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Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
See Mercury at greatest elongation, its farthest from the sun in the evening sky this week
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mercury reaches its point of greatest eastern elongation on Friday (July 4), presenting an excellent opportunity to spot the rocky planet during its evening apparition in the post-sunset sky. Astronomers describe Mercury as an "inferior planet", because its orbital path around the sun is much closer than that of Earth. As a result, Mercury never strays far from the sun in our sky and always appears low on the horizon compared to planets like Jupiter and Mars, whose distant orbits allow them to ride high on the line of the ecliptic (the plane of the major planets' path around the sun). The point at which Mercury appears most distant from the sun in Earth's sky, known as its point of greatest elongation, will occur at 00:37 a.m. EDT (0437 GMT) on July 4, according to stargazing website Viewers in the U.S. will have a golden opportunity to spot Mercury shining low above the western horizon immediately after sunset over the coming days. The rocky world will appear as a bright "evening star" approximately 15 degrees above the western horizon in the constellation Cancer at sunset for viewers in New York on July 4. For context, 10 degrees is roughly the same as the span of your clenched fist when held at arms length against the night sky. Mercury's low altitude could make it a challenging target for those in built-up areas, so we would advise scoping out a spot with a clear horizon ahead of time if you want to catch a glimpse of the fleet-footed planet before it sets less than an hour and a half after sundown. The "Great Bear" of the constellation Ursa Major will become visible around the time Mercury slips out of view, with the stars of Leo and the red light of Mars beating a path toward the western horizon as the night wears on. TOP TELESCOPE PICK Want to see Mercury, Mars, and Regulus all in the night sky? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Stargazers hoping to explore the wonders of the cosmos for themselves should check out our roundup of the best telescopes and binoculars available in 2025. If you're new to the hobby you should also check out our roundup of the top paid and free smartphone astronomy apps, many of which use augmented reality tech to help you find your way around the night sky. Editor's Note: If you snap a picture of Mercury and want to share it with readers, then please send it alongside your comments, name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
June's Strawberry Moon rises tonight. Here's what to expect from the lowest full moon since 2006
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Look up — or rather, down — tonight to spot the lowest full moon in nearly two decades. This month's full moon will ride low on the southern horizon thanks to an orbital phenomenon known as a major lunar standstill. Called the "Strawberry Moon," June's full moon was named by the Algonquian, after the short fruit harvesting season that coincides with its appearance each year. The full moon phase technically occurs at 3:44 a.m. EDT (0744 GMT) on June 11 for viewers in New York, though its disk will appear completely lit when it rises above the southeastern horizon at sunset on June 10. The lunar disk always appears larger at moonrise thanks to the "moon illusion," a trick of the brain that makes Earth's natural satellite appear larger than it actually is when it's close to the horizon. The moon will also likely take on a yellow-orange hue, because our planet's atmosphere scatters the shorter, blue wavelengths of the sun's reflected light. Read on to learn more about the moon's orbit and how the major lunar standstill will affect the path of the Strawberry Moon through the night sky. The sun appears to travel through Earth's sky along an imaginary line called the ecliptic, which is tilted 23.5 degrees relative to our planet's celestial equator (the plane of Earth's equator projected into space). The moon's orbital path is also tilted at around 5 degrees to the ecliptic, which is why we don't see an eclipse every time the moon passes close to the sun during its monthly new moon phase. Our sun's gravitational influence is constantly tugging on the moon, causing its tilted orbit to swivel in an 18.6-year cycle, according to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. We are in the midst of a major lunar standstill — the two-year period of the lunar cycle when the moon's tilted orbit is at its greatest inclination relative to the celestial equator. During this period, the moon rises and sets at more extreme positions on the horizon while riding very high or low in the sky, depending on the time of year. June's full Strawberry Moon falls close to the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice, when the sun tracks its highest path above our heads and the lunar disk trudges a correspondingly low track through the night sky. RELATED STORIES: — Full moon calendar 2025: When to see the next full moon — 'Major lunar standstill' may reveal if Stonehenge is aligned with the moon — Don't miss these 15 spectacular moon events in 2025 This year, the Strawberry Moon's seasonally low altitude will be made more extreme by the "great lunar standstill," resulting in the lowest full moon in over a decade, according to Indeed, the last time a major lunar standstill occurred was in 2006, and a similar event won't happen again until 2043. Editor's note: If you capture a picture of the full moon and want to share your astrophotography with passionate readers, please send the image(s), along with your name, comments and shooting location, to spacephotos@
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Catch Jupiter and Mercury side by side in the evening sky this week
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The nights surrounding June 7 will see Jupiter and Mercury crowd together close to the horizon in the northwestern sky. Stargazers in the U.S. will need a clear horizon to spot the planetary duo hanging less than 10 degrees (about a fist's width at arm's length) above the western horizon when the sun sets on June 6, with Jupiter positioned to the upper left of Mercury. The planets will only be visible for around 45 minutes after sunset, at which time they will follow our star below the horizon. The following evenings will see fleet-footed Mercury draw level with Jupiter, before rising above and away from the gas giant in the night sky as a result of the smaller world's tight orbit around the sun. On June 7, the planets will pass a little over two degrees from each other - close enough to fit comfortably inside the field of view of a pair of 10x50 binoculars. Ensure that the sun has set entirely below the horizon before you point any binoculars or telescopic gear in its direction. Side by side in the night sky, the two points of light appear similar in nature, belying the extreme differences of the solar system bodies they represent. Jupiter is a gas giant and the largest planet in our solar system, capable of fitting the smallest planet - rocky Mercury - within its expanse many thousands of times over. Want to find the planets of our solar system for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Their orbits are similarly divergent. It takes Jupiter 12 Earth years to complete a single lap of our star while travelling at an average orbital distance of 484 million miles (778 million kilometers). Counterintuitively, the gas giant has the shortest day of any planet in the solar system, taking a mere 9.9 hours to spin on its axis, according to NASA. Mercury, on the other hand, is separated on average by 29 million miles (47 million kilometers) from our star and completes a circuit of the sun every 88 Earth days — much shorter than the 176 Earth days that it takes for the tortured world to complete a full day-night cycle. Night sky enthusiasts hoping to explore the planets of our solar system for themselves should check out our guides to the best binocular and telescope deals. Those new to the night sky should also read our guide detailing the top smartphone stargazing apps available in 2025. Editor's Note: If you capture a picture of Jupiter and Mercury and want to share it with readers, then please send it along with your comments, name and the location of the shoot to spacephotos@
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Don't miss the half-lit first quarter moon rise tonight: Here's what to look for
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The half-lit disk of the first quarter moon will grace the night sky on Monday (June 2), presenting a wealth of lunar features to explore before Earth's natural satellite sets below the horizon in the early morning hours. The moon hits its first quarter phase at 11:41 p.m. EDT on June 2 (0341 GMT on June 3) for viewers in New York, who will find its semi-shadowed disk high above the southwestern horizon immediately after sunset, according to stargazing website At this time, the moon is positioned at a 90-degree angle away from the sun in the sky, having travelled a quarter of the way around our planet since its new moon phase on May 26. Viewing the moon through a pair of 10x50 binoculars will reveal a myriad of craters and broken terrain features peppering the line separating the dayside and night side of the lunar surface, known as the terminator. The magnifying power of a 6-inch telescope (or greater) will grant an even closer view of the moon's more prominent features, such as the Albategnius walled plain, located close to the terminator just below the lunar equator. Countless shadowed craters line the terminator all the way down to the moon's southern pole, while the 54-mile-wide (87 km) Aristotles Crater and smaller Eudoxus Crater form a tempting target on the border of Mare Frigoris to the north. The dark expanses of Mare Serenitatis (Latin for Sea of Serenity) and Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility) can also be seen scarring the moon's surface, easily visible to the naked eye. The 'lunar seas' formed billions of years ago when masses of molten lava flooded impact basins excavated by devastating asteroid strikes. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the shadowed craters and lunar seas for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Mare Tranquillitatis' southern shore was the site of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, where astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin took humanity's first steps on another world as pilot Michael Collins looked on from lunar orbit in July 1969. Mars can be found to the moon's lower right after sunset on June 2, with the bright star Regulus of the constellation Leo positioned directly between the two solar system bodies. The following week will see the waxing gibbous moon grow ever larger ahead of its full 'Strawberry Moon' phase on June 11, named for the brief U.S. strawberry-picking season with which it happens to coincide. Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Venus is at its farthest from the sun on June 1: Here's how to see the bright 'morning star' this weekend
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Venus reaches its point of greatest western elongation on June 1, at which time the dazzling 'morning star' will be at its most distant point from the sun in Earth's sky during its pre-dawn apparition. The rocky planet will hit the orbital milestone at 00.00 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT) on June 1, while Venus is below the horizon for skywatchers in the U.S, according to stargazing website At this time, Venus will be separated from the sun by a gulf of 46 degrees along the line of the ecliptic, which is the apparent path taken by the sun and planets as they journey through the constellations crowding the night sky. The best time to spot Venus for stargazers in the U.S. is during the pre-dawn hours on May 31 and June 1, when the planet will appear as a bright, magnitude -4.3 morning star rising over the eastern horizon, easily visible to the naked eye (remember, the brightest objects in the sky have lower or negative magnitudes). You'll need a telescope with an aperture of at least 60mm (2.4") to see the planet's disk, which appears half lit at this point in the Venutian orbit, according to telescope-maker Celestron. Venus has been a regular fixture in the morning sky following its inferior conjunction on March 22, when it passed between Earth and the sun, marking an end to its evening appearances. Its tight orbit around the sun ensures that Venus never strays far from the horizon, at least in comparison to Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, whose distant orbits allow them to be seen throughout the night when conditions allow. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the planets of our solar system for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. While June 1 may mark the point of greatest separation between the sun and Venus during its morning apparition, it won't be the highest that the planet will rise above the eastern horizon over the coming months. This is because a planet's altitude in the sky is dependent in part on the inclination of the ecliptic relative to the horizon, which shifts throughout the year due to Earth's wobbling orbit. Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
