Category: Daily Astronomy

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.

July 11th 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 11

Sunspots on an Active Sun

Image Credit: NASA, SDO; Processing & Copyright: Şenol Şanlı

Explanation: Why is our Sun so active now? No one is sure. An increase in surface activity was expected because our Sun is approaching solar maximum in 2025. However, last month our Sun sprouted more sunspots than in any month during the entire previous 11-year solar cycle — and even dating back to 2002. The featured picture is a composite of images taken every day from January to June by NASA‘s Solar Dynamic Observatory. Showing a high abundance of sunspots, large individual spots can be tracked across the Sun’s disk, left to right, over about two weeks. As a solar cycle continues, sunspots typically appear closer to the equator. Sunspots are just one way that our Sun displays surface activity — another is flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that expel particles out into the Solar System. Since these particles can affect astronauts and electronics, tracking surface disturbances is of more than aesthetic value. Conversely, solar activity can have very high aesthetic value — in the Earth’s atmosphere when they trigger aurora.

July 10 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 10

Stars, Dust and Nebula in NGC 6559

Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block, Telescope Live

Explanation: When stars form, pandemonium reigns. A textbook case is the star forming region NGC 6559. Visible in the featured image are red glowing emission nebulas of hydrogen, blue reflection nebulas of dust, dark absorption nebulas of dust, and the stars that formed from them. The first massive stars formed from the dense gas will emit energetic light and winds that erode, fragment, and sculpt their birthplace. And then they explode. The resulting morass can be as beautiful as it is complex. After tens of millions of years, the dust boils away, the gas gets swept away, and all that is left is a bare open cluster of stars.

July 9th 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 9

Doomed Star Eta Carinae

Image Credit & Copyright: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt

Explanation: Eta Carinae may be about to explode. But no one knows when – it may be next year, it may be one million years from now. Eta Carinae‘s mass – about 100 times greater than our Sun – makes it an excellent candidate for a full blown supernova. Historical records do show that about 170 years ago Eta Carinae underwent an unusual outburst that made it one of the brightest stars in the southern sky. Eta Carinae, in the Keyhole Nebula, is the only star currently thought to emit natural LASER light. This featured image brings out details in the unusual nebula that surrounds this rogue star. Diffraction spikes, caused by the telescope, are visible as bright multi-colored streaks emanating from Eta Carinae’s center. Two distinct lobes of the Homunculus Nebula encompass the hot central region, while some strange radial streaks are visible in red extending toward the image right. The lobes are filled with lanes of gas and dust which absorb the blue and ultraviolet light emitted near the center. The streaks, however, remain unexplained.

July 3rd to July 8th Astronomy Picture of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the past week. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see. Starting Tomorrow this will be a daily post. Starting tomorrow, Sunday, July 10th this will be a daily post again.

2023 July 08: Stickney Crater
2023 July 07: The Double Cluster in Perseus
2023 July 06: Fireworks vs Supermoon
2023 July 05: A Map of the Observable Universe
2023 July 04: Aurora over Icelandic Waterfall
2023 July 03: Venus in Ultraviolet from Akatsuki

June 19th to June 25th Astronomy Picture of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the past week. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 June 25: Lightning on Jupiter
2023 June 24: 3D Ingenuity
2023 June 23: Giant Galaxies in Pavo
2023 June 22: Stars and Dust across Corona Australis
2023 June 21: Three Sun Paths
2023 June 20: The Nandu in the Milky Way
2023 June 19: The Busy Center of the Lagoon Nebula

May 22nd to May 28th Astronomy Picture of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the past week. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 May 28: Ida and Dactyl: Asteroid and Moon
2023 May 27: Crescent Neptune and Triton
2023 May 26: Virgo Cluster Galaxies
2023 May 25: Cat s Eye Wide and Deep
2023 May 24: Observatory Aligned with Moon Occulting Jupiter
2023 May 23: Jupiters Swirls from Juno
2023 May 22: Supernova Discovered in Nearby Spiral Galaxy M101

May 15th through the 21st Astronomy Picture of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the proceeding week starting on the past Monday through this Sunday. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see. Starting on Monday, May 29th this will change to starting with the proceeding Sunday through the current Monday.

2023 May 21: Tardigrade in Moss
2023 May 20: Galileo s Europa
2023 May 19: Curly Spiral Galaxy M63
2023 May 18: WR 134 Ring Nebula
2023 May 17: Sunspot with Light Bridge
2023 May 16: Total Eclipse: The Big Corona
2023 May 15: M16: Eagle Nebula Deep Field

May 8th through May 14th Astronomy Picture of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the proceeding week starting on the past Monday through this Sunday. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 May 14: To Fly Free in Space
2023 May 13: Apollo 17: The Crescent Earth
2023 May 12: Halley Dust, Mars Dust, and Milky Way
2023 May 11: Fomalhaut’s Dusty Debris Disk
2023 May 10: Milky Way over Egyptian Desert
2023 May 09: Shadows of Earth
2023 May 08: The Spanish Dancer Spiral Galaxy

May 1st to 7th Astronomy Picture of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the proceeding week starting on the past Monday through this Sunday. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 May 07: The Helix Nebula from CFHT
2023 May 06: Twilight in a Flower
2023 May 05: Shackleton from ShadowCam
2023 May 04: The Galaxy, the Jet, and a Famous Black Hole
2023 May 03: Centaurus A: A Peculiar Island of Stars
2023 May 02: Flat Rock Hills on Mars
2023 May 01: Carina Nebula North

April 24th to April 30th Astronomy Pictures of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the proceeding week starting on the past Monday through this Sunday. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 April 30: Saturns Moon Helene in Color
2023 April 29: Solar Eclipse from a Ship
2023 April 28: Runaway Star Alpha Camelopardalis
2023 April 27: The Tarantula Nebula from SuperBIT
2023 April 26: The Moon through the Arc de Triomphe
2023 April 25: Northern Lights over Southern Europe
2023 April 24: The Medulla Nebula Supernova Remnant

April 17th Through 23rd Astronomy Pictures of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the proceeding week starting on the past Monday through this Sunday. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 April 23: A Waterspout in Florida
2023 April 22: NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus
2023 April 21: Solar Eclipse from Western Australia
2023 April 20: The Dark Seahorse in Cepheus
2023 April 19: Auroral Storm over Lapland
2023 April 18: Map of Total Solar Eclipse Path in 2024 April
2023 April 17: ELVES Lightning over Italy

April 10th to April 16th Astronomy Picture of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the proceeding week starting on the past Monday through this Sunday. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 April 16: M2 9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula
2023 April 15: When Z is for Mars
2023 April 14: Portrait of NGC 3628
2023 April 13: NGC 2419: Intergalactic Wanderer
2023 April 12: NGC 206 and the Star Clouds of Andromeda
2023 April 11: North Star: Polaris and Surrounding Dust
2023 April 10: IC 2944: The Running Chicken Nebula

April 3rd to April 9th Astronomy Pictures of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the proceeding week starting on the past Monday through this Sunday. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 April 09: The Egg Nebula in Polarized Light
2023 April 08: M100: A Grand Design Spiral Galaxy
2023 April 07: Rigel Wide
2023 April 06: Terran 1 Burns Methalox
2023 April 05: Rubin’s Galaxy
2023 April 04: Olympus Mons: Largest Volcano in the Solar System
2023 April 03: The Galactic Center Radio Arc

April 7, 2023 Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

If you need to calculate the planetary positions for a specific use and time, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link

For Your Local Time and Date

Northwestern Hemisphere

This local time is in Los Angeles, California, USA

April 07, 2023
10:00 pm GMT 3:00 PM PDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:17 Aries 49
Moon:08 Scorpio 26
Mercury:06 Taurus 25
Venus:26 Taurus 10
Mars:06 Cancer 42
Jupiter:20 Aries 47
Saturn:03 Pisces 25
Uranus:17 Taurus 09
Neptune:25 Pisces 58
Pluto:00 Aquarius 14

True Lunar Node:04 Taurus 00
Mean Lunar Node:05 Taurus 04 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):10 Leo 01

Chiron:15 Aries 59
Ceres:26 Virgo 38 Rx
Pallas:20 Cancer 40
Juno:15 Taurus 43
Vesta:26 Aries 28

Eris:24 Aries 30

Fire:6
Earth:7
Air:1
Water:5
Cardinal:7
Fixed:9
Mutable:3

Northern Hemisphere

This local time is in Chicago, Illinois, USA

April 07, 2023
08:00 pm GMT 3:00 PM CDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:17 Aries 44
Moon:07 Scorpio 21
Mercury:06 Taurus 18
Venus:26 Taurus 04
Mars:06 Cancer 40
Jupiter:20 Aries 46
Saturn:03 Pisces 25
Uranus:17 Taurus 09
Neptune:25 Pisces 58
Pluto:00 Aquarius 14

True Lunar Node:04 Taurus 00
Mean Lunar Node:05 Taurus 05 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):10 Leo 00

Chiron:15 Aries 59
Ceres:26 Virgo 39 Rx
Pallas:20 Cancer 39
Juno:15 Taurus 40
Vesta:26 Aries 25

Eris:24 Aries 30

Fire:6
Earth:7
Air:1
Water:5
Cardinal:7
Fixed:9
Mutable:3

Northeastern Hemisphere

This local time is in Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

7 April 2023
03:00 pm GMT 4:00 PM CEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:17 Aries 32
Moon:04 Scorpio 37
Mercury:06 Taurus 01
Venus:25 Taurus 49
Mars:06 Cancer 33
Jupiter:20 Aries 43
Saturn:03 Pisces 24
Uranus:17 Taurus 08
Neptune:25 Pisces 58
Pluto:00 Aquarius 13

True Lunar Node:04 Taurus 00
Mean Lunar Node:05 Taurus 05 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):09 Leo 59

Chiron:15 Aries 58
Ceres:26 Virgo 41 Rx
Pallas:20 Cancer 34
Juno:15 Taurus 32
Vesta:26 Aries 20

Eris:24 Aries 30

Fire:6
Earth:7
Air:1
Water:5
Cardinal:7
Fixed:9
Mutable:3

April 6, 2023 Northern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

If you need to calculate the planetary positions for a specific use and time, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link  

For Your Local Time and Date 

Northwestern Hemisphere

This local time is in Los Angeles, California, USA

April 06, 2023
10:01 pm GMT 3:01 PM PDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:16 Aries 50
Moon:25 Libra 26
Mercury:05 Taurus 02
Venus:24 Taurus 59
Mars:06 Cancer 11
Jupiter:20 Aries 33
Saturn:03 Pisces 19
Uranus:17 Taurus 06
Neptune:25 Pisces 56
Pluto:00 Aquarius 13

True Lunar Node:04 Taurus 00 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:05 Taurus 07 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):09 Leo 54

Chiron:15 Aries 55
Ceres:26 Virgo 49 Rx
Pallas:20 Cancer 20
Juno:15 Taurus 07
Vesta:26 Aries 00

Eris:24 Aries 29

Fire:6
Earth:7
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:8
Fixed:8
Mutable:3

Northern Hemisphere

This local time is in Chicago, Illinois, USA

April 06, 2023
08:00 pm GMT 3:00 PM CDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:16 Aries 45
Moon:24 Libra 21
Mercury:04 Taurus 55
Venus:24 Taurus 53
Mars:06 Cancer 09
Jupiter:20 Aries 32
Saturn:03 Pisces 19
Uranus:17 Taurus 06
Neptune:25 Pisces 56
Pluto:00 Aquarius 13

True Lunar Node:04 Taurus 00 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:05 Taurus 08 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):09 Leo 53

Chiron:15 Aries 55
Ceres:26 Virgo 50 Rx
Pallas:20 Cancer 18
Juno:15 Taurus 05
Vesta:25 Aries 58

Eris:24 Aries 29

Fire:6
Earth:7
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:8
Fixed:8
Mutable:3

Northeastern Hemisphere

This local time is in Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

6 April 2023
06:00 pm GMT 7:00 PM CEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:16 Aries 40
Moon:23 Libra 17
Mercury:04 Taurus 47
Venus:24 Taurus 48
Mars:06 Cancer 06
Jupiter:20 Aries 30
Saturn:03 Pisces 18
Uranus:17 Taurus 05
Neptune:25 Pisces 56
Pluto:00 Aquarius 13

True Lunar Node:04 Taurus 00 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:05 Taurus 08 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):09 Leo 53

Chiron:15 Aries 55
Ceres:26 Virgo 51 Rx
Pallas:20 Cancer 16
Juno:15 Taurus 02
Vesta:25 Aries 56

Eris:24 Aries 29

Fire:6
Earth:7
Air:2
Water:4
Cardinal:8
Fixed:8
Mutable:3

March 27th through April 2nd Astronomy Picture of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the proceeding week starting on the past Monday through this Sunday. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 April 02: M57: The Ring Nebula from Hubble
2023 April 01: NGC 2442: Galaxy in Volans
2023 March 31: Seeing Titan
2023 March 30: NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad
2023 March 29: 308: A Dolphin Shaped Star Bubble
2023 March 28: A Multiple Green Flash Sunset
2023 March 27: Aurora Over Arctic Henge

30 March 2023 Southern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions

If you need to calculate the planetary positions for a specific use and time, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link  

For Your Local Time and Date 

Southeastern Hemisphere

This local time is in Sao Paulo, Brazil, South America

30 March 2023
06:00 pm GMT 3:00 PM BRT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:09 Aries 46
Moon:27 Cancer 46
Mercury:22 Aries 59
Venus:16 Taurus 32
Mars:02 Cancer 35
Jupiter:18 Aries 49
Saturn:02 Pisces 36
Uranus:16 Taurus 44
Neptune:25 Pisces 40
Pluto:00 Aquarius 07

True Lunar Node:04 Taurus 19 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:05 Taurus 30 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):09 Leo 06

Chiron:15 Aries 30
Ceres:28 Virgo 17 Rx
Pallas:18 Cancer 00
Juno:10 Taurus 57
Vesta:22 Aries 45

Eris:24 Aries 24

Fire:7
Earth:6
Air:1
Water:5
Cardinal:9
Fixed:7
Mutable:3

Southern Hemisphere

This local time is in Cape Town, South Africa

30 March 2023
03:00 pm GMT 5:00 PM SAST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:09 Aries 39
Moon:26 Cancer 17
Mercury:22 Aries 45
Venus:16 Taurus 23
Mars:02 Cancer 31
Jupiter:18 Aries 47
Saturn:02 Pisces 35
Uranus:16 Taurus 44
Neptune:25 Pisces 40
Pluto:00 Aquarius 07

True Lunar Node:04 Taurus 20 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:05 Taurus 31 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):09 Leo 05

Chiron:15 Aries 30
Ceres:28 Virgo 19 Rx
Pallas:17 Cancer 58
Juno:10 Taurus 53
Vesta:22 Aries 41

Eris:24 Aries 24

Fire:7
Earth:6
Air:1
Water:5
Cardinal:9
Fixed:7
Mutable:

Southwestern Hemisphere

This local time is in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

March 30, 2023
04:00 am GMT 3:00 PM AEDT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:09 Aries 12
Moon:20 Cancer 50
Mercury:21 Aries 52
Venus:15 Taurus 50
Mars:02 Cancer 17
Jupiter:18 Aries 41
Saturn:02 Pisces 32
Uranus:16 Taurus 42
Neptune:25 Pisces 39
Pluto:00 Aquarius 07

True Lunar Node:04 Taurus 20 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:05 Taurus 32 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):09 Leo 02

Chiron:15 Aries 28
Ceres:28 Virgo 25 Rx
Pallas:17 Cancer 49
Juno:10 Taurus 37
Vesta:22 Aries 29

Eris:24 Aries 24

Fire:7
Earth:6
Air:1
Water:5
Cardinal:9
Fixed:7
Mutable:3

March 21th to 26th Astronomy Picture of the Day

These are the Astronomy Picture of the Day for the proceeding week starting on the past Monday through this Sunday. Just click on the hyperlink next to the date for the pictures you want to see.

2023 March 26: Wanderers
2023 March 25: Venus and the Da Vinci Glow
2023 March 24: Outbound Comet ZTF
2023 March 23: Spiral Galaxy NGC 2841
2023 March 22: M31: The Andromeda Galaxy
2023 March 21: Dark Nebulae and Star Formation in Taurus

March 26, 2023 Daily Horoscopes

Click here to read Georgia Nicols Daily Horoscopes

Moon Alert

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Gemini.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Today you feel a bit restless, which is why you want to meet new faces, see new places and explore new ideas. Can you take a short trip? Explore your neighborhood. You might have to deal with changing dynamics at home, due to visiting guests, renovations or home improvements.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Your focus is on finances and possessions today. It’s also a good day to buy wardrobe treasures for yourself, especially because in the next six weeks, you will be more direct in all your communications, which is why others will sit up and listen to you.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Today the Moon is in your sign, which will heighten your emotions. However, it will also slightly improve your good luck. (Ask the universe for a favour!) You will start to work hard for your money now because you have plans to spend it!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Fiery Mars is now in your sign for six weeks, which will give you energy and vigour. (Happens once every two years.) Because you want to show the world what you can do, you will project yourself with more force! This means you will likely get the upper hand.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

This is a good day for a heart-to-heart talk with a friend, probably a female acquaintance. Relations with authority figures are excellent because Venus is at the top of your chart. Meanwhile, in the next few weeks, be aware. If you think something fishy is going on – it is.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You will start to be more aggressive, even competitive, with friends and groups you deal with. Meanwhile today, people notice you more than usual. In fact, they seem to know personal details about your private life. Personally, you want to travel and explore!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Your ambition will be aroused in the next six weeks, which means you are determined to accomplish as much as possible. Meanwhile, today, you want to do something different! You want to break free of your daily routine because you want adventure and a chance to experience something new. Yes!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Your interest in creative, intellectual work will increase in the next few weeks. You might also find you have to defend your beliefs. Basically, you are concentrating more energy on doing something to expand your mind. Some of you might be more involved with the law courts.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Good news! During the last several months, issues with partners and close friends have been a bit testy. You might have felt irritated with those who are close to you. You’ll be happy to hear this irritation will diminish – starting today. That’s why you can expect your relationships to improve.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Home and family are your focus now, especially family conversations and repairs. This is also a playful time. Nevertheless, today you have a strong desire to get better organized. (This is a smart thing for you to do because change is coming on the wind.)

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Your busy pace continues! You also have a strong desire to redecorate or make where you live more attractive. This is a playful, fun-loving day. Enjoy socializing with others. You might like to invite someone home to see the changes you’ve made recently.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Money and possessions continue to be your primary focus. Fortunately, relations with others are smooth now because you are charming and diplomatic. In part, this is because you appreciate your surroundings and you feel content and optimistic. Today you’re happy to cocoon at home.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Singer Steven Tyler (1948) shares your birthday today. You appear to be easy-going and casual; however, you are actually intense and determined. You are honest, courageous and love to explore new situations. This year is the last year of a nine-year cycle for you, which means it’s time to let go of what is no longer relevant in your life. Lighten up!