Morning Alignment of Planets

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 16, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

MORNING ALIGNMENT OF PLANETS: Set your alarm for dawn. Three planets and the crescent Moon are gathering for a beautiful alignment in the eastern sky before sunrise. In the mornings ahead, the Moon will hop from Venus to Mars and Mercury, forming a series of beautiful conjunctions, while Venus has its own close encounter with bright blue star Regulus.

Visit Spaceweather.com for sky maps and more information.

Above: Morning planets over Gleichen, Alberta, photographed by Alan Dyer. Monitor the Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery for more sightings.

Transit of Mercury

 
Source - Space Weather News for May 7, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

TRANSIT OF MERCURY: On Monday morning, May 9th, Mercury will pass directly between Earth and the sun, producing a rare transit visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia.  Visit Spaceweather.com for observing tips and links to live webcasts.

CHANCE OF STORMS: NOAA forecasters say there is a 65% chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms on May 9th when Earth enters a solar wind stream filled with negative-polarity magnetic fields. A display of high-latitude auroras is possible, especially in the southern hemisphere where visibility is improved by darkening autumn skies.

Mind-bending Discoveries from NASA's MESSENGER Spacecraft

Source NASA Science News for April 30, 2015

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft crashed into Mercury on April 30th, ending a years-long mission that made many unexpected discoveries about the innermost planet. Today's story summarizes some of MESSENGER's most surprising finds.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2015/30apr_messenger/

Two Comets to Fly By Mercury on Nov. 18-19

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 15, 2013

On Nov. 18-19, two comets (ISON and Encke) are going to fly by the planet Mercury in quick succession. NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft will have a front-row seat for the rare double encounter.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/15nov_twocomets/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Wzlu5quTU



License: Standard YouTube License

Planets Aligning in the Sunset Sky

Source - NASA Science News for May 10, 2013

Mercury, Venus and Jupiter are lining up for a beautiful sunset conjunction at the end of May.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/10may_sunsettriangle/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPthe9e-T18



License: Standard YouTube License

Bright Comet Pan-STARRS Update

Source - Space Weather News for March 9, 2013: http://spaceweather.com

BRIGHT COMET: This weekend, bright Comet Pan-STARRS is making a close approach to the sun inside the orbit of Mercury where fierce solar heat is helping the comet reach naked-eye visibility. Observers in the northern hemisphere are making their first sightings now as the comet emerges from solar glare low in the western sky after sunset.  Soon, the comet could be widely visible to casual sky watchers--no telescope required.  Visit http://spaceweather.com for images, sky maps and observing tips.

See Mercury at Sunset

Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 8, 2013

The planet Mercury is about to make its best apparition of the year for backyard sky watchers. Look west at sunset for a piercing pink planet surrounded by twilight blue.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/08feb_pinkplanet/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=117lEleTeiY




License: Standard YouTube License

New Evidence for Ice on Mercury

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 29, 2012

The planet closest to the Sun would seem an unlikely place to find ice.

Nevertheless, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft has found evidence for abundant deposits of frozen water on Mercury.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/29nov_iceonmercury/

The Sleepy Hollows of Mercury

Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 24, 2011

NASA's MESSENGER probe has discovered a surprise on Mercury: Something is digging "hollows" in the surface of the innermost planet.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/24oct_sleepyhollows/

A video version of this story is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqg8PR2mVvc

Better than Coffee: Planets Align at Dawn

Souce - NASA Science News for May 9, 2011

No coffee? No problem. To wake up any morning this week, all you need to do is look out the window for a beautiful dawn conjunction of planets.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/09may_morningplanets/

ScienceCasts: Morning Planet Show

Source - ScienceAtNASA: May 5, 2011

The Great Morning Planet Show of May 2011 is underway. Wake up before sunrise any day this month to see a shape-shifting alignment of heavenly lights.



Visit http://science.nasa.gov/ for more.

Historic First: A Spacecraft Orbits Mercury

Source - NASA Science News for March 18, 2011

NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft successfully achieved orbit around Mercury at approximately 9 p.m. EDT on March 17th. This marks the first time a spacecraft has orbited the solar system's innermost planet.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/18mar_orbitmercury/

(Image copyright NASA)

Finally! NASA Prepares to Orbit Mercury

Source - NASA Science News for March 15, 2011

It's not easy to visit Mercury, but NASA is about to settle in for a long stay. The MESSENGER probe enters orbit around the innermost planet on March 17th.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/15mar_messenger/

(Image copyright NASA)

See Mercury at Sunset

Source - NASA Science News for March 14, 2011

This week, sky watchers have a rare opportunity to see Mercury at its best as NASA's MESSENGER probe prepares to enter orbit around the innermost planet.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/14mar_seemercury/

Space Shuttle Sky Show

Source: - Space Weather News for April 3, 2010: http://spaceweather.com

SPACE SHUTTLE SKY SHOW: On Monday morning, April 5th, thousands of people gathered in Florida to witness the launch of space shuttle Discovery may get more than they bargained for. Just fifteen minutes before the shuttle takes off, the International Space Station (ISS) will fly over the launch site. The station's path across the dawn sky takes it right past the gibbous Moon--a beautiful close encounter! Photographers should be prepared for the ISS at 6:06 am EDT followed by Discovery's launch at 6:21 am EDT. Sky watchers with iPhones can prepare themselves by downloading our Simple Satellite Tracker (http://simpleflybys.com); it will guide you to the ISS and count down to the flyby so you can't miss it.

SUNSET PLANETS: This is for everyone. Venus and Mercury are having a close encounter on April 3rd and 4th. Look west at sunset to see the two bright planets beaming through the twilight only 3 degrees apart. Sky maps, pictures and more information may be found at http://spaceweather.com

Hidden Territory on Mercury Revealed

Source - NASA Science News for November 3, 2009

The MESSENGER spacecraft's third flyby of the planet Mercury has given scientists, for the first time, an almost complete view of the planet's surface and revealed some dramatic changes in Mercury's comet-like tail.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/03nov_hiddenterritory.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

MESSENGER Set for Final Flyby of Mercury

Source - NASA Science News for September 23, 2009

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft is set to make its third and final flyby of the planet Mercury on Sept. 29th. The encounter is expected to produce hundreds of images of previously unseen terrain and confirm the strange elliptical shape of Mercury's equator.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/23sep_mercuryflyby3.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

Mercury More Active than Scientists Thought

Source - NASA Science News for April 30, 2009

A NASA spacecraft gliding over the surface of Mercury has revealed that the planet's atmosphere, magnetosphere, and its geological past display greater levels of activity than scientists first suspected.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/30apr_mercury.htm?list894285

Sunset Conjunction Alert, and Unexpected Solar Activity

Source - Space Weather News for April 25, 2009: http://spaceweather.com

SUNSET CONJUNCTION: When the sun goes down on Sunday, April 26th, step outside and look west. An exquisitely-slender crescent Moon is lining up with Mercury and the Pleiades star cluster for a three-way conjunction in the sunset sky. Click here for the full story and a sky map: http://spaceweather.com/headlines/y2009/24apr_eveningsky.php

UNEXPECTED SOLAR ACTIVITY: The sun produced an unexpected burst of activity on April 23rd when an enormous prominence rose over the northeastern limb and erupted. A coronal mass ejection (CME) billowed away from the blast site, but the billion-ton cloud is not heading toward Earth. Visit http://spaceweather.com for movies of the event.

New Year's Eve Sky Show

Source - Space Weather News for Dec. 29, 2008: http://spaceweather.com

NEW YEAR'S EVE: What a way to end the year. On Dec. 31st, Venus and the slender crescent Moon will gather together high in the southwestern sky for a beautiful conjunction visible for hours after sunset. The two brightest objects in the night sky can be seen through city lights and even fireworks--so everyone can enjoy the show. Meanwhile, closer to the horizon, Mercury and Jupiter are converging for their own Dec. 31st conjunction. This one is not so easy to see, but rewarding for those who make the effort to find the two planets shining through the rosy glow of sunset.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and photos of the converging planets.

BONUS: Is Venus really bright enough to cast shadows? The answer is yes, and the proof may be found on today's edition of Spaceweather.com. A French photographer has captured rare images of Venus casting a shadow and he has even made a movie of the shadow in motion.