Latest news with #ImoBell
Metro
17-07-2025
- Science
- Metro
A new world may have been discovered beyond Neptune
A telescope has discovered a new world on the edge of the Milky Way – potentially confirming the 'Planet X' theory. Beyond Neptune, a smaller 'ninth' planet has been identified in the Kuiper Belt. If the object is confirmed as an actual planet, it would make it the ninth in our solar system, following Pluto's downgrade to a dwarf planet. The potential planet, nicknamed 'Ammonite', was discovered by scientists using the Subaru Telescope at Japan's National Astronomical Observatory, who published their findings in Nature Astronomy. Ammonite has probably been in a stable orbit for more than 4,000,000,000 years, they said. 'If Planet Nine exists, its orbit should lie even farther out than previously predicted,' according to a news release from the observatory,' they wrote. 'Furthermore, the existence of Planet Nine would also need to explain why Ammonite's orbit does not cluster with those of the other sednoids.' In late May, scientists hunting for Planet Nine, the elusive planetary body that could change our understanding of the solar system, found something. Planet X is a hypothetical planet seven times the mass of Earth tucked just behind Pluto. Despite possibly being the fifth most massive planet, scientists have never tracked the white whale of astronomy down – that is, if it even exists. But a trio of American scientists trying to find the elusive gas giant discovered a new planet… of sorts, a dwarf planet called 2017 OF201. The search for a ninth planet in our solar system has been going on for a century. The evidence for it that hunters have long clung to is how six objects – dwarf planets and icy balls – have been discovered in the vastly empty outskirts of the solar system. Bizarrely, they huddle together as they orbit, as if something a gassy behemoth of a planet were shepherding them, said Imo Bell, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. They told Metro: 'Some astronomers believe that proving the existence of this planet would explain the behaviour of many other eTNOs with highly elliptical orbits clustered on one side of the Sun. 'It's thought that Planet Nine, with a mass of about five Earths, would explain the confined orbits of these eTNOs.' A dwarf planet is an object large enough that its gravity squishes it into a round shape, but not large enough to 'clear the neighbourhood' of other celestial bodies. According to a study, which has not been peer-reviewed, 2017 OF201 is roughly 430 miles across, three times smaller than Pluto. More Trending The object is an extreme trans-Neptunian object (eTNO), a minor planet that orbits the Sun far beyond Neptune. So far away, in fact, OF201 would take 25,000 Earth years to complete a solar lap. Its orbit even swings out into the Oort Cloud – a sphere of icy comets a trillion miles from the Sun. OF201 can only be observed from Earth 0.5% of the time, making its closest approach to us in 1930 and won't do so again until 26,186. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center added 2017 OF201 to its database last week. Five other dwarf planets are officially recognised: Pluto, Eris, Ceres and two others beyond Neptune, Haumea and Makemake. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Asteroid size of 10-storey building to fly past Earth at 13,900mph today MORE: Uranus is hotter and leakier than we realised MORE: 'Super-Earth' sending out strange signal over 145 light years discovered
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
June's Strawberry Moon Is the Lowest Full Moon Since 2006 — Here's How to See It
Moon gazers are in for a special sighting this year. June's Strawberry Moon is not only the lowest-hanging full moon since 2006, but it will also appear in a wonderfully apt coloring and bring with it a star guest. Read on to find out everything you need to know about this lunar spectacle. The 'Strawberry Moon' is the sixth full moon of the year, and if you've been strawberry picking recently, you might be able to guess how this moon got its name. All of the 12 full moons have nicknames relating to changes in nature through the year. People all over the world gave the full moon names, but the ones commonly used today originated in Native American culture. Tribes used the moon cycle to keep track of the changing seasons. May's full 'Flower Moon', for example, gets its name from the abundance of flowers which start to grow around that time, and the preceding 'Pink Moon' is named after a species of wildflower that starts blooming in North America in April. June's full 'Strawberry Moon' refers to the ripening of wild strawberries. The full Strawberry Moon reached it peak at 3:44 a.m. EDT on the morning of June 11. The peak, Imo Bell, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, explains, is the exact moment 'when the side of the moon facing us is fully lit by the sun.' But, you still have time to enjoy the Strawberry Moon because a full moon can look fully illuminated for up to three days, starting the day before. The night of Tuesday, June 11, is still in the prime viewing window. You can find the exact moonrise time for your location at The Farmer's Almanac. The Strawberry Moon is always a special occurrence because it is the year's lowest-hanging full moon. Earth's natural satellite, as Imo explains, has to be directly opposite the sun to be fully illuminated, which means that when the sun is highest in the sky (always in the month of June), the moon will be at its lowest point. But in 2025, the Strawberry Moon is extra special. 'This year is even more extreme as we have reached a 'lunar standstill' where the tilt of the moon's orbit, which processes over an 18.6-year cycle, has reached its most extreme, resulting in the lowest full moon since 2006,' Imo says. And because the full moon hangs so low, the Strawberry Moon, amazingly, might actually kind of look like a strawberry. "The moon may appear reddish when it's near the horizon due to the scattering of the sun's light," says Imo. The sun's light, they continue, is all colors of the rainbow, which get "split and scattered", or refracted, through the atmosphere. "The blues, with shorter wavelengths, get scattered first, which is why the sky is blue in the day," says Imo. "The oranges and reds have longer wavelengths and are what remains after the blues have been scattered off, resulting in reddish sunrises and sunsets – and of course, a reddish moon when near the horizon." Alongside June's Strawberry Moon, another reddish celestial sight is possible. On 10th and 11th June, you will be able to spot a bright red star right next to the moon, the Red supergiant Antares. "The Moon and Antares together will be a distinctive sight since the star is red enough that it's known for being mistaken for the red planet Mars, with its name even meaning 'rival of Mars' in Ancient Greek," says Imo. You Might Also Like 70 Impressive Tiny Houses That Maximize Function and Style 30+ Paint Colors That Will Instantly Transform Your Kitchen
Metro
30-05-2025
- Science
- Metro
Twist in search for mysterious 'Planet Nine' in the dark depths of our solar system
Scientists hunting for Planet Nine, an elusive planetary body that could change our understanding of the solar system, have found something. Planet X is a hypothetical planet seven times the mass of Earth tucked just behind Pluto. Despite possibly being the fifth most massive planet, scientists have never tracked the white whale of astronomy down – that is, if it even exists. But a trio of American scientists trying to find the elusive gas giant have discovered a new planet… of sorts, a dwarf planet called 2017 OF201. According to a study, which has not been peer-reviewed, 2017 OF201 is roughly 430 miles across, three times smaller than Pluto. The object is an extreme trans-Neptunian object (eTNO), a minor planet that orbits the Sun far beyond Neptune. So far away, in fact, OF201 would take 25,000 Earth years to complete a solar lap. Its orbit even swings out into the Oort Cloud – a sphere of icy comets a trillion miles from the Sun. OF201 can only be observed from Earth 0.5% of the time, making its closest approach to us in 1930 and won't do so again until 26,186. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center added 2017 OF201 to its database last week. Five other dwarf planets are officially recognised: Pluto, Eris, Ceres and two others beyond Neptune, Haumea and Makemake. The search for a ninth planet in our solar system has been going on for a century. The evidence for it that hunters have long clung to is how six objects – dwarf planets and chunks of ice – have been discovered in the vastly empty outskirts of the solar system. Bizarrely, they huddle together as they orbit, as if something a gassy behemoth of a planet were shepherding them, said Imo Bell, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. They told Metro: 'Some astronomers believe that proving the existence of this planet would explain the behaviour of many other eTNOs with highly elliptical orbits clustered on one side of the Sun. 'It's thought that Planet Nine, with a mass of about five Earths, would explain the confined orbits of these eTNOs.' Sihao Cheng of New Jersey's Institute for Advanced Study and Princeton University graduate students, Jiaxuan Li and Eritas Yang, discovered 2017 OF201. They did so by combing through an archive of images of the outskirts of the solar system, taken by the Blanco telescope in Chile, as well as by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii. Over time, they realised that tiny dots in the images were a single dwarf planet-sized rock with a wide and eccentric orbit. Yang said: 'It must have experienced close encounters with a giant planet, causing it to be ejected to a wide orbit.' Yet the discovery isn't exactly what the team had hoped for, explained Bell, as it's not part of the pack of eTNOs that imply Planet Nine exists. They said: 'The discovery of 2017 OF201 is significant because it's found in a region of the Solar System thought to be empty, and it's presence points to the existence of other similar eTNOs with orbits that challenge ideas about Planet Nine as they are not clustered in the way that has been seen with other eTNOs.' Yang's simulations only considered one proposed orbit of Planet Nine, meaning that the findings don't disprove the planet's existence altogether. Cheng hasn't lost hope, saying that the existence of 2017 OF201 suggests there 'could be another hundred or so other objects with similar orbit and size'. 'They are just too far away to be detectable now,' he added. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Saturn in Aries for the first time since 1999 will impact these five star signs most MORE: Nasa warns of huge solar flares that could cause blackouts on Earth MORE: Here's the best spots to see the Northern Lights tonight
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Photos show incredible moment solar eclipse was spotted in Greenwich
Photos have captured the incredible moment the solar eclipse was seen above Greenwich's history foot tunnel. The phenomenon occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. The three are not completely aligned, so only part of the Sun is obscured. The eclipse peaked in London at around 11am on Saturday and was visible in parts of the country from between around 10am and noon. The phenomenon occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. (Image: PA) Astronomer Imo Bell, at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said at 11.15am: 'There's been nothing unexpected, but that's the cool thing, we've known this has been coming for a very long time. 'We have the technology and the understanding of space now to predict these things almost to the second. 'I, along with thousands of people, are watching. I'm in Oxford right now, we reached a bit more than 30% obscurity of the Sun. 'I've heard a lot of people in the UK where they have higher obscurity have bad cloud coverage, though. If you've got good weather, you're pretty lucky.' The eclipse peaked in London at around 11am on Saturday. (Image: PA) Everyday household items came in handy for many people watching the eclipse, with experts warning not to look at the Sun directly to avoid eye damage. The Met Office said earlier on Saturday that southern and eastern areas of the UK would have the best viewing conditions, with cloudier skies in the north and west The next partial solar eclipse visible in the UK will be in August 2026, which is expected to reach 90% obscurity
Telegraph
29-03-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Partial solar eclipse draws crowds across UK
A partial solar eclipse drew crowds outside across the UK, with part of the Sun obscured by the Moon between 10am and noon on Saturday. The phenomenon, which occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, peaked in London at 11am. Because the star, the planet and its satellite are not perfectly aligned, only part of the Sun is obscured in such an eclipse. Speaking from Lewes in Sussex, at around 11am, Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, said: 'There's a really nice crowd of people, everybody's really excited, there's people wearing eclipse glasses, looking through the telescopes we've got set up. 'We're loving it and it's a lot of fun. It's a great public atmosphere, it's a really nice event. There's a huge amount of enthusiasm about it.' He added: 'As expected, the Moon started moving in front of the Sun about an hour ago; it's got a bit under an hour to go and it's blocking out some of the Sun.' He added: 'It's not like the landscape or the light looks different if you're not looking at the eclipse, but if you're looking through a telescope then you see this really obvious bite. 'One of my colleagues here has a colander and through that, you can see little pinholes of the Sun with the bite out of it as well. 'I think you could guess it's running into the tens of thousands watching with events like this, there's local astronomy groups across the UK who are doing it.' Imo Bell, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said: 'There's been nothing unexpected, but that's the cool thing, we've known this has been coming for a very long time. 'We have the technology and the understanding of space now to predict these things almost to the second.' Speaking at 11.13am from Oxford it said he was watching 'with thousands of people' and the eclipse had 'reached a bit more than 30 per cent obscurity of the Sun' at that time. He added: 'I've heard a lot of people in the UK where they have higher obscurity have bad cloud coverage, though. If you've got good weather, you're pretty lucky.' The Met Office said earlier on Saturday that southern and eastern areas of the UK would have the best viewing conditions, with cloudier skies in the North and West. The next partial solar eclipse visible in the UK will be in August 2026, and is expected to reach 90 per cent obscurity.
