Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Images capture the sun as it approaches its peak of solar activity.
In 2010, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) began capturing incredible images of the sun as it ascends toward "solar maximum," the peak of solar activity in the sun's 11-year cycle. The SDO has been photographing the sun every 12 seconds, in 10 different light wavelengths, then "stitches" the frames together to produce amazing composite images, which it released to the public. Let us know in comments what you think of these images and video!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
The Lyrids can be unpredictable—often in great ways.
The Lyrid meteor shower is ready to make its 2013 debut in the skies above Bethesda and Chevy Chase this weekend, and of all the year’s many shows in the heavens, this is one to catch. The skies have been largely empty of visible meteor showers since the Quadrantids of early January, but the shooting stars of the Lyrids have been a reliable spectacle for about 2,600 years or so. The Lyrids meteor shower peaks in 2013 on Sunday and Monday, but some meteors may be visible beginning sooner. The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday and Monday is for partly cloudy skies. You can see what to look for in this video of the Lyrid meteor shower. Or check out photos of the Lyrids. And these charts of the Lyrids may help you locate the …
Friday, March 22, 2013
People who spotted the apparent meteor described it as a bright, colorful object streaking across the night sky.
Twitter was abuzz Friday night with reports of a large, bright meteor streaking across the night sky over the Eastern Seaboard. Several readers told NBC4 that they spotted the apparent meteor just before 8 p.m. Friday. Twitter user Brenton Laverty characterized it as a huge, green meteor burning up over DC. Another user from Montgomery County, PA—E. Steven Collins—described the object as "Bright. Orange. Blue. White. Silver. Totally streaking by the sky light! Wow!" According to several outlets, the object may have qualified as a fireball, defined by the American Meteor Society as a "very bright meteor, generally brighter than magnitude -4, which is about the same magnitude of the planet Venus in the morning or evening sky." Patch will …
Sunday, March 17, 2013
DC-area residents got a spectacular view of the rare "naked-eye" comet, which should be visible in the southwestern sky through the end of the month.
Comet 2011 L4, better known as PanSTARRS, is a true astrological rarity because it is visible to the naked eye—something that occurs only once every five to 10 years, according to NASA. According to Amy Mainzer, the principal investigator of NASA’s NEOWISE mission, "[there] is a catch to viewing Comet PanSTARRS ... a relatively unobstructed view to the southwest at twilight and, of course, some good comet-watching weather." Viewers captured some stunning photos of the comet over the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, this past week, with its passage coinciding with a crescent moon. NASA says that PanSTARRS should still be visible through the end of the month but it will be tougher to see (even with binoculars or most home telescopes) as …
Sunday, March 3, 2013
This image of the capital region at night was taken from the International Space Station.
NASA is known for supplying us with some of the most engaging images of planets, asteroids, galaxies, stars and other celestial bodies. Now, Canada’s space agency is enthralling us with images of our planet. Chris Hadfield, who later this month is to become the first Canadian to take command of the International Space Station, released a stunning image on Feb. 25 via Twitter of the Washington, DC, area from a height of 230 miles. In the image, one may clearly make out the convergence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, as well as some details of the infamous street layout of the city. The image is among the latest in a series of Earth-focused images from space. In November 2012, NASA released Earth as Art, a book with 75 images featuring…
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The first meteor shower of 2013 originates from an asteroid.
Cloud cover and moonlight could obscure the Quadrantid Meteor Shower early Thursday in Montgomery County. A Weather Underground forecast predicts cloud cover of 30-40 percent in the area. According to NASA, the meteor rates will increase after midnight and peak between 3 a.m. and dawn. To get the best view, get away from city lights and go outside early to let your eyes adjust to the night sky. To find the right section of the sky to watch, first locate the Big Dipper, Meteor Blog recommends. Then you'll be able to more easily locate the Bootes constellation nearby, where the meteors will appear to radiate from. Although the maximum number of meteors per hour is around 120, the strong light of the waning gibbous moon will make fainter …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Where and when to look for the last major meteor shower of 2012.
The Geminid meteor shower 2012, the final major meteor shower of every year and likely to be the best, peaks overnight this Thursday and Friday, and you may be able to see a great show on either side of those dates. NASA reports that the Geminids are a relatively young meteor shower, with the first sightings occurring in the 1830s with rates of about 20 per hour. Over the decades the rates have increased, regularly spawning between 80 and 120 per hour at its peak on a clear evening. Earthsky.org reports the Geminids peak might be around 2 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, because that’s when the shower’s radiant point is highest in the sky as seen around the world. "With no moon to ruin the show, 2012 presents a most favorable year for …
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Shooting stars will be flying early in the morning, but it promises to be a show worth watching.
The offspring of Halley's Comet are about to put on quite a show over the skies of Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Earth passes through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet beginning Oct. 15, which gives us the benefit of the annual Orionid meteor shower, though you probably won't see much until a bit later. The shower should be at its best the night of Saturday, Oct. 20, until just before dawn on Oct. 21. This year, the moon will be setting at about midnight, which will keep the sky dark enough that—barring cloud cover—you should be able to see up to 15 meteors per hour. Francis Reddy, science writer for NASA Goddard's Astrophysics Science Division, and author of the book Celestial Delights: The Best Astronomical Events Through…
Laura L Thornton
4:31 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
Good question! Earthsky.org says that "the meteors will appear in all parts of the sky. Find an open sky and – if possible – a sky sheltered from artificial lighting." Here's to seeing some meteors tonight! http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/ten-tips-for-watching-the-geminid-meteor-shower more ›