Latest news with #Sky&Telescope
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This bright nova is making a rare appearance. How to glimpse it in Michigan
If you thought you saw a new star in Michigan's night sky recently, you may have glimpsed V462 Lupi, a rare nova in the Lupus constellation. The stellar explosion from one of Lupus' dim stars took on a very bright appearance, first spotted by astronomers in mid-June, according to Though viewing was strongest in the southern hemisphere, the Lake Superior area in northern Michigan observed the rare celestial object, per Sky & Telescope. Here's what to know. A nova is a stellar explosion in a binary system of two stars orbiting each other, per NASA. This classical nova formed from a dim star in the Lupus constellation, according to Astronomers at Ohio State University first observed the bright object on June 12, per Live Science. An astronomer at the University of Cape Town in South Africa then identified it as a classical nova on June 16. This constellation, Latin for wolf, can be found in the southern hemisphere in the night sky, according to Constellation Guide. Lupus is between Centaurus and Scorpius. Nova V462 Lupi has been observed around Lake Superior, per Sky & Telescope. Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How a nova made this star appear bright
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A star exploded in the Lupus constellation. Here's how to see the nova in the night sky this month
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An ordinarily dim star is making a brilliant appearance in the night sky after unleashing a powerful nova explosion, which has rendered it visible to the naked eye. The nova V462 Lupi was first discovered on June 12 by the Ohio State University-led All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), as reported by Sky & Telescope. The star that spawned the nova is usually too dim to see with the naked eye, boasting an apparent brightness — or magnitude — of +22.3. However, the explosion of radiation thrown out by the nova caused it to brighten dramatically, making it appear as if a new star is shining in the night sky! Remember, the lower an object's magnitude, the brighter it is in the night sky. For reference, the human eye is capable of seeing stars with a magnitude of +6.5 or greater under dark sky conditions. A subsequent analysis of the star's light fingerprint by astronomer Yusuke Tampo of the University of Cape Town, South Africa led to the event being classified as a classical nova. This form of stellar explosion occurs when the gravitational influence of a white dwarf star orbiting in a binary system strips mass from its nearby companion. This process continues until the mass accumulated on the surface of the white dwarf is heated to the point that a cataclysmic fusion reaction becomes inevitable. The resulting explosion releases a colossal outpouring of radiation, which can be visible from Earth. Soon after its discovery on July 14, observers associated with the American Association for Variable Stars (AAVSO) reported that V462 Lupi was visible through a pair of 15x70 binoculars with a magnitude of around +7.9. The nova was observed to steadily brighten in the days following its discovery, eventually becoming visible to the naked eye around the middle of June. It subsequently crescendoed, with some reports placing its brightness at over +5.5. Sadly, the AAVSO light curve of V462 Lupi based on member observations appears to show that the nova is now on the decline. V462 Lupi will soon vanish from the night sky, but before it does, the dark skies around the new moon present a perfect time to head away from city lights to hunt down the ancient nova light. We would advise taking a pair of 10x50 binoculars, which will make it easier to spot the subsiding light of the nova while providing a wide field of view with which to observe the multitude of surrounding stars. The nova can be found in the patch of sky close to the bright stars Delta Lupi and Kappa Centauri in the constellation of Lupus, the wolf. Its exact location is best found with the aid of a star chart, which, as noted by Sky & Telescope, can be generated on the AAVSO website by typing 'V462 Lup' into the 'Pick a star' box and clicking 'Create a finder chart'. V462 Lupi will be easiest to spot for skywatchers in the southern hemisphere, where the nova will be highest in the post-sunset sky. However, the patch of sky containing the nova will also be visible close to the southern horizon for U.S. stargazers living in states closest to the equator, such as Texas, Florida, and Louisiana.
Axios
10-04-2025
- Science
- Axios
Morning skies host new green comet
Early risers may be in store for a celestial treat: a brand-new comet is streaking through our morning sky. Driving the news: Comet SWAN25F is currently visible through binoculars low on the east-northeastern horizon just before sunrise. The comet was discovered last month by amateur astronomers using publicly available images from the SWAN (Solar Wind Anisotropies) camera system aboard NASA's SOHO spacecraft, which monitors solar activity. Zoom in: To find it, look near Alpheratz, the brightest star in the Great Square of Pegasus. The comet is heading toward Andromeda and will pass near Alpheratz around April 13, according to EarthSky. Context: It glows green thanks to sunlight reacting with carbon molecules in its coma, a common feature of comets making their way toward the sun, per Sky & Telescope. By then, it could shift to sunset viewing, per EarthSky, making for a spectacular sight if skies cooperate.
NBC News
22-03-2025
- Science
- NBC News
Saturn's rings will temporarily 'disappear' this weekend
Saturn's iconic rings will seem to 'disappear' for a couple of days starting this weekend — at least from our vantage point on Earth. The rings won't actually vanish, but for a short time, the angle between Earth and Saturn will create something of a cosmic illusion, making the planet's rings appear invisible from our point of view. The reason this occurs has to do with the specific tilts of both planets. Saturn's axis is tilted 26.73 degrees from vertical as it orbits the sun, which is similar to Earth's 23.5-degree tilt, according to NASA. So as each planet rotates on its axis and orbits the sun, Saturn's appearance, including its rings, can differ when viewed through telescopes or high-powered observatories on Earth. Occasionally, Saturn's angle of tilt toward Earth turns the rings precisely edge-on, making it seem like the thin bands are gone. 'They literally almost disappear,' said Sean Walker, an associate editor at Sky & Telescope, a monthly magazine about science and amateur astronomy. 'Normally you see the rings around Saturn, but when you have an edge-on view, it looks like a hair-thin line of light just cutting across.' In recent months, Saturn's vast rings have appeared to progressively thin when viewed through ground-based telescopes. By Sunday, the rings will reach that precise edge-on angle. The illusion is temporary, lasting only about a day or two before the rings slowly start coming into view again. And the event is relatively rare: Ring plane crossings — as the phenomenon is known — typically occur twice during the 29.4 years it takes Saturn to make one orbit around the sun. This means they can be seen from Earth about once every 13 to 15 years. Unfortunately, however, Saturn will be too close to the sun this weekend for skywatchers to see how it looks without its rings. But another opportunity will come later this year, on Nov. 23, when the rings will be nearly edge-on (though not precisely). Walker said he witnessed a ring plane crossing in 1995, using a backyard telescope. 'It was fantastic,' he said. 'It looked like a different planet. I spent a good part of the night just drinking in that view.' It was around that time, he said, when he was just starting to become interested in astronomy. In addition to being a quirky product of geometry, a ring plane crossing also happens because of the structure of Saturn's rings. The iconic accessories are made up of billions of swirling chunks of rock and ice but are relatively flat, which is why the rings can seem to disappear into a thin line when tilted edge-on to Earth. The edge-on view also makes it easier to see more of Saturn's moons, Walker said. 'When we have these ring plane crossings, the light that normally reflects off Saturn's rings is no longer glaring back toward Earth,' he said. 'That means you can detect a lot more of the smaller moons.' With a regular backyard telescope, Walker said, people can often spot four to six moons around Saturn. During a ring plane crossing in the dark sky, people may be able to detect nearly a dozen. 'The really faint ones become apparent because they line up in almost a perfect line,' he said. After this weekend's ring plane crossing, the next full one will take place in 2038. That event should be visible from Earth, according to Walker. 'I'd love to see it again,' he said. 'It's just going to be a little while to wait.'
