Tonight, we will be witness to the occultation of the red supergiant star Antares by the First Quarter moon. A previous occultation of the red supergiant star by the full moon was observed by Dr. Jim Daly back on June 6, 2009. Why are occultations important? The accurate timing of lunar occultations is performed[…]
The Full Moon in August is named after North America’s largest fish, the lake sturgeon. Other names for this Full Moon include Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon. Blue Moon The “first” full moon for this month occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The August 30 (Wednesday) full moon will be the second, hence,[…]
A powerful M-class solar flare erupted on the sun at 5:48 AM, EDT (01:48 UTC), July 18 2023. In this video obtained from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the powerful M-5.7 solar flare is clearly visible at the 4:00 position. The video is a composite produced from 3 discrete wavebands in the extreme ultraviolet region of[…]
Does the Brightening of Betelgeuse Portend The Immanent Occurrence of a New Galactic Supernova? Betelgeuse is at it again. Back in 2019, the red supergiant star, the bright and iconic right-shoulder of Orion had dimmed dramatically and uncharacteristically resulting in a flurry of speculation that the star was about to end its life in[…]
We are fortunate to have on staff professional volunteers with advanced degrees in Mathematics, Astronomy and Astrophysics. Some of these individuals have acted in an advisory capacity in the crafting and enactment of green, sensible lighting laws for the following municipalities: The Township of Brookhaven, NY The Incorporated Village of Patchogue, NY The Township of[…]
The 2023 Summer Solstice, the Astronomical beginning of summer and the longest day of the year, occurs this year at 10:57AM, EDT on Wednesday, June 21st. What is the Summer Solstice? Often referred to as the ‘First Day of Summer‘, a subjective term, the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is the day the sun[…]
The Vernal Equinox, the Astronomical beginning of spring, occurs this year on Monday, 20 March, 2023 at 21:24 UTC (5:24 PM EDT). What’s so special about this event? 12 equal hours of daylight and darkness everywhere on the planet. The beginning of Astronomical Autumn for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere The sun rises due[…]
We often speak of a “Super Moon” within the context of the Full Moon phase, rather than its opposite, the ‘New’ moon. The New moon is the beginning of the lunar cycle when the moon is aligned with the earth and the sun with the moon towards the sun. It is the only phase of[…]
I gazed at the full moon, hanging low and bright oe’r the trees last night, warm and inviting on that September night. The Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes are two days during the year with 12 equal hours of daylight and darkness. The Vernal Equinox heralds the beginning of Spring and the Autumnal Equinox, Autumn. The[…]
In our presentation of the NASA-hosted event opening the James Webb Space Telescope to the world’s astronomical community, we discussed one of the five commissioning targets presented to the public. That choice to open this 5-article series was SMACS 0723, a distant galaxy cluster receding at 29% the speed of light. In this article, we’ll[…]
Full resolution image (2799×2856) of the SMACS 0723 cluster of galaxies, 4.6 billion light years distant in the southern constellation Volans. Known as Webb’s First Deep Field, this image of galaxy cluster is overflowing with detail and is described more fully below. Images and results from Webb’s observations are archived here with the first images[…]
July 2022 Full Buck Supermoon low in the southeast following its rising at 21:00 UT (9:00 PM, EDT) on July 13. Note: the brilliant ruby Antares is near the meridian with the “Tea Pot” of Sagittarius to the east. Image via Stellarium. The full moon for this month occurs on Wednesday, July 13. According to[…]
The sun as recorded in the extreme ultraviolet part of the spectrum by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) between July 6 and July 10. Pay particular attention to the bright orange-pink outburst that occurs on July 8 at the 10:00 position on the solar disk. This was a magnitude 2.6 M-Class flare, a classification one[…]
Update: James Webb Space Telescope Full Science Operations Get Underway As 5 ‘First Light’ Images Are Released To kick off the beginning of full science operations for the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA will be hosting a full public event Tuesday, July 12th. During the event, a traunch of full-color images and data will be[…]
A lunar occultation of Delta Scorpii, a bright, second magnitude star and one of the principal stars in Scorpio, the scorpion, occurs tonight, Sunday June 12th. What is a Lunar Occultation? A lunar occultation is exactly what it sounds like. The moon occults a star and astronomers often take advantage of these events to better[…]
There are two days during the year with 12 equal hours of daylight and darkness, the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes. The Vernal Equinox heralds the beginning of Spring and the Autumnal Equinox, Autumn. The Autumnal Equinox for this year occurs on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 7:21 pm UTC (3:21 pm EDT). Many significant astronomical[…]
The Full Moon in August is named after North America’s largest fish, the lake sturgeon. Other names for this Full Moon include Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon. Tonight’s full moon marks this year’s first Real ‘Blue Moon’ (a term suggesting the occurrence of something rare). Normally, there are only three[…]
Six Hour Time Lapse Video Showing the Perseid Meteor Shower’s Radiant Point The Perseid meteor shower is an annual event that occurs during the 2nd week in August as the Earth passes through the same debris field left behind by comet Swift–Tuttle. The Radiant Point is the imaginary point on the sky that they appear[…]
The total solar eclipse of July 11th, 1991 was hailed as the “Eclipse of the Century”. On this day 30 years ago, traveling with a group of friends and colleagues, I was in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to observe the Eclipse of 11 July, 1991. 2 days of the 5-day, 4-night trip was in Cabo.[…]
Using the Keck Observatory’s Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS) and DEep Imaging and Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) attached to the 10 meter telescopes on Mauna Kea, we’ve observed a long-postulated, third type of supernova, an “Electron Capture” supernova. It is believed, based on composite imaging across multiple spectral regimes, the famous Crab Nebula may have been[…]
With this edition of the sky tonight, the sky has changed slightly since last week’s premier installment of our weekly sky tonight program. Today we look at the sky for the week beginning Sunday, July 11th. Sunday, July 11th, we have brilliant Venus and ruddy red Mars beautifully flanking the 46-hour old waxing crescent moon,[…]
With this first installment, we begin a new program feature here at Astronomy for Change, the weekly “Sky Tonight” broadcast. Each week on Friday or Saturday, we’ll post a short podcast and video of the coming week’s sky and what to look for. Sunday, July 4th (Independence Day in the US), we have brilliant Venus[…]
On December 17, 2020, Dr. James Daly of Astronomy For Change interviewed Alberto Caballero, founder of the The Exoplanet Project and The SETI Project. Alberto holds a Master’s degree and is the host of the “Exoplanets” YouTube channel whose focus is habitable exoplanets, extraterrestrial intelligence and Interstellar Travel. Alberto is also involved with the Habitable[…]
Tonight’s southern vista features the waxing gibbous moon 2 days before full, 4 degrees north of the heart of the Scorpion, the red supergiant star Antares. For complete ephemerides of the moon, including phase, please visit Time and Date. The current phase of the moon is always displayed on any of our articles or pages[…]
For observers in the Canadian North, Greenland, the North Pole and parts of Russia, a full annular solar eclipse will be visible. The red band in the video depicts the ‘path of annularity’. Video credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight center. What is an ‘Annular’ Eclipse? As we know, a total solar eclipse occurs when the[…]
Link to video below As we all mourn the passing of Larry King, an icon, a professional with an uncommon sense of honesty, integrity and decency, a giant among journalists and communicators, let us remember him as a science communicator as well, the “middle-man” as such, between the science professional and the common man. Link[…]
The Vernal Equinox, the Astronomical Beginning of spring, occurs this year on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 9:37 UTC (5:37 AM EDT). What’s so special about this event? 12 equal hours of daylight and darkness The beginning of Astronomical Autumn for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere The sun rises due east and sets due[…]
Join Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy for Change as he showcases and describes a rare triple conjunction of Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn in the early morning hours before sunrise, a planetary alignment visible through Sunday, March 14. Those who are early risers will be witness to this rare planetary alignment. Especially rare and quite spectacular[…]
Link to video below Beginning Friday, March 5th, the asteroid 99942 Apophis or simply Apophis, passes 1/10 of an Astronomical Unit from earth, making that the first of 4 such close approaches. In this video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change describes the asteroid’s trajectory and this passage while presenting some history and context[…]
Live stream the event here: https://youtu.be/gm0b_ijaYMQ or at http://nasa.gov/live Astronomy For Change: https://astronomyforchange.org On Twitter: https://twitter.com/astronomychange Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/astronomyforchange Imagination is more important than knowledge An index of all articles can be found here. If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting us with a modest donation or through a subscription on our Patreon Page Membership[…]
Video link below We were reminded of the enormous power of our home star on November 29 of last year (2020), when NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded a powerful Solar Flare, entitled the ‘Anemone’ Eruption’! In this video, Dr. James Daly presents and discusses our sun and the spectacular display witnessed on November 29, 2020.[…]
Link to video below In this video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change choreographs the arrival of Perseverance at Mars on Thursday, February 18th and reminds everyone to set their calendars as Astronomy For Change will be live-streaming the event beginning at 1:45 PM, EST. Nine years ago this August, Curiosity rover landed at[…]
Rather than rewrite the story, we’ll reproduce today’s news release here in its entirety: The Square Kilometre Array Public Website Square Kilometre Array Exploring the Universe with the world’s largest radio telescope SKAO is born – Launch of international Observatory signals new era for radio astronomy Nighttime composite image of the SKA combining all elements[…]
On this cold, clear night when the stellar jewels are alight above, take the time, if just for a moment, to gaze upwards, to make that visceral connection with that from whence we all came. Regardless of your religious persuasion, if any, we are all connected at the deepest level to those stars; that grand[…]
The production team here at Astronomy For Change has stitched together seasonal and appropriate selections from our original content, presenting them to our viewers, patrons, members and the world at large as a gift and expression of peace for the holidays and hope for a bright 2021. Featured Image: Photo of the Canis Major produced[…]
Link to YouTube video at foot of the article The following quote from the gospel according to Matthew is often found on holiday greeting cards and is heard around the world during this season as a message of peace and hope; the year is over and it’s time to rest, to be with family, friends[…]
Update: The #Christmas Star and the Great #Conjunction 2020 (with Video) Live Stream of the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, 2020 from the University of Exeter, England. Unlike Saturday’s attempt, the weather cooperated and we witnessed the Conjunction, an event not to be repeated until 2080. Dr. Daly offers instruction and commentary where appropriate.[…]
Updated 21 December, 2020 Updated 24 December, 2020: The #Christmas Star and the Great #Conjunction 2020 (with Video) Mark your calendars! We’ll be streaming the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, 2020 LIVE tomorrow, Sunday, December 20, 2020 beginning at 11:15 AM, EST (4:15 PM, GMT) with live feed from the University of Exeter, England.[…]
Update: The #Christmas Star and the Great #Conjunction 2020 (with Video) Mark your calendars! We’ll be streaming the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, 2020 LIVE tomorrow, Saturday, December 19, 2020 beginning at 11:00 AM, EST with live feed from the University of Exeter, England. Although the two planets will appear closest together on Monday,[…]
Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change Interviews Alberto Caballero. The Exoplanet Project’s home page: https://exoplanetschannel.wixsite.com/home. Alberto holds a Master’s degree and is the host of the “Exoplanets” YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdDS4j318UpKjNcpe_LeQxQ) whose focus is habitable exoplanets, extraterrestrial intelligence and Interstellar Travel. He is also involved with the Habitable Exoplanet Hunting Project, an international consortium of[…]
Total Solar eclipse via live feed from west coast of Chile, hosted and narrated by Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change. Dr. Daly narrates and describes the progress of the eclipse, providing appropriate commentary and instruction on relevant and related topics in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Imagination is more important than knowledge An index of[…]
In this video, Dr. Jim Daly presents and discusses this once-in-a-century event: the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, 2020, an event occurring on December 21st, the Winter Solstice, and an event that won’t be repeated again until the year 2080, 60 years hence. The University of Exeter (in the UK) will host a live-stream[…]
Update: watch our interview with Alberto Caballero, the project leader: The #SETI Project with Alberto Caballero (Interview) Part of our mission is to engage society, to inspire and empower current and future generations and thus affect positive change through astronomy and science education. Astronomy For Change is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to affect[…]
The Perseid meteor shower is an annual event that generally occurs each year during the 2nd week in August as the Earth passes through the same debris field left behind by comet Swift–Tuttle. This year the shower peaks on the morning of August 12. Unlike last year, however, the moon is at 3rd quarter and[…]
One of our sponsors, Radio Astronomy Supplies, has posted an “Invitation to Observe“, for astronomers (Amateur or Professional) to participate in exploratory radio observations of the rich galaxy cluster in the constellation Coma Berencies. The details follow: Imagination is more important than knowledge An index of all articles can be found here. If you enjoyed[…]
Here at Astronomy For Change, we’ve discussed at length, the recent discoveries, observations and scientific breakthroughs regarding these enigmatic objects whose light was emitted billions of years before the sun burned bright in space: A Discovery that Shook the World! In a galaxy far, far away, KiloNova Explosion From Neutron Star Merger Observed – Gravity[…]
Dr. Daly presents the science and, specifically, the Astronomy behind the event, the seasons and how they change. It should be pointed out that on this date and the Vernal Equinox (the beginning of Spring) the sun rises due East and sets due West. Dr. Daly presents the science and, specifically, the Astronomy behind the[…]
Dr. James Daly of Astronomy for Change presents a public lecture on the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative that, if successful, will see the launch of humanities first interstellar mission. Thousands of nano-class, gram-mass scale robotic craft will be launched via a high-power, phased-array microwave laser to 20% the speed of light towards the nearest star system[…]
In this video, we take a quick look at the early August sky at twilight and move on, later into the night, taking a look at the major planets (Jupiter and Saturn, in Scorpio and Sagittarius, respectively), a quick look at the early Autumn constellations, rising much later into the night. We then take an[…]
The Sky Tonight for July 28, 2019 presented by Dr. James Daly of Astronomy for Change. In this edition of the series, we take a look at the early morning sky, the slim, waning crescent moon, and the morning planets Venus and Mercury. We take a brief look at the stars and constellations of autumn[…]
The Sky Tonight for the week beginning July 14, 2019. We look at the phase of the moon, some of the prominent summer constellations and planets as well as discuss some interesting aspects of two of the season’s prominent stars. During the video we discuss the star Antares and that it is a highly evolved[…]
On 4 December, 2017 Dr. James Daly of Astronomy For Change hosted a public event discussing the landmark discovery and optical counterpart observation of the merger of two Neutron Stars. The discovery was made on 17 August, 2017 using the US-Based LIGO Gravity Wave Telescope Array and the Virgo gravitational wave observatory located near Pisa,[…]
Garvey Nights The Garvey Ranch Observatory is open to the public every Wednesday evening from 7:30 PM to 10 PM. Go into the dome to use the 8 Inch Refractor or observe through one of our telescopes on the lawn. Visit our workshop to learn how you can build your own telescope, grind your own[…]
