The zodiacal light is an eerie light extending up from the horizon before true dawn begins. Southern Hemisphere? Look after sunset! Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-zodiacal-light-or-false-dawn…
Tag: venus
Could microbes be affecting Venus’ climate?
Unusual dark patches in Venus’ atmosphere – called “unknown absorbers” – play a key role in the planet’s climate and albedo, according to a new study. But what are they? That’s still a mystery. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/could-microbes-be-affecting-venus-climate…
Young moon, stars, a planet September 3-5
As darkness falls these next few evenings – September 3, 4 and 5, 2019 – watch for the waxing crescent moon traveling in front of the constellation Libra the Scales. The moon heads eastward, as it always does in its orbit around Earth. It’ll sweep past the star Zubenelgenubi, then head toward the red star Antares and bright planet Jupiter. Source:…
Will the Webb telescope be able to detect life signs at nearby exoplanets?
The Webb Telescope is Hubble’s successor, due to launch in 2021. A new study says it’ll be powerful enough to search for life signatures in the atmospheres of the 7 Earth-sized planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system, just 39 light-years away. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/james-webb-space-telescope-study-atmospheres-trappist-1-exoplanets…
The Teapot, and the galaxy’s center
The center of our Milky Way galaxy is located in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius with its famous Teapot asterism. This is a good time of year to look for it. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/gaze-toward-galactic-center…
September guide to the bright planets
There are only 2 planets easy to see in September 2019. Jupiter and Saturn can be found in the sky at nightfall and stay out until late night. Mercury and Venus are lost in the glow of sunset. Mars hides in the glare of sunrise. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury…
Mysterious cloud ‘absorbers’ seen to drive Venusian albedo, climate
As planets in our solar system go, Venus is one for the textbooks. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-08-mysterious-cloud-absorbers-venusian-albedo.html…
Why we need to get back to Venus
Just next door, cosmologically speaking, is a planet almost exactly like Earth. It’s about the same size, is made of about the same stuff and formed around the same star. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-08-venus.html…
FBI file details contactee George Van Tassel
The American author and ufologist once claimed to have been in contact with an extraterrestrial from Venus. A controversial figure in the annals of uf… Source: https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/329771/fbi-file-details-contactee-george-van-tassel…
IAU approves 2nd round of names for Pluto features
New Horizons provided what will be the only close-up images of Pluto many of us will see in our lifetimes. The new feature names from the International Astronomical Union recognize the mission’s forerunners in Earth and space mythology and history. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/iau-approves-new-pluto-feature-names-2019…