AstroRick

The Sky Today on Monday, March 9: Callisto’s disappearing act Jupiter’s moon Callisto undergoes an occultation early this morning, disappearing behind the gas giant’s disk.

The Sky Today on Monday, March 9: Callisto’s disappearing act - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/observing/th...

March 8, 1986: The second of five probes flies by Halley’s Comet Today in the history of astronomy, an international armada homes in on Halley.

March 8, 1986: The second of five probes flies by Halley’s Comet - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/uncategorize...

APOD: 2026 March 8 – The Aurora Tree - #Astronomy - ift.tt/KIkhu0s

#Stargazing #Forecast for #FranklinCountyPA issued Mon 03/09 - Overall Outlook: Good Imaging / Viewing: Poor to Excellent, depending on the subject and clouds. Weather tonight: Mostly clear with a low around 48 and calm winds. Air Quality: 7.3 - Good/Satisfactory Moon phase: Waning Gibbous / Illumination: 66% 🌖 Moon Alt° Dir: 1:55am: 0° SE ↑ | 2am: 1° SE ↑ | 3am: 8° SE ↑ | 4am: 15° SSE ↑ | 5am: 20° SSE ↑ | 6am: 22° S ↑ Average Darkness Rating: 5.68 (Partially illuminated). There will be good darkness from 8:30pm to 6:10am. Viewing Impacts: During the 10 hour, 20 minute viewing hours (8:10pm to 6:30am), cloud cover will be 4% to 15% (7% average) with above average transparency and average seeing. Viewing Temp: Excellent Expectations: During very frequent breaks in the clouds, you can expect poor to mostly fair observations of planets, poor to mostly good observations of galaxies and nebulae, and excellent observations of open clusters, planetary nebulae, and large globulars. Stars will be diffused to mostly somewhat sharp. Capture Time Rating: Excellent. 92.7% of the viewing hours, or 9 hours and 34 minutes are available for capture/viewing. #Astronomy #Space #NASA #Weather #WaynesboroPA #PAwx

#Stargazing #Forecast for #FranklinCountyPA for Mon 03/09 - Overall Outlook: Good

Imaging / Viewing: Poor to Excellent, depending on the subject and clouds.

Moon phase: Waning Gibbous / Illumination: 66% 🌖

#Astronomy #Space #Weather

#Aurora #Forecast for #WaynesboroPA issued Mon 03/09 - KP Index: 3 / Outlook: Very Poor Moderate aurora activity forecasted. If skies are clear, moderate displays may be visible overhead from locations such as Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin, and Iqaluit to as far south as Whitehorse, Ft. McMurray, and James Bay, and may be visible low on the horizon as far south as Prince Rupert, Calgary, Minot, Bemidji, Stevens Point, Traverse City and Quebec City, Canada. Moon phase: Waning Gibbous / Illumination: 66% 🌖 Waynesboro weather tonight: Mostly clear with a low around 48 and calm winds. Viewing Impacts: During the 10 hour, 20 minute viewing hours (8:10pm to 6:30am), cloud cover will be 4% to 15% (7% average) with good darkness from 8:30pm to 6:10am. Viewing Temp: Excellent Forecast courtesy of the UAF Geophysical Institute: https://www.gi.alaska.edu/modules/custom/aurora-forecast/images/idl_graphics/north_america/NorthAmerica_3.png #FranklinCountyPA #Pennsylvania #UnitedStates #Canada #NorthAmerica #Astronomy #Space

#Aurora Forecast for #WaynesboroPA for Mon 03/09 - KPI: 3 / Outlook: Very Poor

During the 10 hour, 20 minute viewing hours (8:10pm to 6:30am), cloud cover will be 4% to 15% (7% average) with good darkness from 8:30pm to 6:10am. Viewing Temp: Excellent

tinyurl.com/AuroraPAWX

Good morning. Start your day with a picture from my website: https://ift.tt/4eYoDIF #Photography - https://ift.tt/AFvTQO4

You can find your local #Astronomy forecast at The Clear Sky Chart Home Page: https://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/

You can find your local #Astronomy forecast at The Clear Sky Chart Home Page: https://ift.tt/oF0EGfw

The coldest 'stars' in the galaxy might actually be alien megastructures Ever since physicist Freeman Dyson first proposed the concept in 1960, the "Dyson sphere" has been the holy grail of techno-signature hunters. A highly advanced civilization could build a "sphere" (or...

The coldest 'stars' in the galaxy might actually be alien megastructures - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-03...

V615 Vul shows rare hybrid nova signature after rapid two-day rise Italian astronomers have performed extensive spectroscopic monitoring of a recently discovered nova known as Vulpeculae 2024, also known as V615 Vul. Results of the new observations, presented in a pa...

V615 Vul shows rare hybrid nova signature after rapid two-day rise - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-03...

March 7, 1792: The birth of John Herschel Today in the history of astronomy, an astronomy dynasty continues with William Herschel’s polymath son.

March 7, 1792: The birth of John Herschel - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/today-in-the...

Rick's #Astrophotography Picture of the Day (from my growing collection of captures) - M45, the Pleiades - 10/06/2024

A reflection nebula with hot, young B‑type stars carving through the surrounding interstellar dust, producing the blue nebulosity visible in the image.

#Stargazing #Forecast for #FranklinCountyPA issued Sun 03/08 - Overall Outlook: Good Imaging / Viewing: Poor to Excellent, depending on the subject, seeing, and clouds. Weather tonight: Mostly clear with a low around 44 and light and variable winds. Air Quality: 17.8 - Fair/Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups Moon phase: Waning Gibbous / Illumination: 75% 🌖 Moon Alt° Dir: 01:53am: 0° ESE ↑ | 2am: 9° SE ↑ | 3am: 16° SE ↑ | 4am: 22° SSE ↑ | 5am: 25° S ↑ | 6am: 25° S ↓ Average Darkness Rating: 5.58 (Partially illuminated). There will be good darkness from 8:20pm to 3:40am. Viewing Impacts: During the 10 hour, 20 minute viewing hours (8:10pm to 6:30am), cloud cover will be 6% to 9% (7% average) with excellent transparency and average seeing. Viewing Temp: Good Expectations: During very frequent breaks in the clouds, you can expect poor to fair observations or planets, poor to excellent observations of galaxies and nebulae, and excellent observations of open clusters, planetary nebulae, and large globulars. Stars will be very diffused to somewhat sharp. Capture Time Rating: Excellent. 92.8% of the viewing hours, or 9 hours and 35 minutes are available for capture/viewing. #Astronomy #Space #NASA #Weather #WaynesboroPA #PAwx

#Stargazing #Forecast for #FranklinCountyPA for Sun 03/08 - Overall Outlook: Good

Imaging / Viewing: Poor to Excellent, depending on the subject, seeing, and clouds.

Moon phase: Waning Gibbous / Illumination: 75% 🌖

#Astronomy #Space #Weather

#Aurora #Forecast for #WaynesboroPA issued Sun 03/08 - KP Index: 4 / Outlook: Very Poor Active aurora activity forecasted. If skies are clear, active auroral displays may be visible overhead from locations such as Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit, Canada; to Juneau, Alaska, and Edmonton, Winnipeg and Sept-Iles, Canada; and may be visible low on the horizon from Vancouver, Canada; Great Falls, Pierre, Madison, Lansing, Portland (Maine), U.S.A.; and Ottawa and St. John’s, Canada. Moon phase: Waning Gibbous / Illumination: 75% 🌖 Waynesboro weather tonight: Mostly clear with a low around 44 and light and variable winds. Viewing Impacts: During the 10 hour, 20 minute viewing hours (8:10pm to 6:30am), cloud cover will be 6% to 9% (7% average) with good darkness from 8:20pm to 3:40am. Viewing Temp: Good Forecast courtesy of the UAF Geophysical Institute: https://www.gi.alaska.edu/modules/custom/aurora-forecast/images/idl_graphics/north_america/NorthAmerica_4.png #FranklinCountyPA #Pennsylvania #UnitedStates #Canada #NorthAmerica #Astronomy #Space

#Aurora Forecast for #WaynesboroPA for Sun 03/08 - KPI: 4 / Outlook: Very Poor

During the 10 hour, 20 minute viewing hours (8:10pm to 6:30am), cloud cover will be 6% to 9% (7% average) with good darkness from 8:20pm to 3:40am. Viewing Temp: Good

tinyurl.com/AuroraPAWX

Good morning. Start your day with a picture from my website: https://ift.tt/0vkMhAI #Photography - https://ift.tt/jJ6BzlK

The Sky Today on Saturday, March 7: Venus meets Saturn Two planets meet in the evening sky after sunset. Use bright Venus to easily find your way to fainter, more distant Saturn.

The Sky Today on Saturday, March 7: Venus meets Saturn - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/observing/th...

Astronomers confirm potentially habitable exoplanet in the solar neighborhood Using data from two spectrographs, a team of researchers has identified a super-Earth, GJ 887 d, in the habitable zone of the nearby M dwarf GJ 887.

Astronomers confirm potentially habitable exoplanet in the solar neighborhood - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/science/astr...

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 6 – 15 Brilliant Jupiter highlights the Gemini stick-figure twins enveloping it. Down below, the Winter Triangle balances on its Sirius-point.

This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 6 – 15 - #Astronomy - skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...

The Sky This Week from March 6 to 13: The Moon and Antares A waning Moon visits Scorpius while dark evening skies let observers chase fainter targets in the sky this week.

The Sky This Week from March 6 to 13: The Moon and Antares - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/the-sky-this...

Gravitational Collapse Primes Galactic Magnetism A coordinate transformation devised for an expanding universe leads to new insights into how a collapsing protogalaxy acquires a large magnetic field.

Gravitational Collapse Primes Galactic Magnetism - #Astronomy - physics.aps.org/articles/v19...

Artemis 2 inches closer to launch after helium fix Technicians have resolved a helium flow issue that forced a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building last month, keeping an April launch within reach for NASA’s return to the Moon.

Artemis 2 inches closer to launch after helium fix - #NASA - www.astronomy.com/space-explor...

Missing technosignatures? Turbulent plasma may blur ultra-narrow signals before they leave their home star systems A new study by researchers at the SETI Institute suggests that stellar "space weather" could make radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligence harder to detect. Stellar activity and plasma turbule...

Missing technosignatures? Turbulent plasma may blur ultra-narrow signals before they leave their home star systems - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-03...

Why are some stars always visible while others come and go with the seasons? As a space scientist, every time I go outside with my family, I tell my children to look up at the sky. The front door of our home looks southeast, and on winter nights the constellation Orion hangs m...

Why are some stars always visible while others come and go with the seasons? - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-03...

Observable Space's CDK 14 can capture your cosmos Superb optics, top-notch engineering, and a relatively small footprint make this scope a winner.

Observable Space’s CDK 14 can capture your cosmos - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/observing/ob...

You can find your local #Astronomy forecast at The Clear Sky Chart Home Page: https://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/

You can find your local #Astronomy forecast at The Clear Sky Chart Home Page: https://ift.tt/oF0EGfw

March 5, 1979: A close-up view of Jupiter Today in the history of astronomy, Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter.

March 5, 1979: A close-up view of Jupiter - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/today-in-the...

How old is the universe? The oldest stars give us a clue Researchers from the University of Bologna and the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) along with other institutes have proposed a new way to address the Hubble tension by comparing estim...

How old is the universe? The oldest stars give us a clue - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-03...

What goes on inside a massive star before it explodes as a supernova? When most people think of a supernova, they're thinking of a Type II core-collapse supernova. These are massive stars that have reached the end of their time on the main sequence. They've used up thei...

What goes on inside a massive star before it explodes as a supernova? - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-03...

Meteor Activity Outlook for March 7-13, 2026 - #Astronomy - ift.tt/8YrXUde

Weekends on the Space Station - NASA Weekends on the International Space Station are for housecleaning and haircuts. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir trims the hair of fellow NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, both Expedition 74 flight engineers, ...

Weekends on the Space Station - #ISS - ift.tt/Awc3MXT

#Stargazing #Forecast for #FranklinCountyPA issued Sat 03/07 - Overall Outlook: Extremely Poor Imaging / Viewing: There will be no opportunities due to clouds, rain, and #Thunderstorms. Weather tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 60% chance of showers, mainly before midnight with a marginal likelihood of #SevereThunderstorms with a low around 59 and southwest winds of 6 to 8 mph with gusts as high as 21 mph. Air Quality: 13.8 - Fair/Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups Moon phase: Waning Gibbous / Illumination: 82% 🌖 Moon Alt° Dir: 10:50pm: 0° ESE ↑ | 11pm: 1° ESE ↑ | 12am: 10° SE ↑ | 1am: 18° SE ↑ | 3am: 24° SE ↑ | 4am: 28° SSE ↑ | 5am: 29° S ↑ | 6am: 26° S ↓ Average Darkness Rating: 5.42 (Partially illuminated). There will be good darkness from 7:20pm to 12:30am. Viewing Impacts: During the 10 hour, 20 minute viewing hours (7:10pm to 6:30am), cloud cover will be 69% to 86% (81% average) with poor transparency and bad seeing. Viewing Temp: Good Note: Hours shift at 2am because clocks change forward 1 hour. Expectations: With overcast skies, rain, and #Thunderstorms, you can expect no observations of planets, galaxies, nebulae, open clusters, planetary nebulae, large globulars, or stars. Capture Time Rating: Poor. 19.3% of the viewing hours, or 1 hour and 59 minutes are available for capture/viewing. #Astronomy #Space #NASA #Weather #WaynesboroPA #PAwx

#Stargazing #Forecast for #FranklinCountyPA for Sat 03/07 - Overall Outlook: Extremely Poor

Imaging / Viewing: There will be no opportunities due to clouds, rain, and #Thunderstorms

Moon phase: Waning Gibbous / Illumination: 82% 🌖

#Astronomy #Space #Weather