All posts tagged: moon

Solar eclipse 2026: Stunning pictures from Europe as once-in-a-generation event unfolded | Science | News

Solar eclipse 2026: Stunning pictures from Europe as once-in-a-generation event unfolded | Science | News

Published by Sam Flores

This evening a once-in-a-generation solar eclipse captivated the UK, delivering the clearest spectacle of its kind since 1999. Millions of Britons turned their eyes to the skies to catch the spectacular solar eclipse with crowds of people coming together at viewing spots across the country. The sky fell into an eerie darkness as the Moon covered more than 90% of the Sun, leaving just a slender crescent of light visible. Greenland, Iceland and Spain all had totality – where the moon completely covered the sun. In the UK, the maximum coverage took place between 7.05pm (in Edinburgh and Glasgow) and 7.16pm (in Cornwall). Take a look below at stunning images of the eclipse captured across the UK and Europe: Partial solar eclipse reaches its peak in London London was cast into darkness this evening. The capital witnessed a deep partial solar eclipse, with the Moon obscuring 91.34% of the Sun. Sky-watchers swarmed to vantage points across the country. A spontaneous round of applause erupted across Greenwich Park and Primrose Hill as spectators celebrated the moment …

What can we learn from eclipses?

What can we learn from eclipses?

Published by Sam Flores

A total solar eclipse will sweep across northern Spain on August 12 in one of Europe’s most anticipated astronomical events of the decade. From the Sun’s corona to animal behaviour and human emotions, these rare celestial events continue to provide scientists with valuable insights more than two millennia after they were first observed. Head of Space Science at the Centre National d’Études Spatiales, Olivier Joie-La Marle, shares further insights. Keywords for this article Source link

Solar eclipse: “Never look at it without eye protection”

Solar eclipse: “Never look at it without eye protection”

Published by Sam Flores

We’re just hours away from a rare celestial event, a total solar eclipse. Day will briefly turn into night across parts of northern Spain as the Moon completely blocks out the Sun. Beyond Spain, millions more will see a partial eclipse across Europe, Canada, the northern US and northwest Africa. And we’ll have plenty of coverage for you throughout the day. Francis Monte reports. Keywords for this article Source link

Moon phase today explained: What the Moon will look like on August 10, 2026

Moon phase today explained: What the Moon will look like on August 10, 2026

Published by skeptic

If you thought the Moon looked small last night, it’ll be even thinner this evening as it continues to wane ahead of the New Moon in a few night’s time. What is today’s Moon phase? As of Monday, Aug. 10, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Crescent phase, with 16% of its surface visible. To see anything on the Moon’s surface tonight, you’ll need either binoculars or a telescope. With these, you’ll be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, a huge ancient crater on the Moon, formed by a massive asteroid collision. Its center was later flooded with dark basalt rock, creating the distinctive shadowy area surrounded by a brighter rim. When is the next Full Moon? The next Full Moon will take place on August 28. What are Moon phases? The Moon’s appearance changes throughout the month as it orbits Earth, completing one full lunar cycle approximately every 29.5 days, according to NASA. During that journey, the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon are constantly shifting, …

Eclipse chasers: When chasing totality becomes a way of life (1/4)

Eclipse chasers: When chasing totality becomes a way of life (1/4)

Published by Sam Flores

For some people, eclipse chasing is a family affair. Jared Kho, 37, has travelled the world to witness total solar eclipses since 2012, following in the footsteps of his parents, Janet Tay and Koh Joo Beng, who have been travelling together to observe eclipses for almost 20 years. Jared experienced his very first total solar eclipse aboard a ship “somewhere between Tahiti and Australia” in 2012, when he was 23 years old, according to the travel journal his mother keeps to document the family’s expeditions and the astronomical phenomena they observe. “My father and I have been observing eclipses together for years,” Jared told FRANCE 24. His father has witnessed 14 total solar eclipses to date, while Jared has seen four. The August 12 eclipse, which will cross parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, will be his fifth. Once again, he plans to watch it from a ship. Their vessel will sail off La Coruña, in Spain’s northwestern Galicia region. Watching from the sea allows them to avoid many of the logistical challenges expected on land, including …

Moon phase today explained: What the Moon will look like on August 9, 2026

Moon phase today explained: What the Moon will look like on August 9, 2026

Published by skeptic

The New Moon is only a few nights away, so there’s less and less of the Moon to see each evening. Here’s what it’ll look like tonight. What is today’s Moon phase? As of Sunday, Aug. 9, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Crescent phase, with 16% of its surface visible. Without visual aids, you’ll only be able to see the Aristarchus Plateau. However, if you have binoculars or a telescope, you’ll also see the Grimaldi Basin. When is the next Full Moon? The next Full Moon will take place on August 28. What are Moon phases? The Moon’s appearance changes throughout the month as it orbits Earth, completing one full lunar cycle approximately every 29.5 days, according to NASA. During that journey, the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon are constantly shifting, altering how much of the Moon’s illuminated surface is visible from our perspective. That’s why we see the familiar sequence of phases, from a slim crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, …

Here Are the First Images of the Crater Left on the Moon by SpaceX’s Rocket

Here Are the First Images of the Crater Left on the Moon by SpaceX’s Rocket

Published by skeptic

The first images of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage impact on the moon’s surface have emerged. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute shared the first photographs captured by its lunar orbiter. South Korea is one of the few nations that currently has satellites traveling around the moon at an altitude of 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the surface. The Danuri orbiter flew over the region shortly after the impact. KARI explained on its X account that it photographed the collision site both before and after the event. The images show signs of a recent impact, which astronomers projected would likely create a crater dozens of feet wide nearly 12 feet (3.6 meters) deep. This evidence of the collision adds to observations from the Very Large Telescope, where astronomers detected sodium and lithium rising from the lunar surface, confirming that the rocket fragment did indeed strike the moon. The crater is larger than several cars combined. Photograph: Korea Aerospace Research Institute Astronomers predicted when and where the Falcon 9 impact would happen well in advance, and …

Part of a rocket crashed into the Moon – why this could threaten future lunar bases

Part of a rocket crashed into the Moon – why this could threaten future lunar bases

Published by skeptic

In the early hours of Wednesday morning August 5 the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket crashed into the Moon in an uncontrolled collision. No damage was caused, other than the creation of a new crater several metres in diameter, but the event highlights the increasing problem of space junk left in orbit when it has completed its intended purpose. Natural impacts occur on the Moon daily. On average, Nasa estimates that 33 metric tonnes of meteoroids (space rocks) hit Earth every day, but most of this burns up in the atmosphere before hitting the ground. A smaller proportion make it through and reach the surface as meteorites. Most of the human-made space debris that falls back to Earth also burns up on its way through the atmosphere. The Moon has no atmosphere, so any debris – either natural or human-made – on a collision course will hit the surface. First identified and reported as an upcoming collision months ago, the object in this case was the upper stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 …

SpaceX’s rocket trashes the moon

SpaceX’s rocket trashes the moon

Published by Sam Flores

A version of this essay first appeared in Crash Course, Salon’s free morning newsletter. Sign up for early access to articles like this, plus more of Salon’s bold journalism on how policies, movements and culture wars affect real people. The moon has a brand new crater as of Wednesday, thanks to a rogue SpaceX rocket that crashed into Earth’s nearest neighbor at 5,400 miles an hour. Originally part of a 2025 mission to launch a pair of lunar landers for U.S. and Japanese companies, the rocket was supposed to fall back to Earth. Instead, it strayed off course and eventually reached its final resting place on the moon’s surface. According to the Guardian, astronomers were unable to confirm the impact, “possibly because the impact site was close to the visible edges of the moon.” A day later, a Korean lunar orbiter captured images of the impact, but it will still take time to confirm the size of the crater, which is expected to be about 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep. This isn’t the first time this …