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Solar Orbiter speeds towards its next rendezvous with the Sun
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By NASA
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NASA, NOAA: Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle
In a teleconference with reporters on Tuesday, representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next year.
The solar cycle is a natural cycle the Sun goes through as it transitions between low and high magnetic activity. Roughly every 11 years, at the height of the solar cycle, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip — on Earth, that’d be like the North and South poles swapping places every decade — and the Sun transitions from being calm to an active and stormy state.
Visible light images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory highlight the appearance of the Sun at solar minimum (left, Dec. 2019) versus solar maximum (right, May 2024). During solar minimum, the Sun is often spotless. Sunspots are associated with solar activity and are used to track solar cycle progress. For these images and more relating to solar maximum, visit https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14683.
NASA/SDO Images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory highlight the appearance of the Sun at solar minimum (left, December 2019) versus solar maximum (right, May 2024). These images are in the 171-angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light, which reveals the active regions on the Sun that are more common during solar maximum. For these images and more relating to solar maximum, visit https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14683.
NASA/SDO
NASA and NOAA track sunspots to determine and predict the progress of the solar cycle — and ultimately, solar activity. Sunspots are cooler regions on the Sun caused by a concentration of magnetic field lines. Sunspots are the visible component of active regions, areas of intense and complex magnetic fields on the Sun that are the source of solar eruptions.
“During solar maximum, the number of sunspots, and therefore, the amount of solar activity, increases,” said Jamie Favors, director, Space Weather Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This increase in activity provides an exciting opportunity to learn about our closest star — but also causes real effects at Earth and throughout our solar system.”
The solar cycle is the natural cycle of the Sun as it transitions between low and high activity. During the most active part of the cycle, known as solar maximum, the Sun can unleash immense explosions of light, energy, and solar radiation — all of which create conditions known as space weather. Space weather can affect satellites and astronauts in space, as well as communications systems — such as radio and GPS — and power grids on Earth.
Credits: Beth Anthony/NASA Solar activity strongly influences conditions in space known as space weather. This can affect satellites and astronauts in space, as well as communications and navigation systems — such as radio and GPS — and power grids on Earth. When the Sun is most active, space weather events become more frequent. Solar activity has led to increased aurora visibility and impacts on satellites and infrastructure in recent months.
During May 2024, a barrage of large solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launched clouds of charged particles and magnetic fields toward Earth, creating the strongest geomagnetic storm at Earth in two decades — and possibly among the strongest displays of auroras on record in the past 500 years.
May 3–May 9, 2024, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory observed 82 notable solar flares. The flares came mainly from two active regions on the Sun called AR 13663 and AR 13664. This video highlights all flares classified at M5 or higher with nine categorized as X-class solar flares.
Credit: NASA “This announcement doesn’t mean that this is the peak of solar activity we’ll see this solar cycle,” said Elsayed Talaat, director of space weather operations at NOAA. “While the Sun has reached the solar maximum period, the month that solar activity peaks on the Sun will not be identified for months or years.”
Scientists will not be able to determine the exact peak of this solar maximum period for many months because it’s only identifiable after they’ve tracked a consistent decline in solar activity after that peak. However, scientists have identified that the last two years on the Sun have been part of this active phase of the solar cycle, due to the consistently high number of sunspots during this period. Scientists anticipate that the maximum phase will last another year or so before the Sun enters the declining phase, which leads back to solar minimum. Since 1989, the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel — an international panel of experts sponsored by NASA and NOAA — has worked together to make their prediction for the next solar cycle.
Solar cycles have been tracked by astronomers since Galileo first observed sunspots in the 1600s. Each solar cycle is different — some cycles peak for larger and shorter amounts of time, and others have smaller peaks that last longer.
Sunspot number over the previous 24 solar cycles. Scientists use sunspots to track solar cycle progress; the dark spots are associated with solar activity, often as the origins for giant explosions — such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections — which can spew light, energy, and solar material out into space. For these images and more relating to solar maximum, visit https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14683.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center “Solar Cycle 25 sunspot activity has slightly exceeded expectations,” said Lisa Upton, co-chair of the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel and lead scientist at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. “However, despite seeing a few large storms, they aren’t larger than what we might expect during the maximum phase of the cycle.”
The most powerful flare of the solar cycle so far was an X9.0 on Oct. 3 (X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength).
NOAA anticipates additional solar and geomagnetic storms during the current solar maximum period, leading to opportunities to spot auroras over the next several months, as well as potential technology impacts. Additionally, though less frequent, scientists often see fairly significant storms during the declining phase of the solar cycle.
The Solar Cycle 25 forecast, as produced by the Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel. Sunspot number is an indicator of solar cycle strength — the higher the sunspot number, the stronger the cycle. For these images and more relating to solar maximum, visit https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14683.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center NASA and NOAA are preparing for the future of space weather research and prediction. In December 2024, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission will make its closest-ever approach to the Sun, beating its own record of closest human-made object to the Sun. This will be the first of three planned approaches for Parker at this distance, helping researchers to understand space weather right at the source.
NASA is launching several missions over the next year that will help us better understand space weather and its impacts across the solar system.
Space weather predictions are critical for supporting the spacecraft and astronauts of NASA’s Artemis campaign. Surveying this space environment is a vital part of understanding and mitigating astronaut exposure to space radiation.
NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. To see how space weather can affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts.
By Abbey Interrante
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Media Contact:
Sarah Frazier, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
sarah.frazier@nasa.gov
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By NASA
29 Min Read The Next Full Moon is a Supermoon, and the Hunter’s Moon
A supermoon rises behind the U.S. Capitol, on March 9, 2020, in Washington. Credits:
NASA/Joel Kowsky The Next Full Moon is a Supermoon; the Hunter’s Moon; the Travel Moon, the Dying Grass Moon, or the Sanguine or Blood Moon; the start of Sukkoth; Sharad Purnima, Kumara Purnima, Kojagari Purnima, Navanna Purnima Kojagrat Purnima, or Kaumudi Purnima; the end of Vassa and Pavarana; the Thadingyut Festival Moon; the end of the Phaung Daw U Pagoda Festival; and Vap Poya.
The next full Moon will be Thursday morning, Oct. 17, 2024, at 7:26 a.m. EDT. This will be late Wednesday night for the International Date Line West time zone and early Friday morning from New Zealand Time eastwards to the International Date Line. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Tuesday evening through Friday morning.
This will be the third of four consecutive supermoons (and the brightest by a tiny margin).
As the full Moon after the Harvest Moon, this will be the Hunter’s Moon. The earliest written use of the term “Hunter’s Moon” identified in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1710. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, with the leaves falling and the deer fattened, it is time to hunt. Since the harvesters have reaped the fields, hunters can easily see the animals that have come out to glean (and the foxes that have come out to prey upon them).
The Maine Farmer’s Almanac first published Native American names for the full Moons in the 1930s. Over time these names have become widely known and used.
According to this almanac, as the full Moon in October the Algonquin tribes in what is now the northeastern United States called this the Travel Moon, the Dying Grass Moon, or the Sanguine or Blood Moon. Some sources indicate that the Dying Grass, Sanguine, and Blood Moon names are related to the turning of the leaves and dying back of plants with the start of fall. Others indicate that the names Sanguine and Blood Moon are associated with hunting to prepare for winter. I have read that the name “Travel Moon” comes from observing the migration of birds and other animals preparing for the winter. I don’t know, but this name may also refer to the season when the more northern tribes would move down from the mountains for the winter. For example, both the Iroquois and Algonquin would hunt in the Adirondack Mountains during the summertime but leave in fall to avoid the harsh mountain winters.
As the full Moon in the Hebrew month of Tishrei, this full Moon falls near the start of Sukkoth, a 7-day holiday starting on the 15th day of the month. Sukkoth is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of the Ingathering. Sukkoth honors both the sheltering of the People of Israel during the 40 years in the wilderness in the Book of Leviticus as well as an ancient harvest festival in the Book of Exodus. Sukkot is named for the sukkah (booths or huts) traditionally built for the occasion that represent the temporary huts in which Israelites lived after escaping from Egypt. Families symbolically invite ancestors to share meals in the sukkah and spend as much time as possible there throughout the week. This year Sukkoth starts at sunset on October 16 and ends at sunset on October 23. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot for more information.
For Hindus, this is Sharad Purnima, also known as Kumara Purnima, Kojagari Purnima, Navanna Purnima Kojagrat Purnima, or Kaumudi Purnima. This is a harvest festival celebrated in a variety of ways. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharad_Purnima for more information.
For Buddhists, this Moon marks the end of Vassa, the three-month period of fasting for monks tied to the monsoons (Vassa is sometimes given the English names “Rains Retreat” or “Buddhist Lent”). There are numerous festivals and holy days associated with this Moon at the end of Vassa. Many Buddhists observe the holy day Pavarana on this day.
In Myanmar, this full Moon corresponds with the three-day Thadingyut Festival of Lights, also known as the Lighting Festival of Myanmar.
Also in Myanmar, this full Moon is near the end of the Phaung Daw U Pagoda Festival. This festival began on the first Waxing Moon day of the month of Thadingyut and will end a few days past this full Moon.
In Sri Lanka, this is Vap Poya, which is followed (usually within the lunar month) by the Kathina festival, during which people give gifts to the monks, particularly new robes (so this lunar month is sometimes called the Month of Robes).
In many traditional Moon-based calendars the full Moons fall on or near the middle of each month. This full Moon is near the middle of the ninth month of the Chinese year of the Dragon and Rabi’ al-Thani, also called Rabiʽ al-Akhir, the fourth month of the Islamic year.
As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon. Enjoy this harvest season, remember your ancestors, and consider camping out with your family. Here’s wishing you safe travels!
Summary of Key Celestial Events
Here are more celestial events between now and the full Moon after next (with specific times and angles based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.):
As Autumn continues the daily periods of sunlight continue shortening. On Thursday, Oct. 17, (the day of the full Moon), morning twilight will begin at 6:22 a.m. EDT, sunrise will be at 7:20 a.m., solar noon will be at 12:53 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 41.5 degrees, sunset will be at 6:26 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 7:24 p.m.. By Friday, Nov. 15, (the day of the full Moon after next), we will have switched from Daylight Saving to Standard Time. Morning twilight will begin at 5:51 a.m. EST, sunrise will be at 6:51 AM, solar noon will be at 11:53 a.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 32.4 degrees, sunset will be at 4:54 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 5:55 p.m.
This should be a good season for Saturn viewing, especially through a backyard telescope. Saturn was at its closest and brightest the night of September 7. It will be shifting west each evening, making it higher in the sky and friendlier for evening viewing (particularly for children with earlier bedtimes). Through a telescope you should be able to see Saturn’s bright moon Titan and its rings. The rings are appearing thinner and will be edge-on to the Earth by early 2025. We won’t get the “classic” view of Saturn with its rings again until 2026.
Comets
Two comets might be visible during this lunar cycle. For both of these comets I recommend paying attention to the news and checking out local astronomy websites, as we should have better forecasts of how these comets are behaving as we get closer to the opportunities for prime viewing. Particularly for the newly discovered Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), others (with newer information and better modeling tools) should be able to provide better guidance on when and where to look.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) has already survived its close pass by the Sun and will be its closest to the Earth on October 12 (five days before the full Moon). After its closest approach it will be in the evening sky as twilight ends. If it continues on its current brightness curve it should be visible with binoculars and (under good conditions) with the unaided eye for at least a few evenings after the 12th, dimming as it moves away from the Sun and the Earth. On October 12, as evening twilight ends (at 7:31 p.m. EDT) the comet will be 4 degrees above the western horizon to the right of Venus (at an estimated visual magnitude of 2.9). As twilight ends on October 13 it will be 10 degrees above the western horizon (magnitude 3), 12 degrees on October 14 (magnitude 3.2), 16 degrees on October 15 (magnitude 3.3), etc. Current brightness curves predict it will dim to magnitude 6.2 by the end of October (nearing the edge of visibility with the unaided eye under dark and clear conditions).
Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) was discovered recently. It’s gotten a lot of attention because if it doesn’t break up as it approaches the Sun, it may become bright enough to see during the daytime. However, I want to avoid raising unrealistic expectations. From the information I’ve been able to find so far, I expect that at night this comet will only be visible with binoculars or a telescope, as its path will not bring it very close to the Earth. For the Washington, D.C. area (and similar latitudes) this comet will be above the horizon before morning twilight begins from now to October 21 as the comet falls towards the Sun. If it doesn’t break into pieces too small to see around closest approach, it should also be visible (with binoculars or a telescope) from November 2 to December 19 as the comet speeds away from the Sun.
However, it is a sungrazing comet and will be passing just a few solar radii from the surface of the Sun. This is so close that the sunlight will be more than 14,000 times brighter than at Earth. Sunlight this intense may cause it to break up and evaporate. But if it remains intact, based on the estimates I have while writing this, the comet will be bright enough to see during the daylight for about an hour or two around closest approach.
One brightness model estimates this comet will be brighter than magnitude -5 from 7:12 a.m. to 8:06 a.m. EDT. Based on this timing, Africa, Europe, and South America are best situated to see this daylight comet. From the East Coast of North America the comet at its brightest will be to the lower left of the Sun just after sunrise, which means we will be viewing it through more air, increasing the chance of interference from scattered sunlight and clouds.
To look for this comet during the short period when it is very close to the Sun, find out for your location which side of the Sun the comet will be on, then find something to block the Sun (e.g., a house or building, etc., the farther away the better) so you can look for the comet without staring at the Sun. Be careful and plan ahead, as it may be difficult to find a location that has both a clear view to the right part of the east-southeastern horizon and a large overhanging object to block the Sun while allowing you to see to the lower left of the Sun. I strongly recommend AGAINST using binoculars or a telescope because accidentally using high powered lenses to focus intense sunlight into your eyes is a blindingly bad idea.
If you are interested, here is some more background on Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS). Otherwise, skip this paragraph. This comet was discovered on Sept. 27, 2024, by one of the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescopes in Hawaii. This comet’s orbit suggests it is part of a family of comets called Kreutz sungrazers that pass very close to the Sun. These comets are thought to be fragments of a large sungrazing comet, the Great Comet of 1106, that broke up as it swung around the Sun 918 years ago. This 1106 comet might itself be a fragment of an even larger sungrazing comet, possibly the Great Comet of 371 BC (also known as Aristotle’s Comet). This comet was so bright it cast shadows at night like the full Moon. Several other members of this comet family have been great comets, including the Great Comet of 1843 and the Great Comet of 1882. The most recent great comet from this family was Comet Ikeya–Seki in 1965. Since its launch in 1995, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite has observed more than 4000 smaller Kreutz sungrazers, some only a few meters across, with none of these smaller comets surviving their close pass by the Sun.
Meteor Showers
Five meteor showers are predicted to peak during this lunar cycle. Three meteor showers peak between October 18 and 24 when the light of the waning Moon will interfere, the most significant being the Orionids peaking on October 21. While the Orionids tend to be brighter than average and to peak at about 20 meteors per hour (under ideal conditions), the light of the waning gibbous Moon will make these harder to see this year, especially from our light-polluted urban areas. Two minor meteor showers will peak in early November. These showers are the Southern Taurids (peaking at 7 meteors per hour on November 5) and the Northern Taurids (peaking at 5 meteors per hour on November 12). These showers overlap to produce their highest combined rate around November 5, but this rate is low enough that seeing these meteors from urban locations will be difficult.
Evening Sky Highlights
On the evening of Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 (the evening of the full Moon), as twilight ends (at 7:24 p.m. EDT), the rising Moon will be 9 degrees above the eastern horizon. Saturn will be 27 degrees above the southeastern horizon. Bright Venus will be 6 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be to the upper right of Venus at 22 degrees above the western horizon (at a visual magnitude of 3.7 if it continues to follow its current brightness curve). The bright star closest to overhead will be Deneb at 80 degrees above the northeastern horizon. Deneb (visual magnitude 1.3) is the 19th brightest star in our night sky and is the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus the swan. Deneb is one of the three bright stars of the “Summer Triangle” (along with Vega and Altair). Deneb is about 20 times more massive than our Sun but has used up its hydrogen, becoming a blue-white supergiant about 200 times the diameter of the Sun. If Deneb were where our Sun is, it would extend to about the orbit of the Earth. Deneb is about 2,600 light years from us.
As this lunar cycle progresses, Saturn and the background of stars will appear to shift westward each evening (as the Earth moves around the Sun). Bright Venus will shift to the left along the southwestern horizon in the opposite direction as the stars, passing above the bright star Antares (they will appear 3 degrees apart at their closest on October 25). October 21 will be the first evening the planet Mercury will be above the west-southwestern horizon 30 minutes after sunset (an estimate of when it will first be visible in the glow of dusk). The waxing Moon will pass by Antares on November 3, Venus on November 4, and Saturn on November 10. November 11 will be when Mercury will first appear above the horizon as twilight ends.
By the evening of Friday, November 15 (the evening of the full Moon after next), as twilight ends at 5:55 p.m. EST, the rising Moon will be 14 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon with the Pleiades star cluster 5 degrees to the lower left. The brightest planet in the sky will be Venus at 12 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Next in brightness will be Mercury at less than a degree above the west-southwestern horizon. Saturn will be 38 degrees above the south-southeastern horizon. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be 39 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon, with its current brightness curve predicting it will have faded to magnitude 8, too faint to see with the unaided eye. The bright star closest to overhead will still be Deneb at 79 degrees above the northwestern horizon.
Morning Sky Highlights
On the morning of Thursday, October 17, 2024 (the morning of the full Moon), as twilight begins at 6:22 a.m. EDT, the setting Moon will be 11 degrees above the western horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter at 63 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. Mars will be at 72 degrees above the south-southeastern horizon. Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will be 6 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon but will likely be too dim to be seen without a telescope (current projection, magnitude 12.7). The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Pollux, the 17th brightest star in our night sky and the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini, at 75 degrees above the southeastern horizon. Pollux is an orange tinted star about 34 lightyears from Earth. It is not quite twice the mass of our Sun but about 9 times the diameter and 33 times the brightness.
As this lunar cycle progresses, Jupiter, Mars, and the background of stars will appear to shift westward each evening. Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), visible with binoculars or a telescope, will brighten but shift lower as it races towards the Sun, with October 21 the last morning it will be above the horizon as morning twilight begins (estimated magnitude of 11.2). The waning Moon will pass by the Pleiades star cluster on October 19, Jupiter on October 21, Mars and Pollux on October 23, Regulus on October 26, and Spica on October 31. Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will pass its closest to the Sun on the morning of October 28 (when, if the sky is very clear, it might be bright enough to see in the daylight for an hour or so around 7:39 a.m.). If this comet survives its close pass by the Sun, it may reemerge in the morning sky. November 2 will be the first morning it will be above the horizon as morning twilight begins (with an estimated magnitude of 10.5, visible with binoculars or a telescope).
By the morning of Friday, November 15 (the morning of the full Moon after next), as twilight begins (at 5:51 a.m. EST), the setting full Moon will be 7 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter at 35 degrees above the western horizon. Mars will be at 68 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will be 13 degrees above the southeastern horizon (estimated magnitude 14.2). The bright star appearing closest to overhead will still be Pollux at 69 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon (higher than Mars by about a half degree).
Detailed Daily Guide
.Here for your reference is a day-by-day listing of celestial events between now and the full Moon on October 17, 2024. The times and angles are based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C, and some of these details may differ for where you are (I use parentheses to indicate times specific to the D.C. area). If your latitude is significantly different than 39 degrees north (and especially for my Southern Hemisphere readers), I recommend using an astronomy app or a star-watching guide from a local observatory, news outlet, or astronomy club.
Saturday morning, October 12: At 11:10 a.m. EDT, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be at its closest to Earth. Although it will be on the horizon as evening twilight ends the evening before (Friday), it may be hard to see. Our first chance to see it above the horizon as evening twilight ends (at 7:31 PM) will likely be Saturday evening, when the comet will be 4 degrees above the western horizon, similar in altitude and to the right of Venus.
As of September 28 this comet is still following a brightness curve that predicts it to be quite bright near closest approach and remain visible to unaided human eyes (under clear dark sky conditions) through the end of October. How bright the comet will be and how quickly it actually dims will depend upon the gas and dust it is giving off, which can vary quickly and unpredictably, but it should be an impressive show in the evenings after October 12.
The comet will likely dim as it moves away from the Earth, but also appear higher in the sky and set later each evening, giving us more time and darker skies to look for it. As evening twilight ends on October 13 it will be 10 degrees above the western horizon, 12 degrees on October 14, 16 degrees on October 15, etc. Current brightness curves predict it will still be around magnitude 6 by the end of October (still visible to the unaided eye under good conditions).
Monday evening, October 14: The planet Saturn will appear near the waxing gibbous Moon. As evening twilight ends (at 7:28 p.m. EDT) Saturn will be 4 degrees to the upper right. The Moon will reach its highest for the night about 3.5 hours later (at 10:53 p.m.) with Saturn 5 degrees to the lower right. The pair will continue to separate, with Saturn setting first 5 hours after that (at 4:09 a.m.). For parts of Southern Asia and Africa the Moon will block Saturn from view.
Wednesday evening, October 16: At 8:57 p.m. EDT (CSG 8:47), the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit.
As mentioned above, the full Moon will be Thursday morning, Oct. 17, at 7:26 a.m. EDT. This will be late Wednesday night for the International Date Line West time zone and early Friday morning from New Zealand Time eastwards to the International Date Line. This will be the third of four consecutive supermoons (and the brightest by a tiny margin). The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from Tuesday evening through Friday morning.
Saturday night into Sunday morning, October 19 to 20: The Pleiades star cluster will appear near the waning gibbous Moon. At moonrise (7:42 p.m. EDT) on the east-northeastern horizon the Pleiades will be 3 degrees to the upper right. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night at 3:28 a.m., the Pleiades will be 7 degrees to the lower right.
Sunday night into Monday morning, October 20 to 21: The planet Jupiter will appear near the waning gibbous Moon. As Jupiter rises on the east-northeastern horizon at 9:08 p.m. EDT, it will be 6 degrees to the lower right of the Moon. As the Moon reaches its highest in the sky at 4:29 a.m., Jupiter will be 6 degrees below the Moon, and it will be to the lower left by the time morning twilight begins at 6:26 a.m.
As mentioned above, the Orionid meteor shower will peak the early morning of Monday, October 21. Conditions are not good as moonlight will interfere with seeing these meteors, but if you happen to be out keep an eye on the sky, as you might see a meteor or two.
For the Washington DC area and similar latitudes, Monday morning, October 21: This will be the last morning Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), visible with binoculars or a telescope (estimated magnitude 11.2), will be above the horizon as morning twilight begins (at 6:27 AM EDT) as it rushes towards its close passage by the Sun a week later.
Monday evening, October 21: This will be the first evening the planet Mercury will be above the west-southwestern horizon 30 minutes after sunset (an estimate of when it will start being visible in the glow of dusk).
Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, October 22 to 23: The waning gibbous Moon, the bright star Pollux, and the planet Mars will form a triangle in the night sky. As Pollux rises on the northeastern horizon at 11 p.m. EDT, it will be 8 degrees to the lower left of the Moon. Mars will rise below the Moon 30 minutes later at 11:30 p.m. As the Moon reaches its highest for the night and morning twilight begins at 6:28 a.m., Pollux will be 4 degrees to the upper left and Mars will be 7 degrees to the lower left of the Moon.
Thursday morning, October 24: The waning Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its last quarter at 4:03 a.m. EDT.
If you find you are having trouble waking up in late October and early November, the dark mornings may be the reason (or at least a plausible excuse). Since 2007 when Congress moved the start of Daylight Saving Time from the end of October to the beginning of November, the latest sunrises of the year have been in late October and early November. In 2024, for the Washington, D.C. area and similar latitudes, the time of sunrise (in EDT) from Thursday, October 24 to Saturday, November 2 will be later than the latest sunrise of winter at 7:27 a.m. EST on January 5.
In the evening sky during this lunar cycle the bright planet Venus will be shifting to the upper left along the southwestern horizon in the opposite direction as the background of stars.
Friday, October 25: This will be when Venus and the bright star Antares will pass at their closest, with Antares 3 degrees to the lower left of Venus.
Saturday morning, October 26: The bright star Regulus will appear below the waning crescent Moon. As Regulus rises on the east-northeastern horizon at 2:15 a.m. EDT, it will be 5 degrees below the Moon. Morning twilight will begin more than 4 hours later at 6:31 a.m. with Regulus 4 degrees to the lower right of the Moon.
Monday morning, October 28: At about 7:39 a.m. EDT, Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will pass its closest to the Sun. If the sky is very clear, it might be bright enough to see in the daylight for an hour or so around closest approach. For the Washington, D.C. area, closest approach will only be 7 minutes after sunrise, so our only chance of seeing this is if the sky on the east-southeastern horizon is unusually clear. The comet will be to the lower left of the Sun, and since the tail points away from the Sun, it may be hidden by the horizon until the comet rises higher in the sky. Europe, Africa, and South America are better positioned to look for this comet near the Sun. Be careful and plan ahead, as it may be difficult to find a location that has both a clear view to the right part of the east-southeastern horizon and a large overhanging object to block the Sun while allowing you to see to the lower left of the Sun.
Pay attention to the news as the predictions may change, but the brightness predictions I have as of writing this are that this comet will be brighter than magnitude -5 until 8:06 a.m. (when the Sun will be 5.6 degrees above the horizon). Magnitude -4 is generally considered the brightness limit for visibility of an object during the day, and the comet is predicted to be above this magnitude until 8:39 AM, but because it will be close to the Sun it is hard to say what the actual visibility limit will be, as the glare near the Sun depends on atmospheric conditions and can be quite bright.
Tuesday, October 29: At 6:51 p.m. EDT, the Moon will be at apogee, its farthest from the Earth for this orbit.
Thursday morning, October 31: You might be able to see the thin, waxing crescent Moon low on the east-southeastern horizon 3.5 degrees to the lower left of the bright star Spica. You will need to look for them in the glow of dawn, as the Moon will rise at 6:43 a.m. EDT 7 minutes after twilight begins at 6:36 a.m.
Thursday, October 31, is Halloween: We currently divide the year into four seasons based upon the solstices and equinoxes, with winter beginning on the winter solstice in December. This approximates winter as the quarter of the year with the coldest temperatures. Much of pre-Christian northern Europe celebrated “cross-quarter days” halfway between the solstices and equinoxes, and divided the seasons on these days. Using this older definition, winter was the quarter of the year with the shortest daily periods of daylight, with autumn ending and winter beginning on Samhain, traditionally celebrated on October 31st or November 1st (the middle of our fall). Our Halloween customs are thought to have come from these earlier celebrations of fall’s end and winter’s start.
Friday morning, November 1, at 8:47 AM EDT: This will be the new Moon, when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from the Earth. This new Moon is considered the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. Diwali or Divali, also known as Dipawali or Deepavali, is an important five or six day festival of lights centered on this new Moon, celebrated by Hindus and other faiths including Jains, Sikhs, and Newar Buddhists. The name comes from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) celebrants light to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. Lakshmi Puja or Kali Puja, venerating the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi, is the central day of the festival (November 1 this year). It is a public holiday in many countries with large Hindu, Sikh, and/or Jain populations, including Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The day of or the day after the New Moon: This marks the start of the new month for most lunisolar calendars. The tenth month of the Chinese year of the Dragon starts on Friday, November 1. Sundown on Friday, November 1, marks the start of Marcheshvan in the Hebrew calendar, a name often shortened to Cheshvan or Heshvan.
If Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) survives its close pass by the Sun, Saturday, November 2, will be the first morning it will be above the horizon as morning twilight begins at 6:38 a.m. EDT, appearing with an estimated magnitude of 10.5 (only visible with binoculars or a telescope).
Because of Daylight Saving Time, Saturday morning, November 2, will be the latest sunrise of the year. Morning twilight will begin at 6:38 a.m. EDT, sunrise will be at 7:37 a.m., solar noon will be at 12:51 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 35.1 degrees, sunset will be at 6:06 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 7:05 p.m.
In the Islamic calendar the months traditionally start with the first sighting of the waxing crescent Moon. Many Muslim communities now follow the Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia, which uses astronomical calculations to start months in a more predictable way. Using this calendar, sundown on Saturday, November 2, will probably mark the beginning of Jumādā al-ʾŪlā.
Early on Sunday morning, November 3: We “Fall Back” from 1:59 a.m. EDT to 1 a.m. EST. While most of us will be gaining an hour of sleep, if you want to do something for 2 hours but are only supposed to do it for one, consider doing it for the “clock hour” from 1 a.m. EDT to 2 a.m. EST. Be careful though, as about twice as many accidents tend to happen during this “clock hour” compared to other mornings of the year! Regardless, on Sunday morning you will need to reset any clocks that didn’t reset themselves! On Sunday, twilight will begin at 5:39 a.m. EST, sunrise will be at 6:38 a.m., solar noon will be at 11:51 a.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 35.8 degrees, sunset will be at 5:05 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 6:04 p.m.
It may be difficult to see, but on Sunday evening, November 3, the bright star Antares will appear 2 degrees above the thin, waxing crescent Moon. You will need to look for the Moon in the glow of dusk as it will set on the southwestern horizon just 1 minute after evening twilight ends (at 6:04 p.m. EST).
Monday evening, November 4: The bright planet Venus will appear 4 degrees to the upper right of the thin, waxing crescent Moon. The Moon will be 6 degrees above the southwestern horizon as evening twilight ends at 6:03 p.m. EST, and will set first 46 minutes later at 6:49 p.m.
Tuesday morning, November 5: Two minor meteor showers, the Southern Taurids (peaking at 7 meteors per hour on November 5) and the Northern Taurids (peaking at 5 meteors per hour on November 12), overlap to produce their highest combined rate. Although the light of the waxing crescent Moon will not interfere, even this combined rate will be low enough to make seeing these meteors from urban areas difficult due to light pollution. Still, if you are out after midnight and the sky is clear, you might see a meteor or two.
Early Saturday morning, November 9: The Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its first quarter at 12:56 a.m. EST.
In the evenings during much of this lunar cycle, the planet Mercury will be shifting to the upper left along the southwestern horizon, moving in the opposite direction from the background of stars. On Saturday and Sunday evenings, November 9 and 10, Mercury and the bright star Antares will pass their closest, less than 2 degrees apart, with Antares to the lower left of Mercury. You will need to look low on the southwestern horizon while dusk is in the sky, as they both will have set by the time evening twilight ends.
Saturday evening into early Sunday morning, November 9 to 10: The planet Saturn will appear near the waxing gibbous Moon. As evening twilight ends at 5:58 p.m. EST, Saturn will be 2 degrees to the upper left. The Moon will reach its highest point for the night about 1 hour 45 minutes later at 7:43 p.m., with Saturn 1 degree to the upper left. For the Washington, D.C. area, Saturn will be at its closest, about 0.1 degree to the upper right of the Moon, at about 9:55 p.m. (times and angles will differ for different locations). For the southern tip if Florida and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and Northwestern South America, the Moon will block Saturn from view. The Moon will continue passing by Saturn, with Saturn setting first on the western horizon a little less than 3.5 hours later at 1:19 a.m.
Monday evening, November 11: This will be the first evening that the planet Mercury will be above the west-southwestern horizon as evening twilight ends at 5:57 p.m. EST.
Thursday morning, November 14: At 6:18 EST, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit.
The full Moon after next will be Friday afternoon, November 15, 2024 at 4:29 PM EST. This will be early Saturday morning from Kamchatka and Fiji Time eastwards to the International Date Line. This will be the last of four consecutive supermoons. The Pleiades star cluster will appear near the full Moon. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from a few hours before sunrise Thursday morning into a few hours before sunrise Sunday morning.
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By NASA
Unable to render the provided source NASA invites the public to virtually sail along with the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System‘s space journey using NASA’s “Eyes on the Solar System” visualization tool, a digital model of the solar system. This simulation shows the real-time positions of the planets, moons, and spacecraft – including NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System.
Solar sails use the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, angling toward or away from the Sun so that photons bounce off the reflective sail to push a spacecraft. This eliminates the need for heavy propulsion systems and could enable longer duration and lower cost missions. The results from this technology demonstration – including the test of the sail’s composite boom system – will advance future space exploration to expand our understanding of our Sun and solar system.
The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, which launched in April 2024, and deployed its reflective sail in August, is currently orbiting approximately 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) above Earth and is frequently visible in the night sky to observers in the Northern Hemisphere. Fans of the spacecraft can look for the sail in the night sky using a new feature in the NASA mobile app. Visibility may be intermittent, and the spacecraft could appear at variable levels of brightness as it moves in orbit.
For more mission updates, follow NASA’s Small Satellite Missions blog.
NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project and designed and built the onboard camera diagnostic system. NASA Langley designed and built the deployable composite booms and solar sail system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program office based at NASA Ames and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), funds and manages the mission. NASA STMD’s Game Changing Development program funded the development of the deployable composite boom technology.
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By NASA
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an X9.0 solar flare – as seen in the bright flash in the center – on Oct. 3, 2024. This is the largest flare of Solar Cycle 25 to date.Credit: NASA NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will discuss the Sun’s activity and the progression of Solar Cycle 25 during a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Oct. 15. Tracking the solar cycle is a key part of better understanding the Sun and mitigating its impacts on technology and infrastructure as humanity explores farther into space.
During the teleconference, experts from NASA, NOAA, and the international Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel, which is co-sponsored by both agencies, will discuss recent solar cycle progress and the forecast for the rest of this cycle.
Audio of the teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website at:
https://www.nasa.gov/live
Participants include:
Jamie Favors, director, NASA’s Space Weather Program Kelly Korreck, program scientist, NASA’s Heliophysics Division Elsayed Talaat, director, Office of Space Weather Observations, NOAA Bill Murtagh, program coordinator, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center Lisa Upton, co-chair, Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel To participate in the media teleconference, media must RSVP no later than 12 p.m. on Oct. 15, to Abbey Interrante at: abbey.a.interrante@nasa.gov.
The Sun goes through regular cycles of activity lasting approximately 11 years. During the most active part of the cycle, known as solar maximum, the Sun can unleash immense explosions of light, energy, and solar radiation, all of which create conditions known as space weather. Space weather can affect satellites and astronauts in space, as well as communications systems such as radio and GPS — and power grids on Earth. When the Sun is most active, space weather events become more frequent. Solar activity, such as the storm in May 2024, has sparked displays of aurora and led to impacts on satellites and infrastructure in recent months.
NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center is the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts.
For more information on how NASA studies the Sun and space weather, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/sun
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Karen Fox
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.fox@nasa.gov
Sarah Frazier
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
202-853-7191
sarah.frazier@nasa.gov
Erica Grow Cei
NOAA’s National Weather Service, College Park, Md.
202-853-6088
erica.grow.cei@noaa.gov
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Last Updated Oct 08, 2024 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
The Sun Heliophysics Space Weather View the full article
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By NASA
Space for Earth is an immersive experience that is part of the Earth Information Center. Credit: NASA Media is invited to preview and interview NASA leadership ahead of the opening of the Earth Information Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History at 10 a.m. EDT, Monday, Oct. 7.
The 2,000-square-foot exhibit includes a 32-foot-long, 12-foot-high video wall displaying Earth science data visualizations and videos, an interpretive panel showing Earth’s connected systems, information on our changing world, and an overview of how NASA and the Smithsonian study our home planet. Visitors also can explore Earth observing missions, changes in Earth’s landscape over time, and how climate is expected to change regionally through multiple interactive experiences.
The event will take place at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History 1000 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Members of the media interested in attending should email Liz Vlock at: elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.
Participants will be available for media interviews starting at the following times:
10 a.m.: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson 10 a.m.: Kirk Johnson, Sant director, Museum of Natural History 10:30 a.m.: Karen St. Germain, division director, NASA Earth Sciences Division 10:30 a.m.: Julie Robinson, deputy director, NASA Earth Sciences Division The Earth Information Center draws insights from across all NASA centers and its fellow partners – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development, Environmental Protection Agency, and Federal Emergency Management Administration. It allows viewers to see how our home planet is changing and gives decision makers information to develop the tools they need to mitigate, adapt, and respond to climate change.
NASA’s Earth Information Center is a virtual and physical space designed to aid people to make informed decisions on Earth’s environment and climate. It provides easily accessible, readily usable, and scalable Earth information – enabling global understanding of our changing planet.
The expansion of the physical Earth Information Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Museum makes it the second location in the Washington area. The first is located at NASA Headquarters in Washington at 300 E St., SW.
To learn more about the Earth Information Center visit:
https://earth.gov
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Elizabeth Vlock
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Sep 30, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Earth Science Division Earth Science NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate View the full article
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