Synchronous fireflies light up these national parks

Have you heard of synchronous fireflies? It’s an amazing night spectacle where thousands of these glowing insects pulse in perfect rhythm across a forest, turning the darkness into a living wave of light. Image via P. Driessche/ National Park Service.

Love wildlife and the natural world? Get the latest animal stories – as well as space and night sky updates – delivered to your inbox.

Synchronous fireflies

It’s synchronous firefly season! Every year between mid-May and mid-June, locations such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, and Congaree in South Carolina, see fireflies flicker in harmony as night falls. The phenomenon happens as male fireflies seek mates. These fireflies – aka lightning bugs – flash with a distinct rhythm: a few quick bursts of light followed by a several-second pause, then more bursts. In person, the display looks like a wave of light passing over a hillside.

The demand to see the synchronous fireflies is high. So much so that the National Park Service has instituted a lottery system for some national parks. The lottery for Great Smoky Mountains has passed. But a lottery for guided viewing at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is just about to open.

And you don’t need to join a guided group to see synchronous fireflies. You don’t even have to be in these exact regions of the parks. In fact, people who live in the Smokies have been known to see synchronous fireflies in their backyard.

Just know that these insects prefer northern hardwood forest habitats such as the kind you find in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Fireflies are bioluminescent

Fireflies are bioluminescent. That means that – through a chemical reaction in the insects’ bodies – they’re able to emit light.

Luciferin is the key for creatures that emit this living light. Luciferin is a molecule that reacts in the presence of the enzyme luciferase to produce light. A chemical reaction between the two splits off a molecular fragment. That, in turn, produces an excited state that emits light.

Both words – luciferin and luciferase – come from the same root as lucifer. That word originates from Latin, combining lux (light) and ferre (to bring). It translates to “light-bringer” or “morning star.” It was the Roman name for Venus, when that brightest of planets is visible in the morning. It only later gained a darker association.

View larger. | Stacked photo of synchronous fireflies in Tennessee. Image via University of Colorado.

A landmark study on synchronous fireflies

A team of researchers from University of Colorado Boulder has been trying to understand how relatively simple insects manage to coordinate such feats of synchronization.

They published an important study about them on September 23, 2020, in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Royal Society Interface. This study suggests that – rather than flash according to some innate rhythm – the fireflies observe what their neighbors are doing. Then they adjust their behavior to match.

The researchers discovered that the fireflies don’t behave the same way when they’re alone as when they’re in a big group. For example, the team found that a single male firefly alone in the tent would flash without a good sense of rhythm, a few bursts here, a few bursts there. But with more fireflies in the tent, things began to change. Raphaël Sarfati, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at CU Boulder at the time, said:

When you start putting 20 fireflies together, that’s when you start observing what you see in the wild. You’ve got regular bursts of flashes, and they’re all synchronized.

That suggested to the researchers that the fireflies likely aren’t hardwired to flash with a particular pattern. Instead, their light displays seem to be more social. Bugs watch what their neighbors are doing and try to follow along.

A video of fireflies from the research team in the 2020 study.

More synchronous fireflies studies

Since that early study, these researchers have been busy:

• In 2021, they expanded their 3D stereoscopic camera tracking to study large, natural swarms of fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains. They found that synchronization isn’t just a simultaneous group flash; instead, it propagates through the swarm as “information waves.” See Self-organization in natural swarms of synchronous fireflies in Science Advances (July 2021).
• In 2023, the researchers reported they’d solved a massive puzzle regarding the fireflies’ “dark phase” (the several-second pause between flash bursts). They said that, when completely isolated, an individual firefly has no internal clock or regular rhythm; it just flashes completely at random. See Emergent periodicity in the collective synchronous flashing of fireflies (March 2023).
• In 2026, they successfully calculated a “phase-response curve” — a concrete mathematical formula describing how external light forces a firefly to change its rhythm. See Excitation–inhibition interactions mediate firefly flash synchronization (January 2026), published by CU Boulder engineers.

  
  Fireflies in the wild. Video via University of Colorado.

  Does the Southern Hemisphere have synchronous fireflies?

  Via Daniel Gaussen, Founder & Guide – Stargaze Mackenzie – New Zealand

  Fireflies are found across South America, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand. But large-scale synchronized swarming displays aren’t typically a characteristic feature. Instead, fireflies are typically seen in lower-density populations, appearing as individual or small-group flashes.

  Even so, their behavior remains fundamentally tied to night, with males flashing in low light to locate mates and relying on darkness to make their signals visible. Across both hemispheres, these phenomena reinforce a broader theme closely tied to night sky preservation: protecting dark skies also protects the natural behaviors of nocturnal species that depend on darkness to communicate, hunt and survive.

  Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, a closer visual parallel to synchronous fireflies might be found in glowworms, particularly in New Zealand’s cave systems such as Waitomo. There, too, you can take guided tours.

  In the caves, darkness becomes the essential stage for Arachnocampa luminosa, commonly known as New Zealand glowworm, whose larvae emit a soft blue-green light to attract prey.

  Glowworm lights aren’t synchronized either, though. Here’s what they do instead. Thousands of individual points of glowworm light combine to form a still, star-like canopy, often described as stepping into a terrestrial night sky.

  

  A glowworm cave – Waitmo – in New Zealand. Image via New Zealand.com.

  Bottom line: The synchronous fireflies are back! These lightning bugs flash in harmony in the Great Smoky Mountains and other nearby parks from mid-May to mid-June. Read more about them here.

  Source: Spatio-temporal reconstruction of emergent flash synchronization in firefly swarms via stereoscopic 360-degree cameras

  Via University of Colorado Boulder

  Read more: Fireflies: How and why they light up

  Watch: Astonishing facts about fireflies! With AstroBob

  The post Synchronous fireflies light up these national parks first appeared on EarthSky.

  
  
  from EarthSky https://ift.tt/IbYDHwJ
  

Have you heard of synchronous fireflies? It’s an amazing night spectacle where thousands of these glowing insects pulse in perfect rhythm across a forest, turning the darkness into a living wave of light. Image via P. Driessche/ National Park Service.

Love wildlife and the natural world? Get the latest animal stories – as well as space and night sky updates – delivered to your inbox.

Synchronous fireflies

It’s synchronous firefly season! Every year between mid-May and mid-June, locations such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, and Congaree in South Carolina, see fireflies flicker in harmony as night falls. The phenomenon happens as male fireflies seek mates. These fireflies – aka lightning bugs – flash with a distinct rhythm: a few quick bursts of light followed by a several-second pause, then more bursts. In person, the display looks like a wave of light passing over a hillside.

The demand to see the synchronous fireflies is high. So much so that the National Park Service has instituted a lottery system for some national parks. The lottery for Great Smoky Mountains has passed. But a lottery for guided viewing at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is just about to open.

And you don’t need to join a guided group to see synchronous fireflies. You don’t even have to be in these exact regions of the parks. In fact, people who live in the Smokies have been known to see synchronous fireflies in their backyard.

Just know that these insects prefer northern hardwood forest habitats such as the kind you find in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Fireflies are bioluminescent

Fireflies are bioluminescent. That means that – through a chemical reaction in the insects’ bodies – they’re able to emit light.

Luciferin is the key for creatures that emit this living light. Luciferin is a molecule that reacts in the presence of the enzyme luciferase to produce light. A chemical reaction between the two splits off a molecular fragment. That, in turn, produces an excited state that emits light.

Both words – luciferin and luciferase – come from the same root as lucifer. That word originates from Latin, combining lux (light) and ferre (to bring). It translates to “light-bringer” or “morning star.” It was the Roman name for Venus, when that brightest of planets is visible in the morning. It only later gained a darker association.

View larger. | Stacked photo of synchronous fireflies in Tennessee. Image via University of Colorado.

A landmark study on synchronous fireflies

A team of researchers from University of Colorado Boulder has been trying to understand how relatively simple insects manage to coordinate such feats of synchronization.

They published an important study about them on September 23, 2020, in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Royal Society Interface. This study suggests that – rather than flash according to some innate rhythm – the fireflies observe what their neighbors are doing. Then they adjust their behavior to match.

The researchers discovered that the fireflies don’t behave the same way when they’re alone as when they’re in a big group. For example, the team found that a single male firefly alone in the tent would flash without a good sense of rhythm, a few bursts here, a few bursts there. But with more fireflies in the tent, things began to change. Raphaël Sarfati, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at CU Boulder at the time, said:

When you start putting 20 fireflies together, that’s when you start observing what you see in the wild. You’ve got regular bursts of flashes, and they’re all synchronized.

That suggested to the researchers that the fireflies likely aren’t hardwired to flash with a particular pattern. Instead, their light displays seem to be more social. Bugs watch what their neighbors are doing and try to follow along.

A video of fireflies from the research team in the 2020 study.

More synchronous fireflies studies

Since that early study, these researchers have been busy:

• In 2021, they expanded their 3D stereoscopic camera tracking to study large, natural swarms of fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains. They found that synchronization isn’t just a simultaneous group flash; instead, it propagates through the swarm as “information waves.” See Self-organization in natural swarms of synchronous fireflies in Science Advances (July 2021).
• In 2023, the researchers reported they’d solved a massive puzzle regarding the fireflies’ “dark phase” (the several-second pause between flash bursts). They said that, when completely isolated, an individual firefly has no internal clock or regular rhythm; it just flashes completely at random. See Emergent periodicity in the collective synchronous flashing of fireflies (March 2023).
• In 2026, they successfully calculated a “phase-response curve” — a concrete mathematical formula describing how external light forces a firefly to change its rhythm. See Excitation–inhibition interactions mediate firefly flash synchronization (January 2026), published by CU Boulder engineers.

  
  Fireflies in the wild. Video via University of Colorado.

  Does the Southern Hemisphere have synchronous fireflies?

  Via Daniel Gaussen, Founder & Guide – Stargaze Mackenzie – New Zealand

  Fireflies are found across South America, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand. But large-scale synchronized swarming displays aren’t typically a characteristic feature. Instead, fireflies are typically seen in lower-density populations, appearing as individual or small-group flashes.

  Even so, their behavior remains fundamentally tied to night, with males flashing in low light to locate mates and relying on darkness to make their signals visible. Across both hemispheres, these phenomena reinforce a broader theme closely tied to night sky preservation: protecting dark skies also protects the natural behaviors of nocturnal species that depend on darkness to communicate, hunt and survive.

  Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, a closer visual parallel to synchronous fireflies might be found in glowworms, particularly in New Zealand’s cave systems such as Waitomo. There, too, you can take guided tours.

  In the caves, darkness becomes the essential stage for Arachnocampa luminosa, commonly known as New Zealand glowworm, whose larvae emit a soft blue-green light to attract prey.

  Glowworm lights aren’t synchronized either, though. Here’s what they do instead. Thousands of individual points of glowworm light combine to form a still, star-like canopy, often described as stepping into a terrestrial night sky.

  

  A glowworm cave – Waitmo – in New Zealand. Image via New Zealand.com.

  Bottom line: The synchronous fireflies are back! These lightning bugs flash in harmony in the Great Smoky Mountains and other nearby parks from mid-May to mid-June. Read more about them here.

  Source: Spatio-temporal reconstruction of emergent flash synchronization in firefly swarms via stereoscopic 360-degree cameras

  Via University of Colorado Boulder

  Read more: Fireflies: How and why they light up

  Watch: Astonishing facts about fireflies! With AstroBob

  The post Synchronous fireflies light up these national parks first appeared on EarthSky.

  
  
  from EarthSky https://ift.tt/IbYDHwJ
  

Constellations and signs: What’s the difference?

Maybe you associate the word zodiac with astrology. But it has an honored place in astronomy, too. Here’s why.

Guy Ottewell published this post on May 19, 2020, under the title The Difference Made by 2 Thousand Years. Reprinted here with permission. Updated by EarthSky editors.

Constellations and astrological signs

At 1 UTC on May 21, 2026, the sun will enter the astrological sign of Gemini. But – in the real sky – the sun doesn’t cross the official IAU constellation boundary into Gemini until a month later, around the June solstice (June 21).

Why is there a difference between signs as defined by astrologers, and constellations as defined by an international organization of astronomers?

The signs of Aries, Taurus, etc. – still used in astrology – are 30 degree-wide bands along the ecliptic, starting at longitude 0 degrees. This is also known as the First Point of Aries. The constellations are areas of the starry sky, defined since 1930 by specific lines and boundaries. The two coincided, somewhat over 2,000 years ago, when the system of astrological signs was defined. But precession – the wobbling of Earth’s spin axis over a cycle of 25,800 years – has made them increasingly divergent.

Don’t miss the next unmissable night sky event. Sign up to EarthSky’s free newsletter for daily night sky updates.

Chart showing the sun’s movement through the constellations as defined by astronomers. You can see that the sun won’t enter Gemini until around June 21. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar

The sun’s path through the sky

The chart above shows the sun’s travel from around March 20, 2026, (the spring or vernal equinox) to September 21, 2026. You can see that the sun does indeed enter Taurus around May 21. But this brings it to the beginning (roughly) of constellation Taurus, not Gemini. It will have to travel another 30 degrees – one month – to enter Gemini.

The stars and constellations stay fixed. What shifts over time is the celestial equator – the “belt,” you could say, of the spinning Earth – and the mapping system based on it.

Picturing constellations and signs

Mentally move them. Imagine the sun’s March-to-May track, and the celestial equator – the blue line on the chart above – slid 30 degrees to the left (east), while everything else stays in place. The crossing-point of equator and ecliptic – which is the zero point for longitude – is 30 degrees to the left: it is at what is now longitude 30 degrees, the beginning of Aries. So it really is then the First Point of Aries. In this mental projection, the sun is at the First Point of Aries in March, and arrives at the gates of Gemini at this time in May.

This was how things stood when the system of signs was agreed upon, around 2,000 years ago.

You can, with some imagination, see it in your sky, or on the chart above.

There is the sun (below the horizon) at its May 21, 2026, position where it enters the astrological sign of Gemini. If this were 150 BCE it would be 30 degrees on – at what is now longitude 90 degrees – the solstice point of our time, by the feet of Gemini.

Read more from Guy Ottewell.

Bottom line: What is the difference between the signs of the zodiac and the constellations of the zodiac? Astronomer Guy Ottewell illustrates and discusses this difference.

Read more: Planisphere: Your friend to find stars and constellations

Read more: What’s a constellation? What’s an asterism?

The post Constellations and signs: What’s the difference? first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/TSsfV2y

Maybe you associate the word zodiac with astrology. But it has an honored place in astronomy, too. Here’s why.

Guy Ottewell published this post on May 19, 2020, under the title The Difference Made by 2 Thousand Years. Reprinted here with permission. Updated by EarthSky editors.

Constellations and astrological signs

At 1 UTC on May 21, 2026, the sun will enter the astrological sign of Gemini. But – in the real sky – the sun doesn’t cross the official IAU constellation boundary into Gemini until a month later, around the June solstice (June 21).

Why is there a difference between signs as defined by astrologers, and constellations as defined by an international organization of astronomers?

The signs of Aries, Taurus, etc. – still used in astrology – are 30 degree-wide bands along the ecliptic, starting at longitude 0 degrees. This is also known as the First Point of Aries. The constellations are areas of the starry sky, defined since 1930 by specific lines and boundaries. The two coincided, somewhat over 2,000 years ago, when the system of astrological signs was defined. But precession – the wobbling of Earth’s spin axis over a cycle of 25,800 years – has made them increasingly divergent.

Don’t miss the next unmissable night sky event. Sign up to EarthSky’s free newsletter for daily night sky updates.

Chart showing the sun’s movement through the constellations as defined by astronomers. You can see that the sun won’t enter Gemini until around June 21. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar

The sun’s path through the sky

The chart above shows the sun’s travel from around March 20, 2026, (the spring or vernal equinox) to September 21, 2026. You can see that the sun does indeed enter Taurus around May 21. But this brings it to the beginning (roughly) of constellation Taurus, not Gemini. It will have to travel another 30 degrees – one month – to enter Gemini.

The stars and constellations stay fixed. What shifts over time is the celestial equator – the “belt,” you could say, of the spinning Earth – and the mapping system based on it.

Picturing constellations and signs

Mentally move them. Imagine the sun’s March-to-May track, and the celestial equator – the blue line on the chart above – slid 30 degrees to the left (east), while everything else stays in place. The crossing-point of equator and ecliptic – which is the zero point for longitude – is 30 degrees to the left: it is at what is now longitude 30 degrees, the beginning of Aries. So it really is then the First Point of Aries. In this mental projection, the sun is at the First Point of Aries in March, and arrives at the gates of Gemini at this time in May.

This was how things stood when the system of signs was agreed upon, around 2,000 years ago.

You can, with some imagination, see it in your sky, or on the chart above.

There is the sun (below the horizon) at its May 21, 2026, position where it enters the astrological sign of Gemini. If this were 150 BCE it would be 30 degrees on – at what is now longitude 90 degrees – the solstice point of our time, by the feet of Gemini.

Read more from Guy Ottewell.

Bottom line: What is the difference between the signs of the zodiac and the constellations of the zodiac? Astronomer Guy Ottewell illustrates and discusses this difference.

Read more: Planisphere: Your friend to find stars and constellations

Read more: What’s a constellation? What’s an asterism?

The post Constellations and signs: What’s the difference? first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/TSsfV2y

Interstellar turbulence in the Milky Way distorts light

Radio light from quasar TXS 2005+403 travels roughly 10 billion light-years to reach Earth. It passes through the Cygnus region, one of the most turbulent environments in our Milky Way Galaxy. On the left, this artist’s illustration shows the quasar as it truly appears. On the right, we see how turbulent gas distorts scientists’ view of the quasar in much the same way heat haze from a fire warps our view of the objects behind it. A new study has, for the 1st time, directly detected how this interstellar turbulence distorts light from distant objects. Image via Center for Astrophysics/ Melissa Weiss.

• For the first time, astronomers have directly detected how turbulent gas between stars distorts light.
• These turbulent structures occur at scales roughly the size of our solar system.
• Understanding this distortion could help scientists “de-blur” images of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*.

The Center for Astrophysics published this original article on May 13, 2026. Edits by EarthSky.

Detecting interstellar turbulence

The space between stars in our galaxy, known as the interstellar medium, is churning with clouds of ionized gas and electrons. When waves of light from distant objects pass through this turbulent material, they are bent and distorted in the same way heat haze rising above a fire distorts our view of everything behind it. That distortion has long allowed astronomers to infer that the turbulence exists, but understanding its structure has remained out of reach … until now.

Now, astronomers say they have made the first direct detection of interstellar turbulence distorting light. And they say the findings will help us produce clearer images of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

The researchers, led by the Harvard and Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics, published their peer-reviewed research in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on May 13, 2026.

An insightful quasar

To measure the interstellar turbulence, astronomers set their sights on quasar TXS 2005+403, a bright radio source powered by a supermassive black hole that is located roughly 10 billion light-years away from Earth, in the constellation Cygnus the Swan.

As radio light from the quasar travels toward Earth, it passes through the Cygnus region of the galaxy. That’s one of the most turbulent and strongly scattering environments in the Milky Way. The turbulence deflects and distorts the radio waves.

Alexander Plavin, an astronomer at the CfA’s Black Hole Initiative and lead author of the new paper, said:

Most of what we see in the radio data isn’t coming from the quasar itself, it’s coming from the scattering caused by the turbulence in this region of the Milky Way. That scattering and the distortions that come with it are what allows us to study the turbulence and better understand and infer its structure.

Imagery revealed light patterns consistent with turbulence

To get a better look at the effects of interstellar turbulence on light from the quasar, scientists analyzed nearly a decade of archival observations from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA). Operated by NSF’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO), the NSF VLBA is a network of ten radio telescopes spread across the country.

Scientists expected that when radio light from TXS 2005+403 passed though the Milky Way, it would spread out into a smooth blur and fade away. Instead, they found persistent, distinct patterns, producing structured, patchy distortions in the light that could only have come from turbulence. Pavin said:

The most distant pairs of telescopes should not have seen the quasar image, but to our surprise, they clearly detected its signal, or faint glow.

It can’t be explained by simple blurring or by the quasar itself, and it behaves the way turbulence is expected to, which is how we know we’re seeing the effects of interstellar turbulence.

Plavin added that the scattering properties along this line of sight through the galaxy remain persistent over time.

Understanding how gas behaves in our galaxy

The findings have significant implications for future astronomical research. The turbulence the researchers detected exists at scales roughly the size of our solar system. Understanding it helps explain how energy moves through the galaxy and how gas behaves before collapsing to form new stars.

The findings may also directly inform efforts to sharpen images of black holes. The Event Horizon Telescope’s images of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, are degraded by this same interstellar scattering. Studying how turbulence scatters radio light over time and different frequencies provides a path toward removing its effects from those images.

The team has begun a follow-up observing campaign with the NSF VLBA running through 2026. They aim to measure the specific properties of the screen created by this turbulence and track how it changes as the gas moves relative to Earth.

You deserve a daily dose of good news. For the latest in science and the night sky, subscribe to EarthSky’s free daily newsletter.

Bottom line: For the first time, astronomers have directly detected how interstellar turbulence distorts the light from distant objects in our galaxy.

Source: Direct Very Long Baseline Interferometry Detection of Interstellar Turbulence Imprint on a Quasar: TXS 2005+403

Via Harvard and Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics

Read more: Why no radio signals from aliens? Is space weather to blame?

The post Interstellar turbulence in the Milky Way distorts light first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/W5NrijF

Radio light from quasar TXS 2005+403 travels roughly 10 billion light-years to reach Earth. It passes through the Cygnus region, one of the most turbulent environments in our Milky Way Galaxy. On the left, this artist’s illustration shows the quasar as it truly appears. On the right, we see how turbulent gas distorts scientists’ view of the quasar in much the same way heat haze from a fire warps our view of the objects behind it. A new study has, for the 1st time, directly detected how this interstellar turbulence distorts light from distant objects. Image via Center for Astrophysics/ Melissa Weiss.

• For the first time, astronomers have directly detected how turbulent gas between stars distorts light.
• These turbulent structures occur at scales roughly the size of our solar system.
• Understanding this distortion could help scientists “de-blur” images of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*.

The Center for Astrophysics published this original article on May 13, 2026. Edits by EarthSky.

Detecting interstellar turbulence

The space between stars in our galaxy, known as the interstellar medium, is churning with clouds of ionized gas and electrons. When waves of light from distant objects pass through this turbulent material, they are bent and distorted in the same way heat haze rising above a fire distorts our view of everything behind it. That distortion has long allowed astronomers to infer that the turbulence exists, but understanding its structure has remained out of reach … until now.

Now, astronomers say they have made the first direct detection of interstellar turbulence distorting light. And they say the findings will help us produce clearer images of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

The researchers, led by the Harvard and Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics, published their peer-reviewed research in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on May 13, 2026.

An insightful quasar

To measure the interstellar turbulence, astronomers set their sights on quasar TXS 2005+403, a bright radio source powered by a supermassive black hole that is located roughly 10 billion light-years away from Earth, in the constellation Cygnus the Swan.

As radio light from the quasar travels toward Earth, it passes through the Cygnus region of the galaxy. That’s one of the most turbulent and strongly scattering environments in the Milky Way. The turbulence deflects and distorts the radio waves.

Alexander Plavin, an astronomer at the CfA’s Black Hole Initiative and lead author of the new paper, said:

Most of what we see in the radio data isn’t coming from the quasar itself, it’s coming from the scattering caused by the turbulence in this region of the Milky Way. That scattering and the distortions that come with it are what allows us to study the turbulence and better understand and infer its structure.

Imagery revealed light patterns consistent with turbulence

To get a better look at the effects of interstellar turbulence on light from the quasar, scientists analyzed nearly a decade of archival observations from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA). Operated by NSF’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO), the NSF VLBA is a network of ten radio telescopes spread across the country.

Scientists expected that when radio light from TXS 2005+403 passed though the Milky Way, it would spread out into a smooth blur and fade away. Instead, they found persistent, distinct patterns, producing structured, patchy distortions in the light that could only have come from turbulence. Pavin said:

The most distant pairs of telescopes should not have seen the quasar image, but to our surprise, they clearly detected its signal, or faint glow.

It can’t be explained by simple blurring or by the quasar itself, and it behaves the way turbulence is expected to, which is how we know we’re seeing the effects of interstellar turbulence.

Plavin added that the scattering properties along this line of sight through the galaxy remain persistent over time.

Understanding how gas behaves in our galaxy

The findings have significant implications for future astronomical research. The turbulence the researchers detected exists at scales roughly the size of our solar system. Understanding it helps explain how energy moves through the galaxy and how gas behaves before collapsing to form new stars.

The findings may also directly inform efforts to sharpen images of black holes. The Event Horizon Telescope’s images of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, are degraded by this same interstellar scattering. Studying how turbulence scatters radio light over time and different frequencies provides a path toward removing its effects from those images.

The team has begun a follow-up observing campaign with the NSF VLBA running through 2026. They aim to measure the specific properties of the screen created by this turbulence and track how it changes as the gas moves relative to Earth.

You deserve a daily dose of good news. For the latest in science and the night sky, subscribe to EarthSky’s free daily newsletter.

Bottom line: For the first time, astronomers have directly detected how interstellar turbulence distorts the light from distant objects in our galaxy.

Source: Direct Very Long Baseline Interferometry Detection of Interstellar Turbulence Imprint on a Quasar: TXS 2005+403

Via Harvard and Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics

Read more: Why no radio signals from aliens? Is space weather to blame?

The post Interstellar turbulence in the Milky Way distorts light first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/W5NrijF

Find the Keystone in Hercules, and the Hercules Cluster M13

Hercules is a faint constellation. But its mid-section contains the easy-to-see Keystone star pattern. You can find Hercules between the bright stars Vega in Lyra the Harp, and Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman. And once you find its Keystone, you can easily locate M13, the Hercules cluster. Chart via EarthSky.

Use Vega to locate the Keystone in Hercules

In late spring from mid-northern latitudes, you can easily find the brilliant blue-white star Vega in the eastern sky at dusk and nightfall. And this star, which lies in the constellation Lyra the Harp, acts as your guide star to the Keystone, a wedge-shaped pattern of four stars in neighboring constellation Hercules.

Look for the Keystone asterism – star pattern – to the upper right of Vega. If you hold your fist at arm’s length, it’ll easily fit between Vega and the Keystone.

Also, you can locate the Keystone by using Vega in conjunction with the brilliant yellow-orange star Arcturus, in Boötes the Herdsman. From mid-northern latitudes this time of year, Arcturus is found quite high in the eastern sky at nightfall. Then, by late evening, Arcturus moves high overhead. The Keystone is found about 1/3 of the way from Vega to Arcturus.

As darkness falls, look for the Keystone in Hercules to the upper right of the brilliant star Vega. Chart via EarthSky.

Use the Keystone to find M13

Furthermore, the Keystone is your ticket to find a famous globular star cluster in Hercules, otherwise known as the Hercules cluster, aka Messier 13 or M13.

Most likely, you’ll need binoculars to see the Hercules cluster. Sharp-eyed people can see it with the unaided eye in a dark, transparent sky. Through binoculars, this cluster looks like a dim smudge or a somewhat fuzzy star. However, a telescope begins to resolve this faint fuzzy object into what it really is: a huge globe-shaped stellar city populated with hundreds of thousands of stars!

The Keystone and the Hercules cluster will swing high overhead after midnight, and are found in the western sky before dawn.

Can you find the Keystone on this chart? See the compact grouping of 4 stars at the center of Hercules? That’s it. Note the whereabouts of Messier 13 within the Keystone pattern. Also, above the Keystone is another globular cluster, M92. It’s a bit smaller and dimmer than M13, but also easy to pick up in binoculars or a telescope. Image via International Astronomical Union/ Sky & Telescope/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Photos of M13 from EarthSky Community Photos

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Surry, Virginia, made this comparison of 2 famous globular star clusters on April 17, 2026. Steven wrote: “A large and a giant globular cluster: M13 and Omega Centauri (NGC 5139), imaged with the same gear on the same night.” Steven told us that M13 – the cluster on the left, about 22,000 light-years away – contains approximately 400,000 stars and takes up about 0.36 degrees of sky. Omega Centauri, aka NGC 5139, is a giant globular cluster. It’s on the right in this composite. It contains 10 million stars and takes up about 0.6 degrees of sky, larger than a full moon seen from Earth. It is 17,000 light years away. Thank you, Steven!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), captured this telescopic view of the great Hercules Cluster on April 26, 2025. Tameem wrote: “This image features the beautiful globular cluster Messier 13, also historically known as the Al-Jathi Cluster. Located in the constellation Hercules, M13 lies about 22,200 light-years away from Earth and has an estimated age of 11.65 billion years. It contains several hundred thousand ancient stars, densely packed into a region about 213 light-years across. In the same field of view, the spiral galaxy NGC 6207 and the faint active galaxy IC 4617 are visible.” Thank you, Tameem!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tom Cofer in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, captured this telescopic view of Messier 13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, on March 14, 2025. Tom wrote: “A snow globe of stars!” Thank you, Tom!

Finding the Hercules Cluster from Southern Latitudes

Via Daniel Gaussen, Founder & Guide – Stargaze Mackenzie – New Zealand

The great globular cluster M13 is also visible for Southern Hemisphere viewers, although it never climbs especially high above the horizon and never becomes as prominent as it does for observers farther north. Like Northern Hemisphere observers, southern observers require dark skies to glimpse a very faint M13 with the unaided eye. Through binoculars it appears as a faint hazy patch, while telescopes begin to resolve its densely packed population of ancient stars.

M13’s home constellation Hercules becomes visible during late autumn and is best placed during winter nights. You can still find Hercules’ Keystone by using the bright star Vega, low in the northeastern sky, to guide the way west. Because Hercules remains low above the northern horizon from southern latitudes, a clear northern horizon and dark skies greatly improve the view. Even so, the Keystone can still be recognised as a compact quadrilateral pattern west (or left) of Vega.

M13 competes with the Southern Hemisphere’s own spectacular globular clusters, particularly Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae. Both appear much larger and brighter from southern latitudes, often climbing high overhead, and provide a striking comparison to the Hercules Cluster. Nonetheless, M13 is a worthwhile target for Southern Hemisphere observers to seek out.

Bottom line: Let the bright star Vega guide you to a famous star pattern in Hercules – called the Keystone – and then to the Hercules cluster, aka M13, a famous globular star cluster.

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

EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store

The post Find the Keystone in Hercules, and the Hercules Cluster M13 first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/ruIX2B5

Hercules is a faint constellation. But its mid-section contains the easy-to-see Keystone star pattern. You can find Hercules between the bright stars Vega in Lyra the Harp, and Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman. And once you find its Keystone, you can easily locate M13, the Hercules cluster. Chart via EarthSky.

Use Vega to locate the Keystone in Hercules

In late spring from mid-northern latitudes, you can easily find the brilliant blue-white star Vega in the eastern sky at dusk and nightfall. And this star, which lies in the constellation Lyra the Harp, acts as your guide star to the Keystone, a wedge-shaped pattern of four stars in neighboring constellation Hercules.

Look for the Keystone asterism – star pattern – to the upper right of Vega. If you hold your fist at arm’s length, it’ll easily fit between Vega and the Keystone.

Also, you can locate the Keystone by using Vega in conjunction with the brilliant yellow-orange star Arcturus, in Boötes the Herdsman. From mid-northern latitudes this time of year, Arcturus is found quite high in the eastern sky at nightfall. Then, by late evening, Arcturus moves high overhead. The Keystone is found about 1/3 of the way from Vega to Arcturus.

As darkness falls, look for the Keystone in Hercules to the upper right of the brilliant star Vega. Chart via EarthSky.

Use the Keystone to find M13

Furthermore, the Keystone is your ticket to find a famous globular star cluster in Hercules, otherwise known as the Hercules cluster, aka Messier 13 or M13.

Most likely, you’ll need binoculars to see the Hercules cluster. Sharp-eyed people can see it with the unaided eye in a dark, transparent sky. Through binoculars, this cluster looks like a dim smudge or a somewhat fuzzy star. However, a telescope begins to resolve this faint fuzzy object into what it really is: a huge globe-shaped stellar city populated with hundreds of thousands of stars!

The Keystone and the Hercules cluster will swing high overhead after midnight, and are found in the western sky before dawn.

Can you find the Keystone on this chart? See the compact grouping of 4 stars at the center of Hercules? That’s it. Note the whereabouts of Messier 13 within the Keystone pattern. Also, above the Keystone is another globular cluster, M92. It’s a bit smaller and dimmer than M13, but also easy to pick up in binoculars or a telescope. Image via International Astronomical Union/ Sky & Telescope/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Photos of M13 from EarthSky Community Photos

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Surry, Virginia, made this comparison of 2 famous globular star clusters on April 17, 2026. Steven wrote: “A large and a giant globular cluster: M13 and Omega Centauri (NGC 5139), imaged with the same gear on the same night.” Steven told us that M13 – the cluster on the left, about 22,000 light-years away – contains approximately 400,000 stars and takes up about 0.36 degrees of sky. Omega Centauri, aka NGC 5139, is a giant globular cluster. It’s on the right in this composite. It contains 10 million stars and takes up about 0.6 degrees of sky, larger than a full moon seen from Earth. It is 17,000 light years away. Thank you, Steven!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), captured this telescopic view of the great Hercules Cluster on April 26, 2025. Tameem wrote: “This image features the beautiful globular cluster Messier 13, also historically known as the Al-Jathi Cluster. Located in the constellation Hercules, M13 lies about 22,200 light-years away from Earth and has an estimated age of 11.65 billion years. It contains several hundred thousand ancient stars, densely packed into a region about 213 light-years across. In the same field of view, the spiral galaxy NGC 6207 and the faint active galaxy IC 4617 are visible.” Thank you, Tameem!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tom Cofer in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, captured this telescopic view of Messier 13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, on March 14, 2025. Tom wrote: “A snow globe of stars!” Thank you, Tom!

Finding the Hercules Cluster from Southern Latitudes

Via Daniel Gaussen, Founder & Guide – Stargaze Mackenzie – New Zealand

The great globular cluster M13 is also visible for Southern Hemisphere viewers, although it never climbs especially high above the horizon and never becomes as prominent as it does for observers farther north. Like Northern Hemisphere observers, southern observers require dark skies to glimpse a very faint M13 with the unaided eye. Through binoculars it appears as a faint hazy patch, while telescopes begin to resolve its densely packed population of ancient stars.

M13’s home constellation Hercules becomes visible during late autumn and is best placed during winter nights. You can still find Hercules’ Keystone by using the bright star Vega, low in the northeastern sky, to guide the way west. Because Hercules remains low above the northern horizon from southern latitudes, a clear northern horizon and dark skies greatly improve the view. Even so, the Keystone can still be recognised as a compact quadrilateral pattern west (or left) of Vega.

M13 competes with the Southern Hemisphere’s own spectacular globular clusters, particularly Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae. Both appear much larger and brighter from southern latitudes, often climbing high overhead, and provide a striking comparison to the Hercules Cluster. Nonetheless, M13 is a worthwhile target for Southern Hemisphere observers to seek out.

Bottom line: Let the bright star Vega guide you to a famous star pattern in Hercules – called the Keystone – and then to the Hercules cluster, aka M13, a famous globular star cluster.

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

EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store

The post Find the Keystone in Hercules, and the Hercules Cluster M13 first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/ruIX2B5

The binturong is a strange mammal that smells like popcorn

Meet the mammal that smells like popcorn: the binturong. Image via GabruPawPixels/ Pixabay.

Imagine walking through a Southeast Asian rainforest and catching the unmistakable scent of warm buttered popcorn drifting through the trees. Hmm … is there a popcorn stand in the middle of the forest? The source is likely something far stranger: a shaggy, whiskered mammal with a curling tail and the face of an animal you can’t quite identify.

Meet the binturong, sometimes called the “bearcat”, though it is neither a bear nor a cat. It has dark fur, bright eyes and travels high through the forest canopy with slow, deliberate movements. There is only one species of binturong in the world. And the deeper scientists look into this creature, the more surprising it becomes.

What does a binturong look like?

At first glance, a binturong looks like several animals stitched together.

It has the stocky body of a small bear, long whiskers like a cat and shaggy black fur that often appears slightly frosted at the tips. An adult can grow up to 3 feet (about 90 centimeters) in body length, with an equally impressive bushy tail.

But perhaps the binturong’s most remarkable feature is that its tail is prehensile, meaning it can grip branches like an extra limb. This is something only a handful of carnivorous mammals can do. As the binturong climbs through the treetops, its tail acts almost like a built-in safety rope, helping the animal balance and move among branches.

Its long whiskers might be just as important. Since binturongs are mostly active at night, these highly sensitive whiskers help them sense nearby branches and move through the canopy in the dark.

Its ears are small and rounded, often decorated with tufts of fur, giving the animal a permanently curious expression.

Shaggy, whiskered and perfectly at ease in the treetops, the binturong is one of the few carnivorous mammals with a tail strong enough to grip branches. Image via Kristin Faye/ Pexels.

A life above the forest floor

Binturongs live in the tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia, from India and Nepal to Indonesia and the Philippines. But spotting one in the wild is not easy.

These animals spend much of their lives high in the forest canopy and are mostly active at night. Rather than leaping dramatically through the trees, binturongs tend to move slowly and carefully, climbing branch by branch with surprising confidence.

That relaxed attitude becomes especially clear during the day, when binturongs have occasionally been spotted lounging on branches and quietly basking in the sun — as if rainforest life comes with no particular sense of hurry.

Although classified as carnivores, they have an unexpectedly fruit-heavy diet. Their favorite food is figs, which can make up a large part of what they eat. But they are not picky diners. Binturongs may also snack on birds, fish, insects, eggs and small mammals when the opportunity arises.

Their appetite for fruit makes them important forest helpers. After eating, they spread seeds across the rainforest through their droppings, helping new plants grow. In some forests, scientists consider them key seed dispersers.

These animals move slowly in the rainforest canopy of South and Southeast Asia, but they do so with confidence, as they are amazing climbers. Image via Marjonhorn/ Pixabay.

Why does a binturong smell like popcorn?

Perhaps the binturong’s strangest claim to fame is not what it looks like, but what it smells like.

Many people describe its scent as freshly popped popcorn, warm corn chips or even buttered bread drifting through the forest canopy. It is an unexpectedly pleasant aroma for such an elusive rainforest animal. But the source is far less appetizing.

The smell comes from a chemical compound found in its urine called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. It’s the same molecule responsible for the scent of popcorn and freshly baked bread.

This surprising “snack aroma” is actually part of how this animal communicates. Binturongs use scent-marking as they move through the trees, leaving invisible messages along branches that may signal territory, announce their presence or even help attract a mate. In a dense rainforest where visibility is limited, smell can work almost like a calling card.

So if you think you smell popcorn in a rainforest, it might be worth wondering who has just passed through …

Can you smell it? Is it popcorn? Or … a binturong? Image via Jakafp/ Pixabay.

Curious facts about the binturong

The more you learn about binturongs, the stranger they seem.

Despite being called “bearcats,” they belong to neither group. They are unique members of the civet family (Viverridae). There is only one species of binturong in the world.

They can also be surprisingly vocal. Binturongs may chuckle, purr, snort or even make sounds resembling soft giggles, depending on their mood.

And while they often appear calm and slightly clumsy, they are skilled climbers. Their strong claws and grasping tail allow them to descend trees headfirst – no easy task for such a heavy-bodied mammal.

Binturongs know how to relax. Here they are, sunbathing and enjoying themselves after a long night of climbing. Image via Kevinsphotos/ Pixabay.

Baby binturongs are tiny tree-dwellers

Life begins in the dark for a newborn binturong, which is born blind and relies entirely on its mother before it’s strong enough to climb.

Binturongs usually arrive in small litters of one to three, nestled in a hidden nest high above the forest floor. For the first weeks, their world is limited to warmth, scent and sound, as their bodies slowly develop the coordination needed for life in the canopy.

As they grow, their movements become more deliberate. What begins as cautious exploration soon turns into practice climbs through branches, guided by a mother who stays close and attentive.

Unlike some solitary mammals, young binturongs may remain with their mother for an extended period, gradually learning the slow, careful way of moving that defines their species. Their grasping tail, which will one day help them move with confidence through the treetops, starts out as just another untrained limb.

By the time they are fully independent, they already carry the habits of the canopy: steady, deliberate and always a little unhurried.

Look at these cubs at Perth Zoo.

Are binturongs endangered?

The binturong is currently considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Its biggest threats are habitat loss from deforestation, the illegal wildlife trade and hunting in some regions. As tropical forests disappear, the quiet pathways binturongs use through the canopy become fragmented.

And that would be a loss not only for the rainforest, but for the rest of us too.

After all, few animals remind us quite so vividly that nature still holds surprises: creatures that smell like popcorn, climb using their tails and quietly help forests grow, all while remaining hidden among the leaves.

Though carnivores, they delight in fruit and, in their quiet way, help the forest bloom — and we would feel their absence just as much as the forest would. Image via Magda-Ehlers/ Pexels.

Bottom line: The binturong is a strange mammal that smells like popcorn, lives high in the trees and quietly helps tropical forests grow.

Read more: The tree-kangaroo lives in the hidden world of the treetops

Read more: The pangolin: An armored, insect-controlling mammal

The post The binturong is a strange mammal that smells like popcorn first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/BD4SAVX

Meet the mammal that smells like popcorn: the binturong. Image via GabruPawPixels/ Pixabay.

Imagine walking through a Southeast Asian rainforest and catching the unmistakable scent of warm buttered popcorn drifting through the trees. Hmm … is there a popcorn stand in the middle of the forest? The source is likely something far stranger: a shaggy, whiskered mammal with a curling tail and the face of an animal you can’t quite identify.

Meet the binturong, sometimes called the “bearcat”, though it is neither a bear nor a cat. It has dark fur, bright eyes and travels high through the forest canopy with slow, deliberate movements. There is only one species of binturong in the world. And the deeper scientists look into this creature, the more surprising it becomes.

What does a binturong look like?

At first glance, a binturong looks like several animals stitched together.

It has the stocky body of a small bear, long whiskers like a cat and shaggy black fur that often appears slightly frosted at the tips. An adult can grow up to 3 feet (about 90 centimeters) in body length, with an equally impressive bushy tail.

But perhaps the binturong’s most remarkable feature is that its tail is prehensile, meaning it can grip branches like an extra limb. This is something only a handful of carnivorous mammals can do. As the binturong climbs through the treetops, its tail acts almost like a built-in safety rope, helping the animal balance and move among branches.

Its long whiskers might be just as important. Since binturongs are mostly active at night, these highly sensitive whiskers help them sense nearby branches and move through the canopy in the dark.

Its ears are small and rounded, often decorated with tufts of fur, giving the animal a permanently curious expression.

Shaggy, whiskered and perfectly at ease in the treetops, the binturong is one of the few carnivorous mammals with a tail strong enough to grip branches. Image via Kristin Faye/ Pexels.

A life above the forest floor

Binturongs live in the tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia, from India and Nepal to Indonesia and the Philippines. But spotting one in the wild is not easy.

These animals spend much of their lives high in the forest canopy and are mostly active at night. Rather than leaping dramatically through the trees, binturongs tend to move slowly and carefully, climbing branch by branch with surprising confidence.

That relaxed attitude becomes especially clear during the day, when binturongs have occasionally been spotted lounging on branches and quietly basking in the sun — as if rainforest life comes with no particular sense of hurry.

Although classified as carnivores, they have an unexpectedly fruit-heavy diet. Their favorite food is figs, which can make up a large part of what they eat. But they are not picky diners. Binturongs may also snack on birds, fish, insects, eggs and small mammals when the opportunity arises.

Their appetite for fruit makes them important forest helpers. After eating, they spread seeds across the rainforest through their droppings, helping new plants grow. In some forests, scientists consider them key seed dispersers.

These animals move slowly in the rainforest canopy of South and Southeast Asia, but they do so with confidence, as they are amazing climbers. Image via Marjonhorn/ Pixabay.

Why does a binturong smell like popcorn?

Perhaps the binturong’s strangest claim to fame is not what it looks like, but what it smells like.

Many people describe its scent as freshly popped popcorn, warm corn chips or even buttered bread drifting through the forest canopy. It is an unexpectedly pleasant aroma for such an elusive rainforest animal. But the source is far less appetizing.

The smell comes from a chemical compound found in its urine called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. It’s the same molecule responsible for the scent of popcorn and freshly baked bread.

This surprising “snack aroma” is actually part of how this animal communicates. Binturongs use scent-marking as they move through the trees, leaving invisible messages along branches that may signal territory, announce their presence or even help attract a mate. In a dense rainforest where visibility is limited, smell can work almost like a calling card.

So if you think you smell popcorn in a rainforest, it might be worth wondering who has just passed through …

Can you smell it? Is it popcorn? Or … a binturong? Image via Jakafp/ Pixabay.

Curious facts about the binturong

The more you learn about binturongs, the stranger they seem.

Despite being called “bearcats,” they belong to neither group. They are unique members of the civet family (Viverridae). There is only one species of binturong in the world.

They can also be surprisingly vocal. Binturongs may chuckle, purr, snort or even make sounds resembling soft giggles, depending on their mood.

And while they often appear calm and slightly clumsy, they are skilled climbers. Their strong claws and grasping tail allow them to descend trees headfirst – no easy task for such a heavy-bodied mammal.

Binturongs know how to relax. Here they are, sunbathing and enjoying themselves after a long night of climbing. Image via Kevinsphotos/ Pixabay.

Baby binturongs are tiny tree-dwellers

Life begins in the dark for a newborn binturong, which is born blind and relies entirely on its mother before it’s strong enough to climb.

Binturongs usually arrive in small litters of one to three, nestled in a hidden nest high above the forest floor. For the first weeks, their world is limited to warmth, scent and sound, as their bodies slowly develop the coordination needed for life in the canopy.

As they grow, their movements become more deliberate. What begins as cautious exploration soon turns into practice climbs through branches, guided by a mother who stays close and attentive.

Unlike some solitary mammals, young binturongs may remain with their mother for an extended period, gradually learning the slow, careful way of moving that defines their species. Their grasping tail, which will one day help them move with confidence through the treetops, starts out as just another untrained limb.

By the time they are fully independent, they already carry the habits of the canopy: steady, deliberate and always a little unhurried.

Look at these cubs at Perth Zoo.

Are binturongs endangered?

The binturong is currently considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Its biggest threats are habitat loss from deforestation, the illegal wildlife trade and hunting in some regions. As tropical forests disappear, the quiet pathways binturongs use through the canopy become fragmented.

And that would be a loss not only for the rainforest, but for the rest of us too.

After all, few animals remind us quite so vividly that nature still holds surprises: creatures that smell like popcorn, climb using their tails and quietly help forests grow, all while remaining hidden among the leaves.

Though carnivores, they delight in fruit and, in their quiet way, help the forest bloom — and we would feel their absence just as much as the forest would. Image via Magda-Ehlers/ Pexels.

Bottom line: The binturong is a strange mammal that smells like popcorn, lives high in the trees and quietly helps tropical forests grow.

Read more: The tree-kangaroo lives in the hidden world of the treetops

Read more: The pangolin: An armored, insect-controlling mammal

The post The binturong is a strange mammal that smells like popcorn first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/BD4SAVX

Venus-Jupiter conjunction in June: Start watching now!

On June 8 and 9, 2026, Venus and Jupiter will have a spectacular conjunction. They’ll be approximately 3 moon-widths apart (roughly 1.5 degrees). But you can start watching them get closer now! See more charts for the nights leading up to the Venus-Jupiter conjunction below. Image via EarthSky.

Don’t miss the next unmissable night sky event. Sign up for EarthSky’s free newsletter and get daily night sky updates!

See the Venus-Jupiter conjunction

As seen from all of Earth, an amazing event is coming to our evening sky. And you can start watching now! It’s a spectacular conjunction of the sky’s two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter. Their closest pairing is around June 8 and 9.

Look west after sunset. As darkness falls, Venus is the first planet you’ll see. Jupiter – only slightly fainter than Venus – will appear next. It’s a bit higher than Venus in the western twilight. Watch every night as evening twilight fades, and as the planets creep closer together.

See the charts below for the moon’s passage this week past these two blazing worlds. We also show charts for the end of May, when Venus and Jupiter will be getting close!

Then wow! By June 6 or 7, the planets will be really close! And when June 8 and 9 arrives – their evenings of closest approach – these two blazing worlds in our evening sky will be only about 1.5 degrees apart. Your pinky held at arm’s length should just fit between the two planets. Don’t miss this!

In early June, as seen from Earth’s Northern or Southern Hemisphere, the planetary pair will set more than two hours after sunset.

Optical aid will enhance the view

You definitely won’t need binoculars or a telescope to see Venus and Jupiter. They’ll outshine all the stars!

But ordinary binoculars will give you an enhanced view. When closest, Venus and Jupiter will easily fit into your binoculars’ field of view. Look for a subtle color difference, with Venus piercing white and Jupiter slightly creamier or yellowish.

With a tripod or steady hand (or by leaning against a wall or fence), your binoculars might show you one or two of Jupiter’s four largest moons. These are the famous Galilean satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto). They’ll look like tiny pinpricks of light, in a line bisecting the planet.

Meanwhile, a telescope will reveal more. Venus is currently in a gibbous phase, between half and fully lit. Didn’t know Venus shows phases? It does!

Brightest vs. biggest

Jupiter and Venus look roughly the same size in our sky. But, if you could see them side by side in space, you’d find Jupiter about 12 times wider than Venus. Also, you could fit over 1,000 Venuses inside Jupiter. So why does Venus look brighter to us?

For one, Venus is much closer to us than Jupiter. Right now the two planets might look close together in our sky. But in reality they’re quite far apart. Venus is currently about 111 million miles (180 million km) from Earth. And Jupiter is much farther away at 560 million miles (900 million km) from Earth.

And here’s reason #2 why Venus looks brighter. It’s covered with thick clouds that are good at reflecting sunlight. Venus reflects about 70% of the sunlight that strikes it. Jupiter reflects about 52% of the sunlight that strikes it.

Read more: Why is Venus so bright in our Earth’s sky?

May 17-20 (Northern Hemisphere): Moon, Venus, Jupiter!

The day after new moon – as seen from the Northern Hemisphere – a razor-thin young moon will appear low in the west after sunset. This is a great time of year to see young moons low in the western sky. Blazing Venus will be above the moon on May 17. And bright Jupiter will be above Venus. Don’t miss these next few evenings! And keep an eye on these planets, the two brightest planets visible from Earth. They will be only 3 moon-widths apart around June 8 and 9. Spectacular! Chart via EarthSky.

Wow! Here’s the Northern Hemisphere view of the slender young moon and blazing Venus – the brightest planet – on May 18, 2026. Look west shortly after sunset. Jupiter, the 2nd-brightest planet, will be above them. So beautiful! Chart via EarthSky.

This is a great time of year to see planets in the west after sunset from the Northern Hemisphere. On May 19, 2026, the waxing crescent moon will lie between Venus and Jupiter. Watch for them in the west shortly after sunset. They’ll all set around midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

On May 20, 2026, the waxing crescent moon will float close to Jupiter (2nd-brightest planet) and above brilliant Venus (brightest planet). It’ll be a beautiful evening scene. Look west shortly after the sun goes down. By the way, Venus and Jupiter are inching closer together on the sky’s dome. Their conjunction will fall around June 8 and 9. Chart via EarthSky.

These charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

May 19-21 (Southern Hemisphere): Moon, Venus, Jupiter!

We set these Southern Hemisphere charts for longitudes around New Zealand and Australia. And so the dates are shifted (because these charts are across the International Date Line), in contrast to the Northern Hemisphere charts above. Here is the the young moon near brilliant Venus – the brightest planet – on May 19, as seen from New Zealand and Australia. Watch for them in the west shortly after sunset. Jupiter, the 2nd-brightest planet, will be above them. They’ll be an eye-catching sight! Chart via EarthSky.

From Australia and New Zealand on May 20, the waxing crescent moon will lie between Venus and Jupiter. Watch for them in the west shortly after sunset. They’ll all set around midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

From Australia and New Zealand on May 21, 2026, the waxing crescent moon will float close to Jupiter (2nd-brightest planet) and above brilliant Venus (brightest planet). It’ll be a beautiful evening scene. Look west shortly after the sun goes down. By the way, Venus and Jupiter are inching closer together on the sky’s dome. Their conjunction will fall around June 8 and 9. Keep an eye on them for the next few weeks! Chart via EarthSky.

These charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Northern and Southern Hemispheres in late May

For viewers in the Northern Hemisphere, on the last few days of May, little Mercury will appear in the bright evening twilight low above the western horizon. Brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter will shine nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

For viewers in the Southern Hemisphere, on the last few days of May, little Mercury will appear in the bright evening twilight low above the western horizon. Brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter will shine nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

Venus-Jupiter conjunction: What else to watch for

While watching for Venus and Jupiter, you might also notice some other bright points of light nearby.

Gemini’s twin stars, Castor and Pollux, are a bit to the north (right) of the planets. They’re not nearly as bright as Venus and Jupiter. But they’ll mimic the “doubleness” of the two planets. So they’ll be noticeable if your sky is dark enough.

And lower down, closer to the horizon, you might spot another planet, elusive Mercury. It should be fairly bright, but not nearly as bright as Venus and Jupiter.

What to watch for after June 9

After the close June 9 conjunction, Venus will appear each evening a little farther from the sunset point than Jupiter. Its greatest elongation, or greatest apparent distance from the sun in the twilight sky, will fall on August 14-15, 2026. Afterwards, Venus will drop sunward. It’ll pass between us and the sun in October 2026, and afterwards emerge in the east before dawn.

Meanwhile, Jupiter will continue dropping steadily down toward the sunset point. It’ll pass into the sun’s glare in July 2026, moving behind the sun from Earth. It’ll emerge in the east before dawn after about mid-August.

On June 16, a thin crescent moon will make a triangle with Jupiter and Mercury. And on June 17, the moon will be just a bit higher than Venus. Use binoculars to look between the moon and Venus in order to spot a pretty star cluster known as the Beehive. This cluster buzzing with stars lies in the constellation Cancer the Crab.

More charts to come! Stay tuned.

Bottom line: Get ready for a spectacular Venus-Jupiter conjunction! You can already start watching the planets now as they get closer in the evening sky after sunset. The big event happens on June 8 and 9, 2026.

The post Venus-Jupiter conjunction in June: Start watching now! first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/EMOZaTw

On June 8 and 9, 2026, Venus and Jupiter will have a spectacular conjunction. They’ll be approximately 3 moon-widths apart (roughly 1.5 degrees). But you can start watching them get closer now! See more charts for the nights leading up to the Venus-Jupiter conjunction below. Image via EarthSky.

Don’t miss the next unmissable night sky event. Sign up for EarthSky’s free newsletter and get daily night sky updates!

See the Venus-Jupiter conjunction

As seen from all of Earth, an amazing event is coming to our evening sky. And you can start watching now! It’s a spectacular conjunction of the sky’s two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter. Their closest pairing is around June 8 and 9.

Look west after sunset. As darkness falls, Venus is the first planet you’ll see. Jupiter – only slightly fainter than Venus – will appear next. It’s a bit higher than Venus in the western twilight. Watch every night as evening twilight fades, and as the planets creep closer together.

See the charts below for the moon’s passage this week past these two blazing worlds. We also show charts for the end of May, when Venus and Jupiter will be getting close!

Then wow! By June 6 or 7, the planets will be really close! And when June 8 and 9 arrives – their evenings of closest approach – these two blazing worlds in our evening sky will be only about 1.5 degrees apart. Your pinky held at arm’s length should just fit between the two planets. Don’t miss this!

In early June, as seen from Earth’s Northern or Southern Hemisphere, the planetary pair will set more than two hours after sunset.

Optical aid will enhance the view

You definitely won’t need binoculars or a telescope to see Venus and Jupiter. They’ll outshine all the stars!

But ordinary binoculars will give you an enhanced view. When closest, Venus and Jupiter will easily fit into your binoculars’ field of view. Look for a subtle color difference, with Venus piercing white and Jupiter slightly creamier or yellowish.

With a tripod or steady hand (or by leaning against a wall or fence), your binoculars might show you one or two of Jupiter’s four largest moons. These are the famous Galilean satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto). They’ll look like tiny pinpricks of light, in a line bisecting the planet.

Meanwhile, a telescope will reveal more. Venus is currently in a gibbous phase, between half and fully lit. Didn’t know Venus shows phases? It does!

Brightest vs. biggest

Jupiter and Venus look roughly the same size in our sky. But, if you could see them side by side in space, you’d find Jupiter about 12 times wider than Venus. Also, you could fit over 1,000 Venuses inside Jupiter. So why does Venus look brighter to us?

For one, Venus is much closer to us than Jupiter. Right now the two planets might look close together in our sky. But in reality they’re quite far apart. Venus is currently about 111 million miles (180 million km) from Earth. And Jupiter is much farther away at 560 million miles (900 million km) from Earth.

And here’s reason #2 why Venus looks brighter. It’s covered with thick clouds that are good at reflecting sunlight. Venus reflects about 70% of the sunlight that strikes it. Jupiter reflects about 52% of the sunlight that strikes it.

Read more: Why is Venus so bright in our Earth’s sky?

May 17-20 (Northern Hemisphere): Moon, Venus, Jupiter!

The day after new moon – as seen from the Northern Hemisphere – a razor-thin young moon will appear low in the west after sunset. This is a great time of year to see young moons low in the western sky. Blazing Venus will be above the moon on May 17. And bright Jupiter will be above Venus. Don’t miss these next few evenings! And keep an eye on these planets, the two brightest planets visible from Earth. They will be only 3 moon-widths apart around June 8 and 9. Spectacular! Chart via EarthSky.

Wow! Here’s the Northern Hemisphere view of the slender young moon and blazing Venus – the brightest planet – on May 18, 2026. Look west shortly after sunset. Jupiter, the 2nd-brightest planet, will be above them. So beautiful! Chart via EarthSky.

This is a great time of year to see planets in the west after sunset from the Northern Hemisphere. On May 19, 2026, the waxing crescent moon will lie between Venus and Jupiter. Watch for them in the west shortly after sunset. They’ll all set around midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

On May 20, 2026, the waxing crescent moon will float close to Jupiter (2nd-brightest planet) and above brilliant Venus (brightest planet). It’ll be a beautiful evening scene. Look west shortly after the sun goes down. By the way, Venus and Jupiter are inching closer together on the sky’s dome. Their conjunction will fall around June 8 and 9. Chart via EarthSky.

These charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

May 19-21 (Southern Hemisphere): Moon, Venus, Jupiter!

We set these Southern Hemisphere charts for longitudes around New Zealand and Australia. And so the dates are shifted (because these charts are across the International Date Line), in contrast to the Northern Hemisphere charts above. Here is the the young moon near brilliant Venus – the brightest planet – on May 19, as seen from New Zealand and Australia. Watch for them in the west shortly after sunset. Jupiter, the 2nd-brightest planet, will be above them. They’ll be an eye-catching sight! Chart via EarthSky.

From Australia and New Zealand on May 20, the waxing crescent moon will lie between Venus and Jupiter. Watch for them in the west shortly after sunset. They’ll all set around midnight. Chart via EarthSky.

From Australia and New Zealand on May 21, 2026, the waxing crescent moon will float close to Jupiter (2nd-brightest planet) and above brilliant Venus (brightest planet). It’ll be a beautiful evening scene. Look west shortly after the sun goes down. By the way, Venus and Jupiter are inching closer together on the sky’s dome. Their conjunction will fall around June 8 and 9. Keep an eye on them for the next few weeks! Chart via EarthSky.

These charts are mostly set for mid-latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Northern and Southern Hemispheres in late May

For viewers in the Northern Hemisphere, on the last few days of May, little Mercury will appear in the bright evening twilight low above the western horizon. Brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter will shine nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

For viewers in the Southern Hemisphere, on the last few days of May, little Mercury will appear in the bright evening twilight low above the western horizon. Brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter will shine nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

Venus-Jupiter conjunction: What else to watch for

While watching for Venus and Jupiter, you might also notice some other bright points of light nearby.

Gemini’s twin stars, Castor and Pollux, are a bit to the north (right) of the planets. They’re not nearly as bright as Venus and Jupiter. But they’ll mimic the “doubleness” of the two planets. So they’ll be noticeable if your sky is dark enough.

And lower down, closer to the horizon, you might spot another planet, elusive Mercury. It should be fairly bright, but not nearly as bright as Venus and Jupiter.

What to watch for after June 9

After the close June 9 conjunction, Venus will appear each evening a little farther from the sunset point than Jupiter. Its greatest elongation, or greatest apparent distance from the sun in the twilight sky, will fall on August 14-15, 2026. Afterwards, Venus will drop sunward. It’ll pass between us and the sun in October 2026, and afterwards emerge in the east before dawn.

Meanwhile, Jupiter will continue dropping steadily down toward the sunset point. It’ll pass into the sun’s glare in July 2026, moving behind the sun from Earth. It’ll emerge in the east before dawn after about mid-August.

On June 16, a thin crescent moon will make a triangle with Jupiter and Mercury. And on June 17, the moon will be just a bit higher than Venus. Use binoculars to look between the moon and Venus in order to spot a pretty star cluster known as the Beehive. This cluster buzzing with stars lies in the constellation Cancer the Crab.

More charts to come! Stay tuned.

Bottom line: Get ready for a spectacular Venus-Jupiter conjunction! You can already start watching the planets now as they get closer in the evening sky after sunset. The big event happens on June 8 and 9, 2026.

The post Venus-Jupiter conjunction in June: Start watching now! first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/EMOZaTw

Which moon phase is best for stargazing? That depends.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ossama Fathy in St. Catherine, Egypt, captured this shot of the Milky Way on April 4, 2025. Ossama wrote: “From Farsh El Nabi Elias, a sacred and elevated plateau (2,000 meters or 6500 feet above sea level) near the summit of Mount Moses (Mount Sinai) in Egypt. Mount Moses is a site revered across multiple faiths.” Thank you, Ossama! Read more about which moon phase is best for stargazing below.

Which moon phase is best for stargazing? That depends on what you want to do.

Stargazing for dim objects is best without moonlight

Most astronomers prefer to observe the sky when the moon is not visible. That’s because they want to look at planets, stars, galaxies, clusters, the Milky Way and nebulae. To see these deep-sky objects well, the sky must be dark, free of light pollution and moonlight.

The darkest skies will be around the new moon, when the moon rises and sets with the sun. So the moon is not in the nighttime sky. Therefore, both the morning and evening sky are moon-free and great for stargazing. It’s best to go out in the country to a dark site.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Smithfield, Virginia, captured this telescopic view of Messier 82, the Starburst Galaxy in Ursa Major, on March 10, 2026. Steven wrote: “M82 had a gravitational interaction with its larger neighbor, galaxy M81. This, in turn, funneled large amounts of gas toward the core of M82, which then triggered intense star formation at a rate 10 times faster than in our Milky Way.” Thank you, Steven!

Here is a great website to determine the moonrise and moonset times from your location: Sunrise Sunset Calendars. Be sure to check “Moonrise and moonset.”

Don’t miss the next unmissable night sky event. Sign up for EarthSky’s free newsletter and get daily night sky updates!

Circumventing the moon phase for dim objects

As the moon moves from a new phase to a crescent in the evening sky, dark sky observing can continue. Astronomers either wait until after the moon sets or observe in a part of the sky far from the moon. During this lunar phase, the moonlight is not very bright. That changes as the moon grows in illumination. But not in the way you might think.

When the moon is 1st quarter or last (3rd) quarter – and half-lit in the sky – its brightness is only about 1/6th of a full moon. Then three nights before a full moon it is half as bright as a full moon. Only during the full moon phase does the moon reach its brightest. This sharp peak in brightness on the nights near full moon is due to what is known as the opposition surge, caused by both shadow-hiding and backscattering of sunlight off of the moon.

You can also adjust your observing time to avoid a moonlit sky. The 1st quarter moon sets at around midnight so you have a dark sky in the early morning hours. Around a 3rd quarter moon you can observe in the evening hours since the moon rises at about midnight.

Stargazing during a full moon

Sometimes, events like the appearance of a comet, a meteor shower or auroras occur during a bright moon. There is simply nothing the astronomer can do about that. As for comets, eventually, the moon moves out of the sky or the comet moves to the morning or evening sky. For meteor showers, which occur on nearly the same day each year, you can observe before moonrise or after moonset. And if you must deal with the moon, hide it behind something so that its light does not shine directly upon your surroundings.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | An amazing aurora photo captured by EarthSky’s Raúl Cortés. He and his family were driving around northern Norway up into Lapland. He caught this aurora from outside a restaurant in northern Norway on February 28, 2025. Bright and beautiful, despite light pollution! Raúl wrote: “The best we saw was in Skibotn just in front of Lyngen Fjord.” Thank you, Raúl!

And what to do when an aurora appears in your moonlit sky? Photograph it, and let the moonlight illuminate the earth’s surface, providing a stunning foreground landscape. Make something good out of a bad situation. Or as the old saying goes, “When life gives you bears, make barricades.” Or something like that.

Just ignore that bright moon up there

A growing number of amateur astronomers and most professional astronomers do not look through their telescopes but instead, use them to image the sky. To their surprise, they have learned that a significant amount of moonlight does not interfere with their images. Using special filters to remove moonlight and taking multiple images to stack – to increase contrast – they can image up to nearly the full moon and still get good images.

And if the moon is out while you are stargazing, look at everything else first and then enjoy the view of the moon through binoculars or telescopes. That’s because the moon is so bright, you won’t see anything dim afterwards.

Stargazing to enjoy the moon

This schematic explains the different moon phases and how they are illuminated. Image via timeanddate.com. Used with permission.

The moon is above the horizon half of the day. It’s even visible in the daytime. And, as it travels around the sky each month, it puts on a show that changes each night. It is interesting and fun to follow the phases of the moon. The moon rises roughly 50 minutes later each day so maybe follow the moon through an entire lunar cycle. Learn more about understanding the phases of the moon.

Want to know the current or upcoming moon phase? Check our visible planet and night sky guide.

So, which moon phase is best for stargazing?

And the answer is … it depends on what you want to see. Some people enjoy watching the moon itself, as it waxes and wanes in our sky. Others avoid it because it overwhelms the dim objects they really want to see.

Bottom line: The best phase of the moon for stargazing depends on what you want to do. Some enjoy watching the moon itself. On the other hand, people using telescopes avoid the moon because its glare interferes with deep-sky objects.

A planisphere is virtually indispensable for beginning stargazers. Order your EarthSky planisphere today.

The post Which moon phase is best for stargazing? That depends. first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/3MWmyvz

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ossama Fathy in St. Catherine, Egypt, captured this shot of the Milky Way on April 4, 2025. Ossama wrote: “From Farsh El Nabi Elias, a sacred and elevated plateau (2,000 meters or 6500 feet above sea level) near the summit of Mount Moses (Mount Sinai) in Egypt. Mount Moses is a site revered across multiple faiths.” Thank you, Ossama! Read more about which moon phase is best for stargazing below.

Which moon phase is best for stargazing? That depends on what you want to do.

Stargazing for dim objects is best without moonlight

Most astronomers prefer to observe the sky when the moon is not visible. That’s because they want to look at planets, stars, galaxies, clusters, the Milky Way and nebulae. To see these deep-sky objects well, the sky must be dark, free of light pollution and moonlight.

The darkest skies will be around the new moon, when the moon rises and sets with the sun. So the moon is not in the nighttime sky. Therefore, both the morning and evening sky are moon-free and great for stargazing. It’s best to go out in the country to a dark site.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Smithfield, Virginia, captured this telescopic view of Messier 82, the Starburst Galaxy in Ursa Major, on March 10, 2026. Steven wrote: “M82 had a gravitational interaction with its larger neighbor, galaxy M81. This, in turn, funneled large amounts of gas toward the core of M82, which then triggered intense star formation at a rate 10 times faster than in our Milky Way.” Thank you, Steven!

Here is a great website to determine the moonrise and moonset times from your location: Sunrise Sunset Calendars. Be sure to check “Moonrise and moonset.”

Don’t miss the next unmissable night sky event. Sign up for EarthSky’s free newsletter and get daily night sky updates!

Circumventing the moon phase for dim objects

As the moon moves from a new phase to a crescent in the evening sky, dark sky observing can continue. Astronomers either wait until after the moon sets or observe in a part of the sky far from the moon. During this lunar phase, the moonlight is not very bright. That changes as the moon grows in illumination. But not in the way you might think.

When the moon is 1st quarter or last (3rd) quarter – and half-lit in the sky – its brightness is only about 1/6th of a full moon. Then three nights before a full moon it is half as bright as a full moon. Only during the full moon phase does the moon reach its brightest. This sharp peak in brightness on the nights near full moon is due to what is known as the opposition surge, caused by both shadow-hiding and backscattering of sunlight off of the moon.

You can also adjust your observing time to avoid a moonlit sky. The 1st quarter moon sets at around midnight so you have a dark sky in the early morning hours. Around a 3rd quarter moon you can observe in the evening hours since the moon rises at about midnight.

Stargazing during a full moon

Sometimes, events like the appearance of a comet, a meteor shower or auroras occur during a bright moon. There is simply nothing the astronomer can do about that. As for comets, eventually, the moon moves out of the sky or the comet moves to the morning or evening sky. For meteor showers, which occur on nearly the same day each year, you can observe before moonrise or after moonset. And if you must deal with the moon, hide it behind something so that its light does not shine directly upon your surroundings.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | An amazing aurora photo captured by EarthSky’s Raúl Cortés. He and his family were driving around northern Norway up into Lapland. He caught this aurora from outside a restaurant in northern Norway on February 28, 2025. Bright and beautiful, despite light pollution! Raúl wrote: “The best we saw was in Skibotn just in front of Lyngen Fjord.” Thank you, Raúl!

And what to do when an aurora appears in your moonlit sky? Photograph it, and let the moonlight illuminate the earth’s surface, providing a stunning foreground landscape. Make something good out of a bad situation. Or as the old saying goes, “When life gives you bears, make barricades.” Or something like that.

Just ignore that bright moon up there

A growing number of amateur astronomers and most professional astronomers do not look through their telescopes but instead, use them to image the sky. To their surprise, they have learned that a significant amount of moonlight does not interfere with their images. Using special filters to remove moonlight and taking multiple images to stack – to increase contrast – they can image up to nearly the full moon and still get good images.

And if the moon is out while you are stargazing, look at everything else first and then enjoy the view of the moon through binoculars or telescopes. That’s because the moon is so bright, you won’t see anything dim afterwards.

Stargazing to enjoy the moon

This schematic explains the different moon phases and how they are illuminated. Image via timeanddate.com. Used with permission.

The moon is above the horizon half of the day. It’s even visible in the daytime. And, as it travels around the sky each month, it puts on a show that changes each night. It is interesting and fun to follow the phases of the moon. The moon rises roughly 50 minutes later each day so maybe follow the moon through an entire lunar cycle. Learn more about understanding the phases of the moon.

Want to know the current or upcoming moon phase? Check our visible planet and night sky guide.

So, which moon phase is best for stargazing?

And the answer is … it depends on what you want to see. Some people enjoy watching the moon itself, as it waxes and wanes in our sky. Others avoid it because it overwhelms the dim objects they really want to see.

Bottom line: The best phase of the moon for stargazing depends on what you want to do. Some enjoy watching the moon itself. On the other hand, people using telescopes avoid the moon because its glare interferes with deep-sky objects.

A planisphere is virtually indispensable for beginning stargazers. Order your EarthSky planisphere today.

The post Which moon phase is best for stargazing? That depends. first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/3MWmyvz