Tag: total solar eclipse

Annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020

On the heels of the June solstice, the new moon will sweep directly in front of the sun on Sunday, June 21, 2020, to stage an annular – ring of fire – solar eclipse for the world’s Eastern Hemisphere. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/annular-solar-eclipse-on-june-21-2020…

Meet Regulus, the Lion’s Heart

The bright star Regulus is very prominent in the evening sky in May. It looks like a single point of light, but is really 4 stars. It’s the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion. Source: https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/best-regulus-the-heart-of-the-lion…

How WFIRST will use warped spacetime to find exoplanets

NASA’s WFIRST mission – an infrared space observatory planned for launch around 2025 – will use the fact that the gravity of distant objects warps spacetime, bending and focusing light, thereby revealing new worlds. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/wfirst-exoplanets-microlensing-space-time-milky-way…

Year’s biggest and brightest supermoon on April 7-8

Watch for the biggest supermoon of the year to shine all night long. It lights up the eastern sky at dusk/nightfall April 7, climbs highest up for the night around midnight and sets in the west around sunrise April 8. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/years-biggest-supermoon-on-night-of-april-7-8…

What is an eclipse season?

A solar eclipse can happen only at new moon. A lunar eclipse can happen only at full moon. Additionally – for an eclipse to occur – the new moon or full moon has to take place within an eclipse season. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/definition-what-is-an-eclipse-season…

Annular solar eclipse on December 26

The 3rd and final solar eclipse of the year falls on December 26. It’s 2019’s only annular or “ring” eclipse, taking place when the moon is near apogee, or its farthest point in orbit around Earth. At mid-eclipse, a ring of the sun’s surface will appear around the moon. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/annular-solar-eclipse-on-december-26…

How often are there 3 eclipses in a month?

In a calendar month, 3 eclipses are rare. But in a lunar month, 3 eclipses are more common. From 2000-2050, it happens 14 times. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/is-it-possible-to-have-three-eclipses-in-one-month…

Solar eclipse provides unique opportunity to study atmospheric waves

Witnessing one total solar eclipse—the one that swept across the continental U.S. in 2017—wasn’t enough for Montana State University senior Jaxen Godfrey. But when she flew to Chile in July to experience another, it wasn’t just for the thrill. It was to continue studying an elusive atmospheric phenomenon. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-08-solar-eclipse-unique-opportunity-atmospheric.html…