Blogs

NASA Night Sky Notes:

Observe Apollo 8’s Lunar Milestones  

By David Prosper

December marks the 50^th anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 8 mission, when humans first orbited the Moon in a triumph of human engineering. The mission may be most famous for “Earthrise,” the iconic photograph of Earth suspended over the rugged lunar surface. “Earthrise” inspired the imaginations of people around the world and remains one of the most famous photos ever taken. This month also brings a great potential display of the Geminids and a close approach by Comet 46P/Wirtanen

Observe the Moon

By Jane Houston Jones and Jessica Stoller-Conrad

This year’s International Observe the Moon Night is on Oct. 20. On that night the 11-day-old waxing gibbous Moon will rise in the late afternoon and set before dawn. Sunlight will reveal most of the lunar surface and the Moon will be visible all night long. You can observe the Moon’s features whether you’re observing with the unaided eye, through binoculars or through a telescope.

A Trip Through the Milky Way

By Jane Houston Jones and Jessica Stoller-Conrad

Feeling like you missed out on planning a last vacation of summer? Don’t worry—you can still take a late summertime road trip along the Milky Way!

The waning days of summer are upon us, and that means the Sun is setting earlier now. These earlier sunsets reveal a starry sky bisected by the Milky Way. Want to see this view of our home galaxy? Head out toyour favorite dark sky getaway or to the darkest city park or urban open space you can find.

While you’re out there waiting for a peek at the Milky Way, you’ll also have a great view of the planets in our solar system. Keep an eye out right after sunset and you can catch a look at Venus. If you have binoculars or a telescope, you’ll see Venus’s phase change dramatically during September—from nearly half phase to a larger, thinner crescent.

Dimming stars, erupting plasma, and beautiful nebulae

By Marcus Woo

Boasting intricate patterns and translucent colors, planetary nebulae are among the most beautiful sights in the universe. How they got their shapes is complicated, but astronomers think they've solved part of the mystery—with giant blobs of plasma shooting through space at half a million miles per hour.

Planetary nebulae are shells of gas and dust blown off from a dying, giant star. Most nebulae aren't spherical, but can have multiple lobes extending from opposite sides—possibly generated by powerful jets erupting from the star.

The Loneliest Galaxy In The Universe

By Ethan Siegel

How we know Mars has liquid water on its surface

Here is the best image of Pluto before its historic flyby of Pluto. This image was taken on July 13 and released on the morning of July 14.

July 5, 2015New Horizons Plans July 7 Return to Normal Science Operations