Latest news with #Astronomy
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on July 29, 2025
We're well and truly into the new lunar cycle, and the moon is starting to appear more visible to us on Earth. So, what's happening tonight, July 29? What is today's moon phase? As of Tuesday, July 29, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. There's 23% of the moon's surface visible to us on Earth (according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation). It's the fifth day of the lunar cycle, and there is plenty to see tonight. With the unaided eye, enjoy a glimpse of the Mare Crisium and the Mare Fecunditatis, an impact basin also known as the "Sea of Fertility." Add binoculars or a telescope, and you'll see the Endymion Crater too. When is the next full moon? The next full moon will be on August 9. The last full moon was on July 10. What are moon phases? According to NASA, moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon's orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle: New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye). Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere). First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon. Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it's not quite full yet. Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible. Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit. Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again. Solve the daily Crossword
Travel Weekly
3 days ago
- Travel Weekly
Visitor center opens at Cape Town observatory
The South African Astronomical Observatory Visitor Centre has opened in Cape Town, marking a significant milestone in the country's National Astro-Tourism Strategy. The visitor center is expected to attract over 18,000 visitors annually and features interactive exhibits, historical telescopes and multilingual storytelling, including indigenous celestial narratives in isiXhosa and Khoekhoegowab languages. Visitors can participate in evening tours where they can view celestial objects through telescopes and learn about astronomy. • Related: South Africa tourism's sky-high ambitions "The SAAO Visitor Centre marks a major milestone in the implementation of the National Astro-Tourism Strategy," said tourism minister Patricia de Lille, who along with science minister Blade Nzimande officially opened the center. "The facility stands as a testament to how science and tourism can collaborate to unlock new frontiers in experiential and educational travel." • Personal Quest: Revisiting -- and rediscovering -- South Africa The center serves as a flagship initiative under South Africa's broader astro-tourism strategy, which aims to leverage the country's clear skies and rich astronomical heritage. The launch positions Cape Town as a new urban astronomy destination alongside the existing Twee Rivieren Interpretation Centre in the Kgalagadi, a large conservation area type of museum showcases and honors the knowledge and stories of the people of the Southern Kalahari..
Forbes
3 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
Don't Miss Tuesday Night's Triple Meteor Shower Bonanza — What To Know
Watch the Perseid meteor shower in 2019 on the beacon tower of the Great Wall in China Are you ready to see two meteor showers peak — just as a third gets going? Late Tuesday, July 29, and into the early hours of Wednesday, July 30, sees the peak of two meteor showers as summer's 'shooting star' season gets underway. The Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids will peak simultaneously under mostly favorable conditions, with the moon setting early in the evening to leave skies dark enough to catch up to 30 meteors per hour. Just to add to the excitement, the annual Perseids meteor shower — which peaks in August — could add to the show. Here's everything you need to know about the three overlapping meteor showers Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower: What To Know Peak night: July 29/30 Meteors per hour: up to 25 It's often overlooked because of the more prolific Perseid meteor shower that occurs just a few weeks later, but this year, the Delta Aquariids will arguably take center stage. With the Perseids bound to be badly affected by the moon, the Delta Aquarids could see about 25 meteors — albeit rather faint ones — visible in moonless night skies on the peak night. However, getting far from light pollution would be wise. It's a meteor shower with a broad peak, so you can start looking for them on any clear night in late July and early August, but note that its radiant point — where the meteors appear to come from — is low in the south as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. Alpha Capricornid Meteor Shower: What To Know Peak night: July 29/30 Meteors per hour: up to 5 A minor meteor shower, the Alpha Capricornids began on July 12 and will ramble on until Aug. 12. Its 'shooting stars' — fragments left behind in the inner solar system by comets — will number around five, which may add to the spectacle created by the Delta Aquariids and the Perseids. Although they may be relatively scant, Alpha Capricornids can often be bright fireballs, so they are worth looking out for. Perseid Meteor Shower: What To Know Peak night: Aug. 12-13 Meteors per hour: up to 75-100 The Perseid meteor shower — one of the year's most prolific in the Northern Hemisphere — kicked off on Jul. 17 and will continue to produce "shooting stars" until Aug. 23. That's lucky because its peak night on Aug. 12-13 occurs only a few nights after a full moon. With a bleached sky, only the very brightest Perseids will be visible, making the last few nights of July the best time to see them. During this period, expect about 5-15 meteors per hour. The radiant point of the Perseids lies in the constellation Perseus, but meteors can appear throughout the sky. How To Watch A Meteor Shower For the best viewing experience, find a dark location away from city lights and check weather forecasts for clear skies. Observing is best done with the naked eye rather than through telescopes or binoculars. Consider bringing a lawn chair or blanket, and avoid bright screens that can impair night vision. Remember to dress warmly, use bug spray, bring snacks, and take breaks from watching the sky every 30 minutes. For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Metro
6 days ago
- Business
- Metro
Astronomy HR director Kristin Cabot resigns after Coldplay kiss cam scandal
Kristin Cabot has resigned from her role as head of HR at Astronomy in the wake of the Cold play kiss cam scandal. It comes days after the US company's CEO Andy Byron also quit, after the company announced he would be placed on leave and investigated. The pair were caught embracing on a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert in Boston, before abruptly trying hide. The clip, in which Chris Martin can be heard jokingly questioning whether they're having an affair, was shared online and quickly went viral. Internet sleuths soon worked out who the pair were and that Byron was indeed married to another woman, Megan Kerrigan Byron. Cue many, many memes and jokes at Byron and Cabot's expense. Astronomy has now confirmed in statements to several news sites that that Cabot no longer works for the company. After Byron stepped down, the company, which deals with data, analytics and artificial intelligence, announced co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy had been appointed interim CEO. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The firm posted on LinkedIn:'As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding 'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met. 'Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. 'The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.' Meanwhile DeJoy said in an update: 'The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies – let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world – ever encounter.' The clip was filmed by, Grace Springer, 28, from New Jersey, who stood by her decision to share it online. She told The U.S. Sun: 'I had no idea who the couple was. Just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it. More Trending 'A part of me feels bad for turning these people's lives upside down, but, play stupid games… win stupid prizes. 'I hope their partners can heal from this and get a second chance at the happiness they deserve with their future still in front of them.' The Metro has contacted Astronomy for comment. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
Strange New Object Found In Solar System ‘Dancing' With Neptune
Astronomers surveying the outer solar system have revealed that a rare object far beyond Neptune is moving in sync with the eighth planet in an unexpected way. Called 2020 VN40 and first discovered in 2020, it takes 1,655 Earth-years to orbit the sun. The news comes just weeks after 2023 KQ14 — nicknamed 'Ammonite' — was found beyond Neptune and Pluto. Together, these newly found objects change the way astronomers think distant objects move and how the solar system evolved. The orbital path of 2020 VN40 — in yellow — is tilted up and to the left from the orbits of most of ... More the objects in the solar system. PSI/Kathryn Volk 2020 VN40 is currently 140 times farther from the sun than Earth. For context, Neptune is 29 times farther from the sun than Earth. However, the object's orbit is highly elliptical, getting just 40 times farther from the sun than Earth. Most planets — including Earth — orbit the sun in nearly the same flat plane. Some distant objects, such as 2020 VN40, have orbits that are highly inclined relative to this plane. The object appears to be in a 10:1 resonance with Neptune, meaning that it orbits the sun once for every ten orbits Neptune completes. It's the first object ever found to do that. The size of 2020 VN40 is unknown because it's too far away to be directly measured. However, based on its brightness, it may have a diameter of around 56 miles (90 kilometers). Published this month in the American Astronomical Society's The Planetary Science Journal , the discovery supports the theory that many distant objects get captured by Neptune's gravity as they drift through the outer solar system. 'This is a big step in understanding the outer solar system,' said Rosemary Pike, lead researcher from the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 'It shows that even very distant regions influenced by Neptune can contain objects, and it gives us new clues about how the solar system evolved.' It could also shed light on the motion of objects in the outer solar system. 'This new motion is like finding a hidden rhythm in a song we thought we knew,' said Ruth Murray-Clay, co-author of the study, from the University of California in Santa Cruz. 'It could change how we think about the way distant objects move.' 2020 VN40 took six years to be discovered and for its orbit to be mapped. It was discovered by astronomers working on the Large Inclination Distant Objects survey, a search for unusual objects in the outer solar system with orbits that extend far above and below the plane of the solar system. It's a region of the solar system that few astronomers have studied. The researchers used the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and Gemini North in Hawaii and Magellan Baade and Gemini South in Chile. The LiDO survey has now found over 140 distant objects. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which published its first stunning images in June, is expected to find many more objects in the outer solar system. 'With the imminent start of Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time, we expect many more such discoveries to open a new window into the solar system's past,' said Kathryn Volk of the Planetary Science Institute. Rubin is also expected to find more interstellar objects — such as ancient comet 3I/ATLAS. Background Another newly discovered object that could reshape astronomers' understanding of the solar system's past is 'Ammonite,' or 2023 KQ14, an object discovered in the solar system beyond Neptune and Pluto. Classed as a sednoid — an object similar to Sedna, a dwarf planet candidate in the outer solar system found in 2003 — Ammonite orbits beyond Neptune and has a highly eccentric orbital path. It's thought to be between 137 and 236 miles (220 and 380 kilometers) in diameter and between 70 and 432 times farther from the sun than Earth. Further Reading Forbes Meet 'Ammonite' — A New World Just Found In The Solar System By Jamie Carter Forbes Complete Guide To 'Ammonite,' The Solar System's Latest Member By Jamie Carter Forbes See The First Jaw-Dropping Space Photos From Humanity's Biggest-Ever Camera By Jamie Carter Forbes World's Biggest Camera May Find 50 Interstellar Objects, Scientists Say By Jamie Carter Forbes Where Newly Found 'Ammonite' Is In Solar System — And Why It Matters By Jamie Carter
