This will be a thread where we can post interesting articles about our planet and whatever is "out there" in our skies and in space.
Fallstreak hole: Rare cloud formation pictured in the East - BBC News
top of page
bottom of page
This will be a thread where we can post interesting articles about our planet and whatever is "out there" in our skies and in space.
Fallstreak hole: Rare cloud formation pictured in the East - BBC News
Citizen scientists provide insights to Jupiter's clouds
Even in a small telescope, you can see that Jupiter is wrapped in colorful bands of clouds. Scientists have long believed these clouds were composed of ammonia ice crystals. But a new study from citizen scientists and professional astronomers suggests the clouds are deeper in Jupiter's atmosphere than previously realized, at a depth too warm for ammonia ice crystals. Read about Jupiter's clouds.
Animal spies: The world's most bizarre secret weapons
A beluga whale wearing a camera harness? Pigeons equipped with tiny cameras so they can easily access otherwise restricted areas? These are only 2 examples in a long line of attempts by intelligence services to use animals for covert purposes … Find out what the other animal spies are.
LIVE TODAY: Are solar flares affecting your health?
When solar activity is high, some people report feeling sick or having headaches. And a few studies show a link between geomagnetic disturbances and increased rates of heart problems. This whole area of science is new. But EarthSky's Deborah Byrd and heliophysicist C. Alex Young will discuss what we know LIVE TODAY, beginning at 12:15 p.m. CST (18:15 UTC). Click in to be notified.
LIVE TODAY: Full moon coming, with Mars at its best
Mars will reach its closest to Earth on January 12. It'll appear super close to the moon on January 13. Then, on January 15-16, Earth will sweep between Mars and the sun, bringing Mars to opposition for the 1st time in 2 years! Join EarthSky's Deborah Byrd and Marcy Curran LIVE TODAY at 12:15 p.m. (18:15 UTC) for charts and insights. Click here to be notified.
LIVE. The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County, southern California, began around 11 a.m. local time yesterday and has burned more than 2,900 acres as of 12.40 a.m. PST today, according to Forbes. The fire is burning in the #1 most populated county in the U.S. It and 2 other wildfires in the area are burning under conditions of high wind. The NBC affiliate in L.A. – Channel 4 – has had a livestream up for the past several hours. View the livestream of the Palisades Fire here. If you're outside the U.S., you can watch a livestream here.
EarthSky community photos: This week's editor's picks
Shout out to @rhearhodan181 on YouTube, who commented "I always look forward to these!" Thank you, and thanks to all in our great community for contributing photos. Our latest community photos compilation, the first of 2025, is ready. Be one of the first to enjoy this video of editors' picks.
Right whales' lifespans longer than scientists thought
Right whales in the North Atlantic have a lifespan of around 22 years, due to human activities in their waters. Meanwhile, right whales in the Southern Ocean have a lifespan of around 74 years. But the University of Alaska Fairbanks said this month that Southern right whales can live up to 150 years of age, twice as long as previously thought.
2025's brightest comet already on its way to us?
What might be 2025's brightest comet is already approaching the sun. Comet ATLAS C/2024 G3 will come within 8.3 million miles (13.5 million kilometers) of the sun on January 13. That's just 0.09 times Earth's distance from the sun. Will the comet survive the flyby? It's too soon to say, but its close pass means it might shine more brightly than Venus in Earth's sky. Read about Comet ATLAS.
Will there be a planetary alignment on January 25?
If you're on social media, you've probably seen a breathless announcement of a planetary alignment on January 25, 2025. These videos claim all 8 planets will be in a line on one side of the sun and visible in our night sky. Is that true? Nope. But we will be getting a beautiful planetary display this month. Here's what's true ... and what isn't.
New Year's Star and 2 planets to ring in 2025
Happy New Year's Eve! Want to entertain your friends tonight? Show them the dazzling New Year's Star, Sirius. This star always reaches its highest point in the sky around the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. And this year, Sirius has company. It's joined by 2 super-bright planets, Jupiter and Mars, both now nearly at their closest to Earth. It'll be a beautiful sight! Read more about Sirius, Jupiter and Mars and watch a video.
Black Moon tomorrow night
When we see two full moons in one calendar month, the second is known as a Blue Moon. But what happens if we have two new moons in a month? Then the second is labeled a Black Moon. And that's what's arriving on Monday night! Read more about December’s Black Moon.
UAP, UFOs and drones with physicist Sean Kirkpatrick
Since 1945, the US government has logged thousands of reports of unidentified objects in the sky, under the sea and on the ground. What are they, if they're anything at all? EarthSky’s Dave Adalian spoke with Sean Kirkpatrick, a physicist and former director of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, on Monday. Starting in 2022, Kirkpatrick's job was collecting UFO reports for the U.S. Department of Defense and weighing the evidence. Hear what he had to say. It was super interesting!
Parker Solar Probe has touched the sun
The little robot spacecraft Parker Solar Probe - humanity's emissary to the sun - broke its own record today when it came within 3.86 million miles (6.2 million km) of our star's surface. And it did it with a heat shield that's only 4.5 inches (11 cm) thick. Read more about Parker Solar Probe.
LIVE MONDAY ... Spend Christmas with the comet!
At 17 UTC (11 a.m. CST) tomorrow (December 23), the Virtual Telescope Project will provide a goodbye glimpse of Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. It performed beautifully for us in October, but is now headed away from Earth. Join in right here to watch a live view of the departing comet. And see images of 2024’s best comet.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | This is our kind of personal solstice! Doug Pederson wrote from Minneapolis, Minnesota: “We host a Solstice S'mores party every year ... Seems to bring out all types in our neighborhood, and this year will be our 12th annual event. A lot of kids have grown up, but still come back!” Thank you, Doug! Want more ideas for personal solstices? Deborah Byrd and John Goss of EarthSky presented more from the EarthSky community at Thursday's livestream. Watch here.
Happy December solstice tomorrow, y'all!
At 9:21 UTC (3:21 a.m. CST in the Americas) on Saturday morning, the sun will reach its southernmost point in our sky. It's the December solstice, marking the year's shortest day for us in the Northern Hemisphere, and longest day for the Southern Hemisphere. After this solstice, for everyone around the globe, the sun's path will begin shifting northward in the sky again. Read about the December solstice.
New Year's Star and 2 planets to ring in 2025
Want to add some wonder to your New Year's Eve this year? Show your friends the New Year's Star, Sirius. It's the brightest star in our sky, and it reaches its highest point in the sky around the stroke of midnight on December 31. And in 2025, Sirius has company. It's joined by 2 extra-bright planets, Jupiter and Mars, both nearly at their closest to Earth. It's going to be a special sight! Read more about the New Year's Eve night sky.
The December solstice arrives on Saturday! Do you have a "personal solstice", a way you like to celebrate the changing of the seasons, like a special sunset view? During Thursday's livestream, we'll be showing your personal solstice photos and sharing your stories. Submit your solstice photo here.
The Orion Nebula is a starry nursery
One of the most noticeable star patterns in the sky now is the constellation Orion the Hunter. See the image below. It contains the famous Orion Nebula, a tiny, hazy spot to the eye ... but a vast stellar nursery in space, a place where new stars are forming.You can see Orion in the evening sky now. Look for it, and read more about the Orion Nebula.