Latest news with #astronomers
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
3 All-American Road Trips to Take This Summer — From Chasing the Stars to Living the Cowboycore Dream
Summer is road trip season in America! With endless possible routes — Do you do a multi-day cruise down Highway 1 or a cross-country haul on Route 66? — the options can be overwhelming and the planning complex. To take the guess work out of this classic vacation and put the fun back in, we've curated three inspiring itineraries to kick off your next adventure. Whether it's viewing bucket-list wonders, hitting the hottest concert tour of the season or indulging in a little summer movie nostalgia, there's something for every type of traveler across the country. Astrotourism is the biggest trend in travel right now, with folks trekking across the globe to catch the northern lights or see the Milky Way where the sky is darkest. It's even become a wellness trend with experts claiming "star bathing" (that's soaking in starlight in a natural setting) is good for your health. We're lucky to have a number of "dark sky" regions in the U.S. that are ideal for stargazing. including in Montana's Glacier National Park, where this road trip kicks off. Time your trip to attend one of two summer Star Parties at Logan Pass (July 25 and August 22), where visitors are joined by park rangers and astronomers to use high-powered telescopes to view the cosmos. There are also nightly astronomy programs offered throughout the park. Further south, the runs July 9-11 and gives visitors the chance to view celestial objects through a 32" telescope. The Montana Learning Center in Canyon Ferry Lake hosts special astronomer-led stargazing sessions one weekend a month for from June through September. This summer is also the time to catch the , which reaches its peak August 12-13. And later in the year, ongoing "solar maximum" conditions mean visitors have a good chance to catch the Northern Lights starting in October. When you need a break from looking up, why not search for some sparklers underfoot? Visitors can seek out precious stones at Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine in Philipsburg, Mont., where 180 million carats have been discovered in its 130 years of operation. Tourists purchase a bucket of "sapphire gravel" mined on site and pan for gems, then have their finds evaluated and even turned into a piece of jewelry. It's impossible to forego a visit to Yellowstone National Park when you're so close. While it's worth a dedicated trip of its own, the Artist's Point Trail is the perfect low-effort pit stop. It was recently named of the easiest hikes in America and offers spectacular views with minimal steps. Cross the border into Idaho for a different type of starry experience – the Hollywood variety. Jimmy Kimmel opened a hotel and restaurant in Swan Valley, where he famously welcomed a slew of A-listers including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Kristen Bell for dinner. Make a reservation and experience the elevated "fishing lodge fare" of celeb chefs Chris Bianco and Adam Perry Lang. Another star-favorite spot, Jackson Hole, Wyo., a little over an hour east, is the perfect starry end point to this journey and has all the creature comforts and then some after a long trek. Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour has helped inspire an obsession with all things Wild West this year — and her stop in Las Vegas (July 25 - 26) is the perfect excuse to strap on your spurs, or at least purchase a cowboy hat. (Sales are up 300% according to one study.) Even if you can't score a last-minute ticket, Sin City is sure to be filled with pop-ups, special events and beyhive buzz for the occasion. While in town, snag a reservation at steakhouse inside the new celeb-favorite Fontainebleau hotel (Tom Brady and Justin Timberlake are fans), for a cowboy-worthy cut of meat like the dry-aged bone-in ribeye from Pat LaFrieda. Leave the bright lights behind and head southwest from the Strip toward the ghost town of Goodspring, home of the Pioneer Saloon, one of the oldest such establishments in Nevada with a colorful history including a poker match that ended in a shootout. It's also been a frequent filming location and appears in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and fittingly, several episodes of Ghost Adventures. Get a real taste of life as a Cowboy for a Day just down the road at Sandy Valley Ranch, where visitors can take part in cattle handling training, trail rides, penning and sorting cattle and a cattle drive before ending the day with a campfire on the range. They also offer one-of-a-kind overnight accommodations including two covered wagons. The town of Oatman (pop. 130) just across the Arizona border is famous for its free-roaming burros — the descendants of the donkeys that once aided miners during the area's gold rush (and yes, there are more of them than people). Today they keep busy wandering alongside the town's wooden sidewalks and nudging visitors for snacks. Visitors can also catch a staged Old West shootout by the Ghost Rider Gunfighters in this kitschy destination and get a taste of Route 66 history. It runs right through the middle of town! As you head east toward the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell, there are plenty of roadside stops. One, the time warp town of Seligman, is said to have inspired Radiator Springs, the fictional setting of Cars. Another, Kanab, is known as 'Little Hollywood' for the many Westerns filmed there, including The Lone Ranger and Pony Express. Under Canvas is the perfect place to check-in for the night and still feel surrounded by nature. They offer glamping accommodations — think a private, raised platform tent with a wood stove, but a short hike to shared showers — located near a number of national parks. Under Canvas Grand Canyon is well situated near the Mather Point and Grandview Point lookouts, while Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase is a great launch spot for those looking to take a pontoon boat tour through the breathtaking slot canyons. Jaws celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer, and in Edgartown, Mass., aka the real-life Amity Island, a taste for the classic film comes with the territory. Located on Martha's Vineyard, an island off Cape Cod that can be accessed by car ferry, the town looks much the same as it did on screen. Film fanatics can take a Jaws-themed walking tour — self-guided or hop-on-hop-off — and can even catch a ride on the infamous Chappy Ferry that appears in one of the most iconic scenes in Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic. Martha's Vineyard is also famous for its beaches, quaint cedar-shingled cottages and famous frequent visitors, including the Obama family, Spike Lee and David Letterman. Back across the Vineyard Sound on Cape Cod, the Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth is a delightfully kitschy stop. It's home to real pirate treasure recovered from an 18th-century shipwreck, the Whydah Gally, discovered off the Cape in 1984. A less authentic site outside also delights visitors: You can't leave without snapping a photo with the bearded pirate captain seated on the bench. For a taste of a classic New England's delicacy, head further out onto the peninsula to Ocean Edge Resort for an oyster bed tour. Guests can wade out into the water on a guided excursion of a working farm. Then head back to dry land for a shucking demo and tasting. A one of a kind experience awaits at the very last outpost on Cape Cod, Provincetown, where visitors can visit the Race Point Lighthouse, then spend the night in the quaint Keeper's House next door, where the stewards who maintained the rotating beacon until it was automated in 1972, resided. Overnight guests can even watch the sun set from the top of the lighthouse surrounded by the peaceful Cape National Seashore. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Cosmic wonders from Chile, record heat wave and July Fourth food: The week in review
A 'cosmic treasure chest' has been opened with the debut of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in northern Chile as astronomers released startling first images, including one of a southern region of the Virgo Cluster capturing a stunning 10 million galaxies. That was just 0.05% of the 20 billion galaxies the telescope is expected to capture with its car-sized digital camera in the coming decade. Its principal mission: the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, an ultrawide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of the universe, according to the facility's website − 'the largest astronomical movie of all time.' 13.5 billion years back in time: James Webb space telescope creates a vast cosmic map A dangerous heat wave smothered a large chunk of the central and eastern United States for days before easing, sending temperature records into oblivion as a huge atmospheric 'heat dome' trapped the scorching air over more than 150 million people. Baltimore's Inner Harbor soared to 104 degrees, just short of the 106 degrees in Death Valley, California. The town of North Hartland, Vermont, hit 101 degrees − hotter than Yuma, Arizona. In Paterson, New Jersey, graduation ceremonies were rescheduled for five high schools. And in the nation's capital, the Washington Monument was closed for most of the week as temperatures topped 100. Classic Fourth of July barbecues will cost a little more this year: $130 for food and drinks for a gathering of 10 people, a 2.2% increase from last year. That's according to a Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute analysis of data from NielsenIQ, which tracks food scanned at U.S. retailers. The menu used in the analysis: barbecued chicken breasts, beef sliders, hot dogs, fruit, vegetable platter, potato salad, cornbread, cake, apple pie, ice cream, beer, wine and sodas. But lots of people will pay nothing, according to another survey by Coupon Follow − the 1 out of 3 people who don't plan to celebrate Independence Day at Morissette's early days in the music industry were no strawberry festival. When faced with the 'lovely patriarchy' of the '90s, she told The Guardian in an interview, 'there was no one to hide behind,' adding that if men in the industry could not sleep with her, 'they didn't know what to do with me.' She was more of an introvert and had trouble breaking through, she said: "So, tequila – anything that allowed me to be the life of the party. ... Anything that would help me pretend I'm not me." But now, said the singer, 51, who has been open about her addiction struggles, 'there's zero desire to present as something I'm not." Her life in pictures: Alanis Morissette through the years Oklahoma City closed out its season with a rumble heard across the NBA. The Thunder dominated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, pulling ahead in the third and fourth quarters after Indiana lost star guard Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles tendon late in the first quarter. The championship is Oklahoma City's first since relocating from Seattle in 2008; for the Pacers, close wasn't good enough for their second straight season with a strong playoff run before falling to the eventual NBA champs. Indiana has never won an NBA title. − Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol, USA TODAY copy chief This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat wave bakes US, Chile telescope reaches for stars: Week in review
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
June 27-July 3, 2025 Sky Watch: Track the Moon's Disappearance and Dramatic Return With Earthshine Display
There's something deliciously dramatic about the moon's monthly disappearing act. One moment it's dominating our night sky, and the next — poof! — it's gone, only to make a grand re-entrance days later as a delicate sliver of light. Consider this your guided tour through the celestial drama unfolding above, with special attention to the lunar phases we'll witness in real time. Friday and Saturday bring us the new moon, astronomy's most delightful contradiction — we celebrate what we literally cannot see. The moon tucks itself precisely between Earth and the sun, showing us its unilluminated side. It's cosmic stealth mode. But here's where the magic happens for serious stargazers: with no moonlight washing out the sky, these two nights offer premium conditions for deep-sky object hunting. Think of it as nature turning down the lights so you can better see the subtle details. Point your telescope toward the Hercules Cluster (M13) sitting high overhead — a magnificent ball of approximately 300,000 stars that's traveled around the galaxy dozens of times since its formation. (Makes your morning commute seem rather quaint, doesn't it?) The Ring Nebula (M57) in Lyra also puts on a spectacular show — the cosmic equivalent of watching a star's elegant farewell tour, as it sheds its outer layers in a perfect smoke ring of glowing gas. Starting Sunday evening, our lunar friend begins its coy return as a waxing crescent. Look west after sunset for what ancient cultures often called "the young moon" — a slender illuminated curve hugging the horizon. Each evening, this arc grows slightly larger as the moon moves farther from its alignment with the sun, revealing more of its sun-kissed face to Earth. It's nature's version of dramatic lighting unfolding in slow motion. Earthshine Wonder: Here's where it gets interesting (and where I get unreasonably excited): while admiring that crisp crescent edge, look at the darkened portion of the moon. Notice that ghostly glow illuminating the entire lunar disk? That's earthshine — sunlight that bounces off Earth, hits the moon's dark side, and reflects back to our eyes. Think about that journey: light traveling 93 million miles from the sun, bouncing off our oceans and clouds, traveling another 238,000 miles to the moon, then returning the same distance to your retina. That's roughly 186 million miles of cosmic pinball just so you can see that subtle glow. Worth stepping outside for, wouldn't you say? This week isn't just about our moon's game of hide-and-seek. Several planets join the celestial party: For the truly dedicated, Mercury makes a challenging appearance very low on the eastern horizon just before sunrise. Spotting this innermost planet requires clear skies, an unobstructed eastern view, and possibly the determination of someone hunting for the last parking spot at a Black Friday sale. When to Watch: Time: About 30 minutes before sunrise Direction: Very low on the eastern horizon Challenge Level: High — binoculars might help (but never point them at the rising sun!) Our waxing crescent moon doesn't return to the sky alone — it brings a rusty companion. Watch as the young moon sidles up to Mars in the constellation Leo, creating what astronomers call a conjunction. It's essentially cosmic neighbors appearing to hang out together, despite being millions of miles apart — the celestial equivalent of those forced-perspective tourist photos where someone pretends to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. When to Watch: Time: Early evening, just after sunset Direction: Western sky Photography Tip: This pairing creates a stunning composition with the earthshine-illuminated crescent next to the reddish planet Saturn flaunts its bling for night owls this week. Those rings — tilted just so — are like the universe's answer to "tell me you're a gorgeous gas giant without telling me you're a gorgeous gas giant." The planet's position in Aquarius means it rises later than its planetary siblings, requiring either a late bedtime or an early alarm. When to Watch: Time: After midnight until dawn Direction: Southern sky (within Aquarius) Gear Recommendation: Even a small telescope will reveal those iconic rings Venus dominates the pre-dawn sky with the subtlety of a disco ball in a library. Outshining everything but the sun and moon, it's basically the celestial equivalent of that friend who always has to be the brightest person in the room (and somehow we still love them for it). When to Watch: Time: 1-2 hours before sunrise Direction: Eastern horizon Can't Miss Factor: The brightest point of light in the pre-dawn sky There's something profoundly connecting about watching the moon's phases. This predictable cycle has guided human calendars, agriculture, and rituals for thousands of years. When you step outside to watch the crescent moon emerge this week ahead, you're participating in perhaps humanity's oldest continuous observation. The dance between light and shadow we witness — from the invisible new moon to the delicate interplay of direct sunlight and earthshine on the crescent — reminds us that even in our hyper-technological world, the fundamental rhythms of our solar system continue their ancient patterns. Whether you're armed with sophisticated equipment or simply your naked eyes and a sense of wonder, this week offers a perfect opportunity to reconnect with the sky. After all, in a world of endless digital notifications, there's something refreshingly analog about looking up and watching the actual, physical universe unfold above us. Clear skies, fellow skywatchers. The show is about to begin. Where Cosmic Birthdays Meet Ancient Stones Space Stunner: 1st Images From World's Largest Digital Camera The Summer Solstice Seen From Space
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA satellite emits 'spark' decades after going dormant: Astronomers think they know why
A NASA satellite that had been dead for nearly six decades issued a surprising sign of life. In June 2024, a team of astronomers were perplexed when a radio telescope in Australia scanning the sky over the southern hemisphere came across unusual radio waves. The burst of radiation was very bright, exceedingly quick – and much closer to Earth than the scientists would have thought. After studying the source of the strange cosmic phenomena, the researchers were even more mystified when it appeared to be originating from the same location as a NASA spacecraft that went offline about 58 years ago, according to a press release about the discovery released June 25, 2025. Don't be fooled, though: The defunct spacecraft that operated for about three years in the 1960s isn't kicking back on to resume operations anytime soon. So, what's going on? Here's what to know about the strange signal, and how astronomers tracked it to a defunct NASA satellite. Astronomers tracked the source of the radio waves to a location that matches that of NASA's defunct Relay 2 spacecraft, a communications satellite that launched into orbit in 1964 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft operated until June 1967 after both of its onboard transponders failed. So, has the long-dead satellite has suddenly sprung back to life after nearly six decades? Astronomers say that's unlikely. Rather, the waves more likely came from a "spark" of built up electricity, which emitted a pulse as it jumped from one part of the spacecraft to another while passing through charged environment above Earth's atmosphere, according to the researchers. The team of astronomers discovered the strange signal while hunting for bright, powerful flashes of electromagnetic radiation in the distant universe known as fast radio bursts. Most surprising to the researchers, all of whom are from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, was that the signal spotted June 13, 2024, didn't originate from a far-flung galaxy. Instead, it originated in our own cosmic neighborhood in the Milky Way. While incredibly bright, the event only lasted less than 30 nanoseconds. The astronomers detected it using Australia's national science agency's (CSIRO) ASKAP radio telescope. Clancy James, an astrophysicist at Curtin University in Australia's Perth campus, then led a team that studied the extremely bright source of radio waves to determine its source. While the satellite signal is one possible explanation, the researchers have also theorized that an impact with a tiny particle of space debris, known as a "micrometeoroid," could have caused the anomaly. Such impacts can create short-lived clouds of hot, charged gas that produce bursts of radio waves. The discovery marks the first time that a spark of built-up electricity has been observed to be both so bright and so short in duration. Now that the detection has been made, the finding not only demonstrates how astronomers can help identify the origin of these kinds of signals in the future, but could even help humanity better understand how electrostatic discharges can pose a danger to satellites in Earth's orbit. "Detections like this show how the tools developed to study the distant Universe can help scientists understand the increasingly crowded and critically important space environment close to Earth," the researcher said in a statement. The research has been accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters. A pre-print version of the paper is available on arXiv. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dead NASA satellite from Florida emits 'spark' 6 decades later: Why?
Forbes
a day ago
- Science
- Forbes
The Chilling Reason That Monday Is ‘Asteroid Day' — And Why To Celebrate It In Arizona
Artwork of an asteroid and planet earth. It's officially Asteroid Day on Monday, June 30, when astronomers from around the world come together to raise public awareness about the risks and opportunities brought by space rocks. Asteroids have been in the news a lot in 2025. It all started with 2024 YR4, which was predicted to strike Earth on December 22, 2032, before further observations allowed astronomers to refine its orbit and rule out a direct hit. Now, it appears to be heading for the moon instead. Then, the 2008 DG5 asteroid — known to be larger than 97% of others — zipped by Earth in early June. Tunguska Event So why Jun. 30 for the United Nations-sanctioned "Asteroid Day?" On that date in 1908, an asteroid about 330 feet (100 meters) in diameter entered Earth's atmosphere and exploded above Siberia in Russia. It destroyed 770 square miles (2,000 square kilometers) of Siberian forest. This is the Tunguska event, the largest recorded asteroid impact on Earth. One hundred seventeen years later, it's a reminder of what can happen at any time. Meteor Crater Although stony asteroids tend to explode before they strike Earth in what's known as an airburst — which occurred over Tunguska and also over Chelyabinsk, Russia's seventh-largest city, in 2013 — some leave impact craters on Earth. One of the world's best-preserved and most iconic meteorite impact sites is Meteor Crater, 20 minutes west of Winslow, Arizona. It was formed around 50,000 years ago when a 150-foot-wide iron-nickel asteroid traveling at 26,000 mph carved out a crater nearly a mile wide, 2.5 miles in circumference, and over 550 feet deep. It's a fitting venue for Asteroid Day in Arizona, an event combining science and stargazing. Asteroid Day In Arizona The concept of Asteroid Day originated from Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, Danica Remy from the planetary defense non-profit B612 Foundation, and Brian May, Queen guitarist and astrophysicist, who founded it in 2014. This year, Schweickart will speak at Meteor Crater, along with astronomer Scott Manley and Mary Robinette Kowal, author of the Lady Astronaut series. Meteor Crater will host daytime events from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. MST, with Lowell Observatory from nearby Flagstaff will host evening activities from 5-11 p.m. MST. Expect programs about how scientists look for asteroids, their impacts on Earth, and how Apollo astronauts studied Meteor Crater to prepare for their voyages to the impact-scarred moon. There will also be a talk on sun-grazing comets from Lowell Observatory's comet expert Dr. Qicheng Zhang. 'God Of Chaos' Bound to be under discussion on Asteroid Day is asteroid Apophis, an asteroid as wide as the Empire State Building is tall, which will come closer to Earth than orbiting geosynchronous satellites in a very rare event. The ominous flyby will occur on Friday, April 13, 2029 — less than four years away. If Apophis did strike Earth, it could spread devastation across a radius of hundreds of miles, according to killing millions of people if it struck a highly populated metropolitan area. However, it's not a threat. Despite its enormous size, Apophis will not impact Earth in 2029, but its very close pass is a once-on-a-lifetime opportunity to gather data that could be critical for humanity's future. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
