Latest news with #constellations
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Science
- Forbes
A ‘New Star' Suddenly Got 3 Million Times Brighter — How To See It
A new star has appeared in the night sky and is rapidly brightening, according to amateur astronomers. Called V462 Lupi, it's currently 3.3 million times brighter than usual and visible to the naked eye, though only from more southerly regions of North America. The Lupus constellation, home to V462 Lupi, a nova that is rapidly brightening. getty The star has increased in brightness by almost 16 times in the 20 days since it was discovered. When it was first seen, V462 Lupi was +8.7 magnitude — too dim to be seen with the naked eye — but has since rapidly brightened to +5.7 magnitude, which is on the cusp of naked eye visibility. It's usually a +22.3 magnitude star, 3.3 million times dimmer than it's right now. Since this is its first recorded eruption, it's unknown how long V462 Lupi will be visible to the naked eye. It could take just a few days to return to its regular dim levels, or it could take months. V462 Lupi is in the constellation Lupus, the wolf, which is between the constellations Scorpius and Centaurus, but it's not known how far away it is from the solar system. The star is known as a nova, a Latin term meaning 'new star.' It's thought to be a classical nova, an outburst in a binary system where a white dwarf (the dense leftover core of a dying sun-like star) and an expanding red giant star orbit each other. According to NASA, the white dwarf's gravity pulls hot hydrogen from its companion, which builds up and triggers a thermonuclear blast. Unlike supernovas, which obliterate stars, novas are recurring events that only affect the outer layer of a white dwarf. These outbursts can make the system millions of times brighter. How To See V462 Lupi According to Sky and Telescope (which has a useful selection of sky charts), those observing from a latitude around 40 degrees north (California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey) will find V462 Lupi around 10 degrees above the southern horizon at around 10:30 p.m. local time. From the Florida Keys, at around 25 degrees north, V462 Lupi will be 25 degrees above the southern horizon. The higher it is in the sky, the easier it will be to see, though binoculars will make it easier. A finder chart for telescope users is available on the website of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. It's near the bright stars Delta and Beta Lupi. V462 Lupi has appeared as astronomers await the explosion of a recurrent nova — a "repeating new star" that explodes every 80 years. Called T Coronae Borealis (also known as T CrB and the "Blaze Star"), it's classified as a 'cataclysmic variable star' and was observed to brighten to naked-eye visibility in both 1866 and then 80 years later in 1946. A 10-year drop in T CrB's light was reported in a paper in 2023 — thought to be a precursor to a rapid brightening — but it's yet to do so despite predictions it would go nova in March. T CrB is approximately 3,000 light-years away from the solar system — significantly farther than most stars visible in the night sky — which means it exploded 3,000 years ago. Further reading Forbes A Star May Explode Next Week In Once-In-80-Years Event — What To Know By Jamie Carter Forbes NASA Urges Public To Look At Night Sky Now For 'Nova' Location By Jamie Carter Forbes NASA Spacecraft 'Touches Sun' For Final Time In Defining Moment For Humankind By Jamie Carter Forbes Get Ready For The Shortest Day Since Records Began As Earth Spins Faster By Jamie Carter
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Ominous 'Chamaeleon' is hiding a stellar secret: Space photo of the week
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS What it is: The Chamaeleon I star-forming cloud Where it is: 522 light-years away, in the constellations Chamaeleon, Apus, Musca, Carina and Octans When it was shared: June 10, 2025 Stars form within dark molecular clouds of gas and dust called nebulae, but it's rare to capture these stellar nurseries clearly. A dramatic new image from the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) in Chile unveils the Chamaeleon I dark cloud — the closest such place to the solar system — in unprecedented detail. The dark patches exposed in the new image give Chamaeleon I an ominous look, but within the thick veils of interstellar dust are pockets of light created by newly formed stars. Chamaeleon I is approximately 2 billion years old and is home to around 200 to 300 stars. Those young stars, now emerging from swirling gaseous plumes, are lighting up three nebulae — Cederblad 110 (at the top of the image), the C-shaped Cederblad 111 (center) and the orange Chamaeleon Infrared Nebula (bottom). In astronomy, the word "nebula" is used to describe a diverse range of objects. It was initially used to describe anything fuzzy in the sky that wasn't a star or a planet, and it also refers to planetary nebulae, shells of gas ejected from dying stars. Related: 28 gorgeous nebula photos that capture the beauty of the universe However, these three are reflection nebulae, which glow brightly only because they're illuminated by starlight. That's in contrast to the famous Orion Nebula, which emits its own light because the intense radiation of stars within or near the nebula energizes its gas, according to NASA. MORE SPACE PHOTOS —James Webb telescope takes best look at 'Sombrero Galaxy' in 244 years —Pink 'raindrops' on the sun captured in greatest detail ever —Violent galaxies seen 'jousting' near the dawn of time Chamaeleon I is just one part of the expansive Chamaeleon Cloud Complex — imaged in 2022 by the Hubble Space Telescope — which includes the smaller Chamaeleon II and III clouds. Chamaeleon I has been imaged many times before, most recently by the James Webb Space Telescope in 2023. What makes this new image stand out is its spectacular detail. Mounted on the National Science Foundation's Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, DECam's 570-megapixel sensor reveals an intriguing faint red path of nebulosity between Cederblad 110 and Cederblad 111. Formed when streams of gas ejected by young stars collided with slower-moving clouds of gas, they're known as Herbig-Haro objects and are embedded throughout Chamaeleon I. For more sublime space images, check out our Space Photo of the Week archives.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wyoming Skies: June brings summer solstice and constellations in every direction
June 20, 2025, brings us the summer solstice. Supposedly, that means warmer weather has finally arrived in Wyoming. This month, if you go out after it gets dark, you will see some wonderful stars and constellations in every direction. If you face north you will see a 'W' above the northern horizon; those five stars are the constellation Cassiopeia. The Little Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor, is halfway above the northern horizon. And almost overhead you can see the Big Dipper, the most well-known group of stars in Ursa Major. If you follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper you'll run into the brilliant star Arcturus. Arcturus marks the bottom of Boötes, a constellation that looks like a kite or ice cream cone. If you continue the arc from the handle of the Big Dipper, you'll hit another bright star, that is Spica in the constellation Virgo. And follow that curve to Corvus, a quadrilateral-shape group of stars. Facing west you'll see the twin stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, above the horizon. They'll slip toward the horizon more each day. And higher in the sky, you can see the spring constellation of Leo. It's easily picked out by locating the Sickle, a group of stars that look like a backward question mark. The bright star at the bottom of the Sickle is Regulus. If you look to the south, you can see two constellations very close to the horizon; Scorpius resembles a fishhook or the letter 'J,' and Sagittarius is obvious as a group of stars that resembles an old-fashioned teapot. And here's a fun fact, the spout of the Teapot it is pointing toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Finally, when you face east you will see a definite sign that summer is here because the Summer Triangle shines brightly in the sky. The Summer Triangle is made up of these three bright stars: Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus, and Altair in Aquila. Under dark skies, you'll see the Milky Way arching up from the northeast horizon, starting under Cassiopeia, passing overhead through Cygnus and Aquila, finally ending up in the south going through Sagittarius and Scorpius. What's cool about the Milky Way is that this glowing patch of stars, gas and dust is a spiral arm of our galaxy. In order of brightness in the evening sky you will find: Mercury, Arcturus, Vega, Capella, Altair, Antares, Spica, Pollux, Deneb, Regulus and Mars. Planets this month are split between the evening and morning sky. In the June evening sky, look for Mars as a steady red light slowly moving across the stars of Leo. Mars will be closest to the bright star Regulus on the evening of June 16. Jupiter has dominated the evening sky for months, but is challenging to spot in the bright western twilight and will slip away toward the beginning of the month. It's being replaced by Mercury emerging in the evening sky about 30-40 minutes after sunset. Mercury will reach its greatest distance from the sun on July 4. Morning observers can catch brilliant Venus before dawn; it reached its greatest distance from the sun at the end of May. Golden Saturn is higher in the sky than Venus and will move away from Venus each day. The moon is a great way to locate stars and planets. The moon is near Mars on the evening of June 1, and will float near Saturn on the mornings of June 18 and 19. Then it visits Venus on the mornings of June 21 and 22. Then it will move back to the evening sky, so the moon will float near Mercury on June 26 and will pay Mars another visit on the evening of June 29. The full moon of June occurs overnight on June 10-11. It's the Full Strawberry Moon — named to coincide with the abundance of strawberries harvested this month — and will lie near the bright star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion. The full moon will be visible all night. A fun trio to look for on the evenings around June 24 is Mercury forming a line with Pollux and Castor in the evening twilight. Binoculars might help spot them. There is a meteor shower this month that might be worth watching for before dawn on the morning of June 7. It's the daytime Arietids. They are the most active daytime meteor shower, but how can you watch for them in the daytime? Its radiant — or point where the meteors seem to originate — rises before the sun. So you might catch meteors shooting up from the horizon before dawn. How fun would that be to see?
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Look up: Venus nears its greatest distance from sunrise. Plus, a New Moon is coming soon.
May is nearing an end, but the night sky still has plenty to offer for stargazers this month. Several visible planets, a New Moon, Venus' pull from the sunrise and Manhattanhenge will all occur within the coming week. Throughout the remainder of May, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus are visible in the early morning and evening hours. In the evening, Jupiter will be visible low, toward the western horizon each night. And in the mornings, both Venus and Saturn will be visible in the sky, shining in the east for about an hour before sunrise, according to space publication EarthSky. But planets aren't the only things to keep an eye out for as May comes to a close. Here's a look at some stargazing highlights through June 1. Stargazing: This US airport was just Dark Sky certified Exploring outer space: Where are the best places to view the night sky? Astrotourism explained Stargazing this May? The Big Dipper and Leo the Lion will be the easiest collections of stars to spot. Here's how: Big Dipper: Appears like a dot-to-dot kitchen ladle. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Big Dipper is visible above the horizon continuously. Leo the Lion: You can use the Big Dipper to locate Leo the Lion. Find the Big Dipper's pointer stars − located on the outer edge of the ladle. Draw an imaginary line southward to locate Leo. The constellation's most prominent feature is a backward question mark, which is Leo's head and mane. For a map of the best places to stargaze, visit EarthSky's interactive map at On the morning of Sunday, May 25, about 30 minutes before sunrise, a thin, waning crescent and bright Venus will be visible near the eastern horizon, according to EarthSky. The next New Moon will fall at around 11:02 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 27, EarthSky reports. Because the moon isn't visible during this phase, it will be one of the best nights to go stargazing, as the night sky isn't illuminated. Manhattanhenge, or Manhattan Soloistic, happens twice a year when the setting sun is aligned with the east-west streets of Manhattan's main grid, illuminating both the north and south sides of the borough. The upcoming Manhattanhenge will occur at around 8:13 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 28, according to the American Museum of Natural History. According to NYC Parks and the American Museum of Natural History, the best places to view Manhattanhenge are: 14th Street 23rd Street 34th Street 42nd Street 57th Street Tudor City Overpass in Manhattan Hunter's Point South Park in Long Island City, Queens The next Manhattanhenge to occur this year will be around 8:22 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 12. Since March, Venus has been visible in the morning sky, just east of sunrise. But the planet's greatest elongation, when it will be the farthest from sunrise, is coming up on Sunday, June 1 at midnight ET. This occurs when Venus is the farthest from the sun on the sky's dome, according to EarthSky. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stargazing: New Moon coming, Venus nears greatest distance from sunrise
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Starwatch: Boötes, the herdsman ploughing the heavens
This week, we track down another prominent constellation in the northern hemisphere's spring night sky: Boötes, the herdsman. Listed as part of the 48 constellations described by Ptolemy in the 2nd century, it is now one of the International Astronomical Union's 88 official constellations. Although known as the herdsman, some stories associated with the constellation depict him as more of a ploughman, driving the constellation of Ursa Major, the great bear, around the pole. In these stories, Ursa Major is changed into an oxen and plough. The nearby constellation of Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs, is also said to be associated with Boötes. On many old star maps, he is depicted as holding these dogs on a leash. The chart shows the view looking south-east from London at 22.00BST on 19 May, although the view will remain essentially unchanged all week. The brightest star in Boötes is the red giant star Arcturus, which is the fourth brightest star in the night sky. Although it has about the same mass as our sun, it has swollen to 25 times its size and now pumps out around 170 times more light. Boötes is also visible from the southern hemisphere, where it will appear quite close to the northern horizon.
