February guide to the bright planets

Look for the waning moon to swing by the planets Jupiter and Mars on the mornings of February 7, 8 and 9. Read more.

Three of the five bright planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – can be seen in the February 2018 for several hours before sunrise. Starting the second week of February, let the waning moon help guide your eye to Jupiter around February 7, Mars around February 9 and Saturn around February 11. The other two bright planets – Mercury and Venus – are essentially lost in the sun’s glare this month. Follow the links below to learn more about the planets in February 2018.

Venus low in the west after sunset

Jupiter lights up predawn sky

Mars east of Jupiter in predawn sky

Saturn east of Mars in predawn sky

Mercury shifts over to evening sky

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You won’t see the moon with Venus in January 2018. This photo is from November 2017 – when the crescent moon made a triangle with Jupiter (top) and Venus before dawn. Photo taken over Valletta Lighthouse from Tigné Point on the island of Malta, by Gilbert Vancell Nature Photography.

Venus low in the west after sunset. Venus ranks as the third-brightest celestial body to light up our sky, after the sun and moon. Last month, in January 2018, this planet was out of view as it moved from the morning to evening sky. Venus, though nominally an evening “star” in February 2018, will hover so close to the sunset glare that it’ll be hard to see, even with binoculars.

You might have to wait until March 2018 to catch Venus in the west after sunset. At mid-northern latitudes, Venus sets less than one-half hour after the sun in early February and about one hour after the sun by the month’s end. At more southerly latitudes, Venus sets even sooner after sunset and is even harder to see. Click here for a sky almanac giving you the setting time for Venus in your sky.

From the Northern Hemisphere, Venus should become fairly easy to spot with the eye alone by mid-March 2018. Moreover, Venus’ close proximity to Mercury on the sky’s dome will enable northerly sky viewers to view Mercury, the innermost planet, for several weeks in March. Circle March 18 on your calendar, for that’s when the young lunar crescent will join up with Venus and Mercury at evening dusk and nightfall.

You might not see Venus or Mercury at all in February 2018. But try your luck on and around March 18, when the young moon meets up with these two worlds. Read more.

Did you see the spectacular conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the morning sky on or around November 13, 2017? If not, check out these photos. Since the conjunction, Jupiter had been climbing away from the glare of sunrise day by day while Venus had been falling toward the sunrise daily. Throughout January 2018, Venus remained totally lost in the sun’s glare, as Venus made its transition out of the morning sky and into the evening sky.

Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter over downtown Denver on November 13, after emerging from the clouds, via Christy Sanchez. Venus is the brighter object.

Venus reached a milestone as the morning “star” when it swung out to its greatest elongation from the sun on June 3, 2017. At this juncture, Venus was farthest from the sun on our sky’s dome, and a telescope showed Venus as half-illuminated in sunshine, like a first quarter moon. For the rest of 2017, Venus was waxing toward full phase.

Why a half Venus? Why a full Venus? It’s all about the angle at which we see Venus with respect to the sun. When we view Venus to one side of the sun – as we did when it was at its greatest elongation in June – then we see it as half illuminated. That is, we’re seeing half of Venus’ lighted half (a quarter Venus). In January 2018, Venus swung behind the sun (at superior conjunction) as seen from Earth, and a nearly-full Venus now occupies the February 2018 evening sky.

Click here to know Venus’s exact phase at present, remembering to select Venus as your object of interest.

The chart below helps to illustrate why we sometimes see Venus in the evening, and sometimes before dawn.

The Earth and Venus orbit the sun counterclockwise as seen from earthly north. When Venus is to the east (left) of the Earth-sun line, we see Venus as an evening “star” in the west after sunset. After Venus reaches its inferior conjunction, Venus then moves to the west (right) of the Earth-sun line, appearing as a morning “star” in the east before sunrise.

Let the last quarter moon help guide your eye to the planet Jupiter in the February 7th predawn and dawn sky. Read more.

Jupiter lights up predawn sky. Because Venus is virtually lost in the sun’s glare this month, the king planet Jupiter takes over as the brightest starlike object to grace the nighttime sky. Jupiter beams during the predawn hours (and morning dawn, too!) all month long.

This month, Jupiter shines in front of the constellation Libra the Scales and close to Libra’s alpha star, Zubenelgenubi. Use brilliant Jupiter to locate Zubenelgenubi, and then use binoculars to view this star as a double star!

Before dawn, look for modesty-bright Mars to the east of Jupiter. Watch the gap between Jupiter and the red planet Mars grow throughout the month. Jupiter stays in front of the constellation Libra the Scales all month long, whereas Mars moves out of the constellation Scorpius to enter the constellation Ophiuchus at the beginning of the second week of February 2018.

Be sure to watch for the last quarter moon in the vicinity of Jupiter on February 7.

From mid-northern latitudes, Jupiter rises better than an hour after midnight (approximately 1 to 2 a.m. local time) in early February. By the month’s end, Jupiter comes up around midnight local time.

From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Jupiter rises at or near the midnight hour local time in early February; and by the month’s end, Jupiter rises about two hours before local midnight (roughly 10 p.m.)

Click here for an almanac telling you Jupiter’s rising time in your sky.

Fernando Roquel Torres in Caguas, Puerto Rico captured Jupiter, the Great Red Spot (GRS) and all 4 of its largest moons – the Galilean satellites – on the date of Jupiter’s 2017 opposition (April 7).

If you have binoculars or a telescope, it’s fairly easy to see Jupiter’s four major moons, which look like pinpricks of light all on or near the same plane. They are often called the Galilean moons to honor Galileo, who discovered these great Jovian moons in 1610. In their order from Jupiter, these moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

These moons orbit Jupiter around the Jovian equator. In cycles of six years, we view Jupiter’s equator edge-on. So, in 2015, we were able to view a number of mutual events involving Jupiter’s moons, through high-powered telescopes. Starting in late 2016, Jupiter’s axis began tilting enough toward the sun and Earth so that the farthest of these four moons, Callisto, has not been passing in front of Jupiter or behind Jupiter, as seen from our vantage point. This will continue for a period of about three years, during which time Callisto is perpetually visible to those with telescopes, alternately swinging above and below Jupiter as seen from Earth.

Click here for a Jupiter’s moons almanac, courtesy of skyandtelescope.com.

Mars, Mercury, Earth’s moon and the dwarf planet Ceres. Mars is smaller than Earth, but bigger than our moon. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA.

Look for the waning moon to swing by the planet Mars on the morning of February 9. Read more.

Mars east of Jupiter in predawn sky. Look for Mars (and Jupiter) to rise in the east several hours before the first stirrings of morning twilight. Modestly-bright Mars starts off the month fairly close to to the dazzling king planet Jupiter. Mars lodges at the border of the constellations Libra and Scorpius in early February and then moves into the constellation Ophiuchus during the second week of February 2018.

Although Mars will attain 1st-magnitude brightness by around mid-February, it will still look pale next to Jupiter, the brightest starlike object in the nighttime sky. Shining at a magnitude of -2, Jupiter will be some 16 times brighter than the red planet in middle February.

Very conveniently, Mars shines in the neighborhood of the 1st-magnitude red star Antares all month long. Be sure to compare and contrast the brilliance and color of these two celestial gems in the predawn morning sky. Mars brightens throughout the month, and by the month’s end, will probably outshine Antares. However, the precise magnitude of Mars isn’t altogether predictable because of the possibility of dust storms.

By the end of the month, Mars will have moved closer to the ringed planet Saturn and farther away from Jupiter. Mars will finally catch up with Saturn in early April, to stage a close conjunction on April 2, 2018. By that time, Mars is expected to beam some 3 times brighter than Antares and twice as bright as Saturn. What’s more, Mars will be 3 times brighter in early April than its former fainter self in mid-February.

It’s best to look for Mars and Antares before dawn (approximately one and one-half hours before sunrise) because these ruddy gems appear rather meek in the glow of morning twilight.

Let the waning crescent moon help guide your eye to Mars (and Jupiter) for several mornings, centered on February 9.

Exactly one year after Mars’s superior conjunction on July 27, 2017, Mars will swing to opposition on July 27, 2018. This will be Mars’s best opposition since its historically close opposition on August 28, 2003. In fact, Mars will become the fourth-brightest heavenly body to light up the sky in July 2018, after the sun, moon and the planet Venus. It’s not often that Mars outshines Jupiter, normally the fourth-brightest celestial body.

James Martin in Albuquerque, New Mexico caught this wonderful photo of Saturn on its June 15, 2017 opposition.

The waning crescent moon swings 2^o (4 moon-diameters) north of Saturn on February 9. Read more.

Saturn east of Mars in predawn sky. Saturn, the farthest world that you can easily view with the eye alone, appears golden in color. It shines with a steady light. The waning crescent moon helps guide your eye to Saturn (plus Mars and Jupiter) for several mornings, starting on or around January 7. To cap things off, look for the moon to pass some 2^o (4 moon-diameters) north of Saturn on February 11.

From mid-northern latitudes (US and Europe), Saturn rises about two hours before sunrise in early February (roughly 5 a.m. local time). By the month’s end, look for Saturn to rise about 3 hours before the sun (around 3 to 4 a.m. local time).

From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa, southern Australia), Saturn rises about 3 hours before sunrise in early February (approximately 3 a.m. local time); and by the month’s end, the ringed planet comes up about one hour after local midnight.

Click here for recommended almanacs; they can help you know when the planets rise, transit and set in your sky.

Binoculars don’t reveal Saturn’s gorgeous rings, by the way, although binoculars will enhance Saturn’s color. To see the rings, you need a small telescope. A telescope will also reveal one or more of Saturn’s many moons, most notably Titan.

Saturn’s rings are now inclined at about 26^o from edge-on, exhibiting their northern face. In 2017, the north side of the rings opened up most widely (27^o) since since the last grand opening in 1988. The next maximum exposure of the north side of Saturn’s rings will take place in 2046.

As with so much in space (and on Earth), the appearance of Saturn’s rings from Earth is cyclical. In the year 2025, the rings will appear edge-on as seen from Earth. After that, we’ll begin to see the south side of Saturn’s rings, to increase to a maximum inclination of 27^o by May 2032.

November 21, 2017 photo of the waxing crescent moon, Saturn and Mercury in the evening sky via Annie Lewis in Madrid, Spain.

Mid-March 2018 will present a great time for using Venus to spot Mercury in the western sky after sunset. Read more.

Mercury shifts over to evening sky. This month, Mercury swings to superior conjunction on February 17, 2018, thereby transitioning out of the morning sky and into the evening sky. However, Mercury will set soon after the sun and probably won’t be seen low in the western evening dusk until March 2018.

The good news is that this upcoming evening apparition of Mercury in March will be the best of the year for the Northern Hemisphere (yet the poorest for the Southern Hemisphere). Moreover, the brilliant planet Venus will shine close Mercury for several weeks, enabling sky watchers to use Venus (and if need be, binoculars) to find Mercury.

Intrepid sky watchers might catch Mercury as soon as late February or early March, at which time Mercury will be setting about 45 to 50 minutes after sun (at mid-northern latitudes). But the best viewing will come around mid-March, when Mercury stays out for a whopping 90 minutes after sunset. Stayed tuned!

Mercury is tricky, even when it becomes visible. If you look too early, Mercury will be obscured by evening twilight; if you look too late, it will be beneath the horizon. When March comes rolling along, watch for Mercury low in the sky, and near the sunset point on the horizon, being mindful of Mercury’s setting time.

Use the the waxing crescent moon to find Mercury pairing up with Venus on the evenings of March 18, 19 and 20.

What do we mean by bright planet? By bright planet, we mean any solar system planet that is easily visible without an optical aid and that has been watched by our ancestors since time immemorial. In their outward order from the sun, the five bright planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets actually do appear bright in our sky. They are typically as bright as – or brighter than – the brightest stars. Plus, these relatively nearby worlds tend to shine with a steadier light than the distant, twinkling stars. You can spot them, and come to know them as faithful friends, if you try.

This image is from February 8, 2016. It shows all 5 bright planets at once. Photo by our friend Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona.

Skywatcher, by Predrag Agatonovic.

Bottom line: In February 2018, three of the five bright planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – adorn the predawn sky. Meanwhile, Mercury and Venus are lost in the sun’s glare.

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to EarthSky News by email

Enjoy knowing where to look in the night sky? Please donate to help EarthSky keep going.

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Look for the waning moon to swing by the planets Jupiter and Mars on the mornings of February 7, 8 and 9. Read more.

Three of the five bright planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – can be seen in the February 2018 for several hours before sunrise. Starting the second week of February, let the waning moon help guide your eye to Jupiter around February 7, Mars around February 9 and Saturn around February 11. The other two bright planets – Mercury and Venus – are essentially lost in the sun’s glare this month. Follow the links below to learn more about the planets in February 2018.

Venus low in the west after sunset

Jupiter lights up predawn sky

Mars east of Jupiter in predawn sky

Saturn east of Mars in predawn sky

Mercury shifts over to evening sky

EarthSky’s 2018 lunar calendars are here! Get yours while they last.

Like what EarthSky offers? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

Astronomy events, star parties, festivals, workshops

Visit a new EarthSky feature – Best Places to Stargaze – and add your fav.

You won’t see the moon with Venus in January 2018. This photo is from November 2017 – when the crescent moon made a triangle with Jupiter (top) and Venus before dawn. Photo taken over Valletta Lighthouse from Tigné Point on the island of Malta, by Gilbert Vancell Nature Photography.

Venus low in the west after sunset. Venus ranks as the third-brightest celestial body to light up our sky, after the sun and moon. Last month, in January 2018, this planet was out of view as it moved from the morning to evening sky. Venus, though nominally an evening “star” in February 2018, will hover so close to the sunset glare that it’ll be hard to see, even with binoculars.

You might have to wait until March 2018 to catch Venus in the west after sunset. At mid-northern latitudes, Venus sets less than one-half hour after the sun in early February and about one hour after the sun by the month’s end. At more southerly latitudes, Venus sets even sooner after sunset and is even harder to see. Click here for a sky almanac giving you the setting time for Venus in your sky.

From the Northern Hemisphere, Venus should become fairly easy to spot with the eye alone by mid-March 2018. Moreover, Venus’ close proximity to Mercury on the sky’s dome will enable northerly sky viewers to view Mercury, the innermost planet, for several weeks in March. Circle March 18 on your calendar, for that’s when the young lunar crescent will join up with Venus and Mercury at evening dusk and nightfall.

You might not see Venus or Mercury at all in February 2018. But try your luck on and around March 18, when the young moon meets up with these two worlds. Read more.

Did you see the spectacular conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the morning sky on or around November 13, 2017? If not, check out these photos. Since the conjunction, Jupiter had been climbing away from the glare of sunrise day by day while Venus had been falling toward the sunrise daily. Throughout January 2018, Venus remained totally lost in the sun’s glare, as Venus made its transition out of the morning sky and into the evening sky.

Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter over downtown Denver on November 13, after emerging from the clouds, via Christy Sanchez. Venus is the brighter object.

Venus reached a milestone as the morning “star” when it swung out to its greatest elongation from the sun on June 3, 2017. At this juncture, Venus was farthest from the sun on our sky’s dome, and a telescope showed Venus as half-illuminated in sunshine, like a first quarter moon. For the rest of 2017, Venus was waxing toward full phase.

Why a half Venus? Why a full Venus? It’s all about the angle at which we see Venus with respect to the sun. When we view Venus to one side of the sun – as we did when it was at its greatest elongation in June – then we see it as half illuminated. That is, we’re seeing half of Venus’ lighted half (a quarter Venus). In January 2018, Venus swung behind the sun (at superior conjunction) as seen from Earth, and a nearly-full Venus now occupies the February 2018 evening sky.

Click here to know Venus’s exact phase at present, remembering to select Venus as your object of interest.

The chart below helps to illustrate why we sometimes see Venus in the evening, and sometimes before dawn.

The Earth and Venus orbit the sun counterclockwise as seen from earthly north. When Venus is to the east (left) of the Earth-sun line, we see Venus as an evening “star” in the west after sunset. After Venus reaches its inferior conjunction, Venus then moves to the west (right) of the Earth-sun line, appearing as a morning “star” in the east before sunrise.

Let the last quarter moon help guide your eye to the planet Jupiter in the February 7th predawn and dawn sky. Read more.

Jupiter lights up predawn sky. Because Venus is virtually lost in the sun’s glare this month, the king planet Jupiter takes over as the brightest starlike object to grace the nighttime sky. Jupiter beams during the predawn hours (and morning dawn, too!) all month long.

This month, Jupiter shines in front of the constellation Libra the Scales and close to Libra’s alpha star, Zubenelgenubi. Use brilliant Jupiter to locate Zubenelgenubi, and then use binoculars to view this star as a double star!

Before dawn, look for modesty-bright Mars to the east of Jupiter. Watch the gap between Jupiter and the red planet Mars grow throughout the month. Jupiter stays in front of the constellation Libra the Scales all month long, whereas Mars moves out of the constellation Scorpius to enter the constellation Ophiuchus at the beginning of the second week of February 2018.

Be sure to watch for the last quarter moon in the vicinity of Jupiter on February 7.

From mid-northern latitudes, Jupiter rises better than an hour after midnight (approximately 1 to 2 a.m. local time) in early February. By the month’s end, Jupiter comes up around midnight local time.

From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Jupiter rises at or near the midnight hour local time in early February; and by the month’s end, Jupiter rises about two hours before local midnight (roughly 10 p.m.)

Click here for an almanac telling you Jupiter’s rising time in your sky.

Fernando Roquel Torres in Caguas, Puerto Rico captured Jupiter, the Great Red Spot (GRS) and all 4 of its largest moons – the Galilean satellites – on the date of Jupiter’s 2017 opposition (April 7).

If you have binoculars or a telescope, it’s fairly easy to see Jupiter’s four major moons, which look like pinpricks of light all on or near the same plane. They are often called the Galilean moons to honor Galileo, who discovered these great Jovian moons in 1610. In their order from Jupiter, these moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

These moons orbit Jupiter around the Jovian equator. In cycles of six years, we view Jupiter’s equator edge-on. So, in 2015, we were able to view a number of mutual events involving Jupiter’s moons, through high-powered telescopes. Starting in late 2016, Jupiter’s axis began tilting enough toward the sun and Earth so that the farthest of these four moons, Callisto, has not been passing in front of Jupiter or behind Jupiter, as seen from our vantage point. This will continue for a period of about three years, during which time Callisto is perpetually visible to those with telescopes, alternately swinging above and below Jupiter as seen from Earth.

Click here for a Jupiter’s moons almanac, courtesy of skyandtelescope.com.

Mars, Mercury, Earth’s moon and the dwarf planet Ceres. Mars is smaller than Earth, but bigger than our moon. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA.

Look for the waning moon to swing by the planet Mars on the morning of February 9. Read more.

Mars east of Jupiter in predawn sky. Look for Mars (and Jupiter) to rise in the east several hours before the first stirrings of morning twilight. Modestly-bright Mars starts off the month fairly close to to the dazzling king planet Jupiter. Mars lodges at the border of the constellations Libra and Scorpius in early February and then moves into the constellation Ophiuchus during the second week of February 2018.

Although Mars will attain 1st-magnitude brightness by around mid-February, it will still look pale next to Jupiter, the brightest starlike object in the nighttime sky. Shining at a magnitude of -2, Jupiter will be some 16 times brighter than the red planet in middle February.

Very conveniently, Mars shines in the neighborhood of the 1st-magnitude red star Antares all month long. Be sure to compare and contrast the brilliance and color of these two celestial gems in the predawn morning sky. Mars brightens throughout the month, and by the month’s end, will probably outshine Antares. However, the precise magnitude of Mars isn’t altogether predictable because of the possibility of dust storms.

By the end of the month, Mars will have moved closer to the ringed planet Saturn and farther away from Jupiter. Mars will finally catch up with Saturn in early April, to stage a close conjunction on April 2, 2018. By that time, Mars is expected to beam some 3 times brighter than Antares and twice as bright as Saturn. What’s more, Mars will be 3 times brighter in early April than its former fainter self in mid-February.

It’s best to look for Mars and Antares before dawn (approximately one and one-half hours before sunrise) because these ruddy gems appear rather meek in the glow of morning twilight.

Let the waning crescent moon help guide your eye to Mars (and Jupiter) for several mornings, centered on February 9.

Exactly one year after Mars’s superior conjunction on July 27, 2017, Mars will swing to opposition on July 27, 2018. This will be Mars’s best opposition since its historically close opposition on August 28, 2003. In fact, Mars will become the fourth-brightest heavenly body to light up the sky in July 2018, after the sun, moon and the planet Venus. It’s not often that Mars outshines Jupiter, normally the fourth-brightest celestial body.

James Martin in Albuquerque, New Mexico caught this wonderful photo of Saturn on its June 15, 2017 opposition.

The waning crescent moon swings 2^o (4 moon-diameters) north of Saturn on February 9. Read more.

Saturn east of Mars in predawn sky. Saturn, the farthest world that you can easily view with the eye alone, appears golden in color. It shines with a steady light. The waning crescent moon helps guide your eye to Saturn (plus Mars and Jupiter) for several mornings, starting on or around January 7. To cap things off, look for the moon to pass some 2^o (4 moon-diameters) north of Saturn on February 11.

From mid-northern latitudes (US and Europe), Saturn rises about two hours before sunrise in early February (roughly 5 a.m. local time). By the month’s end, look for Saturn to rise about 3 hours before the sun (around 3 to 4 a.m. local time).

From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa, southern Australia), Saturn rises about 3 hours before sunrise in early February (approximately 3 a.m. local time); and by the month’s end, the ringed planet comes up about one hour after local midnight.

Click here for recommended almanacs; they can help you know when the planets rise, transit and set in your sky.

Binoculars don’t reveal Saturn’s gorgeous rings, by the way, although binoculars will enhance Saturn’s color. To see the rings, you need a small telescope. A telescope will also reveal one or more of Saturn’s many moons, most notably Titan.

Saturn’s rings are now inclined at about 26^o from edge-on, exhibiting their northern face. In 2017, the north side of the rings opened up most widely (27^o) since since the last grand opening in 1988. The next maximum exposure of the north side of Saturn’s rings will take place in 2046.

As with so much in space (and on Earth), the appearance of Saturn’s rings from Earth is cyclical. In the year 2025, the rings will appear edge-on as seen from Earth. After that, we’ll begin to see the south side of Saturn’s rings, to increase to a maximum inclination of 27^o by May 2032.

November 21, 2017 photo of the waxing crescent moon, Saturn and Mercury in the evening sky via Annie Lewis in Madrid, Spain.

Mid-March 2018 will present a great time for using Venus to spot Mercury in the western sky after sunset. Read more.

Mercury shifts over to evening sky. This month, Mercury swings to superior conjunction on February 17, 2018, thereby transitioning out of the morning sky and into the evening sky. However, Mercury will set soon after the sun and probably won’t be seen low in the western evening dusk until March 2018.

The good news is that this upcoming evening apparition of Mercury in March will be the best of the year for the Northern Hemisphere (yet the poorest for the Southern Hemisphere). Moreover, the brilliant planet Venus will shine close Mercury for several weeks, enabling sky watchers to use Venus (and if need be, binoculars) to find Mercury.

Intrepid sky watchers might catch Mercury as soon as late February or early March, at which time Mercury will be setting about 45 to 50 minutes after sun (at mid-northern latitudes). But the best viewing will come around mid-March, when Mercury stays out for a whopping 90 minutes after sunset. Stayed tuned!

Mercury is tricky, even when it becomes visible. If you look too early, Mercury will be obscured by evening twilight; if you look too late, it will be beneath the horizon. When March comes rolling along, watch for Mercury low in the sky, and near the sunset point on the horizon, being mindful of Mercury’s setting time.

Use the the waxing crescent moon to find Mercury pairing up with Venus on the evenings of March 18, 19 and 20.

What do we mean by bright planet? By bright planet, we mean any solar system planet that is easily visible without an optical aid and that has been watched by our ancestors since time immemorial. In their outward order from the sun, the five bright planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets actually do appear bright in our sky. They are typically as bright as – or brighter than – the brightest stars. Plus, these relatively nearby worlds tend to shine with a steadier light than the distant, twinkling stars. You can spot them, and come to know them as faithful friends, if you try.

This image is from February 8, 2016. It shows all 5 bright planets at once. Photo by our friend Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona.

Skywatcher, by Predrag Agatonovic.

Bottom line: In February 2018, three of the five bright planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – adorn the predawn sky. Meanwhile, Mercury and Venus are lost in the sun’s glare.

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to EarthSky News by email

Enjoy knowing where to look in the night sky? Please donate to help EarthSky keep going.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/IJfHCr

NHS radiotherapy changes could see more patients having modern treatment

This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series Radiotherapy

Part eight of our radiotherapy series explores how the NHS gets radiotherapy to patients. Right now, some cancer patients are missing out on modern radiotherapy. A new NHS England plan could change that.

Each of the UK nations manages the way it gives radiotherapy to patients differently.

In England, 52 radiotherapy centres provide radiotherapy for all cancer patients. A new NHS England plan wants to change how radiotherapy is provided across the country. And while the number of centres won’t change, services will be organised into 13 networks that manage specific areas.

Important investment in radiotherapy has happened in the last few years, and positive changes have followed.

But recent data shows that some patients still aren’t being treated with best type of radiotherapy for their cancer. That’s what has prompted the rethink from NHS England. And we offered our thoughts on the plans as part of a consultation that closed last week. Here’s what we said.

Are cancer patients getting the radiotherapy they need?

Half of people having radiotherapy to cure their cancer should be treated with a modern treatment called intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), according to estimates. But recent data shows this target is being missed.

Modern radiotherapy gives some patients a chance of survival where there had been little hope before, such as for those with lung cancer where treatment options can be limited. For others, these new types of radiotherapy can mean fewer long-term side effects.

But a few years ago, patients in England were among the least likely to receive IMRT in Western Europe, with under 7% of patients who may benefit from the treatment getting it between 2011 and 2012.

We ran a campaign in 2012 to raise awareness of this issue. And government listened. This led to the launch of a £23m Radiotherapy Investment Fund, which had a dramatic effect so that more patients could be treated with IMRT.

Access is now at 44% on average in England. But there’s still wide variation across the country.

Some radiotherapy centres treat just 23% of their radiotherapy patients with IMRT, whereas others reach a high of 69%.

We don’t know what’s causing this variation, but it paints a worrying picture of inconsistency across the NHS in England.

What’s changing in radiotherapy services?

NHS England wants to organise radiotherapy services into 13 Radiotherapy Networks, which will be tasked with coordinating radiotherapy services in their area.

No radiotherapy services will close because of these plans, but it does involves concentrating specialist radiotherapy into dedicated centres, so the small number of people who need complex radiotherapy will be given it using the best equipment by people experienced at doing so. At the same time, this would allow other hospitals to focus on treating more common types of cancer with modern radiotherapy – so everyone should benefit.

We’ve heard some concerns that the NHS will close radiotherapy centres because of this plan. This isn’t the case, but it will affect which centres can treat certain types of cancer. This is so that each network can make sure all their patients get the same high-quality radiotherapy, no matter where they live.

NHS England also says the plans will lead to more patients taking part in clinical trials. Research is the key to improving survival and quality of life for patients, so this is hugely important.

Is this a good idea?

Overall, yes. But there are some complexities.

For most people, these plans won’t change where they have their treatment, as services are already mostly organised in this way.

But some patients aren’t receiving the high-quality treatment they need to give them the best chance of a cure.

So these proposals are good, because they should make sure that all people having radiotherapy are getting the best type of treatment.

In the future, and for a small minority of patients, this could mean having to travel further than they would now for specialist treatment. This will be to a hospital with the right equipment and expert staff to treat their cancer most effectively, so the hope is that the travel will be worth it.

Once the networks are set up, they will have to plan their services carefully, and work closely with people affected by cancer as they do this. Another task will be limiting the amount people must travel for treatment, for example by planning treatment in a specialist hospital before it’s then given at a hospital closer to home.

What do patients think?

As part of our response, we ran a survey for people affected by cancer. We found that 72% would travel further to get the best quality treatment.

To provide the highest technical standards and have the best people working together it helps to have them in one establishment. It would be lovely if it was on our doorstep but it cannot be on every doorstep. The important thing is that transport is easy to the hospital and things like parking are taken care of, which are often not the case

– a patient

But many patients said that having radiotherapy can be very tiring. So we also asked how the NHS could support those having to travel, for example through free parking or allowing people to book all their appointments in advance. The bottom line is that every patient having radiotherapy must get the support they need throughout their treatment – whether that’s close to home or further afield.

What happens next?

Overall, we think these proposals are a good idea. Now NHS England – and the new Radiotherapy Networks – must find a way to make these plans work for patients. 87% of people in our survey said it’s important that patients are involved in these decisions, and we agree.

The system should work for the person with cancer, not the other way round

– a patient

But for these plans to work, it’s critical that the networks have IT systems that can talk to each other. This is so that doctors can work together, even when they’re based at different hospitals, to make each person’s individual treatment plan together.

But money is short in the NHS. And hospitals haven’t been able to invest in new radiotherapy machines or up-to-date IT software.

NHS England committed an additional £130m in 2016 to replace out-of-date radiotherapy machines, which was much-needed. But this hasn’t helped with IT software. We want NHS England to support Radiotherapy Networks to upgrade software, so that they can fulfil these ambitious proposals.

A long-term fix is needed

In 5-10 years, the new radiotherapy machines could be out of date and will all need replacing again. There are loads of exciting new types of radiotherapy being studied in labs and in clinical trials, so we need to make sure the NHS can get them to patients as quickly as possible. To keep these services sustainable, NHS England must find a way to regularly upgrade both the machines and the software, rather than having to give big one-off payments every few years.

We’ve also recently been campaigning about the major shortages in the staff who diagnose cancer in the NHS. But shortages are also being felt among staff who give radiotherapy. Nearly 3 in 4 people responding to our recent survey of people who treat cancer felt that staff shortages were stopping them giving the best treatment and excellent patient experience.

We’re hoping that Health Education England will address this as part of the next phase of its cancer workforce plan.

While we support NHS England’s new radiotherapy plans, they won’t work if the NHS doesn’t have enough resources, or the right staff, to carry them out. And it’s cancer patients who would feel the effects of this most.

Rose Gray is a senior policy advisor at Cancer Research UK

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog http://ift.tt/2DPJe3o

This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series Radiotherapy

Part eight of our radiotherapy series explores how the NHS gets radiotherapy to patients. Right now, some cancer patients are missing out on modern radiotherapy. A new NHS England plan could change that.

Each of the UK nations manages the way it gives radiotherapy to patients differently.

In England, 52 radiotherapy centres provide radiotherapy for all cancer patients. A new NHS England plan wants to change how radiotherapy is provided across the country. And while the number of centres won’t change, services will be organised into 13 networks that manage specific areas.

Important investment in radiotherapy has happened in the last few years, and positive changes have followed.

But recent data shows that some patients still aren’t being treated with best type of radiotherapy for their cancer. That’s what has prompted the rethink from NHS England. And we offered our thoughts on the plans as part of a consultation that closed last week. Here’s what we said.

Are cancer patients getting the radiotherapy they need?

Half of people having radiotherapy to cure their cancer should be treated with a modern treatment called intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), according to estimates. But recent data shows this target is being missed.

Modern radiotherapy gives some patients a chance of survival where there had been little hope before, such as for those with lung cancer where treatment options can be limited. For others, these new types of radiotherapy can mean fewer long-term side effects.

But a few years ago, patients in England were among the least likely to receive IMRT in Western Europe, with under 7% of patients who may benefit from the treatment getting it between 2011 and 2012.

We ran a campaign in 2012 to raise awareness of this issue. And government listened. This led to the launch of a £23m Radiotherapy Investment Fund, which had a dramatic effect so that more patients could be treated with IMRT.

Access is now at 44% on average in England. But there’s still wide variation across the country.

Some radiotherapy centres treat just 23% of their radiotherapy patients with IMRT, whereas others reach a high of 69%.

We don’t know what’s causing this variation, but it paints a worrying picture of inconsistency across the NHS in England.

What’s changing in radiotherapy services?

NHS England wants to organise radiotherapy services into 13 Radiotherapy Networks, which will be tasked with coordinating radiotherapy services in their area.

No radiotherapy services will close because of these plans, but it does involves concentrating specialist radiotherapy into dedicated centres, so the small number of people who need complex radiotherapy will be given it using the best equipment by people experienced at doing so. At the same time, this would allow other hospitals to focus on treating more common types of cancer with modern radiotherapy – so everyone should benefit.

We’ve heard some concerns that the NHS will close radiotherapy centres because of this plan. This isn’t the case, but it will affect which centres can treat certain types of cancer. This is so that each network can make sure all their patients get the same high-quality radiotherapy, no matter where they live.

NHS England also says the plans will lead to more patients taking part in clinical trials. Research is the key to improving survival and quality of life for patients, so this is hugely important.

Is this a good idea?

Overall, yes. But there are some complexities.

For most people, these plans won’t change where they have their treatment, as services are already mostly organised in this way.

But some patients aren’t receiving the high-quality treatment they need to give them the best chance of a cure.

So these proposals are good, because they should make sure that all people having radiotherapy are getting the best type of treatment.

In the future, and for a small minority of patients, this could mean having to travel further than they would now for specialist treatment. This will be to a hospital with the right equipment and expert staff to treat their cancer most effectively, so the hope is that the travel will be worth it.

Once the networks are set up, they will have to plan their services carefully, and work closely with people affected by cancer as they do this. Another task will be limiting the amount people must travel for treatment, for example by planning treatment in a specialist hospital before it’s then given at a hospital closer to home.

What do patients think?

As part of our response, we ran a survey for people affected by cancer. We found that 72% would travel further to get the best quality treatment.

To provide the highest technical standards and have the best people working together it helps to have them in one establishment. It would be lovely if it was on our doorstep but it cannot be on every doorstep. The important thing is that transport is easy to the hospital and things like parking are taken care of, which are often not the case

– a patient

But many patients said that having radiotherapy can be very tiring. So we also asked how the NHS could support those having to travel, for example through free parking or allowing people to book all their appointments in advance. The bottom line is that every patient having radiotherapy must get the support they need throughout their treatment – whether that’s close to home or further afield.

What happens next?

Overall, we think these proposals are a good idea. Now NHS England – and the new Radiotherapy Networks – must find a way to make these plans work for patients. 87% of people in our survey said it’s important that patients are involved in these decisions, and we agree.

The system should work for the person with cancer, not the other way round

– a patient

But for these plans to work, it’s critical that the networks have IT systems that can talk to each other. This is so that doctors can work together, even when they’re based at different hospitals, to make each person’s individual treatment plan together.

But money is short in the NHS. And hospitals haven’t been able to invest in new radiotherapy machines or up-to-date IT software.

NHS England committed an additional £130m in 2016 to replace out-of-date radiotherapy machines, which was much-needed. But this hasn’t helped with IT software. We want NHS England to support Radiotherapy Networks to upgrade software, so that they can fulfil these ambitious proposals.

A long-term fix is needed

In 5-10 years, the new radiotherapy machines could be out of date and will all need replacing again. There are loads of exciting new types of radiotherapy being studied in labs and in clinical trials, so we need to make sure the NHS can get them to patients as quickly as possible. To keep these services sustainable, NHS England must find a way to regularly upgrade both the machines and the software, rather than having to give big one-off payments every few years.

We’ve also recently been campaigning about the major shortages in the staff who diagnose cancer in the NHS. But shortages are also being felt among staff who give radiotherapy. Nearly 3 in 4 people responding to our recent survey of people who treat cancer felt that staff shortages were stopping them giving the best treatment and excellent patient experience.

We’re hoping that Health Education England will address this as part of the next phase of its cancer workforce plan.

While we support NHS England’s new radiotherapy plans, they won’t work if the NHS doesn’t have enough resources, or the right staff, to carry them out. And it’s cancer patients who would feel the effects of this most.

Rose Gray is a senior policy advisor at Cancer Research UK

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog http://ift.tt/2DPJe3o

See it! Super Blue Moon eclipse photos

Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona submitted this photo. It’s the fully eclipsed moon on January 31, 2018, 20 minutes into totality.

The total lunar eclipse of January 31, 2018 is over, and many saw it! The photos on this page were submitted or posted to EarthSky Facebook from around the world. The January 31 full moon is the third in a series of three straight full moon supermoons – that is, super-close full moons. It’s the first of two Blue Moons in 2018. So wasn’t just a total lunar eclipse, or a Blue Moon, or a supermoon. It was all three … a super Blue Moon total eclipse!

Mike O’Neal submitted this gorgeous shot. He wrote: “Could not quite get to full before the clouds rolled in over northeast Oklahoma.”

Here’s who saw the eclipse:

View larger. | Greatest eclipse happens at the same instant worldwide, but our clocks say different times. Chart by Fred Espenak. Click here for more details.

From the chart above, you can see the eclipse wasn’t visible from the entire globe, and it took place at moonset for the Americas. So – in the photos that came into our site today, mostly from North America, but a few from other parts of the globe – we could see the progression in how people viewed the eclipse.

For example, those farthest east in North America saw the moon set while the partial eclipse was in progress:

George Preoteasa said he caught the very early partial eclipse from New York City, just before clouds intervened.

Meanwhile, from across the river in New Jersey, Chirag Upreti caught the partial eclipse at moonset over New York City’s Statue of Liberty. Notice the plane!

Eclipse-watchers viewed the setting moon from Englewood Beach, Florida. Photo by Kimberly King.

Ken Christison caught the partial eclipse at moonset from North Carolina.

Steve Scanlon Photography caught the partially eclipsed moon setting.

View larger. | Nice composite from Scarlet Bucket in Charleston, South Carolina, showing how the eclipse progressed as the moon got lower in the sky.

As the minutes ticked by, and the January 31 eclipse progressed, the line of sunrise – and corresponding line of moonset – was moving westward across North America.

That’s why those on the westernmost part of the continent saw the moon most fully eclipsed. Many had very good views indeed!

Eclipse guru Fred Espenak – whose calculations of eclipses have been a mainstay for eclipse observing for decades – wrote: “What a wonderful total lunar eclipse! This was my 30th, and the 1st one I’ve see where the moon set during totality. Of course, for me, the totally eclipsed moon set behind the Chiricahua Mountains here in southern Arizona making for a most memorable view!”

Doug Groenhoff was also in southern Arizona – Tucson – when he caught this image. He wrote: “Supermoon eclipse this morning as the sky was starting to lighten up.”

See how high the eclipse is in the sky here, in contrast to the photos above from eastern North America? This photo comes from David Prosper in Richmond, California.

Photo by Ken Gallagher in Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Joel Dorfan captured the total eclipse from San Diego.

The eclipse wasn’t just a North American phenomenon. Look back at the map above, and you’ll see that those in Asia, Australia and New Zealand had a wonderful view of it!

Totally eclipsed moon on January 31, high in the sky as seen from Singapore by A. Kannan.

And then there was those who missed the eclipse entirely because of clouds or because of being on the wrong side of Earth – the daytime side – when this full moon eclipse took place. For those folks … yay online viewing!

Some people were clouded out, or on the wrong side of Earth to view the January 31 eclipse. That’s why many viewed it online. This photo is from George Mason in Bremerton, Washington.

And some didn’t see the eclipse, but simply enjoyed the splendor of the full moon, which was, after all, a supermoon and therefore brighter than an ordinary full moon.

Annie Lewis wrote, “Tonight’s moon rising in daylight. Madrid, Spain.”

Bottom line: Photos from around the world of the January 31, 2018 Blue Moon, supermoon and total lunar eclipse! Thank you to all who submitted!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2GwtvDY

Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona submitted this photo. It’s the fully eclipsed moon on January 31, 2018, 20 minutes into totality.

The total lunar eclipse of January 31, 2018 is over, and many saw it! The photos on this page were submitted or posted to EarthSky Facebook from around the world. The January 31 full moon is the third in a series of three straight full moon supermoons – that is, super-close full moons. It’s the first of two Blue Moons in 2018. So wasn’t just a total lunar eclipse, or a Blue Moon, or a supermoon. It was all three … a super Blue Moon total eclipse!

Mike O’Neal submitted this gorgeous shot. He wrote: “Could not quite get to full before the clouds rolled in over northeast Oklahoma.”

Here’s who saw the eclipse:

View larger. | Greatest eclipse happens at the same instant worldwide, but our clocks say different times. Chart by Fred Espenak. Click here for more details.

From the chart above, you can see the eclipse wasn’t visible from the entire globe, and it took place at moonset for the Americas. So – in the photos that came into our site today, mostly from North America, but a few from other parts of the globe – we could see the progression in how people viewed the eclipse.

For example, those farthest east in North America saw the moon set while the partial eclipse was in progress:

George Preoteasa said he caught the very early partial eclipse from New York City, just before clouds intervened.

Meanwhile, from across the river in New Jersey, Chirag Upreti caught the partial eclipse at moonset over New York City’s Statue of Liberty. Notice the plane!

Eclipse-watchers viewed the setting moon from Englewood Beach, Florida. Photo by Kimberly King.

Ken Christison caught the partial eclipse at moonset from North Carolina.

Steve Scanlon Photography caught the partially eclipsed moon setting.

View larger. | Nice composite from Scarlet Bucket in Charleston, South Carolina, showing how the eclipse progressed as the moon got lower in the sky.

As the minutes ticked by, and the January 31 eclipse progressed, the line of sunrise – and corresponding line of moonset – was moving westward across North America.

That’s why those on the westernmost part of the continent saw the moon most fully eclipsed. Many had very good views indeed!

Eclipse guru Fred Espenak – whose calculations of eclipses have been a mainstay for eclipse observing for decades – wrote: “What a wonderful total lunar eclipse! This was my 30th, and the 1st one I’ve see where the moon set during totality. Of course, for me, the totally eclipsed moon set behind the Chiricahua Mountains here in southern Arizona making for a most memorable view!”

Doug Groenhoff was also in southern Arizona – Tucson – when he caught this image. He wrote: “Supermoon eclipse this morning as the sky was starting to lighten up.”

See how high the eclipse is in the sky here, in contrast to the photos above from eastern North America? This photo comes from David Prosper in Richmond, California.

Photo by Ken Gallagher in Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Joel Dorfan captured the total eclipse from San Diego.

The eclipse wasn’t just a North American phenomenon. Look back at the map above, and you’ll see that those in Asia, Australia and New Zealand had a wonderful view of it!

Totally eclipsed moon on January 31, high in the sky as seen from Singapore by A. Kannan.

And then there was those who missed the eclipse entirely because of clouds or because of being on the wrong side of Earth – the daytime side – when this full moon eclipse took place. For those folks … yay online viewing!

Some people were clouded out, or on the wrong side of Earth to view the January 31 eclipse. That’s why many viewed it online. This photo is from George Mason in Bremerton, Washington.

And some didn’t see the eclipse, but simply enjoyed the splendor of the full moon, which was, after all, a supermoon and therefore brighter than an ordinary full moon.

Annie Lewis wrote, “Tonight’s moon rising in daylight. Madrid, Spain.”

Bottom line: Photos from around the world of the January 31, 2018 Blue Moon, supermoon and total lunar eclipse! Thank you to all who submitted!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2GwtvDY

January 31 is 1st of 2 Blue Moons in 2018

Looking for info on the January 31, 2018, lunar eclipse? Click here

Blue moons don’t really look blue in color. Greg Hogan in Kathleen, Georgia, created the composite image at top of a Blue Moon (blue in name only!) on July 31, 2015. He wrote:

Having some fun with the blue moon idea……I blended the same image twice one with a blue tint, and one normal. :)

This year, 2018, we have two months (January and March) with Blue Moons. They are Blue Moons by the monthly definition of the term: the second of two full moons to fall within a single calendar month. The first Blue Moon comes on January 31, 2018, and the second on March 31, 2018. Meanwhile, the month of February 2018 has no full moon at all.

The precise instant of the January 31 Blue Moon is 13:27 UTC. Although the full moon happens at the same instant worldwide, the hour differs by time zone. At North American and U.S. times zones, that places the time of January 31 Blue Moon at:

9:27 a.m. AST
8:27 a.m. EST
7:27 a.m. CST
6:27 a.m. MST
5:27 a.m. PST
4:27 a.m. AKST
3:27 a.m. HST

The January 31, 2018, Blue Moon will undergo an eclipse. But – by the time that you read this post – the full moon instant and the total eclipse of the moon might already have passed. For more about the eclipse, go back to yesterday’s sky post.

From the Americas, the moon that we see on the evening of January 31 is actually a waning gibbous moon, though it’ll likely appear plenty full to the eye. That bright star near the January 31 moon is Regulus, the constellation Leo the Lion’s sole 1st-magnitude star.

The moon constantly moves eastward in front of the backdrop stars. It’ll sweep past the star Regulus – brightest star in Leo the Lion – for the next several evenings. The green line depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the zodiac.

How often do we have a Blue Moon? If you’re defining the Blue Moon as the second full moon of a calendar month, the answer is usually once every few years.

But – as is the case in 2018 – how often do we have two Blue Moons in a single year? For the answer, you have to look to a concept from astronomy and calendar studies, at what’s called the Metonic cycle. The Metonic cycle is a period of 19 calendar years (235 lunar months), after which the new and full moons realign on or near the same dates of the year.

Therefore, 19 years from now, in 2037, we’ll again have another Blue Moon in January and March.

There are 235 full moons (235 lunar months) yet only 228 calendar months in the 19-year Metonic cycle. Because the number of full moons outnumber the number of calendar months, that means at least seven of these 228 calendar months must harbor two full moons (235 – 228 = 7 extra full moons).

However, if a February within this 19-year period has no full moon at all – as is the case in February 2018 (and February 2037) – it’s possible for an extra 8th full moon to fall into the lap of another calendar month. That’s why the year 2018 (and 2037) have two Blue Moons, in January and March.

Let’s take a look at the 8 Blue-Moon months in the upcoming 19-year Metonic cycle:

1. March 31, 2018
2. October 31, 2020
3. August 31, 2023
4. May 31, 2026
5. December 31, 2028
6. September 30, 2031
7. July 31, 2034
8. January 31, 2037

Moreover, the 19-year Metonic cycle assures us that seven of 19 years will also feature a seasonal Blue Moon – third of four full moons to occur in one season. Season is defined as the time period between a solstice and an equinox – or vice versa. The last Blue Moon by the seasonal definition happened on May 21, 2016. The next seven seasonal Blue Moons in the 19-year Metonic cycle:

1. May 18, 2019
2. August 22, 2021
3. August 19, 2024
4. May 20, 2027
5. August 24, 2029
6. August 21, 2032
7. May 22, 2035

In short, we have a monthly Blue Moon whenever we have 13 full moons in one calendar year, and a seasonal Blue Moon whenever we have 13 full moons in between successive December solstices.

This year, 2018, we have two Blue Moons because there are 13 full moons – plus a February with no full moon. In rare instances, it’s possible for a year with only 12 full moons to have one Blue Moon – if February has no full moon at all (example: 2067).

Phases of the moon: 2001 to 2100 (Universal Time)

Solstices and Equinoxes: 2001 to 2100 (Universal Time)

Bottom line: The second of two January 2018 full moons falls today, on January 31, 2018. By popular acclaim, the second full moon to occur in a single calendar month is known as a Blue Moon. Thanks to what is called the Metonic cycle, 19 years from now, in 2037, we’ll again have Blue Moons in January and March.

Donate: Your support means the world to us

Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2DZjk9X

Looking for info on the January 31, 2018, lunar eclipse? Click here

Blue moons don’t really look blue in color. Greg Hogan in Kathleen, Georgia, created the composite image at top of a Blue Moon (blue in name only!) on July 31, 2015. He wrote:

Having some fun with the blue moon idea……I blended the same image twice one with a blue tint, and one normal. :)

This year, 2018, we have two months (January and March) with Blue Moons. They are Blue Moons by the monthly definition of the term: the second of two full moons to fall within a single calendar month. The first Blue Moon comes on January 31, 2018, and the second on March 31, 2018. Meanwhile, the month of February 2018 has no full moon at all.

The precise instant of the January 31 Blue Moon is 13:27 UTC. Although the full moon happens at the same instant worldwide, the hour differs by time zone. At North American and U.S. times zones, that places the time of January 31 Blue Moon at:

9:27 a.m. AST
8:27 a.m. EST
7:27 a.m. CST
6:27 a.m. MST
5:27 a.m. PST
4:27 a.m. AKST
3:27 a.m. HST

The January 31, 2018, Blue Moon will undergo an eclipse. But – by the time that you read this post – the full moon instant and the total eclipse of the moon might already have passed. For more about the eclipse, go back to yesterday’s sky post.

From the Americas, the moon that we see on the evening of January 31 is actually a waning gibbous moon, though it’ll likely appear plenty full to the eye. That bright star near the January 31 moon is Regulus, the constellation Leo the Lion’s sole 1st-magnitude star.

The moon constantly moves eastward in front of the backdrop stars. It’ll sweep past the star Regulus – brightest star in Leo the Lion – for the next several evenings. The green line depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the zodiac.

How often do we have a Blue Moon? If you’re defining the Blue Moon as the second full moon of a calendar month, the answer is usually once every few years.

But – as is the case in 2018 – how often do we have two Blue Moons in a single year? For the answer, you have to look to a concept from astronomy and calendar studies, at what’s called the Metonic cycle. The Metonic cycle is a period of 19 calendar years (235 lunar months), after which the new and full moons realign on or near the same dates of the year.

Therefore, 19 years from now, in 2037, we’ll again have another Blue Moon in January and March.

There are 235 full moons (235 lunar months) yet only 228 calendar months in the 19-year Metonic cycle. Because the number of full moons outnumber the number of calendar months, that means at least seven of these 228 calendar months must harbor two full moons (235 – 228 = 7 extra full moons).

However, if a February within this 19-year period has no full moon at all – as is the case in February 2018 (and February 2037) – it’s possible for an extra 8th full moon to fall into the lap of another calendar month. That’s why the year 2018 (and 2037) have two Blue Moons, in January and March.

Let’s take a look at the 8 Blue-Moon months in the upcoming 19-year Metonic cycle:

1. March 31, 2018
2. October 31, 2020
3. August 31, 2023
4. May 31, 2026
5. December 31, 2028
6. September 30, 2031
7. July 31, 2034
8. January 31, 2037

Moreover, the 19-year Metonic cycle assures us that seven of 19 years will also feature a seasonal Blue Moon – third of four full moons to occur in one season. Season is defined as the time period between a solstice and an equinox – or vice versa. The last Blue Moon by the seasonal definition happened on May 21, 2016. The next seven seasonal Blue Moons in the 19-year Metonic cycle:

1. May 18, 2019
2. August 22, 2021
3. August 19, 2024
4. May 20, 2027
5. August 24, 2029
6. August 21, 2032
7. May 22, 2035

In short, we have a monthly Blue Moon whenever we have 13 full moons in one calendar year, and a seasonal Blue Moon whenever we have 13 full moons in between successive December solstices.

This year, 2018, we have two Blue Moons because there are 13 full moons – plus a February with no full moon. In rare instances, it’s possible for a year with only 12 full moons to have one Blue Moon – if February has no full moon at all (example: 2067).

Phases of the moon: 2001 to 2100 (Universal Time)

Solstices and Equinoxes: 2001 to 2100 (Universal Time)

Bottom line: The second of two January 2018 full moons falls today, on January 31, 2018. By popular acclaim, the second full moon to occur in a single calendar month is known as a Blue Moon. Thanks to what is called the Metonic cycle, 19 years from now, in 2037, we’ll again have Blue Moons in January and March.

Donate: Your support means the world to us

Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2DZjk9X

Tides, and the pull of the moon and sun

This beautiful image is from EarthSky Facebook friend John Lloyd Griffith

In most places, but not everywhere, there are two high tides and two low tides a day. The difference in height between high and low tides varies, as the moon waxes and wanes from new to full and back to new again. The moon and sun are primarily responsible for the rising and falling of ocean tides, but, for any particular spot on Earth’s surface, the height of the tides and their fluctuation in time also depends on the shape of your specific beach, the angle of the seabed leading up to your beach, plus your larger coastline and the prevailing ocean currents and winds. Following the January 31, 2018, supermoon, you can expect higher-than-usual tides. Click the links below to learn more.

Some background. What are spring tides?

Why does a supermoon cause more extreme tides?

What part does the sun play, in early 2018?

What are neap tides?

Why are there two high tides and two low tides each day?

Around each new moon and full moon – when the sun, Earth, and moon are located more or less on a line in space – the range between high and low tides is greatest. These are the spring tides. Image via physicalgeography.net.

Some background. What are spring tides? Around each new moon and full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon arrange themselves more or less along a line in space. Then the pull on the tides increases, because the gravity of the sun reinforces the moon’s gravity. In fact, the height of the average solar tide is about 50% the average lunar tide.

Thus, at new moon or full moon, the tide’s range is at its maximum. This is the spring tide: the highest (and lowest) tide. Spring tides are not named for the season. This is spring in the sense of jump, burst forth, rise.

So spring tides bring the most extreme high and low tides every month, and they always happen – every month – around full and new moon.

First full moon of 2018 – and closest supermoon of 2018 – was January 1-2. Here it is – at 99.9% illumination – as captured from Karachi, Pakistan, by Talha Zia.

Why does a supermoon cause more extreme tides? When the new moon or full moon closely aligns with perigee – closest point to Earth in the moon’s orbit – then we have a supermoon and extra-large spring tides. Some call these perigean spring tides. But since, in recent years, these close new or full moons have come to be called supermoons, it’s also likely some are already calling them supermoon tides, and we’ve also heard the term king tides.

In 2018, the January 1-2 full moon closely aligned with perigee to bring forth especially high tides. As it happened, on the day after the January 1-2 supermoon, Storm Eleanor hit Europe with winds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h). The wind and extra-high tides caused flooding, hampered travel, injured and killed people, left tens of thousands of homes without power across the UK, Ireland and other parts of Europe. No doubt the extra-high tides contributed to the severity of the storm. Read more: High tides and winter storms

Why are the tides at their strongest around supermoons? It’s simply because the moon is at its closest to Earth, and thus the Earth’s oceans are feeling the pull of the moon’s gravity most powerfully.

Should you expect these extra-high tides on the day of the supermoon itself? Probably not. The highest tides tend to follow the supermoon by a day or two.

Do the most extreme high tides – high tides bringing floods – always occur at supermoons? Not necessarily. It’s when a spring tide coincides with a time of heavy winds and rain – flooding due to a weather extreme – that the most extreme flooding occurs.

Read more: 2018’s largest supermoon on January 1-2

Gary Peltz in Seattle, Washington, caught these beautiful sunset reflections and the nearly full moon on December 31, 2017.

What part does the sun play, in early 2018? Not only the moon, but also the sun plays a role in Earth’s tides. You might see that – when Earth is closest to the sun, as it is every early January – the pull on Earth’s tides by the sun is strongest. We reach Earth’s closest point to the sun for 2018 on January 3 at 5:35 UTC; translate to your time zone. Astronomers call this special point in our orbit perihelion, from the Greek roots peri meaning near and helios meaning sun.

The closer-than-usual sun and closer-than-usual full moon will almost surely increase the high of high tides in the first few days of January, 2018.

Around each first quarter moon and last quarter moon – when the sun and moon are at a right angle to Earth – the range between high and low tides is least. These are the neap tides. Image via physicalgeography.net.

What are neap tides? There’s about a seven-day interval between spring tides and neap tides, when the tide’s range is at its minimum. Neap tides occur halfway between each new and full moon – at the first quarter and last quarter moon phase – when the sun and moon are at right angles as seen from Earth. Then the sun’s gravity is working against the gravity of the moon, as the moon pulls on the sea. Neap tides happen approximately twice a month, once around first quarter moon and once around last quarter moon.

Earth has two tidal bulges, one on the side of Earth nearest the moon (where the moon’s gravity pulls hardest), and the other on the side of Earth farthest from the moon (where the moon’s gravity pulls least).

Why are there two high tides and two low tides each day? If the moon is primarily responsible for the tides, why are there two high tides and two low tides each day in most places, for example, the U.S. eastern seaboard? It seems as if there should just be one. If you picture the part of Earth closest to the moon, it’s easy to see that the ocean is drawn toward the moon. That’s because gravity depends in part on how close two objects are.

But then why – on the opposite side of Earth – is there another tidal bulge, in the direction opposite the moon? It seems counterintuitive, until you realize that this second bulge happens at the part of Earth where the moon’s gravity is pulling the least.

Looking for a tide almanac? EarthSky recommends …

Earth spins once every 24 hours. So a given location on Earth will pass “through” both bulges of water each day. Of course, the bulges don’t stay fixed in time. They move at the slow rate of about 13.1 degrees per day – the same rate as the monthly motion of the moon relative to the stars. Other factors, including the shape of coastlines, etc., also influence the time of the tides, which is why people who live near coastlines like to have a good tide almanac.

Bottom line: The sun, the moon, the shape of a beach and larger coastline, the angle of a seabed leading up to land, and the prevailing ocean currents and winds all affect the height of the tides. Expect higher-than-usual tides for a few days following the January 31, 2018, full supermoon.

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This beautiful image is from EarthSky Facebook friend John Lloyd Griffith

In most places, but not everywhere, there are two high tides and two low tides a day. The difference in height between high and low tides varies, as the moon waxes and wanes from new to full and back to new again. The moon and sun are primarily responsible for the rising and falling of ocean tides, but, for any particular spot on Earth’s surface, the height of the tides and their fluctuation in time also depends on the shape of your specific beach, the angle of the seabed leading up to your beach, plus your larger coastline and the prevailing ocean currents and winds. Following the January 31, 2018, supermoon, you can expect higher-than-usual tides. Click the links below to learn more.

Some background. What are spring tides?

Why does a supermoon cause more extreme tides?

What part does the sun play, in early 2018?

What are neap tides?

Why are there two high tides and two low tides each day?

Around each new moon and full moon – when the sun, Earth, and moon are located more or less on a line in space – the range between high and low tides is greatest. These are the spring tides. Image via physicalgeography.net.

Some background. What are spring tides? Around each new moon and full moon, the sun, Earth, and moon arrange themselves more or less along a line in space. Then the pull on the tides increases, because the gravity of the sun reinforces the moon’s gravity. In fact, the height of the average solar tide is about 50% the average lunar tide.

Thus, at new moon or full moon, the tide’s range is at its maximum. This is the spring tide: the highest (and lowest) tide. Spring tides are not named for the season. This is spring in the sense of jump, burst forth, rise.

So spring tides bring the most extreme high and low tides every month, and they always happen – every month – around full and new moon.

First full moon of 2018 – and closest supermoon of 2018 – was January 1-2. Here it is – at 99.9% illumination – as captured from Karachi, Pakistan, by Talha Zia.

Why does a supermoon cause more extreme tides? When the new moon or full moon closely aligns with perigee – closest point to Earth in the moon’s orbit – then we have a supermoon and extra-large spring tides. Some call these perigean spring tides. But since, in recent years, these close new or full moons have come to be called supermoons, it’s also likely some are already calling them supermoon tides, and we’ve also heard the term king tides.

In 2018, the January 1-2 full moon closely aligned with perigee to bring forth especially high tides. As it happened, on the day after the January 1-2 supermoon, Storm Eleanor hit Europe with winds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h). The wind and extra-high tides caused flooding, hampered travel, injured and killed people, left tens of thousands of homes without power across the UK, Ireland and other parts of Europe. No doubt the extra-high tides contributed to the severity of the storm. Read more: High tides and winter storms

Why are the tides at their strongest around supermoons? It’s simply because the moon is at its closest to Earth, and thus the Earth’s oceans are feeling the pull of the moon’s gravity most powerfully.

Should you expect these extra-high tides on the day of the supermoon itself? Probably not. The highest tides tend to follow the supermoon by a day or two.

Do the most extreme high tides – high tides bringing floods – always occur at supermoons? Not necessarily. It’s when a spring tide coincides with a time of heavy winds and rain – flooding due to a weather extreme – that the most extreme flooding occurs.

Read more: 2018’s largest supermoon on January 1-2

Gary Peltz in Seattle, Washington, caught these beautiful sunset reflections and the nearly full moon on December 31, 2017.

What part does the sun play, in early 2018? Not only the moon, but also the sun plays a role in Earth’s tides. You might see that – when Earth is closest to the sun, as it is every early January – the pull on Earth’s tides by the sun is strongest. We reach Earth’s closest point to the sun for 2018 on January 3 at 5:35 UTC; translate to your time zone. Astronomers call this special point in our orbit perihelion, from the Greek roots peri meaning near and helios meaning sun.

The closer-than-usual sun and closer-than-usual full moon will almost surely increase the high of high tides in the first few days of January, 2018.

Around each first quarter moon and last quarter moon – when the sun and moon are at a right angle to Earth – the range between high and low tides is least. These are the neap tides. Image via physicalgeography.net.

What are neap tides? There’s about a seven-day interval between spring tides and neap tides, when the tide’s range is at its minimum. Neap tides occur halfway between each new and full moon – at the first quarter and last quarter moon phase – when the sun and moon are at right angles as seen from Earth. Then the sun’s gravity is working against the gravity of the moon, as the moon pulls on the sea. Neap tides happen approximately twice a month, once around first quarter moon and once around last quarter moon.

Earth has two tidal bulges, one on the side of Earth nearest the moon (where the moon’s gravity pulls hardest), and the other on the side of Earth farthest from the moon (where the moon’s gravity pulls least).

Why are there two high tides and two low tides each day? If the moon is primarily responsible for the tides, why are there two high tides and two low tides each day in most places, for example, the U.S. eastern seaboard? It seems as if there should just be one. If you picture the part of Earth closest to the moon, it’s easy to see that the ocean is drawn toward the moon. That’s because gravity depends in part on how close two objects are.

But then why – on the opposite side of Earth – is there another tidal bulge, in the direction opposite the moon? It seems counterintuitive, until you realize that this second bulge happens at the part of Earth where the moon’s gravity is pulling the least.

Looking for a tide almanac? EarthSky recommends …

Earth spins once every 24 hours. So a given location on Earth will pass “through” both bulges of water each day. Of course, the bulges don’t stay fixed in time. They move at the slow rate of about 13.1 degrees per day – the same rate as the monthly motion of the moon relative to the stars. Other factors, including the shape of coastlines, etc., also influence the time of the tides, which is why people who live near coastlines like to have a good tide almanac.

Bottom line: The sun, the moon, the shape of a beach and larger coastline, the angle of a seabed leading up to land, and the prevailing ocean currents and winds all affect the height of the tides. Expect higher-than-usual tides for a few days following the January 31, 2018, full supermoon.

Enjoying EarthSky? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

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Today in science: Launch of Explorer 1

William Picketing, James Van Allen, and German scientist Wernher von Braun (from L to R) hold a model of the first American satellite Explorer 1. This was was taken after the successful launch of the satellite on January 31, 1958 by a ‘Jupiter C’ rocket at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Image via NASA Explorer 1 Gallery.

January 31, 1958. This is the 60th anniversary of the launch of Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite. It marks the first step into space by the United States. NASA is supporting events in Florida, California, and Washington, D.C., to mark the 60th anniversary of the launch.

Click for more about NASA events celebrating 60 years in space.

Explorer 1 was tiny. It weighed just 30 pounds ( 14 kilograms) and was just under 7 feet long (203 cm). It took 114.8 minutes to complete one orbit of Earth, and therefore completed 12.54 orbits a day. Explorer 1 was also the first satellite to carry a scientific experiment: a cosmic ray detector designed to take measurements of radiation in the space near Earth. Explorer 1’s data led to Van Allen’s hypothesis, later confirmed to be true, of the Van Allen radiation belts.

Russia had launched Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957. Explorer 1 was launched in quick response by the U.S. It was designed and built in under three months at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) by William Hayward Pickering. Pickering was JPL’s director for 22 years until his retirement in 1976. He and his group built and operated the satellite.

Its impact was enormous and helped spur on what was to become an all-out space race.

A new NASA website is available to provide the public with historical information about Explorer 1. The site contains archival imagery and an interactive timeline of American space science firsts:

https://go.nasa.gov/Explorer1

High-resolution imagery and interviews related to the Explorer 1 launch and America’s six decades of space science missions are available for download at:

https://explorer1.jpl.nasa.gov/media

Through the combined efforts of JPL and the Army Ballistic Missile Ballistic Agency, Explorer 1 launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 31, 1958. There was a nail-biting wait before tracking stations confirmed that Explorer 1 had gone successfully into orbit around Earth. With the launch of Explorer 1, the United States officially entered the space age. Image and caption via NASA.

Explorer 1 was launched with a Jupiter C rocket provided by the U.S Army Ballistic Missile Agency under the guidance of renowned rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. He worked for the Nazis during World War II, but afterwards began working for the United States. He also worked on the Apollo program by designing Saturn V, the gargantuan rocket that ultimately sent people to the moon.

The science experiment on the rocket was a cosmic ray detector, built by James Van Allen from the University of Iowa. The detector measured levels of radiation much lower than predicted. In response, Van Allen speculated that the detector was malfunctioning because of very strong radiation from charged particles trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field. This idea has been considered a long time ago by other scientists such as Kristian Birkeland and Carl Stoermer.

Another satellite, Explorer 3, sent up only two months later (after Explorer 2 failed), brought back tapes with more evidence to support Van Allen’s speculation. Explorer 4 and other probes were subsequently launched with the sole purpose of mapping what is now called the Van Allen radiation belts. In 1958, two main radiation belts were discovered. A third radiation belt was discovered by the Van Allen Probes in late 2012.

We now know that radiation belts are quite common: other planets in our solar system, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus for example, also have radiation belts similar to Earth’s. Generally speaking, space radiation poses a risk both to astronauts and to spacecraft.

Click to hear from NASA why space radiation won’t stop human space exploration.

Van Allen radiation belts via NASA.

Explorer 1 orbited Earth for some months. It sent back its last data on May 23, 1958 and was cremated by Earth’s atmosphere on March 31, 1970. It made over 58,000 orbits of Earth in its lifetime.

Bottom line: The U.S. launched Explorer 1 on January 31, 1958. It was the first U.S. step into space and helped fuel the space race with Russia. It also led to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts, bands of charged particles trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2kc84NZ

William Picketing, James Van Allen, and German scientist Wernher von Braun (from L to R) hold a model of the first American satellite Explorer 1. This was was taken after the successful launch of the satellite on January 31, 1958 by a ‘Jupiter C’ rocket at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Image via NASA Explorer 1 Gallery.

January 31, 1958. This is the 60th anniversary of the launch of Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite. It marks the first step into space by the United States. NASA is supporting events in Florida, California, and Washington, D.C., to mark the 60th anniversary of the launch.

Click for more about NASA events celebrating 60 years in space.

Explorer 1 was tiny. It weighed just 30 pounds ( 14 kilograms) and was just under 7 feet long (203 cm). It took 114.8 minutes to complete one orbit of Earth, and therefore completed 12.54 orbits a day. Explorer 1 was also the first satellite to carry a scientific experiment: a cosmic ray detector designed to take measurements of radiation in the space near Earth. Explorer 1’s data led to Van Allen’s hypothesis, later confirmed to be true, of the Van Allen radiation belts.

Russia had launched Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957. Explorer 1 was launched in quick response by the U.S. It was designed and built in under three months at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) by William Hayward Pickering. Pickering was JPL’s director for 22 years until his retirement in 1976. He and his group built and operated the satellite.

Its impact was enormous and helped spur on what was to become an all-out space race.

A new NASA website is available to provide the public with historical information about Explorer 1. The site contains archival imagery and an interactive timeline of American space science firsts:

https://go.nasa.gov/Explorer1

High-resolution imagery and interviews related to the Explorer 1 launch and America’s six decades of space science missions are available for download at:

https://explorer1.jpl.nasa.gov/media

Through the combined efforts of JPL and the Army Ballistic Missile Ballistic Agency, Explorer 1 launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 31, 1958. There was a nail-biting wait before tracking stations confirmed that Explorer 1 had gone successfully into orbit around Earth. With the launch of Explorer 1, the United States officially entered the space age. Image and caption via NASA.

Explorer 1 was launched with a Jupiter C rocket provided by the U.S Army Ballistic Missile Agency under the guidance of renowned rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. He worked for the Nazis during World War II, but afterwards began working for the United States. He also worked on the Apollo program by designing Saturn V, the gargantuan rocket that ultimately sent people to the moon.

The science experiment on the rocket was a cosmic ray detector, built by James Van Allen from the University of Iowa. The detector measured levels of radiation much lower than predicted. In response, Van Allen speculated that the detector was malfunctioning because of very strong radiation from charged particles trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field. This idea has been considered a long time ago by other scientists such as Kristian Birkeland and Carl Stoermer.

Another satellite, Explorer 3, sent up only two months later (after Explorer 2 failed), brought back tapes with more evidence to support Van Allen’s speculation. Explorer 4 and other probes were subsequently launched with the sole purpose of mapping what is now called the Van Allen radiation belts. In 1958, two main radiation belts were discovered. A third radiation belt was discovered by the Van Allen Probes in late 2012.

We now know that radiation belts are quite common: other planets in our solar system, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus for example, also have radiation belts similar to Earth’s. Generally speaking, space radiation poses a risk both to astronauts and to spacecraft.

Click to hear from NASA why space radiation won’t stop human space exploration.

Van Allen radiation belts via NASA.

Explorer 1 orbited Earth for some months. It sent back its last data on May 23, 1958 and was cremated by Earth’s atmosphere on March 31, 1970. It made over 58,000 orbits of Earth in its lifetime.

Bottom line: The U.S. launched Explorer 1 on January 31, 1958. It was the first U.S. step into space and helped fuel the space race with Russia. It also led to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts, bands of charged particles trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field.

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Why space radiation won’t stop human space exploration

Space radiation effects – from solar storms and, even more importantly, from galactic cosmic rays – are known to be harmful to astronauts exploring beyond Earth’s protective magnetic field. The most important potential negative health effect is cancer, but there’s also evidence for cataracts and damage to the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, from space radiation. NASA has been exploring potential physical, biological and operational countermeasures. The short video above – released by NASA on October 12, 2017 – talks specifically about space radiation and the journey to Mars. Pat Troutman, NASA Human Exploration Strategic Analysis Lead, commented in the video above:

Some people think that radiation will keep NASA from sending people to Mars, but that’s not the current situation. When we add the various mitigation techniques up, we are optimistic it will lead to a successful Mars mission with a healthy crew that will live a very long and productive life after they return to Earth.

If you want more about NASA’s current understanding of space radiation as it relates to the human exploration of space, watch the 1-hour video below. It’s a recorded talk from October 9, 2017 by Jack Miller of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California. Miller has a Ph.D. in experimental relativistic heavy ion physics from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Bevalac. His research interests have included: interactions of galactic cosmic radiation and solar particles in matter and biological organisms, with applications to mitigation of radiation effects on humans in space; experimental tests of nuclear fragmentation and transport models; development of spacecraft and habitat radiation shielding; and development of radiation instrumentation for use in human space flight. The talk is called Space Radiation and its Impact on Human Exploration of the Solar System. You’ll find an extended bio for Jack Miller here.

Read more:

Why space radiation matters This is an overview from NASA of the various types of space radiation.

Why Aren’t The Van Allen Belts A Barrier To Spaceflight? June 16, 2017 article in Forbes from Jillian Scudder, a physics and astronomy professor at Oberlin College (@Jillian_Scudder on Twitter). She speaks specifically to naysayer websites that the ‘truth’ of the space shuttle, the flight to the moon and other missions, claiming they would be impossible because of the Van Allen radiation belts.

How NASA Got Apollo Astronauts Through the Dangerous Van Allen Belts. Article in Popular Mechanics from January 9, 2017.

Artist’s concept – human space exploration – via the 15th IAA Humans in Space Symposium.

Bottom line: Space radiation is a challenge to human space exploration, and many experts are working on solutions and countermeasures.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2ErgHOO

Space radiation effects – from solar storms and, even more importantly, from galactic cosmic rays – are known to be harmful to astronauts exploring beyond Earth’s protective magnetic field. The most important potential negative health effect is cancer, but there’s also evidence for cataracts and damage to the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, from space radiation. NASA has been exploring potential physical, biological and operational countermeasures. The short video above – released by NASA on October 12, 2017 – talks specifically about space radiation and the journey to Mars. Pat Troutman, NASA Human Exploration Strategic Analysis Lead, commented in the video above:

Some people think that radiation will keep NASA from sending people to Mars, but that’s not the current situation. When we add the various mitigation techniques up, we are optimistic it will lead to a successful Mars mission with a healthy crew that will live a very long and productive life after they return to Earth.

If you want more about NASA’s current understanding of space radiation as it relates to the human exploration of space, watch the 1-hour video below. It’s a recorded talk from October 9, 2017 by Jack Miller of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California. Miller has a Ph.D. in experimental relativistic heavy ion physics from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Bevalac. His research interests have included: interactions of galactic cosmic radiation and solar particles in matter and biological organisms, with applications to mitigation of radiation effects on humans in space; experimental tests of nuclear fragmentation and transport models; development of spacecraft and habitat radiation shielding; and development of radiation instrumentation for use in human space flight. The talk is called Space Radiation and its Impact on Human Exploration of the Solar System. You’ll find an extended bio for Jack Miller here.

Read more:

Why space radiation matters This is an overview from NASA of the various types of space radiation.

Why Aren’t The Van Allen Belts A Barrier To Spaceflight? June 16, 2017 article in Forbes from Jillian Scudder, a physics and astronomy professor at Oberlin College (@Jillian_Scudder on Twitter). She speaks specifically to naysayer websites that the ‘truth’ of the space shuttle, the flight to the moon and other missions, claiming they would be impossible because of the Van Allen radiation belts.

How NASA Got Apollo Astronauts Through the Dangerous Van Allen Belts. Article in Popular Mechanics from January 9, 2017.

Artist’s concept – human space exploration – via the 15th IAA Humans in Space Symposium.

Bottom line: Space radiation is a challenge to human space exploration, and many experts are working on solutions and countermeasures.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2ErgHOO

DoD Studying Implications of Wearable Devices Giving Too Much Info

The Defense Department is urging service members and DoD civilians with wearable electronic devices to use the strictest privacy setting after maps associated with certain trackers were revealed to show military bases and may be used to target individuals. 

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The Defense Department is urging service members and DoD civilians with wearable electronic devices to use the strictest privacy setting after maps associated with certain trackers were revealed to show military bases and may be used to target individuals. 

from http://ift.tt/2DN9L1n

Headlines saying ‘vaping might cause cancer’ are wildly misleading

E-cigarettes are in the news again. This time with headlines that they may cause cancer.

But the study that the stories are based on, published in the journal PNAS, doesn’t show this.

What did the study do?

Researchers from New York University School of Medicine looked at how e-cigarette vapour affected the DNA of mice, and human cells in a dish.

They didn’t look at how it affected people. And they didn’t directly compare it to smoking.

The researchers focused on how components of e-cig vapour damage cells’ DNA. And DNA damage increases the risk of cancer.

But they didn’t look directly at whether e-cigs caused cancer, either in mice or in people.

What did the study show?

They found that e-cig vapour raised levels of DNA damage in the lungs, bladders and hearts of mice.

Read more: 10 common questions about e-cigarettes answered

They also found that the molecular machinery cells use to repair this DNA damage was less effective in the lungs of mice exposed to e-cig vapour.

Then they looked at how nicotine, the chemical that e-cigs vaporise, affects human lung and bladder cells grown in a lab dish. Nicotine is what makes cigarettes addictive, but isn’t what causes the damage from smoking. Both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes contain nicotine, but e-cigs have much lower levels of the harmful components of tobacco smoke.

The researchers found that nicotine damages the DNA inside those lab-grown human lung and bladder cells. And they found that these cells were less able to repair this damage. These cells were then more susceptible to further genetic faults that could give them properties like those of cancer cells.

What do the results mean?

The researchers described their results with an interesting line:

“It is therefore possible that e-cigarette smoke may contribute to lung and bladder cancer, as well as heart disease, in humans.”

While this is technically possible, the study didn’t look at humans, and so didn’t show any effect on the health of humans.

Different e-cigs devices deliver different amounts of vapour, and people use them in different ways. So the levels of e-cig vapour and nicotine used in the study might not match the levels that people are exposed to through normal use.

And other research didn’t show a link between nicotine products and cancer.

Finally and crucially, the study didn’t compare vaping to tobacco smoke.

What now?

The evidence so far shows that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking.

And for some people they’re a helpful aide to stop smoking.

Up to two-thirds of long term smokers will die because of their addiction. E-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, which is the biggest cause of preventable death worldwide.

Find out more about e-cigarettes

E-cigs are a relatively new technology and so we can’t be certain about any long-term effects the devices might cause to health – they haven’t been around long enough for this to be completely worked out. But compared to smoking, the evidence so far shows they are less harmful.

Studies like this are important for building up the evidence around vaping, and how e-cig vapour might damage cells in controlled conditions. It’s a small piece in the puzzle, and must be viewed alongside other studies. Large, long-term studies are also needed to definitively answer health questions, because those conclusions can’t be made from lab-grown cells and mice alone.

The popularity of e-cigs continues to grow, but figures show that most people using these devices are now ex-smokers, and people mainly use them to quit smoking or cut down.

So conclusions around the health effects of vaping must be viewed alongside the damage that smoking has wreaked for decades. Only then can smokers make a call that could have a big impact on their health.

Michael

If you want to quit smoking you can find support to help you here, and find out about your local Stop Smoking Services here.

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog http://ift.tt/2rXG48r

E-cigarettes are in the news again. This time with headlines that they may cause cancer.

But the study that the stories are based on, published in the journal PNAS, doesn’t show this.

What did the study do?

Researchers from New York University School of Medicine looked at how e-cigarette vapour affected the DNA of mice, and human cells in a dish.

They didn’t look at how it affected people. And they didn’t directly compare it to smoking.

The researchers focused on how components of e-cig vapour damage cells’ DNA. And DNA damage increases the risk of cancer.

But they didn’t look directly at whether e-cigs caused cancer, either in mice or in people.

What did the study show?

They found that e-cig vapour raised levels of DNA damage in the lungs, bladders and hearts of mice.

Read more: 10 common questions about e-cigarettes answered

They also found that the molecular machinery cells use to repair this DNA damage was less effective in the lungs of mice exposed to e-cig vapour.

Then they looked at how nicotine, the chemical that e-cigs vaporise, affects human lung and bladder cells grown in a lab dish. Nicotine is what makes cigarettes addictive, but isn’t what causes the damage from smoking. Both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes contain nicotine, but e-cigs have much lower levels of the harmful components of tobacco smoke.

The researchers found that nicotine damages the DNA inside those lab-grown human lung and bladder cells. And they found that these cells were less able to repair this damage. These cells were then more susceptible to further genetic faults that could give them properties like those of cancer cells.

What do the results mean?

The researchers described their results with an interesting line:

“It is therefore possible that e-cigarette smoke may contribute to lung and bladder cancer, as well as heart disease, in humans.”

While this is technically possible, the study didn’t look at humans, and so didn’t show any effect on the health of humans.

Different e-cigs devices deliver different amounts of vapour, and people use them in different ways. So the levels of e-cig vapour and nicotine used in the study might not match the levels that people are exposed to through normal use.

And other research didn’t show a link between nicotine products and cancer.

Finally and crucially, the study didn’t compare vaping to tobacco smoke.

What now?

The evidence so far shows that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking.

And for some people they’re a helpful aide to stop smoking.

Up to two-thirds of long term smokers will die because of their addiction. E-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, which is the biggest cause of preventable death worldwide.

Find out more about e-cigarettes

E-cigs are a relatively new technology and so we can’t be certain about any long-term effects the devices might cause to health – they haven’t been around long enough for this to be completely worked out. But compared to smoking, the evidence so far shows they are less harmful.

Studies like this are important for building up the evidence around vaping, and how e-cig vapour might damage cells in controlled conditions. It’s a small piece in the puzzle, and must be viewed alongside other studies. Large, long-term studies are also needed to definitively answer health questions, because those conclusions can’t be made from lab-grown cells and mice alone.

The popularity of e-cigs continues to grow, but figures show that most people using these devices are now ex-smokers, and people mainly use them to quit smoking or cut down.

So conclusions around the health effects of vaping must be viewed alongside the damage that smoking has wreaked for decades. Only then can smokers make a call that could have a big impact on their health.

Michael

If you want to quit smoking you can find support to help you here, and find out about your local Stop Smoking Services here.

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog http://ift.tt/2rXG48r