Latest news with #NOIRLab
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Science
- GMA Network
Chile observatory captures the universe with 3,200-megapixel camera
Distant galaxies are seen in an image produced by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, on Pachon Hill, Coquimbo Region, Chile, June 18, 2025. RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/Handout via REUTERS SANTIAGO - Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which boasts the world's largest digital camera, has begun displaying its first images of the cosmos, allowing astronomers to figure out how the solar system formed and even whether an asteroid poses a threat to Earth. Located on Pachon Hill in the northern region of Coquimbo, the 8.4-meter (27-1/2-foot) telescope has a 3,200-megapixel camera feeding a powerful data processing system. "It's really going to change and challenge the way people work with their data," said William O'Mullane, a project manager focused on data at Vera Rubin. The observatory detected over 2,100 previously unseen asteroids in 10 hours of observations, focusing on a small area of the visible sky. Its ground-based and space-based peers discover in total some 20,000 asteroids a year. O'Mullane said the observatory would allow astronomers to collect huge amounts of data quickly and make unexpected finds. "Rather than the usual couple of observations and writing an (academic) paper. No, I'll give you a million galaxies. I'll give you a million stars or a billion even, because we have them: 20 billion galaxy measurements," he said. The center is named after American astronomer Vera C. Rubin, a pioneer in finding conclusive evidence of the existence of large amounts of invisible material known as dark matter. Each night, Rubin will take some 1,000 images of the southern hemisphere sky, letting it cover the entire southern sky every three or four nights. The darkest skies above the arid Atacama Desert make Chile one of the best places worldwide for astronomical observation. "The number of alerts the telescope will send every night is equivalent to the inboxes of 83,000 people. It's impossible for someone to look at that one by one," said astrophysicist Francisco Foster. "We're going to have to use artificial intelligence tools." — Reuters
Forbes
2 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
Don't Miss This Weekend's Sky Show As The Moon And Mars Shine Together
In an alignment of celestial bodies, Mars was captured here rising out of a lunar occultation on 13 ... More January 2025 using the new Visitor Center 0.6-meter Shreve Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, near Tucson, Arizona. Skywatchers will have two opportunities this weekend to see the moon form striking alignments in the post-sunset sky. On Saturday, June 28, a trio featuring the moon, Mars and the bright star Regulus will appear in a neat arc. Then, on Sunday, June 29, the moon and Mars will be in a very close conjunction — and in some parts of the world, Mars will be briefly occulted by the moon. Here's everything you need to know about what to see in the night sky this weekend. Where And When to Look Be outside looking to the western horizon about 45 minutes after sunset. You'll need a clear, unobstructed view since the moon and its companions will be low in the sky. The display will be short-lived, disappearing from view within about 45 minutes as twilight deepens — so good timing is imperative. Mars will appear dimmer than the moon, but it will be easy to find. Saturday, June 28: Moon, Regulus And Mars What You'll See On Saturday, June 28, a 16%-lit crescent moon will be a spectacular sight. Slightly above and left of the moon will be Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, and farther away, the reddish dot of the planet Mars. The three objects will be spaced nearly evenly, forming a clear visual arc. That arc will crumble after sunset on Sunday, June 29, when the now 24%-lit crescent moon will appear in conjunction with Mars — just 0.2 degrees apart as seen from North America. That's less than an outstretched little finger held against the night sky. From parts of the Pacific and northern South America, the moon will occult Mars for about an hour, according to Sunday, June 29: Moon And Mars In Conjunction Observing Tips You just need naked eyes for this sky event, though a pair of binoculars will enhance the view, especially on Sunday, when the moon and Mars will be close enough to fit within the same field. However, a close-up of the moon on either night will reveal something beautiful on its night side — Earthshine, sunlight reflected from Earth's clouds, oceans and ice caps onto the lunar surface. An open view to the west is essential both nights, especially during the first hour after sunset, when the celestial trio is visible. Monday, June 30: Moon, Mars And Regulus What's Next In The Night Sky Although the arc of bright objects will be much looser, look west after sunset on Monday, June 30, and you'll see a 33%-lit crescent moon, this time on the other side of Mars and Regulus. 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.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
When To See Mars As A ‘Cherry' On The Moon This Weekend In Rare Event
Skywatchers across the globe are in for a treat this weekend as the moon and Mars meet in a stunning close conjunction — what some astronomers call a celestial 'kiss.' The rare pairing, best viewed just after sunset on Sunday, June 29, will offer one of the most striking naked-eye sights of the summer. In an alignment of celestial bodies, Mars was captured here rising out of a lunar occultation on 13 ... More January 2025 using the new Visitor Center 0.6-meter Shreve Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, near Tucson, Arizona. KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. Winsky On Sunday, June 29, the moon and Mars reach conjunction, appearing less than 0.2 degrees apart. For most viewers, Mars will seem like a reddish 'cherry' perched above a spectacular 24%-lit waxing crescent moon. The duo will be above the western horizon shortly after sunset and remain easily visible, if skies are clear, for about an hour. A conjunction is an astronomical term for when two or more objects shine close together in the night sky, as seen from Earth. They are line-of-sight illusions. From the Pacific Ocean close to northern South America, the moon will briefly occult Mars, something that was seen from North America on Jan. 13. Sunday, June 29: Moon And Mars In Conjunction Stellarium In a warm-up to the main event, on Saturday, June 28, the 16%-lit waxing crescent moon will appear — also above the western horizon around 45 minutes after sunset —below and to the right of Mars. In between the two will be the blue star Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, 'The Lion.' The striking trio will appear almost evenly spaced in the sky, creating a near-perfect line. Saturday, June 28: Moon, Regulus And Mars Stellarium Following the close conjunction, the crescent moon will continue climbing higher in the sky over the next few nights, pulling away from Mars and Regulus. By Monday, June 30, the moon will be 33%-illuminated and will still form a beautiful visual line-up with Mars and Regulus. Planetary Conjunctions Coming Soon The next major planetary conjunctions will see Venus and Jupiter appear to be just 2.4 degrees apart before sunrise on Aug. 12 and a crescent moon and Venus just 0.8 degrees apart before sunrise on Sept. 19. Forbes In Photos: Sharpest-Ever Views Of The Sun's Surface Reveal 'Stripes' By Jamie Carter Forbes When To See June's 'Strawberry Moon,' The Lowest Full Moon Since 2006 By Jamie Carter Forbes 'Biggest Booms Since The Big Bang' Found As Black Holes Shred Stars By Jamie Carter
New York Post
19-06-2025
- Science
- New York Post
‘City-killer' asteroid hurtling toward moon — this is the terrifying way it could wreak havoc on Earth
Our world could still be rocked indirectly. 'City-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 may no longer be on a collision course with Earth, but it could pose a threat to our planet. Astronomers have upped the odds that the cosmic boulder will crash into the moon, which could potentially cause a cloud of shrapnel to impact Earth-orbiting satellites and other spacecraft, according to a scary new study submitted to the American Astronomy Society Journals. 'We were a little bit surprised at the possibility of there being a substantial amount of material [aimed] at the Earth,' Dr. Paul Wiegert, an astronomy professor at the University of Western Ontario who helmed the research, told the New Scientist. 3 Still from an animation showing asteroid 2024 YR4 as it passes by Earth and heads toward its potential impact with the Moon. NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor / SWNS Wiegart illustrated these potential outcomes in a series of scary video simulations showing the potential fallout from a lunar crash-landing. First discovered on December 27 of last year, YR4 sparked worldwide concern that it could strike our planet on December 23, 2032, potentially generating enough power to destroy an entire city. At its peak on February 19, YR4 had an impact risk factor of 3.1%, making it one of the most dangerous asteroids on record. And while follow-up observations revealed that YR4 wouldn't hit home, the odds of it striking the Moon recently jumped from 3.8% to 4.3%, according to data by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) by NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies. 3 'We were a little bit surprised at the possibility of there being a substantial amount of material [aimed] at the Earth,' said Dr. Paul Wiegert. NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor / SWNS Wiegert estimated that the asteroid would hit the Moon at 29,000 mph, creating a blast crater 0.6 miles wide, making it the largest lunar impact in the last 5,000 years. If it strikes just right, our planet's gravity would funnel up to 10% of the resultant debris toward our planet, per the simulations. 'Intuitively, the Earth is actually quite a small target when seen from the moon, and so your intuition is that not very much material would actually hit the Earth, but it turns out that the Earth's gravity can focus that material under certain conditions,' warned Wiegert. This debris field wouldn't threaten the planet itself, but could still have dire consequences for satellites in low orbit. By simulating the shrapnel cloud's potential trajectory 10,000 times, the team discovered that the satellites could sustain a decade's worth of damage in just a few days. 3 Artist's impression of the James Webb Telescope. NASA / SWNS While this barrage might not be enough to take out the satellites entirely, even impacts from small debris particles could potentially impact their functionality. 'If they were to hit a bit of a spacecraft that was a coolant pipe, or a sensor on the spacecraft exposed to space, or an antenna, then suddenly you get a loss of that particular functionality,' warned Mark Burchell, a space science lecturer at the University of Kent, UK 'You can't go and fix a satellite. A minor problem is actually a serious problem.' Satellites wouldn't be the only spacecraft potentially in the line of fire. Wiegert warned that the shrapnel cloud could affect the operations of Moon-orbiting spacecraft such as NASA's proposed Lunar Gateway while material displaced by the collision could potentially fall back to the Moon, impeding, rovers and even jeopardizing astronauts with the Artemis program. Based on this model, Wiegert believes global space agencies should devise plans to deflect asteroids headed for the Moon, as well as Earth. A spokesperson from NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office said that while 'planetary defense is not solely confined to near-Earth space,' it would be 'premature to speculate on potential response options' to 2024 YR4 hitting the moon. Wiegert said that we will be able to refine our models on YR4's orbital trajectory when it hurtles back into view of Earth's telescopes in 2028.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Milky Way arcs over Kitt Peak National Observatory
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. On a warm June evening, viewers in Arizona watched the sky burst with color from the clouds of gas and dust that help create our home galaxy, the Milky Way. The Milky Way galaxy is around 100,000 light-years in diameter, containing our solar system and many other objects. Our solar system orbits the galaxy's center, taking about 250 million years to make one revolution. The reason our galaxy is called "the Milky Way" is due to its milky white appearance in the night sky, which, according to Greek mythology, came from the goddess Hera. This image was captured at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. Kitt Peak National Observatory, a a program of the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab, hosts the recently retired McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope. According to NOIRLab, the solar telescope honors astronomers Keith Pierce and Robert McMath. For many decades, the McMath-Pierce telescope was the largest solar telescope in the world, standing at 110 feet tall (33 meters), with a 26-foot-diameter (8 m) platform. The telescope worked by reflecting light from a mirror down a 200-foot-long (61 m) concrete optical tunnel. In 2017, the telescope was decommissioned, after decades of serving the scientific community. It is in the process of transitioning to the NOIRLab Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach, according to NOIRLab. You can read more about solar telescopes and NOIRLab's research as humans continue to study the sun.
