Latest news with #SummerTriangle
Forbes
5 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
Today's New Moon Reveals Summer's Best Night Sky Sights — Where To Look
The summer Milky Way overhead and through the Summer Triangle stars in July, looking up through ... More trees in Banff National Park at Herbert Lake Deneb is at top left, Vega at top right, and Altair is at bottom. (Photo by: Alan Dyer/VW Pics/UIG via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images The moon will vanish from the sky on Wednesday, June 25, leaving stargazers with a dark sky ideal for finding some of summer's most spectacular stars and constellations. The new moon phase, when our natural satellite is roughly between the Earth and the sun, arrives at 5:33 a.m. EDT. Lost in the sun's glare for the best part of two days, it means a completely dark night that's ideal for astronomy — if the skies are clear. Here's what to find in the night sky tonight. Head out around 10 p.m. local time and look southeast. That's where the Summer Triangle rises — Vega, Deneb and Altair. Vega is the highest, with Deneb below it to the left and Altair to the lower right. By midnight, the entire asterism is high overhead. It's a sure-fire sign that summer has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere — and it will be visible until October. While the Summer Triangle can be seen from anywhere, you'll need dark country skies to see the Milky Way. You can find it in the Summer Triangle itself, flowing diagonally from Deneb through Altair to the southern horizon. Beneath Altair, on the southern horizon, are the two classic constellations of summer, Sagittarius and Scorpius. The absence of moonlight will make the Summer Triangle stars easy to find, and if you're in a location away from light pollution, the Milky Way should be easy to find, too — though do allow your eyes to become dark-adapted. That takes about 20 minutes. Stretching through the Summer Triangle, the Milky Way is a river of starlight. Inside the Summer Triangle is the Cygnus Star Cloud, a dense patch teeming with stars. Below Altair is the Milky Way's center. If you have binoculars, drag them over this region of the night sky, and you'll be blown away by how many starfields and nebulas there are. To the north, keep watch for noctilucent clouds. These shimmering ice-crystal clouds float near the edge of space and often appear after sunset in June and July. Observing Tips For skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere, the window for darkness varies. Those below 49 degrees north can expect true astronomical darkness, which is defined by the sun dipping more than 18 degrees below the horizon. Above that latitude, twilight lingers deep into the night, but you'll easily find the Summer Triangle. Binoculars will enhance everything: star colors, the starfields of the Milky Way and subtle constellations — such as Delphinus, the Dolphin, and Sagitta, the Arrow, close to Altair. 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 In the evenings after the new moon, a young crescent moon will emerge and be visible in a slightly higher position each night. Look west after dark on Thursday, June 26 and Friday, June 27, to see the crescent moon move past the tiny planet Mercury. On Saturday, June 28, the crescent moon will approach bright star Regulus and Mars before, on Sunday, June 29, the moon and Mars will be in close conjunction, less than a degree apart in the night sky. 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.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The best time to see the Milky Way is fast approaching! How to see our galaxy at its best in June.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The best time to see the core of our stunning home galaxy, the Milky Way, is fast approaching. Wherever you are on the planet, if you can get away from light pollution and face south without any artificial lights to spoil the view, one of the most spectacular sights in stargazing is all yours. Although the Milky Way is visible in May from the Northern Hemisphere, it's only in June that the galactic center comes into view. About 26,000 light-years from the solar system, it's located around the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius, which are both now visible in the south after dark. "This is the time of year when the Milky Way is visible as a faint band of hazy light arching across the sky all night," says Preston Dyches at NASA in the June 2025 installment of his monthly vlog, What's Up. "What you're looking at is the bright central core of our home galaxy, seen edge-on from our position within the galaxy's disk." Finding the Milky Way is easy. Look to the east after dark, and you'll see three bright stars rising — Vega in the constellation Lyra, and Deneb in Cygnus, at the top, and Altair in Aquila below them. This is the vast Summer Triangle, an asterism (shape) in the night sky rather than an official constellation. As seen from the Northern Hemisphere, the fainter top of the Milky Way pours through the Summer Triangle, specifically from Deneb through Altair. Follow it diagonally across from east to south, and low on the southern horizon will be the Milky Way's bright core. Related: Two stunning conjunctions will light up the night sky this month. Here's how to see Mars and Mercury 'kiss' the moon RELATED STORIES —The 10 best stargazing events of 2025 —How many times has the sun traveled around the Milky Way? —Does the Milky Way orbit anything? The farther south you are, the more of the bright core you'll see and the darker the sky will be at this time of year. Around the solstice on June 20 to 21, nights in the Northern Hemisphere will be at their shortest, with persistent twilight and no astronomical darkness at latitudes north of about 49 degrees north, according to EarthSky. Closer to the equator is better, and so is anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere, where nights are at their longest during June. The Milky Way will get brighter and higher in a darker sky in July, August and September. Whenever you see it, try taking a long exposure image, which you can try either with one of the best cameras for astrophotography or with a newer smartphone. A tripod will be required for a good image because the shutter will need to be open for about 10 to 25 seconds.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
How and when to see June's Strawberry Moon, Summer Triangle and other celestial events
Skygazers are in for a treat this June as a number of potentially dazzling celestial events grace our include the Strawberry Moon the Summer Triangle, the longest day of the year, with other sights to behold along the north of Scotland has already been treated to displays of stunning aurora this month with the potential for more to come, thanks to a number of geomagnetic storms taking place on the ever the chances of seeing these sights is dependent on the capricious nature of the UK's weather which is definitely expected to be more changeable throughout June than it was in the spring. Summer Triangle It all begins with the Summer Triangle, external, a bright three-cornered pattern of stars, called Vega, Deneb, and Altair. The trio gets higher in the sky during the summer months and becomes more and more prominent. They form what is known as an asterism or noticeable pattern of stars, created from three different constellations - Cygnus the Swan, Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the are best seen rising in the east after sunset, forming a huge triangle overhead. The Strawberry Moon June's full Moon comes next, rising in the east on 11 June. Known as the Strawberry Moon, it was named by Native American and European cultures to signal the time of year that wild strawberries were harvested, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, external. Historically it was a way to keep track of time and monitor the changing the northern hemisphere, it will be the lowest full Moon until 2043 staying unusually close to the horizon. Its position may mean it takes on an apt reddish tinge because of the way the thicker, lower layer of atmosphere diffracts the light. The Summer Solstice Ten days later on 21 June, it is the summer solstice, the day of the year in the northern hemisphere with most much you get will vary depending on where you are in the UK and the higher your latitude the more you will this point, the northern hemisphere is most tilted towards the Sun. In the southern hemisphere, however, the Earth will be tilted away from the Sun and experiencing a winter solstice or shortest period of daylight of the year. The summer solstice marks the start of astronomical summer - a time some people associate with the beginning of the season, although meteorologists mark it from the beginning of word solstice comes from the fact the Sun appears to stand still - from the Latin words sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand still).The date of the solstice shifts between 20 to 22 June because the calendar year doesn't match with the time it takes Earth to orbit the actually takes the Earth 365 full days and one quarter to orbit the Sun, which is why we have a leap year every four years to bring our calendar and Earth's movements back into alignment. Peak of Bootid meteor shower The June Bootid meteor shower will be active from 22 June until 2 July, peaking on the 27 June. Normally the shower is weak, but occasional outbursts can produce a hundred or more meteors in an hour. There will be a chance of seeing the showers whenever the radiant point in the constellation Boötes is above the horizon. The best time is likely to be before dawn or soon after dusk but check the weather where you are before venturing out - either by downloading the BBC Weather app or via the BBC Weather if you would like to share your pictures with us - and aren't already a BBC Weather Watcher - you can create an account and enjoy snapping away.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What does Milky Way galaxy look like when it's visible from Earth? When is Milky Way season?
What does the Milky Way look like? Sometimes, the billions of stars comprising our home galaxy appear especially vibrant during 'Milky Way season' as the band arcs across the night sky. The reason has much to do with the cycle of the moon, but it also has to do with how high in the sky the Milky Way should appear from our perspective here on Earth, specifically in the United States. Here's everything to know about our Milky Way, including how (and when) to see the stunning natural phenomenon. The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. Because it appears as a rotating disc curving out from a dense central region, the Milky Way is known as a spiral galaxy. Our planet itself is located along one of the galaxy's spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA. The Milky Way sits in a cosmic neighborhood called the Local Group that includes more than 50 other galaxies. Those galaxies can be as small as a dwarf galaxy with up to only a few billion stars, or as large as Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The Milky Way got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. While the Milky Way is generally always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse of the band of billions of stars comprising our galaxy. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to see the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is from March to September. Those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the entire continental United States, could have spectacular views of the Milky Way on clear nights with a new moon. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the southeast, travels across the southern sky and sets in the southwest, according to Typically, the sky is darkest between about midnight and 5 a.m., according to Capture the Atlas. Stargazers can observe the Milky Way galaxy by looking for the Summer Triangle, "a shape formed by three bright stars" that spans across the Milky Way, according to In Florida, the National Park Service recommends the Everglades: 'Each month around the time of the new moon, Everglades National Park offers superbly dark conditions that are ideal for viewing the Milky Way. On a dark night and in a dark place within the park, look to the south to find the Milky Way. 'In the Northern Hemisphere, the center of the Milky Way will be low in the southern sky, and the glowing band will sweep upward in an arch across the eastern sky to the northern horizon. Some parts of the faint silvery or milky cloud will be slightly mottled. The brighter spots are caused by star clouds, which are concentrations of millions of stars that are too faint to see as individual stars. The darker areas are caused by clouds of interstellar dust that block our view of the stars beyond. 'Viewing the Milky Way with a pair of binoculars will provide enough magnification to resolve the Milky Way into thousands of individual stars,' the section about Florida and the Milky Way on states. Spectators will have the best luck on cloud-free nights and in locations away from city light pollution. DarkSky International maintains a website that lists all designated dark sky communities around the world, including 159 locations in the U.S. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Milky Way season: How it got its name, when to see it in Florida sky
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Look up, Washington: Milky Way galaxy shines over Memorial Day weekend
The Milky Way could be coming to a sky near you. The billions of stars comprising our home galaxy should appear especially vibrant in late-May as the band arcs across the night sky. The reason has much to do with the cycle of the moon, but it also has to do with how high in the sky the Milky Way should appear from our perspective here on Earth, specifically in the United States. Here's everything to know about our Milky Way, including how to see the stunning natural phenomenon. The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. Because it appears as a rotating disc curving out from a dense central region, the Milky Way is known as a spiral galaxy. Our planet itself is located along one of the galaxy's spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA. The Milky Way sits in a cosmic neighborhood called the Local Group that includes more than 50 other galaxies. Those galaxies can be as small as a dwarf galaxy with up to only a few billion stars, or as large as Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The Milky Way got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. While the Milky Way is generally always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse of the band of billions of stars comprising our galaxy. "Milky Way season," when the galaxy's bright center becomes easier to see from Earth, typically runs from February to October, according to Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. However, the best time to see the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere is from March to September. And for several days in May, the Milky Way may be even more visible than usual. The peak days to view the Milky Way will be from Tuesday, May 20, to Friday, May 30, according to science news website LiveScience. That's the period between the last quarter moon and the new moon, when skies should be darker. Those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the entire continental United States, could have spectacular views of the Milky Way on clear nights with a new moon. Typically, the sky is darkest between about midnight and 5 a.m., according to Capture the Atlas. Stargazers can observe the Milky Way galaxy by looking for the Summer Triangle, "a shape formed by three bright stars" that spans across the Milky Way, according to In the Northern Hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the southeast, travels across the southern sky and sets in the southwest, according to Spectators will have the best luck on cloud-free nights and in locations away from city light pollution. DarkSky International maintains a website that lists all designated dark sky communities around the world, including 159 locations in the U.S. Timing up your viewing experience with a new moon phase will also help so that light reflected off our celestial neighbor doesn't drown out the billions of stars lighting up the Milky Way, astronomers say. Just like Earth, half of the moon is always illuminated by the sun, while the other half remains dark. A new moon represents the start of a new lunar cycle, when the illuminated side of Earth's natural satellite is facing away from our planet, rendering it effectively invisible to us. As the moon orbits around Earth and Earth orbits around the sun, the amount of sunlight that reflects off the moon and travels to our eyes changes every day until the moon appears as full. The next new moon is May 26, according to the website TimeAndDate. Cloud cover forecasts from the National Weather Service are a mixed bag for viewing the night sky on May 26, the day of the new moon. At 11 p.m. on May 26, cloud cover in central and eastern Washington is predicted to range from 18% to 31%, according to the NWS. The lower the percentage, the clearer the sky will be. These percentages are considered "good" viewing conditions by But the picture gets muddier moving west. In Seattle, cloud cover is predicted to be about 66%, which approaches the "poor" range for seeing the sky, according to The NWS shows improved cloud cover conditions across western Washington on May 27. This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Is Milky Way visible from Washington? How to watch on Memorial Day
