News digest – transforming clinical trials, AI and brain surgery, vaping and breast cancer genetics

Transforming clinical trials to help speed up drug development

Testing a new drug typically involves a series of clinical trials that measure the safety and effectiveness of an experimental treatment. But our experts are calling for changes to this traditional set up to allow trials to answer multiple questions at once, for example testing a single drug for multiple cancer types at the same time. The Independent and our press release have the story.

Speeding up brain tumour diagnosis using AI

Combining artificial intelligence with new imaging techniques could make brain tumour diagnosis faster and more accurate. Right now, surgeons wait to receive information from tissue samples analysed in a lab while the patient remains in surgery. But with the assistance of AI and new imaging techniques, the wait could be reduced from half an hour to a matter of minutes. This new approach could help to guide surgery and influence future treatment decisions. Read more in The New York Times.

Potential negative effects of taking supplements during breast cancer treatment revealed

New clinical trial results have found that taking antioxidants or some vitamins during treatment could increase the risk of breast cancer returning. While these results add to the mounting evidence that taking supplements has no effect in treating cancer, the trial had several limitations, the main one being the small number of patients taking each individual supplement. Forbes has the story and you can find more info about complementary therapies on our website.

Vapers who also smoke may be at greater risk of stroke

New research investigating the combined effects of smoking tobacco and vaping on the risk of having a stroke has been covered by the Mail Online. The study found that smokers who use both tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes are at a greater risk of stroke than both those who don’t smoke and those who only smoke cigarettes. But while the study considered smoking status, it didn’t look at the number of cigarettes smoked each day over a lifetime, or how healthy the volunteers were before they took up vaping. You can read more about e-cigarettes on our website.

Kinder chemotherapy is ‘just as effective’ for testicular cancer

Scientists are looking at “shorter, kinder and cheaper” chemotherapy to treat testicular cancer.  A new study involving 246 patients found that a single cycle of chemo was just as successful as the usual 2 cycles. And it could improve quality of life. Read more at BBC News.

Supermarkets remove cartoon characters from cereal boxes

Lidl and Asda will remove cartoon characters from the front of their own-brand cereal boxes, reports The Guardian and Metro. The change comes after almost 3 in 4 parents said their children influenced their decisions about what food to buy, half of whom believe that packaging has a part to play. We’ve blogged before about the tactics ad execs use to make junk food more appealing to children.

Immune cell discovery opens up new treatment possibilities

Immune cells traditionally thought to have a regulatory or supportive role cancer can acquire cancer-killing abilities after immunotherapy. And our scientists have discovered how this could happen in mice. In the latest study, researchers uncovered 2 key molecules that initiate this vital tumour-killing process. The breakthrough could open the door to new immunotherapy treatments that target these molecules and boost immune cell activity, reports the Mail Online.

Host of new DNA errors linked to breast cancer

Scientists have revealed 352 DNA errors that could increase the chance of developing breast cancer, only a fifth of which had previously been linked to the disease. The study, which involved 200,000 people of European ancestry and was covered by the Mail Online, gives scientists the opportunity to learn more about how breast cancer develops. Some headlines were quick to talk about saliva or blood tests, but there’s still a lot to learn about how these DNA errors actually influence breast cancer risk.

Cancer treatment delays in Northern Ireland revealed

New figures from Northern Ireland reveal just how many cancer patients aren’t starting treatment within the waiting time target. According to Government targets, 95% of patients with an urgent referral should begin treatment within 62 days, but less than half of the 390 cancer patients who began treatment in September 2019 started within this time frame. BBC News has this one.

New study adds to talcum powder debate

The largest ever study to investigate if talcum powder causes ovarian cancer has concluded there’s no evidence that talcum powder is dangerous when used as a feminine hygiene product. The results, picked up by the Telegraph, come after a number of smaller studies have pointed towards a link between ovarian cancer and talc use.

Pressures faced by NHS could jeopardise medical breakthroughs

Pressures facing the NHS are preventing medical advances, according to the Academy of Medical Sciences. BBC News covered the report, which revealed that the number of doctors conducting research has fallen and budgets have stalled. The Academy concluded that while the NHS faces pressure on the frontline, research must remain a top priority.

NHS research is vital if the UK is to improve cancer survival rates to match comparable countries. But #NHS staff don't have enough time.

While extra funding is welcome, today's news is more evidence that relieving pressure on staff must be a priority: https://t.co/f21sX1tSNt https://t.co/lLsW74IvaG

— CRUK Policy (@CRUK_Policy) January 8, 2020

New combination treatment for lung cancer rejected by NICE

Combining an immunotherapy drug with standard chemotherapy to treat small cell lung cancer has been rejected on the NHS in England. The treatment combo has been shown to improve survival, but the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) had concerns over the long-term benefits of the drug. Read our news report for more.

And finally…

Experts are calling for the NHS to rollout CT scans for individuals who are at risk of lung cancer because of smoking or family history, saying it could save 5,000 lives a year. The Guardian has the story and you can find out more about NHS Lung Health Checks on our website.

Lilly

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/30bcj13

Transforming clinical trials to help speed up drug development

Testing a new drug typically involves a series of clinical trials that measure the safety and effectiveness of an experimental treatment. But our experts are calling for changes to this traditional set up to allow trials to answer multiple questions at once, for example testing a single drug for multiple cancer types at the same time. The Independent and our press release have the story.

Speeding up brain tumour diagnosis using AI

Combining artificial intelligence with new imaging techniques could make brain tumour diagnosis faster and more accurate. Right now, surgeons wait to receive information from tissue samples analysed in a lab while the patient remains in surgery. But with the assistance of AI and new imaging techniques, the wait could be reduced from half an hour to a matter of minutes. This new approach could help to guide surgery and influence future treatment decisions. Read more in The New York Times.

Potential negative effects of taking supplements during breast cancer treatment revealed

New clinical trial results have found that taking antioxidants or some vitamins during treatment could increase the risk of breast cancer returning. While these results add to the mounting evidence that taking supplements has no effect in treating cancer, the trial had several limitations, the main one being the small number of patients taking each individual supplement. Forbes has the story and you can find more info about complementary therapies on our website.

Vapers who also smoke may be at greater risk of stroke

New research investigating the combined effects of smoking tobacco and vaping on the risk of having a stroke has been covered by the Mail Online. The study found that smokers who use both tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes are at a greater risk of stroke than both those who don’t smoke and those who only smoke cigarettes. But while the study considered smoking status, it didn’t look at the number of cigarettes smoked each day over a lifetime, or how healthy the volunteers were before they took up vaping. You can read more about e-cigarettes on our website.

Kinder chemotherapy is ‘just as effective’ for testicular cancer

Scientists are looking at “shorter, kinder and cheaper” chemotherapy to treat testicular cancer.  A new study involving 246 patients found that a single cycle of chemo was just as successful as the usual 2 cycles. And it could improve quality of life. Read more at BBC News.

Supermarkets remove cartoon characters from cereal boxes

Lidl and Asda will remove cartoon characters from the front of their own-brand cereal boxes, reports The Guardian and Metro. The change comes after almost 3 in 4 parents said their children influenced their decisions about what food to buy, half of whom believe that packaging has a part to play. We’ve blogged before about the tactics ad execs use to make junk food more appealing to children.

Immune cell discovery opens up new treatment possibilities

Immune cells traditionally thought to have a regulatory or supportive role cancer can acquire cancer-killing abilities after immunotherapy. And our scientists have discovered how this could happen in mice. In the latest study, researchers uncovered 2 key molecules that initiate this vital tumour-killing process. The breakthrough could open the door to new immunotherapy treatments that target these molecules and boost immune cell activity, reports the Mail Online.

Host of new DNA errors linked to breast cancer

Scientists have revealed 352 DNA errors that could increase the chance of developing breast cancer, only a fifth of which had previously been linked to the disease. The study, which involved 200,000 people of European ancestry and was covered by the Mail Online, gives scientists the opportunity to learn more about how breast cancer develops. Some headlines were quick to talk about saliva or blood tests, but there’s still a lot to learn about how these DNA errors actually influence breast cancer risk.

Cancer treatment delays in Northern Ireland revealed

New figures from Northern Ireland reveal just how many cancer patients aren’t starting treatment within the waiting time target. According to Government targets, 95% of patients with an urgent referral should begin treatment within 62 days, but less than half of the 390 cancer patients who began treatment in September 2019 started within this time frame. BBC News has this one.

New study adds to talcum powder debate

The largest ever study to investigate if talcum powder causes ovarian cancer has concluded there’s no evidence that talcum powder is dangerous when used as a feminine hygiene product. The results, picked up by the Telegraph, come after a number of smaller studies have pointed towards a link between ovarian cancer and talc use.

Pressures faced by NHS could jeopardise medical breakthroughs

Pressures facing the NHS are preventing medical advances, according to the Academy of Medical Sciences. BBC News covered the report, which revealed that the number of doctors conducting research has fallen and budgets have stalled. The Academy concluded that while the NHS faces pressure on the frontline, research must remain a top priority.

NHS research is vital if the UK is to improve cancer survival rates to match comparable countries. But #NHS staff don't have enough time.

While extra funding is welcome, today's news is more evidence that relieving pressure on staff must be a priority: https://t.co/f21sX1tSNt https://t.co/lLsW74IvaG

— CRUK Policy (@CRUK_Policy) January 8, 2020

New combination treatment for lung cancer rejected by NICE

Combining an immunotherapy drug with standard chemotherapy to treat small cell lung cancer has been rejected on the NHS in England. The treatment combo has been shown to improve survival, but the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) had concerns over the long-term benefits of the drug. Read our news report for more.

And finally…

Experts are calling for the NHS to rollout CT scans for individuals who are at risk of lung cancer because of smoking or family history, saying it could save 5,000 lives a year. The Guardian has the story and you can find out more about NHS Lung Health Checks on our website.

Lilly

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/30bcj13

Astronomers find 13 wandering black holes in dwarf galaxies

Artist’s conception of a dwarf galaxy, its shape distorted, most likely by a past interaction with another galaxy, and a massive black hole in its outskirts (bright spot, far right). Image via Sophia Dagnello, NRAO/ AUI/ NSF

A team of astronomers have spotted 13 massive black holes in dwarf galaxies less than a billion light-years from Earth. The astronomers announced the discovery at this week’s American Astronomical Society annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

According to the astronomers, these dwarf galaxies, more than 100 times less massive than our own Milky Way, are among the smallest galaxies known to host massive black holes. They expect that the black holes in these smaller galaxies average about 400,000 times the mass of our sun.

The astronomers used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) Observatory to make the discovery. Amy Reines of Montana State University is lead author of the new study, published January 3, 2020 in the Astrophysical Journal. She said in a statement:

The new VLA observations revealed that 13 of these galaxies have strong evidence for a massive black hole that is actively consuming surrounding material. We were very surprised to find that, in roughly half of those 13 galaxies, the black hole is not at the center of the galaxy, unlike the case in larger galaxies.

According to the scientists, this suggests that the galaxies likely merged with other galaxies earlier in their history. The theory is consistent with computer simulations predicting that roughly half of the massive black holes in dwarf galaxies will be found wandering in the outskirts of their galaxies. Reines said:

This work has taught us that we must broaden our searches for massive black holes in dwarf galaxies beyond their centers to get a more complete understanding of the population and learn what mechanisms helped form the first massive black holes in the early universe.

Reines added:

We hope that studying them and their galaxies will give us insights into how similar black holes in the early universe formed and then grew, through galactic mergers over billions of years, producing the supermassive black holes we see in larger galaxies today, with masses of many millions or billions of times that of the sun.

Read more about how the astronomers made the discovery

Bottom line: Astronomers discovered 13 massive black holes in dwarf galaxies.

Source: A New Sample of (Wandering) Massive Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies from High-resolution Radio Observations

Via National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/37Urej6

Artist’s conception of a dwarf galaxy, its shape distorted, most likely by a past interaction with another galaxy, and a massive black hole in its outskirts (bright spot, far right). Image via Sophia Dagnello, NRAO/ AUI/ NSF

A team of astronomers have spotted 13 massive black holes in dwarf galaxies less than a billion light-years from Earth. The astronomers announced the discovery at this week’s American Astronomical Society annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

According to the astronomers, these dwarf galaxies, more than 100 times less massive than our own Milky Way, are among the smallest galaxies known to host massive black holes. They expect that the black holes in these smaller galaxies average about 400,000 times the mass of our sun.

The astronomers used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) Observatory to make the discovery. Amy Reines of Montana State University is lead author of the new study, published January 3, 2020 in the Astrophysical Journal. She said in a statement:

The new VLA observations revealed that 13 of these galaxies have strong evidence for a massive black hole that is actively consuming surrounding material. We were very surprised to find that, in roughly half of those 13 galaxies, the black hole is not at the center of the galaxy, unlike the case in larger galaxies.

According to the scientists, this suggests that the galaxies likely merged with other galaxies earlier in their history. The theory is consistent with computer simulations predicting that roughly half of the massive black holes in dwarf galaxies will be found wandering in the outskirts of their galaxies. Reines said:

This work has taught us that we must broaden our searches for massive black holes in dwarf galaxies beyond their centers to get a more complete understanding of the population and learn what mechanisms helped form the first massive black holes in the early universe.

Reines added:

We hope that studying them and their galaxies will give us insights into how similar black holes in the early universe formed and then grew, through galactic mergers over billions of years, producing the supermassive black holes we see in larger galaxies today, with masses of many millions or billions of times that of the sun.

Read more about how the astronomers made the discovery

Bottom line: Astronomers discovered 13 massive black holes in dwarf galaxies.

Source: A New Sample of (Wandering) Massive Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies from High-resolution Radio Observations

Via National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/37Urej6

Pollen sunset over Austin, Texas

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | January 5, 2020 pollen sunset over Austin, Texas, captured by Brian Kuhn.

Brian Kuhn in Austin, Texas captured this sunset image on January 5, 2020 and wrote:

I saw a rainbow halo directly around the sun as I was driving … It was most notable when the sun was hidden behind a tree. This is not your normal 22-degree halo … I assume it is an atmospheric phenomenon … I’ve been unable to find any other pictures or descriptions of this type of halo.

Brian, you’re right it’s not a 22-degree halo. Those sorts of haloes are caused by ice crystals in the air. But you’re right that it’s an atmoshperic phenomenon. It’s a special kind of corona. Coronas around the sun or moon typically happen when there are small water droplets in the air. Sky optics expert Les Cowley of the great website Atmospheric Optics told us:

To have so many rings, the droplets must have been uniformly sized.

But here’s what’s so unusual about this sort of corona, Les said. It’s not formed by water droplets. Instead, it’s the result of grains of pollen drifting in the air. Les said that – to make a corona of this sort – the pollen grains also must be uniform in size. And – since you live in Austin, which is fondly (or not so fondly) called the allergy capital of the world by its citizens, you probably can guess the source yourself. Yep. It’s the abundant drifting pollen of Austin’s dreaded cedar season.

AustinAllergist.com described Austin’s cedar season this way:

While many areas of the country experience an allergy reprieve in the winter, Austin has its worst allergy season December through February thanks to the infamous mountain cedar tree. Oddly, the tree is rarely called by its real name, Ashe juniper. The male mountain cedar tree releases puffs of up to a billion pollen grains that then get carried for miles by the wind. The pollen clouds float around and sometimes resemble yellow smoke.

Thus the streets of Austin, Texas in January are always crowded with people bearing tissues. Some of them probably marveled at this sunset, while cursing its cause. How do I know that? I live here, too! Ker-shoo!

Les later sent this link to pollen coronae: https://www.atoptics.co.uk/fz446.htm

And here’s a 2016 photo of a similar pollen sunset in Austin. The date was January 8, 2016 … exactly the same time of year as Brian’s photo.

Coincidence? I don’t think so. Thanks, Brian!

Bottom line: A corona around an early January 2020 sunset in Austin, Texas, caused by cedar pollen grains.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/39VIR3M

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | January 5, 2020 pollen sunset over Austin, Texas, captured by Brian Kuhn.

Brian Kuhn in Austin, Texas captured this sunset image on January 5, 2020 and wrote:

I saw a rainbow halo directly around the sun as I was driving … It was most notable when the sun was hidden behind a tree. This is not your normal 22-degree halo … I assume it is an atmospheric phenomenon … I’ve been unable to find any other pictures or descriptions of this type of halo.

Brian, you’re right it’s not a 22-degree halo. Those sorts of haloes are caused by ice crystals in the air. But you’re right that it’s an atmoshperic phenomenon. It’s a special kind of corona. Coronas around the sun or moon typically happen when there are small water droplets in the air. Sky optics expert Les Cowley of the great website Atmospheric Optics told us:

To have so many rings, the droplets must have been uniformly sized.

But here’s what’s so unusual about this sort of corona, Les said. It’s not formed by water droplets. Instead, it’s the result of grains of pollen drifting in the air. Les said that – to make a corona of this sort – the pollen grains also must be uniform in size. And – since you live in Austin, which is fondly (or not so fondly) called the allergy capital of the world by its citizens, you probably can guess the source yourself. Yep. It’s the abundant drifting pollen of Austin’s dreaded cedar season.

AustinAllergist.com described Austin’s cedar season this way:

While many areas of the country experience an allergy reprieve in the winter, Austin has its worst allergy season December through February thanks to the infamous mountain cedar tree. Oddly, the tree is rarely called by its real name, Ashe juniper. The male mountain cedar tree releases puffs of up to a billion pollen grains that then get carried for miles by the wind. The pollen clouds float around and sometimes resemble yellow smoke.

Thus the streets of Austin, Texas in January are always crowded with people bearing tissues. Some of them probably marveled at this sunset, while cursing its cause. How do I know that? I live here, too! Ker-shoo!

Les later sent this link to pollen coronae: https://www.atoptics.co.uk/fz446.htm

And here’s a 2016 photo of a similar pollen sunset in Austin. The date was January 8, 2016 … exactly the same time of year as Brian’s photo.

Coincidence? I don’t think so. Thanks, Brian!

Bottom line: A corona around an early January 2020 sunset in Austin, Texas, caused by cedar pollen grains.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/39VIR3M

Yellow alert issued for Mexico’s Popocatépetl volcano

The active volcano Popocatépetl – just 43 miles (70 km) southeast of Mexico City, and visible from there when atmospheric conditions permit – erupted Thursday morning, January 9, 2020, spewing ash high into the air and oozing lava. Popocatépetl is affectionately called El Popo by Mexicans. It’s one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes. Officials have issued a yellow alert in response to the blast, which took place at around 6:30 a.m. local time.

The translation for the AmarilloFase2 (Yellow Alert) explained in the tweet below is as follows:

Preventive actions for the alert level #AmarilloFase2 : Stay tuned for official information. Prepare important documents. Perform drills and know the location of temporary shelters. Develop a family plan for Civil Protection.

Acciones preventivas para el nivel de alerta ? #AmarilloFase2:

? Mantenerse atento a la información oficial.
? Preparar documentos importantes.
? Realizar simulacros y conocer la ubicación de refugios temporales.
? Elaborar un plan familiar de Protección Civil. pic.twitter.com/KUkiHOrnhX

— PC Estatal Puebla (@PC_Estatal) January 9, 2020

Spectacular eruption from one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes, Popocatepetl, Thursday morning. Image via @webcamsdemexico on Twitter.

Officials said the eruption sent up a column of smoke about 2 miles (3 km) into the air, with a moderate ash content.

NOAA’s GOES 16 satellite caught the eruption from space.

SATELLITE SPOTLIGHT: @NOAA's #GOES16 watched as #Mexico's #Popocatépetl #volcano erupted early this morning. The #satellite's #GeoColor band saw the #ash cloud (red circle) but its SO2 composite detected the #SulfurDioxide in the #AshPlume, which shot about 20,000 feet high. pic.twitter.com/9V2bueFOeY

— NOAA Satellites – Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) January 9, 2020

Popocatépetl has low- or medium-level eruptions often, and at times erupts more or less continuously. It has had more than 15 major eruptions since the arrival of the Spanish in 1519, according to Wikipedia.

This morning’s eruption was a beauty, though! In part because of its location so near Mexico City, many cameras are trained on the volcano, and thus the January 9, 2020 eruption has been well documented so far, at this writing mostly on Twitter and YouTube.

Click here for live webcams – trained on Popocatépetl from VolcanoDiscovery.com

#ZonaOriente

Está mañana el volcán Popocatépetl registró un explosión con contenido moderado de ceniza.
El reporte de la Coordinación Nacional de Protección Civil fue a las 6:33 de la mañana cuando se reportó actividad moderada, expulsando una columna de humo de 3 kilómetros. pic.twitter.com/4DuzS2qP1J

— Arturo en la Radio (@Enlaradiofm) January 9, 2020

#Popocatepetl pic.twitter.com/w4DsOvlZIp

— geentolentino (@geentolentino) January 9, 2020

A gorgeous shot of Popocatépetl on January 9, 2020, as the sun rose on its eruption. Image via @nuriapiera on Twitter.

Bottom line: Photos and videos of Popocatépetl volcano, near Mexico City, which erupted on January 9, 2020.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2uyDJSZ

The active volcano Popocatépetl – just 43 miles (70 km) southeast of Mexico City, and visible from there when atmospheric conditions permit – erupted Thursday morning, January 9, 2020, spewing ash high into the air and oozing lava. Popocatépetl is affectionately called El Popo by Mexicans. It’s one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes. Officials have issued a yellow alert in response to the blast, which took place at around 6:30 a.m. local time.

The translation for the AmarilloFase2 (Yellow Alert) explained in the tweet below is as follows:

Preventive actions for the alert level #AmarilloFase2 : Stay tuned for official information. Prepare important documents. Perform drills and know the location of temporary shelters. Develop a family plan for Civil Protection.

Acciones preventivas para el nivel de alerta ? #AmarilloFase2:

? Mantenerse atento a la información oficial.
? Preparar documentos importantes.
? Realizar simulacros y conocer la ubicación de refugios temporales.
? Elaborar un plan familiar de Protección Civil. pic.twitter.com/KUkiHOrnhX

— PC Estatal Puebla (@PC_Estatal) January 9, 2020

Spectacular eruption from one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes, Popocatepetl, Thursday morning. Image via @webcamsdemexico on Twitter.

Officials said the eruption sent up a column of smoke about 2 miles (3 km) into the air, with a moderate ash content.

NOAA’s GOES 16 satellite caught the eruption from space.

SATELLITE SPOTLIGHT: @NOAA's #GOES16 watched as #Mexico's #Popocatépetl #volcano erupted early this morning. The #satellite's #GeoColor band saw the #ash cloud (red circle) but its SO2 composite detected the #SulfurDioxide in the #AshPlume, which shot about 20,000 feet high. pic.twitter.com/9V2bueFOeY

— NOAA Satellites – Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) January 9, 2020

Popocatépetl has low- or medium-level eruptions often, and at times erupts more or less continuously. It has had more than 15 major eruptions since the arrival of the Spanish in 1519, according to Wikipedia.

This morning’s eruption was a beauty, though! In part because of its location so near Mexico City, many cameras are trained on the volcano, and thus the January 9, 2020 eruption has been well documented so far, at this writing mostly on Twitter and YouTube.

Click here for live webcams – trained on Popocatépetl from VolcanoDiscovery.com

#ZonaOriente

Está mañana el volcán Popocatépetl registró un explosión con contenido moderado de ceniza.
El reporte de la Coordinación Nacional de Protección Civil fue a las 6:33 de la mañana cuando se reportó actividad moderada, expulsando una columna de humo de 3 kilómetros. pic.twitter.com/4DuzS2qP1J

— Arturo en la Radio (@Enlaradiofm) January 9, 2020

#Popocatepetl pic.twitter.com/w4DsOvlZIp

— geentolentino (@geentolentino) January 9, 2020

A gorgeous shot of Popocatépetl on January 9, 2020, as the sun rose on its eruption. Image via @nuriapiera on Twitter.

Bottom line: Photos and videos of Popocatépetl volcano, near Mexico City, which erupted on January 9, 2020.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2uyDJSZ

An impending Milky Way collision is already birthing new stars

View larger. | A newly found cluster of young stars (blue stars) sits on the periphery of our Milky Way. The stars in this cluster probably formed from material originating in neighboring dwarf galaxies, called the Magellanic Clouds. Note also the Magellanic Stream, extending almost halfway around the Milky Way. Image via D. Nidever/ NASA/ Simons Foundation.

Since the 1960s and ’70s, radio astronomers have been watching a long trail of gas extending from the Magellanic Clouds, the two famous dwarf galaxies visible in Southern Hemisphere skies. This gas trail is called the Magellanic Stream, and it extends across more than 180 degrees of our sky, almost halfway around the Milky Way. The gas in the Stream, and the Magellanic Clouds themselves, will someday collide with our Milky Way, astronomers say. Now – according to a January 8, 2020, presentation by astronomers at the AAS meeting in Honolulu – it appears that signs of this collision are already in evidence. Collisions and mergers between galaxies create new stars. And astronomers have now found a young star cluster on the outskirts of our Milky Way galaxy, near the Magellanic Stream, in a part of space inhabited by our galaxy’s oldest stars. The astronomers said the stars in this young cluster appear to be made of material from the Magellanic Clouds. According to these astronomers:

The discovery suggests that [the Magellanic Stream] is about half as far from crashing into the Milky Way as previously thought.

In other words, it suggests our Milky Way’s impending collision with the Magellanic Clouds is already beginning: it’s already birthing new stars.

Adrian Price-Whelan at the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York City led this research. He said the cluster now bears his name: Price-Whelan 1. Price-Whelan and his colleagues presented their findings on January 8 at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Honolulu. The work is published in two parts in the peer-reviewed Astronomical Journal: here and here.

EarthSky 2020 lunar calendars are available! Nearly sold out. Order now!

A visualization of the position of the newly discovered Price-Whelan 1 star cluster (blue points) relative to our Milky Way galaxy (white points). The star cluster probably formed from material from the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (purple points). Image via A. Price-Whelan/ J. Hunt/ Simons Foundation.

These astronomers said in their statement:

Identifying clusters of stars is tricky because our galaxy is chock-full of the radiant orbs. Some stars may appear to be close together in the sky but actually sit at drastically different distances from Earth. Other stars may temporarily neighbor one another but move on in opposite directions.

Determining which stars are actually clustered together requires many precise measurements over time.

In this case, those measurements originated with the amazing Gaia spacecraft, which has already cataloged distances and motions for 1.7 billion Milky Way stars. Price-Whelan searched the Gaia dataset for:

… very blue stars, which are rare in the universe, and identified clumps of stars moving alongside them. After cross-matching with and removing known clusters, one remained.

The newfound cluster is relatively young at 117 million years old [very young in astronomical terms] and is on the far outskirts of the Milky Way.

He commented:

It’s really, really far away. It’s further than any known young stars in the Milky Way, which are typically in the disk. So right away, I was like, ‘Holy smokes, what is this?’

EarthSky community member

Lynton Brown captured this beautiful image of the Milky Way over Taylor’s Lake near Horsham, Australia, on April 22, 2019. The 2 objects on the right are the Magellanic Clouds. Thank you, Lynton!

The Price-Whelan 1 star cluster’s location near the Magellanic Stream is a clue to these stars’ origin. These astronomers said:

Gas in the Stream doesn’t contain much metal, unlike gases in the outer reaches of the Milky Way. David Nidever, assistant professor of physics at Montana State University in Bozeman, led an analysis of the metal content of the 27 brightest stars in the cluster.

Just like the Magellanic Stream, the stars contain meager levels of metal.

The researchers propose that the cluster formed as gas from the Magellanic Stream passed through the gases surrounding the Milky Way. This pass-through created a drag force that compressed the Magellanic Stream gas. This drag, along with tidal forces from the Milky Way’s gravitational tug, condensed the gas enough to trigger star formation. Over time, the stars zoomed ahead of the surrounding gas and joined the Milky Way.

The stars’ presence presents a unique opportunity, these astronomers said. They explained:

Gauging the distance of gas from Earth is tricky and imprecise, so astronomers weren’t sure how far the Magellanic Stream was from reaching the Milky Way. The distance of stars, on the other hand, is comparatively trivial. Using the current positions and movements of stars in the cluster, the researchers predict that the edge of the Magellanic Stream is 90,000 light-years away from the Milky Way. That’s roughly half the distance previously predicted.

Nidever said:

If the Magellanic Stream is closer, especially the leading arm closest to our galaxy, then it’s likely to be incorporated into the Milky Way sooner than the current model predicts. Eventually, that gas will turn into new stars in the Milky Way’s disk. Right now, our galaxy is using up gas faster than its being replenished. This extra gas coming in will help us replenish that reservoir and make sure that our galaxy continues to thrive and form new stars.

The updated distance to the Magellanic Stream will improve models of where the Magellanic Clouds have been and where they’re going, Price-Whelan said.

He said the improved numbers could even settle a debate over whether the Magellanic Clouds have crossed through the Milky Way before, adding:

Finding an answer to that question will help astronomers better understand the history and properties of our galaxy.

Astronomers have spotted a group of young stars (blue) on the outskirts of the Milky Way. The scientists propose that these stars formed from material from two dwarf galaxies known as the Magellanic Clouds. Image via A. Price-Whelan/ Simons Foundation.

Bottom line: Astronomers have discovered a young star cluster on the outskirts of our Milky Way. Its member stars appear to be made of material from the Magellanic Clouds. The work suggests that the impending collision between our Milky Way galaxy and the Clouds and the Magellanic Stream is already beginning.

Source: Discovery of a Disrupting Open Cluster Far into the Milky Way Halo

Source: Spectroscopy of the Young Stellar Association Price-Whelan 1

Via Simons Foundation

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2FxcZEB

View larger. | A newly found cluster of young stars (blue stars) sits on the periphery of our Milky Way. The stars in this cluster probably formed from material originating in neighboring dwarf galaxies, called the Magellanic Clouds. Note also the Magellanic Stream, extending almost halfway around the Milky Way. Image via D. Nidever/ NASA/ Simons Foundation.

Since the 1960s and ’70s, radio astronomers have been watching a long trail of gas extending from the Magellanic Clouds, the two famous dwarf galaxies visible in Southern Hemisphere skies. This gas trail is called the Magellanic Stream, and it extends across more than 180 degrees of our sky, almost halfway around the Milky Way. The gas in the Stream, and the Magellanic Clouds themselves, will someday collide with our Milky Way, astronomers say. Now – according to a January 8, 2020, presentation by astronomers at the AAS meeting in Honolulu – it appears that signs of this collision are already in evidence. Collisions and mergers between galaxies create new stars. And astronomers have now found a young star cluster on the outskirts of our Milky Way galaxy, near the Magellanic Stream, in a part of space inhabited by our galaxy’s oldest stars. The astronomers said the stars in this young cluster appear to be made of material from the Magellanic Clouds. According to these astronomers:

The discovery suggests that [the Magellanic Stream] is about half as far from crashing into the Milky Way as previously thought.

In other words, it suggests our Milky Way’s impending collision with the Magellanic Clouds is already beginning: it’s already birthing new stars.

Adrian Price-Whelan at the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York City led this research. He said the cluster now bears his name: Price-Whelan 1. Price-Whelan and his colleagues presented their findings on January 8 at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Honolulu. The work is published in two parts in the peer-reviewed Astronomical Journal: here and here.

EarthSky 2020 lunar calendars are available! Nearly sold out. Order now!

A visualization of the position of the newly discovered Price-Whelan 1 star cluster (blue points) relative to our Milky Way galaxy (white points). The star cluster probably formed from material from the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (purple points). Image via A. Price-Whelan/ J. Hunt/ Simons Foundation.

These astronomers said in their statement:

Identifying clusters of stars is tricky because our galaxy is chock-full of the radiant orbs. Some stars may appear to be close together in the sky but actually sit at drastically different distances from Earth. Other stars may temporarily neighbor one another but move on in opposite directions.

Determining which stars are actually clustered together requires many precise measurements over time.

In this case, those measurements originated with the amazing Gaia spacecraft, which has already cataloged distances and motions for 1.7 billion Milky Way stars. Price-Whelan searched the Gaia dataset for:

… very blue stars, which are rare in the universe, and identified clumps of stars moving alongside them. After cross-matching with and removing known clusters, one remained.

The newfound cluster is relatively young at 117 million years old [very young in astronomical terms] and is on the far outskirts of the Milky Way.

He commented:

It’s really, really far away. It’s further than any known young stars in the Milky Way, which are typically in the disk. So right away, I was like, ‘Holy smokes, what is this?’

EarthSky community member

Lynton Brown captured this beautiful image of the Milky Way over Taylor’s Lake near Horsham, Australia, on April 22, 2019. The 2 objects on the right are the Magellanic Clouds. Thank you, Lynton!

The Price-Whelan 1 star cluster’s location near the Magellanic Stream is a clue to these stars’ origin. These astronomers said:

Gas in the Stream doesn’t contain much metal, unlike gases in the outer reaches of the Milky Way. David Nidever, assistant professor of physics at Montana State University in Bozeman, led an analysis of the metal content of the 27 brightest stars in the cluster.

Just like the Magellanic Stream, the stars contain meager levels of metal.

The researchers propose that the cluster formed as gas from the Magellanic Stream passed through the gases surrounding the Milky Way. This pass-through created a drag force that compressed the Magellanic Stream gas. This drag, along with tidal forces from the Milky Way’s gravitational tug, condensed the gas enough to trigger star formation. Over time, the stars zoomed ahead of the surrounding gas and joined the Milky Way.

The stars’ presence presents a unique opportunity, these astronomers said. They explained:

Gauging the distance of gas from Earth is tricky and imprecise, so astronomers weren’t sure how far the Magellanic Stream was from reaching the Milky Way. The distance of stars, on the other hand, is comparatively trivial. Using the current positions and movements of stars in the cluster, the researchers predict that the edge of the Magellanic Stream is 90,000 light-years away from the Milky Way. That’s roughly half the distance previously predicted.

Nidever said:

If the Magellanic Stream is closer, especially the leading arm closest to our galaxy, then it’s likely to be incorporated into the Milky Way sooner than the current model predicts. Eventually, that gas will turn into new stars in the Milky Way’s disk. Right now, our galaxy is using up gas faster than its being replenished. This extra gas coming in will help us replenish that reservoir and make sure that our galaxy continues to thrive and form new stars.

The updated distance to the Magellanic Stream will improve models of where the Magellanic Clouds have been and where they’re going, Price-Whelan said.

He said the improved numbers could even settle a debate over whether the Magellanic Clouds have crossed through the Milky Way before, adding:

Finding an answer to that question will help astronomers better understand the history and properties of our galaxy.

Astronomers have spotted a group of young stars (blue) on the outskirts of the Milky Way. The scientists propose that these stars formed from material from two dwarf galaxies known as the Magellanic Clouds. Image via A. Price-Whelan/ Simons Foundation.

Bottom line: Astronomers have discovered a young star cluster on the outskirts of our Milky Way. Its member stars appear to be made of material from the Magellanic Clouds. The work suggests that the impending collision between our Milky Way galaxy and the Clouds and the Magellanic Stream is already beginning.

Source: Discovery of a Disrupting Open Cluster Far into the Milky Way Halo

Source: Spectroscopy of the Young Stellar Association Price-Whelan 1

Via Simons Foundation

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2FxcZEB

Penumbral eclipse of the moon on January 10

Image at top: Dave Chapman in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, had high, thin clouds, but still managed to capture the penumbral eclipse of February 10, 2017, near its maximum. Penumbral eclipses are subtle. Can you spot the slight shading on the moon’s left?

These next few nights – January 9 and 10, 2020 – watch for the full-looking moon, our nocturnal sun, to light up the nighttime from dusk until dawn. And if you live in the world’s Eastern Hemisphere, you might – or might not – detect Earth’s faint penumbral shadow on the full moon’s face on the night of January 10-11 (Friday night or Saturday morning).

Your best chance of detecting the slight darkening on the full moon’s face will come at or near maximum eclipse (January 10, 2020, at 19:10 UTC; translate UTC to your time).

Or try TimeandDate for the eclipse time in your area.

Or watch online. See the poster – from the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome – below:

EarthSky 2020 lunar calendars are available! Nearly sold out. Order now!

The Virtual Telescope Project will cover the penumbral lunar eclipse online. The free session is scheduled for January 10, 2020, starting at 17:00 UTC. Translate UTC to your time. The eclipse will be shown above the skyline of Rome. Go to Virtual Telescope’s site for more info.

We in the Americas will enjoy seeing the full moon, but we’ll miss this eclipse. Although the full moon occurs at the same instant worldwide, the clock reads differently by time zone. Here, in the mainland United states, the moon turns full on January 10 at 2:21 p.m. Eastern, 1:11 p.m. Central, 12:11 p.m. Mountain and 11:11 a.m. Pacific. So, here in the United States, the full moon will come during our daylight hours, when the moon is still beneath our horizon.

And, by the way, in North America, we sometimes use the name Wolf Moon for the January full moon. Other full moon names for January include the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule.

Day and night sides of Earth at the instant of full moon (January 10 at 19:21 UTC). The shadow line crossing the Atlantic Ocean depicts sunset January 10 while the shadow line at right (going through Australia) represents sunrise January 11. Image via Fourmilab’s EarthView.

This is the first of 2020’s six eclipses (two solar and four lunar).

Meanwhile, it’s the second eclipse of the present eclipse season, the first of which came with the solar eclipse on December 26, 2019.

So – speaking now in terms of a lunar year, not a calendar year – that’s 7 eclipses (3 solar, 4 lunar), the maximum number of eclipses possible in one 354-day lunar year of 12 lunar months (December 26, 2019, to December 14, 2020).

All four lunar eclipses in 2020 are hard-to-see penumbral eclipses. During all of these eclipses, the moon will miss Earth’s dark umbral shadow and travel instead through Earth’s outer faint penumbra.

The penumbral eclipse on the night of January 10-11, 2020, will feature the deepest eclipse of the bunch.

A year ago – on January 21, 2019 – Tom Wildoner captured this image of a total lunar eclipse from Weatherly, Pennsylvania. A lunar eclipse often recurs about 11 days earlier from one year to the next. But this year’s lunar eclipse on January 10, 2020 will be a hard-to-see penumbral eclipse.

On January 10, 2020, the full moon misses Earth’s dark umbral shadow but goes through Earth’s fainter outer penumbra, to present a barely perceptible eclipse. This eclipse would be more impressive from the moon, where you’d see a partial eclipse of the the sun. See the illustration below.

Around the time of every full moon, the moon appears full to the eye for several days in a row. But astronomers regard the moon as truly full at a well-defined instant, when the moon is 180 degrees opposite the sun in ecliptic longitude.

Or, another way of looking at it, the moon is precisely full whenever the elongation between the moon and sun equals 180 degrees. Visit Unitarium.com to know the present moon-sun elongation, remembering that a positive number means a waxing moon whereas a negative number indicates a waning moon.

Yes, the eclipse on January 10, 2020, would be more impressive from the moon, where you’d see it as a partial eclipse of the sun.

This month’s full moon – the first of 13 full moons in 2020 – falls on January 10 at 19:21 UTC; translate UTC to your time. Because we have 13 full moons this year, there will be a month with two full moons. That’ll be October 2020.

In modern skylore, the second full moon of a month commonly called a Blue Moon.

Penumbral eclipse over Sabah, North Borneo, from our friend Jenney Disimon on the night of March 23, 2016. Can you see the faint shading on the right side of the moon? During the January 2020 penumbral lunar eclipse, very observant people will look up and say, “Wow, the moon looks strange!” Others will look at the moon at mid-eclipse and claim they can’t notice any difference at all.

For the Northern Hemisphere, this January full moon presents the first of three full moons of the winter season; and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the first of three summer full moons. For the world as a whole, this penumbral lunar eclipse features the second eclipse of the eclipse season, the first one staging an annular eclipse of the sun on December 26, 2019.

Because the full moon stands opposite the sun in Earth’s sky, the full moon assumes the sun’s position for six months hence, in July. From all over the world, this January full moon will shine in front of the constellation Gemini the Twins. Therefore, like the July sun, this January full moon will rise and set quite far north of due east and west.

In the Northern Hemisphere, that means this January full moon will follow the high path of the summer sun throughout the night.

Yet, in the Southern Hemisphere, where it’s summer, this January full moon will the low path of the winter sun.

The moon phases for the year 2020 via Astropixels. A = annular solar eclipse, T = total solar eclipse, and n = penumbral lunar eclipse. The year 2020 has 13 full moons, two of which take place in the month of October.

Bottom line: Wherever you may reside worldwide, enjoy the first full moon of the year on January 10, 2020, as it lights up the nighttime from dusk until dawn! This full moon will undergo a penumbral lunar eclipse. At mid-eclipse, you will find a slight shading – Earth’s penumbral shadow – on one side of the moon.

Read more: What is a penumbral eclipse?

Read more: What is an eclipse season?

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/37Q4tfW

Image at top: Dave Chapman in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, had high, thin clouds, but still managed to capture the penumbral eclipse of February 10, 2017, near its maximum. Penumbral eclipses are subtle. Can you spot the slight shading on the moon’s left?

These next few nights – January 9 and 10, 2020 – watch for the full-looking moon, our nocturnal sun, to light up the nighttime from dusk until dawn. And if you live in the world’s Eastern Hemisphere, you might – or might not – detect Earth’s faint penumbral shadow on the full moon’s face on the night of January 10-11 (Friday night or Saturday morning).

Your best chance of detecting the slight darkening on the full moon’s face will come at or near maximum eclipse (January 10, 2020, at 19:10 UTC; translate UTC to your time).

Or try TimeandDate for the eclipse time in your area.

Or watch online. See the poster – from the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome – below:

EarthSky 2020 lunar calendars are available! Nearly sold out. Order now!

The Virtual Telescope Project will cover the penumbral lunar eclipse online. The free session is scheduled for January 10, 2020, starting at 17:00 UTC. Translate UTC to your time. The eclipse will be shown above the skyline of Rome. Go to Virtual Telescope’s site for more info.

We in the Americas will enjoy seeing the full moon, but we’ll miss this eclipse. Although the full moon occurs at the same instant worldwide, the clock reads differently by time zone. Here, in the mainland United states, the moon turns full on January 10 at 2:21 p.m. Eastern, 1:11 p.m. Central, 12:11 p.m. Mountain and 11:11 a.m. Pacific. So, here in the United States, the full moon will come during our daylight hours, when the moon is still beneath our horizon.

And, by the way, in North America, we sometimes use the name Wolf Moon for the January full moon. Other full moon names for January include the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule.

Day and night sides of Earth at the instant of full moon (January 10 at 19:21 UTC). The shadow line crossing the Atlantic Ocean depicts sunset January 10 while the shadow line at right (going through Australia) represents sunrise January 11. Image via Fourmilab’s EarthView.

This is the first of 2020’s six eclipses (two solar and four lunar).

Meanwhile, it’s the second eclipse of the present eclipse season, the first of which came with the solar eclipse on December 26, 2019.

So – speaking now in terms of a lunar year, not a calendar year – that’s 7 eclipses (3 solar, 4 lunar), the maximum number of eclipses possible in one 354-day lunar year of 12 lunar months (December 26, 2019, to December 14, 2020).

All four lunar eclipses in 2020 are hard-to-see penumbral eclipses. During all of these eclipses, the moon will miss Earth’s dark umbral shadow and travel instead through Earth’s outer faint penumbra.

The penumbral eclipse on the night of January 10-11, 2020, will feature the deepest eclipse of the bunch.

A year ago – on January 21, 2019 – Tom Wildoner captured this image of a total lunar eclipse from Weatherly, Pennsylvania. A lunar eclipse often recurs about 11 days earlier from one year to the next. But this year’s lunar eclipse on January 10, 2020 will be a hard-to-see penumbral eclipse.

On January 10, 2020, the full moon misses Earth’s dark umbral shadow but goes through Earth’s fainter outer penumbra, to present a barely perceptible eclipse. This eclipse would be more impressive from the moon, where you’d see a partial eclipse of the the sun. See the illustration below.

Around the time of every full moon, the moon appears full to the eye for several days in a row. But astronomers regard the moon as truly full at a well-defined instant, when the moon is 180 degrees opposite the sun in ecliptic longitude.

Or, another way of looking at it, the moon is precisely full whenever the elongation between the moon and sun equals 180 degrees. Visit Unitarium.com to know the present moon-sun elongation, remembering that a positive number means a waxing moon whereas a negative number indicates a waning moon.

Yes, the eclipse on January 10, 2020, would be more impressive from the moon, where you’d see it as a partial eclipse of the sun.

This month’s full moon – the first of 13 full moons in 2020 – falls on January 10 at 19:21 UTC; translate UTC to your time. Because we have 13 full moons this year, there will be a month with two full moons. That’ll be October 2020.

In modern skylore, the second full moon of a month commonly called a Blue Moon.

Penumbral eclipse over Sabah, North Borneo, from our friend Jenney Disimon on the night of March 23, 2016. Can you see the faint shading on the right side of the moon? During the January 2020 penumbral lunar eclipse, very observant people will look up and say, “Wow, the moon looks strange!” Others will look at the moon at mid-eclipse and claim they can’t notice any difference at all.

For the Northern Hemisphere, this January full moon presents the first of three full moons of the winter season; and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the first of three summer full moons. For the world as a whole, this penumbral lunar eclipse features the second eclipse of the eclipse season, the first one staging an annular eclipse of the sun on December 26, 2019.

Because the full moon stands opposite the sun in Earth’s sky, the full moon assumes the sun’s position for six months hence, in July. From all over the world, this January full moon will shine in front of the constellation Gemini the Twins. Therefore, like the July sun, this January full moon will rise and set quite far north of due east and west.

In the Northern Hemisphere, that means this January full moon will follow the high path of the summer sun throughout the night.

Yet, in the Southern Hemisphere, where it’s summer, this January full moon will the low path of the winter sun.

The moon phases for the year 2020 via Astropixels. A = annular solar eclipse, T = total solar eclipse, and n = penumbral lunar eclipse. The year 2020 has 13 full moons, two of which take place in the month of October.

Bottom line: Wherever you may reside worldwide, enjoy the first full moon of the year on January 10, 2020, as it lights up the nighttime from dusk until dawn! This full moon will undergo a penumbral lunar eclipse. At mid-eclipse, you will find a slight shading – Earth’s penumbral shadow – on one side of the moon.

Read more: What is a penumbral eclipse?

Read more: What is an eclipse season?

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/37Q4tfW

What’s a penumbral eclipse of the moon?

April 2013 penumbral eclipse by Stanislaus Ronny Terrance. See the dark shading on one edge of the moon?

Next penumbral lunar eclipse January 10, 2020

An eclipse of the moon can only happen at full moon, when the sun, Earth and moon line up in space, with Earth in the middle. At such times, Earth’s shadow falls on the moon, creating a lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses happen a minimum of two times to a maximum of five times a year. There are three kinds of lunar eclipses: total, partial and penumbral.

In a total eclipse of the moon, the inner part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, falls on the moon’s face. At mid-eclipse, the entire moon is in shadow, which may appear blood red.

In a partial lunar eclipse, the umbra takes a bite out of only a fraction of the moon. The dark bite grows larger, and then recedes, never reaching the total phase.

In a penumbral lunar eclipse, only the more diffuse outer shadow of Earth – the penumbra – falls on the moon’s face. This third kind of lunar eclipse is much more subtle, and much more difficult to observe, than either a total or partial eclipse of the moon. There is never a dark bite taken out of the moon, as in a partial eclipse. The eclipse never progresses to reach the dramatic minutes of totality. At best, at mid-eclipse, very observant people will notice a dark shading on the moon’s face. Others will look and notice nothing at all.

According to eclipse expert Fred Espenak, about 35% of all eclipses are penumbral. Another 30% are partial eclipses, where it appears as if a dark bite has been taken out of the moon. And the final 35% go all the way to becoming total eclipses of the moon, a beautiful natural event.

EarthSky 2020 lunar calendars are available! Nearly sold out. Order now!

View larger. | Left, an ordinary full moon with no eclipse. Right, full moon in penumbral eclipse on November 20, 2002. Master eclipse photographer Fred Espenak took this photo when the moon was 88.9% immersed in Earth’s penumbral shadow. There’s no dark bite taken out of the moon. A penumbral eclipse creates only a dark shading on the moon’s face.

In a lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow falls on the moon. If the moon passes through the dark central shadow of Earth – the umbra – a partial or total lunar eclipse takes place. If the moon only passes through the outer part of the shadow (the penumbra), a subtle penumbral eclipse occurs. Diagram via Fred Espenak’s Lunar Eclipses for Beginners.

Here’s what a partial lunar eclipse looks like. Astronomer Alan Dyer caught it from his home in southern Alberta, Canada in June 2012. It was pre-dawn, near moonset. Image copyright Alan Dyer. Used with permission.

This is what a total eclipse looks like. This is the total eclipse of October 27, 2004, via Fred Espenak of NASA, otherwise known as Mr. Eclipse. Visit Fred’s page here.

Bottom line: There are three kinds of lunar eclipses: total, partial and penumbral. A penumbral eclipse is very subtle. At no time does a dark bite appear to be taken out of the moon. Instead, at mid-eclipse, observant people will notice a shading on the moon’s face.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2rMqzRl

April 2013 penumbral eclipse by Stanislaus Ronny Terrance. See the dark shading on one edge of the moon?

Next penumbral lunar eclipse January 10, 2020

An eclipse of the moon can only happen at full moon, when the sun, Earth and moon line up in space, with Earth in the middle. At such times, Earth’s shadow falls on the moon, creating a lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses happen a minimum of two times to a maximum of five times a year. There are three kinds of lunar eclipses: total, partial and penumbral.

In a total eclipse of the moon, the inner part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, falls on the moon’s face. At mid-eclipse, the entire moon is in shadow, which may appear blood red.

In a partial lunar eclipse, the umbra takes a bite out of only a fraction of the moon. The dark bite grows larger, and then recedes, never reaching the total phase.

In a penumbral lunar eclipse, only the more diffuse outer shadow of Earth – the penumbra – falls on the moon’s face. This third kind of lunar eclipse is much more subtle, and much more difficult to observe, than either a total or partial eclipse of the moon. There is never a dark bite taken out of the moon, as in a partial eclipse. The eclipse never progresses to reach the dramatic minutes of totality. At best, at mid-eclipse, very observant people will notice a dark shading on the moon’s face. Others will look and notice nothing at all.

According to eclipse expert Fred Espenak, about 35% of all eclipses are penumbral. Another 30% are partial eclipses, where it appears as if a dark bite has been taken out of the moon. And the final 35% go all the way to becoming total eclipses of the moon, a beautiful natural event.

EarthSky 2020 lunar calendars are available! Nearly sold out. Order now!

View larger. | Left, an ordinary full moon with no eclipse. Right, full moon in penumbral eclipse on November 20, 2002. Master eclipse photographer Fred Espenak took this photo when the moon was 88.9% immersed in Earth’s penumbral shadow. There’s no dark bite taken out of the moon. A penumbral eclipse creates only a dark shading on the moon’s face.

In a lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow falls on the moon. If the moon passes through the dark central shadow of Earth – the umbra – a partial or total lunar eclipse takes place. If the moon only passes through the outer part of the shadow (the penumbra), a subtle penumbral eclipse occurs. Diagram via Fred Espenak’s Lunar Eclipses for Beginners.

Here’s what a partial lunar eclipse looks like. Astronomer Alan Dyer caught it from his home in southern Alberta, Canada in June 2012. It was pre-dawn, near moonset. Image copyright Alan Dyer. Used with permission.

This is what a total eclipse looks like. This is the total eclipse of October 27, 2004, via Fred Espenak of NASA, otherwise known as Mr. Eclipse. Visit Fred’s page here.

Bottom line: There are three kinds of lunar eclipses: total, partial and penumbral. A penumbral eclipse is very subtle. At no time does a dark bite appear to be taken out of the moon. Instead, at mid-eclipse, observant people will notice a shading on the moon’s face.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2rMqzRl