Tag

Night Sky

All articles tagged with #night sky

photography13 days ago•14 min saved

Milky Way Masters: 2026 Photographer of the Year in Pictures

A Guardian gallery showcases a global roster of Milky Way photographs for 2026, featuring remote locations from New Zealand to Argentina and Spain. Photographers describe demanding shoots and sophisticated techniques—long exposures, focus stacking, and post-processing—to reveal the galaxy with extraordinary clarity, amid challenging terrain, harsh weather, and strict light-pollution limits, underscoring the value of dark-sky conservation.

via The Guardian|

#astrophotography #dark-sky-reserve #landscape-photography

environment19 days ago•3 min saved

Global Night Sky Brightens as Artificial Light Expands by 16%

A Nature study using satellite imagery finds artificial nighttime lights increased worldwide by about 16% from 2014 to 2022, with the United States having the highest total luminosity in 2022 and regional variations driven by conflict and disasters (notably Europe dimming during the Russia–Ukraine energy crisis). The rise in light pollution affects wildlife by disrupting sleep, navigation, and feeding, and can disrupt human circadian rhythms; the issue is reversible and individual actions—such as dimming outdoor lighting and using shields—can help, with tools like the Light Pollution Map and DarkSky resources available for guidance.

via USA Today|

#artificial-lighting #circadian-rhythm #environment

photography21 days ago•3 min saved

Global Milky Way Winners Highlight 25 Night-Sky Masterpieces Across 12 Countries

Capture the Atlas named the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year winners: 25 striking night-sky images chosen from a record 6,500+ submissions by photographers across 15 nationalities and 12 countries, featuring rare scenes—from Paranal’s telescopes to UNESCO sites like Valle de la Luna and a Hopi canyon—with EXIF data available.

via PetaPixel|

#astrophotography #capture-the-atlas #milky-way

astronomy25 days ago•105 min saved

May 2026 Night Sky: Your Month-Long Guide to Celestial Highlights

Space.com's May 2026 night-sky calendar highlights the month’s key observing events—from the Flower Moon on May 1 and a Blue Moon on May 31, to planetary encounters with Venus and Jupiter, several notable deep-sky targets (including M64, M81/M82, and M51), meteor showers like the Eta Aquariids and Eta Lyrids, and prime Milky Way viewing on dark, clear nights. The guide also offers practical observing tips (dark adaptation, averted vision, filters) and a day-by-day calendar to help stargazers plan all month long.

via Space|

#astronomy #may-2026 #meteor-shower

science1 month ago•2 min saved

Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight, Predawn Skies Await

The 2026 Lyrid meteor shower peaks tonight (April 21–22) and will run through April 30, with best viewing in the Northern Hemisphere after moonset and before dawn; meteors radiate from Lyra and fireballs may appear, with good activity for about three nights around the peak. The Eta Aquariids, from Halley’s comet debris, peak May 5–6 and remain visible through late May, offering faster meteors (up to ~50 per hour) and are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere as Earth encounters their debris trail.

via Delawareonline.com|

#astronomy #eta-aquariids #lyrid-meteor-shower

science1 month ago•2 min saved

Lyrid meteor shower peaks this week with 10-20 meteors per hour

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, delivering about 10 to 20 shooting stars per hour, with best viewing in the Northern Hemisphere after midnight away from city lights. The meteors originate from debris left by comet Thatcher (the comet itself is visible only about every 415 years); a dim crescent moon will set before the peak, reducing glare. Look toward the Lyra constellation in the northeastern sky after your eyes adjust (about 15-30 minutes) for the brightest meteors.

via PBS|

#astronomy #lyrids #meteor-shower

science1 month ago•13 min saved

Spring Night Sky Lights Up as Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks in late April, with the best viewing under dark, clear skies in the pre-dawn hours for observers across the Northern Hemisphere, including Germany; find a location away from light pollution for the most meteors visible.

via AP News|

#astronomy #lyrid-meteor-shower #meteor-shower

space1 month ago•66 min saved

Comet PanSTARRS Could Shine Bright Enough to See Naked Eye This Month

Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is brightening in April and could become visible to the naked eye in the predawn sky this month, potentially reaching around magnitude 4 as it nears perihelion on April 20 and Earth on April 27. For Northern Hemisphere viewers, it will pass near the Great Square of Pegasus and drift toward Pisces from mid‑April, with a new Moon on April 17 helping dark skies; however visibility is uncertain and depends on the comet’s activity, so binoculars may be needed for a good glimpse.

via Live Science|

#astronomy #comets #night-sky

stargazing1 month ago•109 min saved

Follow the Big Dipper to Arcturus This Spring Night

Tonight after sunset (March 30), look northeast to spot the Big Dipper. Use its bowl-to-handle arc to guide your gaze to Arcturus, then follow up to Spica for another bright spring star—a quick, naked-eye sky-navigation trick ideal for learning the spring constellations; binoculars help reveal fainter stars if you want a closer look.

via Space|

#arcturus #big-dipper #night-sky

science1 month ago•4 min saved

April 2026 Skywatch: Mercury's Best View, Green Comet Glow, and Lyrid Meteors

April 2026 offers a rare string of skywatching events: Mercury reaches its greatest elongation on April 3 for one of the year’s clearest views; Comet C/2025 R3 brightens in mid-April with a green glow and peaks around April 17, followed by its closest approach to Earth on April 27; the Lyrid meteor shower peaks April 21–22 with about 15–20 meteors per hour, providing multiple rewarding nights of stargazing in the Northern Hemisphere.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#astronomy #comet #meteor-showers

stargazing2 months ago•106 min saved

Moon and Jupiter Light Up Gemini Tonight

Tonight, March 26, 2026, the night sky features a 57%-illuminated Moon near Jupiter in Gemini after dark, with Sirius below and Castor and Pollux nearby—an accessible, binocular-friendly skywatching highlight.

via Space|

#astronomy #gemini #jupiter

stargazing2 months ago•106 min saved

First-quarter Moon Pairs with Jupiter for a Night-Sky Show

Tonight (March 25) the first-quarter Moon will glow in the southern sky after dusk, appearing about four degrees from the bright planet Jupiter for a striking nocturnal pairing, while Saturn is approaching solar conjunction and will reappear in the pre-dawn sky in April; observers with binoculars or a telescope can enjoy a classic night-sky setup and learn the Moon’s changing phase as part of ongoing stargazing.

via Space|

#astronomy #jupiter #moon

photography2 months ago•21 min saved

Satellites Flood the Night Sky: A Photographer’s Heartbreak and a Widening Light-Pollution Crisis

A 30‑minute composite by Alan Dyer shows satellite trails across the night sky, illustrating how the rapid growth of orbital satellites is increasing light pollution for astrophotography. A 2025 survey found 90% of astrophotographers affected; with Starlink's 10,000th satellite launched and estimates of tens of thousands more, experts warn the practice could degrade night-sky photography unless shooters time sessions to minimize satellite trails.

via Digital Camera World|

#astrophotography #light-pollution #night-sky

astronomy2 months ago•72 min saved

Last Look at the Pleiades as Spring Skies Fade

Space.com guides stargazers to see the Pleiades before it vanishes in the spring glow, noting it’s best viewed October–March and will fade toward the horizon by late April; to locate it, use Orion’s Belt as a guide—extend a line from Alnitak through Mintaka past Aldebaran to find the hazy cluster; a pair of 10x50 binoculars or a small telescope reveals dozens of stars, including the seven brightest named after Atlas’s daughters.

via Space|

#astronomy #night-sky #orion

space2 months ago•69 min saved

Spring Galaxy Season: 7 Must-See Deep-Sky Targets

Live Science highlights a spring galaxy season with seven top deep-sky targets to observe: Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) with its companion NGC 5195; Bode’s Galaxy (M81) and the Cigar Galaxy (M82); Pinwheel Galaxy (M101); the Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC 3628); the Whale and Hockey Stick (NGC 4631 and NGC 4656); Markarian’s Chain in the Virgo/Coma region; and the Sombrero Galaxy (M104). The piece notes this is a prime time for galaxy hunting, recommends using a GoTo or smart telescope to ease finding faint targets, and mentions the Messier Marathon as a spring observing challenge, with dark skies and a bit of patience yielding dramatic views even from modest gear.

via Live Science|

#astronomy #deep-sky #galaxies