EarthSky - Earth, Space, Human World, Tonight

Amazon fires quickening glacier melting in Andes

Posted by EarthSky Voices in Earth | Human World | 4 hours ago

The burning rainforest releases black carbon into the atmosphere, which, according to a growing number of scientific studies, directly contributes to the melting of glaciers.

Aries? Here’s your constellation

Posted by Bruce McClure in Astronomy Essentials | Constellations | 5 hours ago

How to see Aries the Ram in your night sky, plus info about this constellation in astronomy history and mythology.

Researchers describe 71 new species in 2019

Posted by Eleanor Imster in Earth | 1 day ago

New species from 5 continents and 3 oceans include geckos, goblin spiders, flowering plants, and Mediterranean ants.

Explained! Enceladus’ enigmatic tiger stripes

Posted by Paul Scott Anderson in Space | 2 days ago

How did the so-called tiger stripes – huge parallel cracks – form in the icy surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus? A new study from the Carnegie Institution for Science provides some answers.

Meet the microorganism that likes to eat meteorites

Posted by Paul Scott Anderson in Earth | Space | 2 days ago

At least one type of microbe on Earth not only likes to eat meteorites but actually prefers them as a food source, according to a new international scientific study.

Why White Island erupted yesterday … and why there was no warning

Posted by EarthSky Voices in Earth | 2 days ago

White Island is one of several volcanoes in New Zealand that can produce sudden explosive eruptions at any time. An Earth scientist explains why.

Christmas Bird Count starts December 14

Posted by Deanna Conners in Earth | Human World | 3 days ago

It’s time again for the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count. This is the project’s 120th year! Learn how to join the count here.

All you need to know: This weekend’s Geminid meteor shower

Posted by Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd in Astronomy Essentials | Space | 3 days ago

The Geminid meteor shower – one of the highlights of the year for stargazers – will peak around the mornings of December 13, 14, and 15, 2019, though under the light of a bright waning gibbous moon.

New Zealand volcano is on the Pacific Ring of Fire

Posted by Deanna Conners, Deborah Byrd and Shireen Gonzaga in Earth | 3 days ago

Here’s information about New Zealand’s White Island volcano – which erupted on Monday, December 9 – in the context of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Why is Mars sometimes bright and sometimes faint?

Posted by Deborah Byrd in Astronomy Essentials | 3 days ago

In 2018, Mars was brighter in our sky than it had been since 2003. In 2019, Mars was mostly faint and inconspicuous. But 2020, here we come!

Hefty black hole holds new record for high mass

Posted by Deborah Byrd in Space | 4 days ago

Astronomers have discovered a black hole with 40 billion solar masses in the heart of the Abell 85 cluster of galaxies.

New biomass map takes stock of Earth’s carbon

Posted by Eleanor Imster in Earth | 4 days ago

ESA released the 1st of a series of global maps aimed at quantifying change in carbon stored as biomass across the world’s forests and shrublands.

Interstellar object closest to the sun today

Posted by Deborah Byrd in Space | 4 days ago

The fascinating object 2I/Borisov has been steadily brightening as it nears its encounter with our sun. It’ll pass closest to the sun on December 8, 2019, then flee again toward interstellar space.

Tonight

Today's Image

Tonight

Last full moon of the decade on December 11-12

Aries? Here’s your constellation

Last full moon of the decade on December 11-12

See this week's Venus-Saturn pairing

Mars-Zubenelgenubi conjunction December 12

Space

Meet the microorganism that likes to eat meteorites

Explained! Enceladus' enigmatic tiger stripes

Meet the microorganism that likes to eat meteorites

All you need to know: This weekend's Geminid meteor shower

Hefty black hole holds new record for high mass

Interstellar object closest to the sun today

Astronomers catch a comet outburst

This white dwarf star has a giant, evaporating planet

Parker Solar Probe sheds light on our local star

Astro Essentials

All you need to know: This weekend's Geminid meteor shower

Aries? Here’s your constellation

All you need to know: This weekend's Geminid meteor shower

Why is Mars sometimes bright and sometimes faint?

Aldebaran is the Bull's fiery eye

Earth

Why White Island erupted yesterday ... and why there was no warning

Amazon fires quickening glacier melting in Andes

Researchers describe 71 new species in 2019

Meet the microorganism that likes to eat meteorites

Why White Island erupted yesterday ... and why there was no warning

Christmas Bird Count starts December 14

New Zealand volcano is on the Pacific Ring of Fire

New biomass map takes stock of Earth's carbon

How does the solar wind affect Earth?

Human World

Christmas Bird Count starts December 14

Amazon fires quickening glacier melting in Andes

Christmas Bird Count starts December 14

Chennai engineer helped find India's Vikram lander, which crashed on the moon

A better way to convert dog years to human years

Videos

Parker Solar Probe sheds light on our local star

Why White Island erupted yesterday ... and why there was no warning

Parker Solar Probe sheds light on our local star

How does the solar wind affect Earth?

Active 2019 Atlantic hurricane season comes to an end

Listen to Earth’s magnetic song

Who knew? Plants 'panic' when it rains

Some microbes eat electricity

SDO caught the Mercury transit from space