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: Twins
3D map of a million binary stars
A new atlas of nearby binary stars plots more than a million pairs and reveals a profusion of identical twins. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/3d-map-million-binary-stars…
Moon skims past Mars and Aldebaran February 17-19, 2021
The waxing crescent moon pairs up with the faint planet Uranus on February 17, flits by the red planet Mars on February 18, and then joins up with the red star Aldebaran on February 19. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-mars-aldebaran-feb-17-18-19-2021…
Neutrons’ ‘evil twins’ may be crushing stars into black holes
The universe may be filled with “mirror” particles — and these otherwise-undetectable particles could be shrinking the densest stars in the universe, turning them into black holes. Source: https://www.livescience.com/neutron-evil-twins.html
How to find the Winter Hexagon or Winter Circle
The brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter sky form the shape of a large hexagon, or circle, that will help you locate 6 constellations. Source: https://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/winter-circle-highlights-brightest-winter-stars…
Identical Twins Are Not So Identical, Study Suggests
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Genetic differences between identical twins can begin very early in embryonic development, according to a study that researchers say has implications for examining the effects of nature versus nurture. Identical — or monozygotic — twins come from a single fertilized egg that splits in two. They are important research subjects because they…
Identical twins don’t share 100% of their DNA
On average, less than six genetic mutations set the twins apart. Source: https://www.livescience.com/identical-twins-dont-share-all-dna.html
Last full moon of the decade, again
The last full moon of 2020 – and the last full moon of the 202nd decade – happens on December 29 or 30, 2020, depending on your time zone. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/last-full-moon-of-the-decade-on-december-29-30…
10 science records broken in 2020
From the longest bird flight to the oldest identical twins, 2020 was filled with record-breaking science. Source: https://www.livescience.com/science-records-broken-in-2020.html
Find the Geminids’ radiant point
Why is the Geminid meteor shower best around 2 a.m.? It’s because that’s when the shower’s radiant point – near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini – is highest in the sky. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/radiant-point-for-geminid-meteor-shower…