The Harvest Moon shined bright and was recorded across parts of the world from Sept. 16-18. This supermoon was visible across the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday night and underwent a partial eclipse.
The moon slipped through part of Earth’s shadow on Tuesday night, creating a partial lunar eclipse -- the final astronomy event of the summer. At the peak of the eclipse, a section of the moon appeared dark, as if a bite had been taken out of Earth’s celestial companion.
This eclipse coincided with two other lunar phenomena. First, the full moon was a supermoon, appearing slightly larger and brighter than usual. Second, it was the Harvest Moon, the term for the full moon closest to the September equinox. Together, these events created the lengthy title of a “Super Harvest Moon Eclipse,” though the name might have been more exciting than the actual event.
The next lunar eclipse promises to be even more spectacular, as the entire moon will pass through Earth’s dark inner shadow. This total lunar eclipse, occurring on March 13-14, 2025, will cause the moon to turn red and will be visible across all of North America.
Hundreds of people across the eastern United States were awestruck on Thursday night by an exceptionally bright meteor, known as a fireball, that burned up over Kentucky. The fireball was visible from a dozen states, including areas as far away as Michigan and Georgia, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS). Videos captured the meteor blazing a green trail across the sky before flickering out and disappearing from view.
Skywatchers need plenty of patience—or a bit of luck—to witness a fireball like the one over Kentucky. According to the AMS, skywatchers typically observe only one fireball for every 20 hours they spend watching the night sky. It is currently unknown if any fragments of the fireball survived its fiery descent through Earth’s atmosphere to reach the ground.
August’s full moon is known as the Sturgeon Moon. This year on Aug. 19-20, this particular full moon was also a blue moon and a supermoon! Skywatchers around the world enjoyed the celestial event.
A rare “super blue moon” lit up the night sky on Monday, offering a celestial treat for photographers and skywatchers worldwide. This event marked the third of four full moons of the astronomical summer, an uncommon occurrence known as a season blue moon that won’t happen again until 2027. This differs from the more commonly known blue moon that occurs when there are two full moons in a single month.
Monday night’s spectacle was also the first supermoon of 2024, appearing slightly larger and brighter than usual. Despite its sensational nickname, the “super blue moon” appeared similar to an ordinary full moon seen throughout the year.
The super moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio, south of Athens, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)
On Tuesday night, the moon will swing incredibly close to Saturn in an easy-to-see pairing for stargazers of all ages -- no telescope required.
This week, charged particles from the sun bombarded Earth, igniting the northern lights across parts of the United States. Although the aurora wasn’t as widespread or spectacular as the historic display in May, photographers in dark areas across the northern half of the country still managed to capture stunning photos and videos. One photographer, Noah Junot, was at a salt flat in West Wendover, Nevada, on July 30, where the red glow of the lights was visible above a haze of wildfire smoke on the horizon.
The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, could be seen through the smoke-filled horizon above the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on the evening of July 30.
There could be more opportunities to see the northern lights through the rest of the week, but there is a catch. The aurora may only be visible across the northern extent of the U.S. in areas far away from light pollution, and it may be difficult to see with the naked eye. Long-exposure photography is the best way to capture the aurora, as a camera can gather much more light than the human eye.
Get ready to head outside for not one but two meteor showers peaking on the nights of July 29-31. The Alpha Capricornids and the Southern Delta Aquarids will cap off the end of the month.
This week offers a great opportunity to spot shooting stars, with two meteor showers peaking on consecutive nights. The Southern Delta Aquariids will peak first, from Monday night into Tuesday morning, followed by the Alpha Capricornids from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, according to the American Meteor Society. Together, these showers can produce up to 20 meteors per hour, making it the best chance to see shooting stars since the Eta Aquarid meteor shower in early May.
The two meteor showers this week may be smaller compared to many others throughout the year, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in brilliance. The Alpha Capricornids are particularly known for producing fireballs—exceptionally bright meteors that can briefly shine as bright as the moon. After this week, stargazers won’t have to wait long for the next meteor shower, as the popular Perseids are just around the corner, peaking on August 11-12 with over 60 meteors per hour.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a payload a of Starlink satellites for a high-speed low earth orbit internet constellation, lifts off from launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, July 17, 2022. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
A routine launch by SpaceX on July 11 ended prematurely after the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket sprung a leak, which caused the payload of 20 Starlink satellites to fall back to Earth rather than enter orbit around the planet. A little over two weeks later, the company has been given the green light to launch rockets once again.
“SpaceX’s investigation team, with oversight from the FAA, was able to identify the most probable cause of the mishap and associated corrective actions to ensure the success of future missions,” SpaceX said in a statement. “SpaceX engineering teams have performed a comprehensive and thorough review of all SpaceX vehicles and ground systems to ensure we are putting our best foot forward as we return to flight.”
The company will waste no time getting back into space with a rocket launch scheduled for early Saturday morning. This weekend’s mission will launch a new batch of Starlink satellites from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The full moon rises behind the skyline of midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building in New York City on May 23, 2024, as seen from Weehawken, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
Watching a full moon rise can be a stunning sight for folks of all ages, but taking a photo can be tricky without the right equipment. However, you don’t need a telescope or expensive camera to capture photos of the event. Here are three tips to help you take pictures of the full moon with a smartphone:
•Use a tripod: A simple tripod will keep your phone steady for nighttime photography. Without one, it can be challenging to hold your phone steady, often resulting in blurry pictures.
•Photograph the moon as it rises: Having objects in the foreground can enhance pictures of the moon, and there is no better opportunity for this than right after it climbs above the horizon. Find out what time the moon rises in your area on the AccuWeather app.
•Try different settings: Every type of smartphone is different and has various settings for taking pictures, including options specifically designed for nighttime photography. If one setting doesn’t work, try to take a picture with another settings for a different result.
Two years have passed since NASA released the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope ever launched into space.
“In just two years, Webb has transformed our view of the universe, enabling the kind of world-class science that drove NASA to make this mission a reality,” said Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Webb is providing insights into longstanding mysteries about the early universe and ushering in a new era of studying distant worlds, while returning images that inspire people around the world and posing exciting new questions to answer. It has never been more possible to explore every facet of the universe.”
To mark the historic date, NASA released new images of a distant galaxy that resembles something closer to home.
The distorted spiral galaxy at center, the Penguin, and the compact elliptical at left, the Egg, are locked in an active embrace. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)
Arp 142, better known as the Penguin, is shaped like a bird and is 326 million light-years from Earth. The center of the galaxy shines like an eye, and its unique spiral shape resembles the beak, head, backbone, and body of a penguin. According to NASA, it is a younger galaxy that is teeming with blue stars.
