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Travel + Leisure
3 hours ago
- Science
- Travel + Leisure
August Has 7 Major Astronomical Events Including Meteor Showers and a Mercury Sighting
It's hard to beat a summer night beneath the stars, especially in August, when the shimmery Milky Way core is at its brightest. Late August also brings the return of the year's stronger-than-average northern lights season to high-latitude destinations like Iceland and Greenland, not to mention meteor shower peaks and striking planet-moon sightings. Here are the top sights to watch for in August's night sky, and don't forget to head to a dark-sky park or stargazing hotel for the best view. The Eta Eridanid meteor shower will peak overnight from Aug. 7 to Aug. 8. While this isn't the most prolific meteor shower, it's worth watching for in the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 8, especially since it coincides with the active Perseids. The spectacle produces about three meteors per hour; look for its shooting stars near the Eridanus constellation, which hangs low in the southeast sky August's full sturgeon moon will glow in the southeast skies on Aug. 9, with Saturn nearby to the east. Native American fishing tribes gave this moon its name, according to Royal Museums Greenwich. While you can see it throughout the night, it's best to watch during moonrise — roughly an hour after sunset — when the lunar orb appears larger than normal thanks to the moon illusion. Around 11 p.m. local time, the waning gibbous moon and Saturn will inch above the eastern horizon, then tango together through the sky until dawn. Neptune, which hovers just above Saturn, is joining the fun, but you'll need a telescope to see it. Early the mornings of Aug. 11 to Aug. 13, Venus and Jupiter—two of the night sky's brightest planets—will appear within roughly one degree, or about a pinky-finger distance, of each other. The planets will pair up in the eastern sky around 3 a.m. local time; they'll continue to climb heavenward until sunrise. The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most celebrated astronomical events, and this year, it will reach its peak overnight from Aug. 12 to Aug. 13, according to stargazing app SkySafari. The luminous waning gibbous moon will make viewing tricky, but it's still worth heading out. The Perseids is known to produce bright meteors and even fireballs that will shine through the bright lunar light. For optimal viewing, watch above the eastern sky after midnight into the early morning hours. Mercury orbits close to the sun, so it's typically tough to view the swift planet, but that changes come Aug. 19. This morning, Mercury will reach its farthest distance from the sun, giving stargazers around an hour of spectacular planet-gazing before sunrise. Watch for Mercury, as well as Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon, above the eastern horizon. You can catch the trio aligned in the morning sky for about a week after Aug. 19, too. See the sliver of a crescent moon and orange-tinged Mars couple up near the western horizon in the evening hours of Aug. 26. You won't have much time to admire the duo—they set around an hour after sunset—but if you do stay out for all-night stargazing, you'll be treated with more planet alignments just before dawn.
Metro
a day ago
- Science
- Metro
Will there be a total solar eclipse on August 2? We have the answer
If there's one thing that the Earth, Moon and Sun have in common, it's that they love to get their groove on. The three celestial bodies are forever dancing around the cosmos and now and then, they line up perfectly, creating an eclipse. A solar eclipse is when the Moon slides between us and the Sun, casting a shadow of wonder as only the wispy, outer edges of the Sun are visible. Eclipses can remind us all of our place in the lonely, messy cosmos – after all, they only happen because the Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, but is 400 times closer to us. An incredible coincidence. They tend to last 10 seconds or so, but soon, one of the longest and most significant eclipses of the 21st century will happen. Skywatchers have been claiming online that the world will be plunged into darkness for six minutes on August 2 this year. But this isn't the case, according to astronomical data. It seems users have simply got the year of the lengthy eclipse wrong. The solar eclipse will actually take place on August 2, 2027, in 10 countries. This one will be a total solar eclipse, when the Sun fully disappears behind the Moon. The moment this happens is called totality. A line of totality will then slowly drift across the world, where for a few brief minutes the Moon will fully block out the Sun, and darkness will swallow the light of day. A halo will glow white behind the Moon, the Sun's corona. Spain Morocco Algeria Tunisia Libya Egypt Sudan Saudi Arabia Yemen Somalia Six minutes, which in the world of cosmic coincidences is a seriously long time, said Greg Brown, a senior astronomer at the Royal Museums Greenwich, told Metro. 'It varies from only a few seconds at its shortest to a theoretical maximum of 7.5 minutes,' he said. 'This variation is due to the Moon and Sun varying in apparent size, itself due to their slightly changing distance from the Earth during the Moon's orbit around the Earth and the Earth's orbit around the Sun.' But how long stargazers will have to crane their necks will depend on where they live. The total solar eclipse will only be visible across a thin, 160-mile-long strip of southern Europe and northern Africa where 89 million live, according to The skies will begin to darken above the Atlantic Ocean at 05.19am (UTC), just as the Sun is rising. While this is where totality begins, it's not where it will be the longest. As the two cosmic giants do their dance and the Earth spins, totality will only be visible above the Atlantic for three minutes. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon gobbles up the Sun, leaving a ring of fire around it. Partial solar eclipses are when the Moon, Sun and Earth are imperfectly aligned, so only a chunk is obscured. Earth can also get between the Moon and the Sun, creating a lunar eclipse. To watch one, please don't stare directly at the Sun, which can permanently damage your eyes. Even if the Moon has completely obscured the Sun, the risk is still high. People can look at the celestial event using eclipse glasses. You can also project the eclipse onto the ground using items around the house, such as a cardboard box, a kitchen strainer or even your fingers. The Moon's 258km-wide shadow will then be cast in the aptly-named Costa de la Luz, or 'Coast of the Light', in Spain's Andalusia before gobbling up the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It will also envelop Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, where it will reach its deepest, longest duration at 6 minutes and 22 seconds from 12.44pm (UTC). After it leaves Egypt, the total eclipse will last around four to three minutes as the shadow glides through the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The eclipse will end with a totally eclipsed sunset near the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Some nations just to the north or south of the totality line will be able to see a partial solar eclipse, when the Moon takes a smaller bite out of the Sun. Brown said that the UK sadly won't catch a glimpse of totality – the nation is far too north of the line. We will have another partial solar eclipse, with around 40% of the Sun covered in the south of England, dropping to around 20% in northern Scotland,' he added. 'The partial eclipse will begin around 9.20am for us in the UK, ending around 10.50am with the maximum occurring around 10am. The 2027 eclipse will be around 16 seconds shorter than the July 22, 2009, eclipse, Brown said, the longest solar eclipse this century. 'However, while the 2009 eclipse was longer, it occurred almost entirely over the ocean, making it very difficult to observe,' he said. Nasa says the next eclipse, a partial one, will happen on September 21, blanketing Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The next total eclipse will be on August 12, 2026. It will only be visible in a sliver of Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Russia, while Europe, Africa and North America will be treated with a partial solar eclipse. More Trending This eclipse, Brown said, is Britain's 'best bet' for seeing this awe-inspiring sight. 'The whole of the UK will experience at least a 90% eclipse and Cornwall will experience a 96% eclipse,' he said. 'Definitely one to look out for.' But if you don't manage to catch it, you'll have to wait a while, explained Matt Irvine, of the Astronomical Society of Haringey, a London stargazing club. 'Next one for us is, I think, 2090,' he told Metro. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Today's Mercury Cazimi is hugely powerful — especially for these 3 star signs MORE: Here's how to see the Delta Aquariid meteor shower in the UK this week MORE: Asteroid bigger than the Leaning Tower of Pisa to pass Earth in days
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Best places to see meteor shower 'peak' over Hampshire skies this week
A mesmerising meteor shower is set to peak across UK skies this week, and some stargazing experts have branded five places in the New Forest as top spots to see it. The annual Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak this Wednesday, sending a "shooting star" shower across Hampshire and the rest of England. While it will remain active until August 23, the Delta Aquariid marks the start of the summer meteor season in the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of two meteor showers that converge in the summer, alongside the more famous Perseids, which is set to peak on August 12 or 13 in the UK. The Delta Aquariids get their name from the constellation in the night sky that they appear to radiate from - the constellation of Aquarius, near the bright star Delta Aquarii. Southampton residents may have to leave the city to find the best view of the meteor shower, website Go Stargazing has suggested. READ MORE: Britain's most mysterious fish helped by river project The experts listed five car parks in the New Forest as top places to be during the shower's peak on Wednesday. For those living in Southampton, residents may have to travel a little bit away from the city to get the best view of the Perseid meteor shower. According to the website Go Stargazing there are a few spots recommended for low levels of light pollution that are within a drivable distance. In Bramshaw near Lyndhurst, Roundhill, Longcross and Cadman's Pool car parks are all considered top places to view the phenomenon. Stoney Cross and Bolderwood car parks are also highly rated as top spots by Go Stargazing. The Royal Museums Greenwich has also issued tips on how to get the best view of the Delta Aquariid shower. Its website says to ensure to check the weather forecast ahead of time, and if the forecast isn't favourable, find a different location to observe from or view the meteor shower on another day. READ MORE: The website suggests to make sure that you are in a dark sky area and have an unobstructed view towards the south. It says to lie down to ensure a wide view of the sky, and to use the naked eye rather than binoculars with narrow fields of view. Hopeful viewers should also allow their eyes to adapt to the dark and should not look at any lights, or their phones, to maintain the dark adaptation.
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Science
- Scotsman
This year, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak on July 30, but is active from July 12 to August 23.
Date the Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak and how you could see it. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Delta Aquariid meteor shower is a moderate meteor shower which peaks in late July. Royal Museums Greenwich says the Delta Aquariid meteor shower is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, however those living at mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere can still catch a glimpse. How can I see the Delta Aquariid meteor shower? The radiant of the shower lies above the southern horizon. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad You should make sure you are in a dark sky area and have an unobstructed view towards the south. The naked eye is the best instrument to use to see meteors. Don't use binoculars or a telescope as these have narrow fields of view. Make sure to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark. Skygazers can catch a glimpse of a meteor shower on Tuesday as the Delta Aquariids light up the night sky in the UK. | Getty After locating the Delta Aquarii on the sky, look away from the radiant point. Meteors appear longer the further away from the radiant you look, so look about 45 degrees away from Delta Aquarii.
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Science
- Scotsman
This year, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak on July 30, but is active from July 12 to August 23.
Date the Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak and how you could see it. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Delta Aquariid meteor shower is a moderate meteor shower which peaks in late July. Royal Museums Greenwich says the Delta Aquariid meteor shower is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, however those living at mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere can still catch a glimpse. How can I see the Delta Aquariid meteor shower? The radiant of the shower lies above the southern horizon. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad You should make sure you are in a dark sky area and have an unobstructed view towards the south. The naked eye is the best instrument to use to see meteors. Don't use binoculars or a telescope as these have narrow fields of view. Make sure to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark. Skygazers can catch a glimpse of a meteor shower on Tuesday as the Delta Aquariids light up the night sky in the UK. | Getty After locating the Delta Aquarii on the sky, look away from the radiant point. Meteors appear longer the further away from the radiant you look, so look about 45 degrees away from Delta Aquarii. This year, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak on July 30, but is active from July 12 to August 23.
