Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy has discovered a new comet. The new Comet Lovejoy will occupy the same part of the sky as Comet ISON by November 2013.
As the line of sunsets swept westward yesterday, people around the globe thrilled to the sight of the moon and Venus in their twilight sky. See their photos!
A simulated view of the dramatic pairing of the moon and Venus, which you can see on September 8, 2013. From all parts of Earth, look west after sunset!
A 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Guatemala last night caused injuries, in part from collapsing buildings. One woman died of a heart attack during the quake.
Three stargazers up before dawn with the planet Jupiter, and the V-shaped Face of Taurus the Bull. Orion the Hunter is just over the horizon. Plus a green meteor!
All the Great Lakes have suffered these harmful algal blooms. Drought, invasive species, runoff and sewage, and warmer-than-average temps all contribute.
Just as bright moonlight can illuminate an earthly landscape, so bright Earthlight can illuminate a moonscape. That earthly light on the moon is called earthshine.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.