NASA confirms Earth now has two moons until 2083 Source: GeekSpin

The heavens are laying out a dazzling red carpet for a rare supermoon that’s about to make its appearance. It’s set to outshine and outsize all the other moons we’ve marveled at this year.

Remember to look up on August 19. The August full moon, lovingly dressed up as the ‘Sturgeon moon’, promises to sprinkle its brilliance across the twilight. It will gleam at approximately 30 percent brighter than your everyday moonlit night.

But if you’re concerned about missing out on this heavenly show, don’t you worry. Over the next few months, the sky will be a stage for a sequence of these giant moons.

Prime time to view supermoon

Our Sturgeon moon will reach its zenith at 2:26pm ET on August 19. Those located in the United States may not get a glimpse of it at this time. This is because our lone satellite will be on the other side of our home planet, Earth.

You can still feast your eyes on this celestial marvel at moonrise, which is slated to happen around 8:07 p.m. ET. And you can trust this timing – it’s straight from the Farmer’s Almanac, known for its reliability.

For spectators on the East Coast, the supermoon will arise in the east-southeastern skies. It will ascend about one-third of the way across the sky before taking a bow at approximately 7:00 a.m. in the west-southwest.

Supermoon: When and how?

If you find yourself pondering over why supermoons look so incredibly large and brilliant, allow us to let you in on the secret.

A supermoon comes into its own, appearing at its maximum size and brightness when it’s closest to the horizon. This happens just after moonrise or before moonset.

This spectacle takes place when the full moon is at ‘perigee,’ which is the point in its orbit when it’s its closest to Earth.

Supermoons scatter about 30 percent more light on our planet than the moon at its dimmest. This is because more of the sun’s rays bouncing off the moon’s surface reach us on Earth.

More supermoons coming up

In case you can’t make it for this event, there’s no reason to be upset. More stargazing opportunities are waiting in the wings.

After the Sturgeon moon, the next supermoons of 2024 are scheduled for September 18, October 17, and November 15.

It’s typical to be graced with supermoons three to four times per year, and they always appear in consecutive months.

This supermoon is also a “blue moon”

Even though it won’t actually look blue, the third full moon in a season with four full moons is called a blue moon.

The first time “blue moon” showed up in English was back in 1528. There’s some speculation about where the term comes from — some say it comes from an old English phrase meaning “betrayer moon,” since it messed up the dates for Lent and Easter.

Get set for the show

To make the most of this experience, find a spot with a clear view of the horizon, like a beach, hill, or open field. If you find yourself in an urban setting, darker skies offer a better view as light pollution can put a damper on the moon’s brightness.

To really delve into details like craters, think about bringing binoculars or a telescope. These tools will boost your ability to take in the moon’s beauty up close.

Carefully picking the right place and equipment will turn this into an unforgettable experience. It will let you forge a deeper connection with the marvels of the night sky.

Moonlight magic

Appreciating these celestial shows can be even more enjoyable once we understand the science behind the moon’s light. Moonlight isn’t generated by the moon itself. Instead, it’s sunlight reflecting off the moon’s surface.

This reflection can alter depending on the moon’s phase and position relative to Earth. This, in turn, influences how bright or dim the moon appears in our night sky.

This results in a breathtaking show that grabs attention worldwide. The interplay of light and distance creates an ever-evolving sight that continues to spark scientific interest and artistic inspiration.

Dance between Earth and moon

The distance between Earth and the moon is always changing because of the moon’s elliptical orbit around our planet. This fluctuation can range up to around 226,000 miles.

When the moon is nearest to Earth, it appears larger and brighter, and when it’s farthest, it appears smaller and dimmer. If the moon’s orbit were a perfect circle, we would not see these changes in size and brightness during a full moon.

Understanding this phenomenon sheds light on the dynamic relationship between Earth and its natural satellite, showing us the meticulous ballet of celestial bodies in our solar system.

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Source: earth.com

Astronomy Picture of the Day – January 1 to June 30, 2024

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

I deiced to post a list of all the Astronomy Picture of the Day so far for 2024. This will go to a monthly instead of a daily post starting August 1st. The picture will be for the preceding month.

2024 June 30: Earthrise: A Video Reconstruction
2024 June 29: A Solstice Moon
2024 June 28: Comet 13P/Olbers
2024 June 27: Protostellar Outflows in Serpens
2024 June 26: Timelapse: Aurora, SAR, and the Milky Way
2024 June 25: The Dark Doodad Nebula
2024 June 24: JADES GS z14 0: A New Farthest Object
2024 June 23: The Colors of Saturn from Cassini
2024 June 22: Lynds Dark Nebula 1251
2024 June 21: Hubble’s NGC 1546
2024 June 20: Sandy and the Moon Halo
2024 June 19: NGC 6188: Dragons of Ara
2024 June 18: Gigantic Jets over Himalayan Mountains
2024 June 17: Ou4: The Giant Squid Nebula
2024 June 16: Animation: Black Hole Destroys Star
2024 June 15: Prominences and Filaments on the Active Sun
2024 June 14: RCW 85
2024 June 13: Messier 66 Close Up
2024 June 12: Aurora over Karkonosze Mountains
2024 June 11: Colorful Stars and Clouds near Rho Ophiuchi
2024 June 10: Sh2 132: The Lion Nebula
2024 June 09: How to Identify that Light in the Sky
2024 June 08: Pandora’s Cluster of Galaxies
2024 June 07: Sharpless 308: The Dolphin Head Nebula
2024 June 06: NGC 4565: Galaxy on Edge
2024 June 05: Shadow of a Martian Robot
2024 June 04: Comet Pons Brooks Develops Opposing Tails
2024 June 03: NGC 2403 in Camelopardalis
2024 June 02: Rotating Moon from LRO
2024 June 01: Stereo Helene
2024 May 31: The Nebulous Realm of WR 134
2024 May 30: A Lunar Corona over Paris
2024 May 29: Stairway to the Milky Way
2024 May 28: Solar X Flare as Famous Active Region Returns
2024 May 27: Chamaeleon I Molecular Cloud
2024 May 26: A Solar Filament Erupts
2024 May 25: Manicouagan Impact Crater from Space
2024 May 24: M78 from the Euclid Space Telescope
2024 May 23: Unraveling NGC 3169
2024 May 22: Green Aurora over Sweden
2024 May 21: CG4: The Globule and the Galaxy
2024 May 20: Aurora Dome Sky
2024 May 19: Jupiter Diving
2024 May 18: North Celestial Aurora
2024 May 17: Aurora Banks Peninsula
2024 May 16: Aurora Georgia
2024 May 15: AR 3664 at the Suns Edge
2024 May 14: The 37 Cluster
2024 May 13: AR 3664 on a Setting Sun
2024 May 12: Red Aurora over Poland
2024 May 11: AR 3664: Giant Sunspot Group
2024 May 10: Simulation: Two Black Holes Merge
2024 May 09: The Galaxy, the Jet, and a Famous Black Hole
2024 May 08: Visualization: A Black Hole Accretion Disk
2024 May 07: Black Hole Accreting with Jet
2024 May 06: A Total Solar Eclipse from Sliver to Ring
2024 May 05: A Black Hole Disrupts a Passing Star
2024 May 04: 3 ATs
2024 May 03: Temperatures on Exoplanet WASP 43b
2024 May 02: M100: A Grand Design Spiral Galaxy
2024 May 01: IC 1795: The Fishhead Nebula
2024 April 30: GK Per: Nova and Planetary Nebula
2024 April 29: Comet, Planet, Moon
2024 April 28: Rings Around the Ring Nebula
2024 April 27: All Sky Moon Shadow
2024 April 26: Regulus and the Dwarf Galaxy
2024 April 25: NGC 604: Giant Stellar Nursery
2024 April 24: Dragons Egg Bipolar Emission Nebula
2024 April 23: Contrail Shadow X
2024 April 22: Moon and Smoke Rings from Mt Etna
2024 April 21: Perijove 16: Passing Jupiter
2024 April 20: Diamonds in the Sky
2024 April 19: The Great Carina Nebula
2024 April 18: Facing NGC 1232
2024 April 17: Total Eclipse and Comets
2024 April 16: Filaments of the Vela Supernova Remnant
2024 April 15: The Cigar Galaxy from Hubble and Webb
2024 April 14: How a Total Solar Eclipse Ended
2024 April 13: Palm Tree Partial Eclipse
2024 April 12: Total Totality
2024 April 11: Eclipse in Seven
2024 April 10: Planets Around a Total Eclipse
2024 April 09: Moon Shadow over Lake Magog
2024 April 08: The Changing Ion Tail of Comet Pons Brooks
2024 April 07: A Total Solar Eclipse over Wyoming
2024 April 06: Unwinding M51
2024 April 05: The Solar Corona Unwrapped
2024 April 04: Comet Pons-Brooks at Night
2024 April 03: Unusual Nebula Pa 30
2024 April 02: Detailed View of a Solar Eclipse Corona
2024 April 01: Swirling Magnetic Field around Our Galaxy’s Central Black Hole
2024 March 31: Total Solar Eclipse Below the Bottom of the World
2024 March 30: Medieval Astronomy from Melk Abbey
2024 March 29: Galileo’s Europa
2024 March 28: Millions of Stars in Omega Centauri
2024 March 27: The Coma Cluster of Galaxies
2024 March 26: Comet Pons Brooks Ion Tail
2024 March 25: Sonified: The Jellyfish Nebula Supernova Remnant
2024 March 24: Looking Back at an Eclipsed Earth
2024 March 23: Ares 3 Landing Site: The Martian Revisited
2024 March 22: Phobos: Moon over Mars
2024 March 21: The Leo Trio
2024 March 20: The Eyes in Markarian’s Galaxy Chain
2024 March 19: A Picturesque Equinox Sunset
2024 March 18: Comet Pons Brooks Swirling Coma
2024 March 17: NGC 7714: Starburst after Galaxy Collision
2024 March 16: ELT and the Milky Way
2024 March 15: Portrait of NGC 1055
2024 March 14: Moon Pi and Mountain Shadow
2024 March 13: The Seagull Nebula
2024 March 12: A Galaxy Shaped Rocket Exhaust Spiral
2024 March 11: A Full Plankton Moon
2024 March 10: A Total Eclipse at the End of the World
2024 March 09: Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks in Northern Spring
2024 March 08: The Tarantula Zone
2024 March 07: The Crew-8 Nebula
2024 March 06: M102: Edge on Disk Galaxy
2024 March 05: NGC 2170: Angel Nebula Abstract Art
2024 March 04: Light Pillars Over Inner Mongolia
2024 March 03: A Total Solar Eclipse Close Up in Real Time
2024 March 02: Odysseus on the Moon
2024 March 01: Odysseus and The Dish
2024 February 29: Julius Caesar and Leap Days
2024 February 28: Shades of Night
2024 February 27: Supernova Remnant Simeis 147
2024 February 26: Martian Moon Eclipses Martian Moon
2024 February 25: A Phoenix Aurora over Iceland
2024 February 24: Odysseus to the Moon
2024 February 23: The Pencil Nebula Supernova Shock Wave
2024 February 22: A View Toward M106
2024 February 21: Seagull Nebula over Pinnacles Peak
2024 February 20: AM1054: Stars Form as Galaxies Collide
2024 February 19: Looking Sideways from the Parker Solar Probe
2024 February 18: Hoags Object: A Nearly Perfect Ring Galaxy
2024 February 17: Meteor over the Bay of Naples
2024 February 16: Structure in the Tail of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
2024 February 15: NGC 253: Dusty Island Universe
2024 February 14: Rosette Deep Field
2024 February 13: A January Wolf Moon
2024 February 12: HFG1 & Abell 6: Planetary Nebulae
2024 February 11: Rocket Plume Shadow Points to the Moon
2024 February 10: The Shadow of Ingenuity’s Damaged Rotor Blade
2024 February 09: When Roses Aren’t Red
2024 February 08: Globular Star Cluster 47 Tuc
2024 February 07: The Heart Shaped Antennae Galaxies
2024 February 06: NGC 1566: A Spiral Galaxy from Webb and Hubble
2024 February 05: In the Core of the Carina Nebula
2024 February 04: The Cone Nebula from Hubble
2024 February 03: Apollo 14: A View from Antares
2024 February 02: NGC 1893 and the Tadpoles of IC 410
2024 February 01: NGC 1365: Majestic Island Universe
2024 January 31: Camera Orion Rising
2024 January 30: SLIM Lands on the Moon
2024 January 29: The Pleiades: Seven Dusty Sisters
2024 January 28: Pluto in True Color
2024 January 27: Full Observatory Moon
2024 January 26: Epsilon Tauri: Star with Planet
2024 January 25: Jyväskylä in the Sky
2024 January 24: Earth and Moon from Beyond
2024 January 23: Deep Nebulas: From Seagull to California
2024 January 22: Shadows of Mountain and Moon
2024 January 21: The Upper Michigan Blizzard of 1938
2024 January 20: Falcon Heavy Boostback Burn
2024 January 19: Jupiter over 2 Hours and 30 Minutes
2024 January 18: Northern Lights from the Stratosphere
2024 January 17: America and the Sea of Serenity
2024 January 16: The Orion You Can Almost See
2024 January 15: Star Cluster IC 348 from Webb
2024 January 14: Dragon Aurora over Iceland
2024 January 13: Circling the Sun
2024 January 12: Good Morning Moon
2024 January 11: Quadrantids of the North
2024 January 10: The Light, the Dark, and the Dusty
2024 January 09: Thor’s Helmet
2024 January 08: The Phases of Venus
2024 January 07: The Cat’s Eye Nebula in Optical and X-ray
2024 January 06: The Snows of Churyumov-Gerasimenko
2024 January 05: Trapezium: At the Heart of Orion
2024 January 04: Zeta Oph: Runaway Star
2024 January 03: A SAR Arc from New Zealand
2024 January 02: Rocket Transits Rippling Moon
2024 January 01: NGC 1232: A Grand Design Spiral Galaxy

Source: apod.nasa.gov

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2024 July 16

Cometary Globules

Image Credit & Copyright: Mark Hanson & Martin Pugh, Observatorio El SauceExplanation: What are these unusual interstellar structures? Bright-rimmed, flowing shapes gather near the center of this rich starfield toward the borders of the nautical southern constellations Pupis and Vela. Composed of interstellar gas and dust, the grouping of light-year sized cometary globules is about 1300 light-years distant. Energetic ultraviolet light from nearby hot stars has molded the globules and ionized their bright rims. The globules also stream away from the Vela supernova remnant which may have influenced their swept-back shapes. Within them, cores of cold gas and dust are likely collapsing to form low mass stars, whose formation will ultimately cause the globules to disperse. In fact, cometary globule CG 30 (on the upper left) sports a small reddish glow near its head, a telltale sign of energetic jets from a star in the early stages of formation.

Source: apod.nasa.gov

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2024 July 10

A Sagittarius Triplet

Image Credit & Copyright: Andy ErmolliExplanation: These three bright nebulae are often featured on telescopic tours of the constellation Sagittarius and the crowded starfields of the central Milky Way. In fact, 18th century cosmic tourist Charles Messier cataloged two of them; M8, the large nebula above center, and colorful M20 below and left in the frame. The third emission region includes NGC 6559, right of M8 and separated from the larger nebula by a dark dust lane. All three are stellar nurseries about five thousand light-years or so distant. Over a hundred light-years across the expansive M8 is also known as the Lagoon Nebula. M20’s popular moniker is the Trifid. Glowing hydrogen gas creates the dominant red color of the emission nebulae. But for striking contrast, blue hues in the Trifid are due to dust reflected starlight. The broad interstellar skyscape spans almost 4 degrees or 8 full moons on the sky.

Source: apod.nasa.gov

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2024 July 9

Noctilucent Clouds over Florida

Credit & Copyright: Pascal FouquetExplanation: These clouds are doubly unusual. First, they are rare noctilucent clouds, meaning that they are visible at night — but only just before sunrise or just after sunset. Second, the source of these noctilucent clouds is actually known. In this rare case, the source of the sunlight-reflecting ice-crystals in the upper atmosphere can be traced back to the launch of a nearby SpaceX rocket about 30 minutes earlier. Known more formally as polar mesospheric clouds, the vertex of these icy wisps happens to converge just in front of a rising crescent Moon. The featured image — and accompanying video — were captured over Orlando, Florida, USA about a week ago. The bright spot to the right of the Moon is the planet Jupiter, while the dotted lights above the horizon on the right are from an airplane.

Source: apod.nasa.gov

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2024 July 8

Exoplanet Zoo: Other Stars

Illustration Credit & Copyright: Martin Vargic, Halcyon MapsExplanation: Do other stars have planets like our Sun? Surely they do, and evidence includes slight star wobbles created by the gravity of orbiting exoplanets and slight star dimmings caused by orbiting planets moving in front. In all, there have now been over 5,500 exoplanets discovered, including thousands by NASA‘s space-based Kepler and TESS missions, and over 100 by ESO‘s ground-based HARPS instrument. Featured here is an illustrated guess as to what some of these exoplanets might look like. Neptune-type planets occupy the middle and are colored blue because of blue-scattering atmospheric methane they might contain. On the sides of the illustration, Jupiter-type planets are shown, colored tan and red from the scatterings of atmospheric gases that likely include small amounts of carbon. Interspersed are many Earth-type rocky planets of many colors. As more exoplanets are discovered and investigated, humanity is developing a better understanding of how common Earth-like planets are, and how common life might be in the universe.

Source: apod.nasa.gov

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Source: apod.nasa.gov

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2024 July 7

Iridescent Clouds over Sweden

Image Credit: Goran StrandExplanation: Why are these clouds multi-colored? A relatively rare phenomenon in clouds known as iridescence can bring up unusual colors vividly — or even a whole spectrum of colors simultaneously. These polar stratospheric clouds also, known as nacreous and mother-of-pearl clouds, are formed of small water droplets of nearly uniform size. When the Sun is in the right position and, typically, hidden from direct view, these thin clouds can be seen significantly diffracting sunlight in a nearly coherent manner, with different colors being deflected by different amounts. Therefore, different colors will come to the observer from slightly different directions. Many clouds start with uniform regions that could show iridescence but quickly become too thick, too mixed, or too angularly far from the Sun to exhibit striking colors. The featured image and an accompanying video were taken late in 2019 over Ostersund, Sweden.

The Sun Facts

Our Sun is a normal main-sequence G2 star, one of more than 100 billion stars in our galaxy.

The Sun Profile

diameter: 1,390,000 km.
mass: 1.989e30 kg
temperature: 5800 K (surface) 15,600,000 K (core)

History of The Sun

The Sun is by far the largest object in the solar system. It contains more than 99.8% of the total mass of the Solar System (Jupiter contains most of the rest).

It is often said that the Sun is an “ordinary” star. That’s true in the sense that there are many others similar to it. But there are many more smaller stars than larger ones; the Sun is in the top 10% by mass. The median size of stars in our galaxy is probably less than half the mass of the Sun.

The Sun is personified in many mythologies: the Greeks called it Helios and the Romans called it Sol.

The Sun is, at present, about 70% hydrogen and 28% helium by mass everything else (“metals”) amounts to less than 2%. This changes slowly over time as the Sun converts hydrogen to helium in its core.

The outer layers of the Sun exhibit differential rotation: at the equator Click here to read the rest of this article

Spell for October 14, 2023 and Harnessing the Power: Exploring the Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse in Witchcraft Rituals

On October 14, 2023 there will be a Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse. The Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse is a rare astronomical event that has captured the attention of many cultures for thousands of years. For witches and pagans, this eclipse holds special significance as it represents a powerful time for magic and manifestation. The Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, creating a “ring of fire” effect. This natural event can be harnessed for magical purposes, making it a perfect time for witches to perform their rituals and spells. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of the Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse in witchcraft, as well as provide some tips on how to harness its power in your own magic. Whether you’re a seasoned witch or just starting out on your magical journey, this post is sure to provide you with valuable insights and inspiration.

Introduction to the Ring of Fire solar eclipse…

Understanding the significance of solar eclipses in witchcraft…

Exploring the symbolism and energy of the Ring of Fire eclipse…

Preparing for a solar eclipse ritual…

Choosing the right tools and ingredients for the ritual…

Crafting a ritual to harness the energy of the eclipse…

Setting intentions and goals for the ritual…

Performing the ritual during the eclipse…

Reflection and integration after the ritual…

Tips for working with eclipse energy in witchcraft practices…

Click here for more in depth information about: Harnessing the Power: Exploring the Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse in Witchcraft Rituals

August 1st Through the 6th Astronomy Picture of the Day

To see any of the astronomy pictures of the day please click on the date or dates you would like to see.

2023 August 06: SN 1006: A Supernova Ribbon from Hubble
2023 August 05: NGC 1360: The Robin’s Egg Nebula
2023 August 04: Moonrays of August
2023 August 03: The Falcon and the Redstone
2023 August 02: M82: Galaxy with a Supergalactic Wind
2023 August 01: Monster Solar Prominence

July 23rd to July 31st Astronomy Picture of the Day

To see any of the astronomy pictures of the day please click on the date or dates you would like to see.

2023 July 31: Phobos over Mars
2023 July 30: Spiral Aurora over Icelandic Divide
2023 July 29: Apollo 11: Catching Some Sun
2023 July 28: Young Stars, Stellar Jets
2023 July 27: Galaxies in the River
2023 July 26: IC 4628: The Prawn Nebula
2023 July 25: The Eagle Nebula with Xray Hot Stars
2023 July 24: Chemicals Glow as a Meteor Disintegrates
2023 July 23: The Antikythera Mechanism

July 16th to July 23 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Click on the hyperlink for any pictures you would like to see.

2023 July 23: The Antikythera Mechanism
2023 July 22: Apollo 11: Armstrong’s Lunar Selfie
2023 July 21: Galactic Cirrus: Mandel Wilson 9
2023 July 20: M64: The Black Eye Galaxy
2023 July 19: Chandrayaan 3 Launches to the Moon
2023 July 18: Milky Way above La Palma Observatory
2023 July 17: Shells and Arcs around Star CW Leonis
2023 July 16: Meteor and Milky Way over the Alps

July 16 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2023 July 16

Meteor and Milky Way over the Alps

Image Credit & Copyright: Nicholas Roemmelt (Venture Photography)

Explanation: Now this was a view with a thrill. From Mount Tschirgant in the Alps, you can see not only nearby towns and distant Tyrolean peaks, but also, weather permitting, stars, nebulas, and the band of the Milky Way Galaxy. What made the arduous climb worthwhile this night, though, was another peak — the peak of the 2018 Perseids Meteor Shower. As hoped, dispersing clouds allowed a picturesque sky-gazing session that included many faint meteors, all while a carefully positioned camera took a series of exposures. Suddenly, a thrilling meteor — bright and colorful — slashed down right next to the nearly vertical band of the Milky Way. As luck would have it, the camera caught it too. Therefore, a new image in the series was quickly taken with one of the sky-gazers posing on the nearby peak. Later, all of the images were digitally combined.

July 12th Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2023 July 12

Rings and Bar of Spiral Galaxy NGC 1398

Image Credit: Mark Hanson; Data: Mike Selby

Explanation: Why do some spiral galaxies have a ring around the center? Spiral galaxy NGC 1398 not only has a ring of pearly stars, gas and dust around its center, but a bar of stars and gas across its center, and spiral arms that appear like ribbons farther out. The featured deep image from Observatorio El Sauce in Chile shows the grand spiral galaxy in impressive detail. NGC 1398 lies about 65 million light years distant, meaning the light we see today left this galaxy when dinosaurs were disappearing from the Earth. The photogenic galaxy is visible with a small telescope toward the constellation of the Furnace (Fornax). The ring near the center is likely an expanding density wave of star formation, caused either by a gravitational encounter with another galaxy, or by the galaxy’s own gravitational asymmetries.

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Prime time to view supermoon

Supermoon: When and how?

More supermoons coming up

This supermoon is also a “blue moon”

Get set for the show

Moonlight magic

Dance between Earth and moon

I deiced to post a list of all the Astronomy Picture of the Day so far for 2024. This will go to a monthly instead of a daily post starting August 1st. The picture will be for the preceding month.

2024 July 16

Cometary Globules

A Sagittarius Triplet

2024 July 9

Noctilucent Clouds over Florida

2024 July 8

Exoplanet Zoo: Other Stars

2024 July 7

Iridescent Clouds over Sweden

The Sun Profile

History of The Sun

Introduction to the Ring of Fire solar eclipse…

Understanding the significance of solar eclipses in witchcraft…

Exploring the symbolism and energy of the Ring of Fire eclipse…

Preparing for a solar eclipse ritual…

Choosing the right tools and ingredients for the ritual…

Crafting a ritual to harness the energy of the eclipse…

Setting intentions and goals for the ritual…

Performing the ritual during the eclipse…

Reflection and integration after the ritual…

Tips for working with eclipse energy in witchcraft practices…

To see any of the astronomy pictures of the day please click on the date or dates you would like to see.

2023 August 06: SN 1006: A Supernova Ribbon from Hubble 2023 August 05: NGC 1360: The Robin’s Egg Nebula 2023 August 04: Moonrays of August 2023 August 03: The Falcon and the Redstone 2023 August 02: M82: Galaxy with a Supergalactic Wind 2023 August 01: Monster Solar Prominence

To see any of the astronomy pictures of the day please click on the date or dates you would like to see.

Click on the hyperlink for any pictures you would like to see.

Meteor and Milky Way over the Alps

Image Credit & Copyright: Nicholas Roemmelt (Venture Photography)

Rings and Bar of Spiral Galaxy NGC 1398

Image Credit: Mark Hanson; Data: Mike Selby

2023 August 06: SN 1006: A Supernova Ribbon from Hubble
2023 August 05: NGC 1360: The Robin’s Egg Nebula
2023 August 04: Moonrays of August
2023 August 03: The Falcon and the Redstone
2023 August 02: M82: Galaxy with a Supergalactic Wind
2023 August 01: Monster Solar Prominence