2019 April 15 Enhanced: The Dolphin Cloud on Jupiter Image Credit: NASA, Juno, SwRI, MSSS; Processing: Gerald Eichstädt & Avi Solomon Explanation: Do you see the dolphin-shaped cloud on Jupiter? The cloud was visible last year during perijove 16, the sixteenth time that NASA’s robotic spac […]
2019 April 14 Simulation: Two Black Holes Merge Simulation Credit: Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes Project Explanation: Sit back and watch two black holes merge. Inspired by the first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015, this simulation video plays in slow motion but would take about one t
2019 April 13 Rigil Kentaurus and Sandqvist 169 Image Credit & Copyright: Roberto Colombari Explanation: Rigil Kentaurus is the bright star near the top of this broad southern skyscape. Of course it’s probably better known as Alpha Centauri, nearest star system to the Sun. Below it sprawls
2019 April 12 A Cosmic Rose: The Rosette Nebula in Monoceros Image Credit & Copyright: Jean Dean Explanation: The Rosette Nebula, NGC 2237, is not the only cosmic cloud of gas and dust to evoke the imagery of flowers, but it is the most famous. At the edge of a large molecular cloud in Monoceros
2019 April 11 First Horizon-Scale Image of a Black Hole Image Credit: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration Explanation: What does a black hole look like? To find out, radio telescopes from around the Earth coordinated observations of black holes with the largest known event horizons on the sky. Alo
2019 April 10 Martian Moon Phobos Crosses the Sun Video Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS, Curiosity Rover Explanation: What’s that passing in front of the Sun? It looks like a moon, but it can’t be Earth’s Moon, because it isn’t round. It’s the Martian moon Phobos. The f
2019 April 9 Moon Occults Saturn Image Credit & Copyright: Cory Schmitz Explanation: Sometimes Saturn disappears. It doesn’t really go away, though, it just disappears from view when our Moon moves in front. Such a Saturnian eclipse was visible along a small swath of Earth — from Br
2019 April 8 AZURE Vapor Tracers over Norway Image Credit & Copyright: Yang Sutie Explanation: What’s happening in the sky? The atmosphere over northern Norway appeared quite strange for about 30 minutes last Friday when colorful clouds, dots, and plumes suddenly appeared. The colors were
2019 April 7 A Scorpius Sky Spectacular Image Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Guisard, TWAN Explanation: If Scorpius looked this good to the unaided eye, humans might remember it better. Scorpius more typically appears as a few bright stars in a well-known but rarely pointed out zodiacal constellat
2019 April 6 ISS from Wallasey Image Credit & Copyright: Richard Addis Explanation: After sunset on March 28, the International Space Station climbed above the western horizon, as seen from Wallasey, England at the mouth of the River Mersey. Still glinting in the sunlight some 400 kilometers abo
