…
Seabird-eating ‘monster’ crabs are chatty during sex
Enormous and powerful coconut crabs are known for their extreme size. They also have an unexpectedly diverse “vocabulary.” Source: https://www.livescience.com/coconut-crab-clicking.html
First new seeds put into Svalbard’s upgraded doomsday vault
Around 60,000 new seeds are being safeguarded in an Arctic vault, including sacred corn from the Cherokee Nation, Brazilian onions, and European crab apples Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2235116-first-new-seeds-put-into-svalbards-upgraded-doomsday-vault/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…