Items tagged with Comet
While October may have ended in a spectacular fashion with a headless comet meeting its demise, November promises to be just as exciting for skywatchers. Be sure to be on the lookout for three different meteor showers that promise to provide plenty of shooting stars.
The first of three upcoming meteor showers to...
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NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft captured the moment when a headless Halloween comet flew too close to the Sun and vaporized. Comet 2024 S1 ATLAS reached its perihelion, or closest approach to the Sun on Sunday around 7:30am ET.
Comet 2024 S1 was first discovered on September 27, 2024, in...
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A headless Halloween comet looks to round out an October that's chock-full of celestial delights. Comet 2024 S1 (Atlas) is on track to make its close approach to the Sun on October 28, and is currently visible in the Southern Hemisphere.
October has been a great month for stargazers, with the ability to see an...
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A comet that has not been seen from Earth in 80,000 years is about to make its grand return. Comet 2023 A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, will be observable with the naked eye in the northern hemisphere during two viewing periods, with the first being this week.
Back in May of this year, the Eta Aquariids meteor...
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The night skies will light up this week with not just one meteor shower, but two. The Delta Aquariids, known for its bright and fast meteors, and the Alpha Capricornids, known for producing slower, more colorful shooting stars, will peak simultaneously on Tuesday, July 30.
Scientists estimate that about 48.5 tons...
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While last month may have brought April showers, May brings what could be the strongest meteor shower this century. The shooting stars will originate from the famous Halley’s Comet, which is in retrograde orbit with the sun.
Halley’s Comet orbits the sun in the opposite direction of the Earth, completing an orbit...
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The “devil comet” will be showing off its horns this weekend to those in the Northern Hemisphere. Anyone wanting to catch a peak at this rare celestial event will want to do so this go round, as it will not be close enough for viewing with a pair of binoculars again for another 71 years.
While there is a chance...
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The Lyrids meteor shower is about to light up the night sky in a spectacular fashion with falling stars to make wishes upon. The first recorded sighting of a Lyrids meteor shower dates all the way back to 687 BC by the Chinese.
While not as fast or bountiful as the Perseids, the Lyrids are well known for producing...
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As people prepare for the upcoming total solar eclipse, a rare and sinister sounding comet, nicknamed the “devil comet,” is crashing the celestial party. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as the “Mother of Dragons” comet, is now visible in the northern hemisphere night sky for the first time in around 70...
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In true Halloween fashion, a comet twice the size of Mount Everest and that earned the nickname the “Devil Comet” is heading toward Earth. The comet, which has a far less intimidating scientific name, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, has a short-period orbit around the Sun of about once every 71 years.
Comet Pons-Brooks’...
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The Perseid meteor shower is about to be in full swing and you can catch some falling stars without having to leave the comfort of your home. The peak of the summer shower is expected to be tonight and into the morning hours of August 13, 2023.
Sky watchers may have already noticed an uptick in the amount of...
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The Perseid meteor shower has already begun, but the peak of the spectacle in the night sky is yet to come. The annual meteor shower started lighting up the night sky on July 17, 2023 and is expected to last until around August 24, 2023.
Every summer the Perseid meteor shower sprinkles the sky with streaks of...
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NASA has reported that two asteroids 100-feet (30-meters) or larger are making their closest approach to Earth today, June 18, 2023. The larger of the two asteroids is estimated to be 110-feet (34-meters), or roughly around the size of 10-story building.
Astronomers keep a watchful eye on the sky for any asteroids...
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Scientists took NASA's Webb telescope on a treasure hunt in the asteroid belt, and ended up finding as many questions as answers. Solar system scientists identified water vapor on Comet Read, an important clue in solving how water came about on Earth, but it was missing another key component: carbon dioxide.
NASA's...
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A comet discovered in March of last year may not return to Earth for another 50,000 years, or ever. C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was spotted when it was already inside the orbit of Jupiter.
The first month of 2023 will be filled with bright stars. In the first few hours after dark, the bright constellations Orion the hunter...
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The Draconids meteor shower is expected to peak this weekend. While not considered a major meteor shower, this particular one has been known to produce hyperactivity called meteor storms.
Meteor showers can provide a delightful showcase of falling stars dashing across the night sky. The upcoming meteor shower...
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Comet C/2017 K2 will be at its closest orbital point to Earth later today, and you can watch the cosmic flyby live. The comet was first spotted by astronomers in 2017 and should be visible via a small telescope throughout the summer.
When Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) was first located, it was 1.49 billion miles (2.4...
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The tail debris from comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, also called SW3, could provide for a spectacular show in the night sky on May 30th and into the early morning of May 31st. However, NASA wants sky-watchers to temper their expectations.
SW3 was first detected in 1930 by astronomers Arthur Wachmann and Carl...
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The tau Hercluid meteor shower could provide an epic display in the late night sky at the close of May this year. If predictions come to fruition, the nights of May 30-31st may provide for a rare meteor outburst, or there may simply be nothing at all.
The comet responsible for all the hype is...
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NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has confirmed the largest icy comet nucleus ever detected by astronomers. The comet's nucleus is larger than the state of Rhode Island, to put its size into perspective.
The gargantuan comet, C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) has a nucleus that is approximately 50 times larger...
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The night when Santa Claus soars through the air is fast approaching, but there’s something else to see in the evening sky even before that. Comet Leonard is still making its way across the solar system. Under the right conditions, you don’t even need binoculars or a telescope to see it, and in fact it could easily be...
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There's a new neighborhood watch available, courtesy of NASA. This program is, of course, a bit more far-reaching than just who’s cruising down your street though. Through a web-based app, NASA is letting you explore a 3D view of objects in our orbital neighborhood.
Twice each day, NASA will update its new Eyes on...
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