Science
Comet NEOWISE Astonishes at Sunset – Heavens & Telescope – Market Research News
” Spectacular.” “Amazing.” “Beautiful.” “Awesome.” Those are actually merely a few of words new onlookers have actually utilized to define Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3). I concur 1,000 per-cent– this is actually one amazing comet!
NEOWISE changes coming from the sunrise to the twilight heavens today. For a while you’ll still have the capacity to watch it at each sides of the time clock, yet through July 18 th it quickly vanishes as well as comes close to the north perspective coming from sight. For the north U.S., Canada, as well as a lot of Europe the comet is actually apparent as well as circumpolar all evening long today. It arrives at optimal north declination (+48 ° )on July 20 th when it certainly never plunges listed below the perspective for areas north of latitude 42 ° N.
Comet NEOWISE has actually produced incredible enthusiasm as well as appropriately therefore. It is actually the 1st effortlessly apparent naked-eye comet to poise northerly heavens given that PanSTARRS (C/2011 L4) in 2013 as well as just before that, McNaught (C/2006 P1) in 2006-07 While PanSTARRS met 1st size it had a much briefer naked-eye rear, while McNaught was actually mainly a Southern Hemisphere things. You need to get to right back to 1997 to Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) to discover an equivalent comet.
When it happens to social admiration of comets,
It is actually all concerning the rear. The longer as well as brighter the much better. NEOWISE has actually discolored coming from size +0.5 to concerning size 2 given that very early July, its own rear has actually been actually developing constantly, coming from a brief stump at perihelion to even more than 15 ° long 2 full weeks eventually. A combo of variables are accountable for the noticeable prolonging of the rear, consisting of tapering off moonshine, the comet’s existing exposure in a dark heavens, as well as its own improving height as well as distance to Earth. Closest strategy takes place on July 23 rd far-off of 103 thousand kilometers.
Most onlookers, consisting of those brand-new to comet-watching, can easily outline the rear to 4 ° to 5 ° creatively as well as around dual that in a set of 50- mm field glasses. Along with the nude eye it resembles a feather plume or even misaligned hands suggesting the perspective. My pal Burt claimed it told him of a beam. Others compare it to E.T.’s hands, total along with beautiful fingertip, coming from the film E.T. the Extraterrestrial. Moonless website my mandible fell when I found it on July 14 th coming from a sulky. The comet controlled the north heavens along with its own 10 °- lengthy fanned rear as well as vivid coma. Whether looked at coming from the nation or even area onlookers settle on something: NEOWISE is actually positively remarkable in field glasses.
While the telescopic sight uncovers extra constructs in the coma as well as escalates the comet’s different colors, just field glasses easily uncover the complete width of the rear. The dirt rear stretches (presently) also past the normal 5.5 °– 6.5 ° binocular field of vision, while the fainter ion rear opens up to greater than 15 °.
This time-lapse of Comet NEOWISE was actually captured on film near Anza, California, not long just before sunup on July 12 th. Dave Kodama
Due to the comet’s reduced height the ion or even fuel rear is actually tough to view creatively yet it is actually faintly apparent together with the dirt rear in field glasses as well as telescope. It is actually comprised mainly of carbon monoxide vaporized coming from cometary ice. Happened through uv illumination coming from the Sun it shines a stunning water. The ion rear socializes along with the photovoltaic wind to make the exciting knots as well as flaws observed in Michael Jäger’s rich picture.
Both rears come coming from sublimating ice on the 5-kilometer-wide comet body system which is actually concealed coming from sight inside the wrong core, where the leaving dirt is actually very most strong. On July 14 th by means of my 10- in telescope it was actually a little, vivid “sunlight bulb” ahead of the comet’s rear which sought all the globe like efficient haze. Telescopic onlookers are actually motivated to analyze the core very closely for planes– geyser-like bangs of dirt running away coming from the comet on its own– along with feasible fragmentation.
A salted rear, as well!
Like Hale-Bopp, NEOWISE possesses a 3rd rear included salt atoms. Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Jeffrey Morgenthaler noted the comet on July 8th utilizing exclusive filtering system as well as located a slim, lengthy rear of salt atoms aiming straight away make up the Sun. The salt seems to come coming from disintegrating dirt in the internal coma.
” Atomic salt reacts to sunshine in a comparable means to cometary dirt, yet its own drive zing originates from a really specific insight of yellowish illumination– the very same different colors observed in sodium-vapor streetlamps,” Morgenthaler composes.
Evening seeing ideas
From lots of mid-northern latitude areas you can easily begin appearing as early as 9: 45–10 p.m. reduced in the northwestern heavens. Good luck provided our team Capella as an early morning quick guide celebrity. Right Now the Big Dipper come in to support (view chart beneath). You’ll require to discover an area along with an agape sight to the northwest as well as cleared away coming from vivid area lightings during that instructions. Hunt an area in the course of the daytime so you do not need to steer about seeking one during the night.
Arrive there in between 9: 45 to 10 p.m. true time along with a set of field glasses. Any sort of are going to perform yet I definitely like the 7 ×50 s or even 10 ×50 s due to the fact that they blend a big field of vision as well as intermediate magnifying along with really good light-gathering potential. Prior to you appear for the comet be actually certain to center the field glasses on an intense celebrity or even world. That are going to create the blurry comet much easier to detect.
Use the chart to aid you aim the field glasses in the best instructions, after that gradually “swing” the location up until you detect a little bit of factor of illumination along with a brief rear standing out of it. However provide it some opportunity if you begin early you might certainly not view the comet along with the nude eye. When the heavens acquires darker the comet certainly not just comes to be a wonderful view in field glasses yet additionally seems to the nude eye as a light, fat deposits touch of illumination.
Corrected for atmospheric termination– the dimming of things near the perspective where the setting is actually thickest– NEOWISE beams around degree 1.5– 2 presently (July 15 th). As well as although the comet is going to discolor in the happening full weeks (it is actually assumed to lose to 3rd size through July 18 th as well as to 4 due to the 25 th) it is actually additionally climbing up much higher as well as much higher at night heavens, which are going to partly counter its own dimming. Since you certainly never recognize when clouds might spin in, make an effort to capture it every crystal clear evening you can easily.
Where to Next?
The comet strides past a lot of universes as it takes a trip southward coming from Ursa Major right into Coma Berenices in the following couple of full weeks. Emphasizes consist of a near coupling along with the Black Eye Galaxy (M64) on August 3rd adhered to through an appealing organizing along with the globular collections M53 as well as NGC 5053 on August 6th. NEOWISE is going to beam about size 6 back then, the naked-eye limitation. The Moon go back to cheer up the setting beginning July 23 rd.
Observers in the much southerly U.S. are going to need to stand by merely a bit longer to view NEOWISE– it is going to put over the northwestern perspective beginning July 16 th as well as just improve coming from certainly there. Southern Hemisphere skywatchers, that are actually certainly chewing at the little bit, are going to receive ultimately receive their NEOWISE repair around July 28–30
Due to COVID-19 involves it is actually difficult or even tough to discuss the comet in a team setup. Our team can easily discuss it along with our family members as well as also a tiny teams of close friends along with effective social distancing. Youngsters really love experiences as well as keeping up behind time. What much better means to make an exclusive moment, as well as you could merely encourage your little one to create a lifetime hookup to the celebrities.
I want you lots of pleased evenings using this wanderer coming from the Oort Cloud. Like my pal Patricia mentioned: “What is actually a little bit of much less rest when you possess a comet checking out Earth?”
Science
Solar eclipse April 8 – South Grey News
March 28, 2024
Graphic: Appalachian Mtn Club
Grey Bruce Public Health is urging residents to resist the temptation to look directly at the sun during the upcoming solar eclipse and take steps to safeguard their visual health during this relatively rare celestial event.
On April 8, 2024, parts of southern and eastern Ontario will experience a total solar eclipse for the first time since 1925. Grey-Bruce will be outside of the so-called Path of Totality — a narrow area where the moon will completely block out the sun — but will still experience a partial eclipse.
The eclipse is expected to begin at about 2 pm and continue until 4:30 pm The eclipse will peak around 3:20 pm.
It is never safe to stare directly at the sun, but it may be tempting to do so during a solar eclipse.
Looking directly at the sun during an eclipse can cause retinal burns, blurred vision, and/or temporary or permanent loss of visual function, according to the Ontario Association of Optometrists. Damage to the eyes can occur without any sensation of pain.
Grey Bruce Public Health advises the following:
- Do not look directly at the sun without proper eye protection during the solar eclipse. Looking at even a small sliver of the sun before or after the eclipse without proper eye protection can harm vision.
- Keep a close eye on children and other vulnerable family members during the eclipse to ensure they do not inadvertently look up at the sun without proper eye protection.
- To safely view the eclipse, ISO-certified eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard must be worn. Ensure these glasses are in good condition, without any wrinkles or scratches, and that they fully cover the entire field of vision. Put on the glasses when looking away from the sun, then look at the eclipse. Look away from the sun before taking the glasses off.
- Regular sunglasses or homemade filters will not protect the eyes.
- It is not safe to view the eclipse through a camera/phone lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device.
Other ways to safely experience the solar eclipse include watching a livestream of the event or creating and using an eclipse box or pinhole projector.
Anyone experiencing temporary vision loss or blurred vision during or after the eclipse should speak with their eye care professional or healthcare provider as soon as possible.
Anyone experiencing blindness (immediate or delayed) after viewing the eclipse must seek emergency care immediately.
More information on the upcoming eclipse is available on the GBPH website.
At South Grey News, we endeavour to bring you truthful and factual, up-to-date local community news in a quick and easy-to-digest format that’s free of political bias. We believe this service is more important today than ever before, as social media has given rise to misinformation, largely unchecked by big corporations who put profits ahead of their responsibilities.
South Grey News does not have the resources of a big corporation. We are a small, locally owned-and-operated organization. Research, analysis and physical attendance at public meetings and community events requires considerable effort. But contributions from readers and advertisers, however big or small, go a long way to helping us deliver positive, open and honest journalism for this community.
Please consider supporting South Grey News with a donation in lieu of a subscription fee and let us know that our efforts are appreciated. Thank you.
Science
NASA to launch sounding rockets into moon's shadow during solar eclipse – Phys.org
NASA will launch three sounding rockets during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, to study how Earth’s upper atmosphere is affected when sunlight momentarily dims over a portion of the planet.
The Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP) sounding rockets will launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to study the disturbances in the ionosphere created when the moon eclipses the sun. The sounding rockets had been previously launched and successfully recovered from White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, during the October 2023 annular solar eclipse.
They have been refurbished with new instrumentation and will be relaunched in April 2024. The mission is led by Aroh Barjatya, a professor of engineering physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, where he directs the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab.
The sounding rockets will launch at three different times: 45 minutes before, during, and 45 minutes after the peak local eclipse. These intervals are important to collect data on how the sun’s sudden disappearance affects the ionosphere, creating disturbances that have the potential to interfere with our communications.
The ionosphere is a region of Earth’s atmosphere that is between 55 to 310 miles (90 to 500 kilometers) above the ground. “It’s an electrified region that reflects and refracts radio signals and also impacts satellite communications as the signals pass through,” said Barjatya. “Understanding the ionosphere and developing models to help us predict disturbances is crucial to making sure our increasingly communication-dependent world operates smoothly.”
The ionosphere forms the boundary between Earth’s lower atmosphere—where we live and breathe—and the vacuum of space. It is made up of a sea of particles that become ionized, or electrically charged, from the sun’s energy or solar radiation.
When night falls, the ionosphere thins out as previously ionized particles relax and recombine back into neutral particles. However, Earth’s terrestrial weather and space weather can impact these particles, making it a dynamic region and difficult to know what the ionosphere will be like at a given time.
It’s often difficult to study short-term changes in the ionosphere during an eclipse with satellites because they may not be at the right place or time to cross the eclipse path. Since the exact date and times of the total solar eclipse are known, NASA can launch targeted sounding rockets to study the effects of the eclipse at the right time and at all altitudes of the ionosphere.
As the eclipse shadow races through the atmosphere, it creates a rapid, localized sunset that triggers large-scale atmospheric waves and small-scale disturbances or perturbations. These perturbations affect different radio communication frequencies. Gathering the data on these perturbations will help scientists validate and improve current models that help predict potential disturbances to our communications, especially high-frequency communication.
The APEP rockets are expected to reach a maximum altitude of 260 miles (420 kilometers). Each rocket will measure charged and neutral particle density and surrounding electric and magnetic fields. “Each rocket will eject four secondary instruments the size of a two-liter soda bottle that also measure the same data points, so it’s similar to results from fifteen rockets while only launching three,” explained Barjatya. Embry-Riddle built three secondary instruments on each rocket, and the fourth one was built at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
In addition to the rockets, several teams across the U.S. will also be taking measurements of the ionosphere by various means. A team of students from Embry-Riddle will deploy a series of high-altitude balloons. Co-investigators from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Haystack Observatory in Massachusetts and the Air Force Research Laboratory in New Mexico will operate a variety of ground-based radars taking measurements.
Using this data, a team of scientists from Embry-Riddle and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are refining existing models. Together, these various investigations will help provide the puzzle pieces needed to see the bigger picture of ionospheric dynamics.
When the APEP-sounding rockets launched during the 2023 annular solar eclipse, scientists saw a sharp reduction in the density of charged particles as the annular eclipse shadow passed over the atmosphere.
“We saw the perturbations capable of affecting radio communications in the second and third rockets, but not during the first rocket that was before peak local eclipse,” said Barjatya. “We are super excited to relaunch them during the total eclipse to see if the perturbations start at the same altitude and if their magnitude and scale remain the same.”
The next total solar eclipse over the contiguous U.S. is not until 2044, so these experiments are a rare opportunity for scientists to collect crucial data.
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Science
Royal Sask. Museum research finds insect changes may have set stage for dinosaurs' extinction – CTV News Regina
Research by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM) shows that ecological changes were occurring in insects at least a million years before dinosaur extinction.
Papers published in the scientific journal, Current Biology, describe the first insect fossils found in amber from Saskatchewan and the unearthing of three new ant species from an amber deposit in North Carolina, according to a release from the province.
The amber deposit from in the Big Muddy Badlands of Saskatchewan, which was formed about 67 million years ago, preserved insects that lived in a swampy redwood forest about one million years before the extinction of dinosaurs.
“Fossils in the amber deposit seem to show that common Cretaceous insects may have been replaced on the landscape by their more modern relatives, particularly in groups such as ants, before the extinction event,” Elyssa Loewen, curatorial assistant, said.
The research team was led by Loewen and Dr. Ryan McKellar, the RSM’s curator of paleontology.
“These new fossil records are closer than anyone has gotten to sampling a diverse set of insects near the extinction event, and they help researchers fill in a 17-million-year gap in the fossil record of insects around that time,” Dr. McKellar said.
The three ant species discovered in North Carolina also belonged to extinct groups that didn’t survive past the Cretaceous period.
“When combined with the work in Saskatchewan, the two recent papers show that there was a dramatic change in ant diversity sometime between 77 and 67 million years ago,” Dr. McKellar said in the release.
“Our analyses of body shapes in the fossils suggests that the turnover was not related to major differences in ecology, but it may have been related to something like the size and complexity of ant colonies. More work is needed to confirm this.”
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