Highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface here!

Scientists used the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope – on the summit of the Haleakal? volcano on the island of Maui, Hawaii – to obtain this image of the sun. It’s the highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface (photosphere) yet. In the process they also discovered Kelvin-Helmholtz instability on the sun’s surface. Video via NSO.

• The world’s most powerful solar telescope – the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii – combined with computer simulations to find the signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.
• It happens when 2 fluid or gas layers slide past each, creating friction (or “shear”) along their boundary. The curling, vortex patterns resembling breaking ocean waves or wind-driven clouds on Earth.
• The discovery helps reveal the fundamental physics of the sun and other stars, these scientists say. It also can help people prepare for solar bursts that can affect satellites, power grids and other earthly technology.

The National Solar Observatory published this original story on August 5, 2026. Edits by EarthSky.

Highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface

On August 5, 2026, the U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO) announced what they said is a groundbreaking discovery in the field of solar physics. They said it could fundamentally change how we understand the physical mechanisms driving solar activity and its impacts on life on Earth.

A team of international researchers has discovered Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the form of small, swirling, whirlpool-like patterns on the surface of the sun (the photosphere).

The researchers from the National Solar Observatory, the NCAR High Altitude Observatory , and the German Max Planck Institut für Sonnensystemforschung published their study in the journal Nature on August 5, 2026.

And the research is based on data collected with the world’s largest solar telescope, the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. It’s built and operated by the National Solar Observatory on the island of Maui, Hawaii.

Ground-breaking new images

The time-lapse video (above) and images released reveal a solar landscape unlike any seen before.

They uncover small-scale and dynamic swirls everywhere at the edges of magnetic areas. This allowed for the unambiguous identification of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the photosphere.

And it provides the first experimental confirmation of a phenomenon that has long been predicted by theory. David Boboltz, Deputy Director at the National Solar Observatory, said:

We believe that the discovery of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the solar photosphere, backed up by analysis of numerical simulations, is a major step forward in our understanding of the dynamics and evolution of solar and stellar plasma, and will serve as a basis for future discoveries.

The highest-resolution image of the sun’s surface (photosphere) ever captured. The Inouye Solar Telescope took this image at 416 nm. It reveals deformed boundaries of magnetic elements and ultra-fine scale stripes. Both are associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Image via NSF/NSO/AURA/MPS.

An explanation of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability

An effect caused by fluid motion, KHI occurs when two fluids slide past each other at different velocities. This creates a “shear” at the interface. And it causes small disturbances to grow into striking, wave-like or spiraling vortices that look like breaking ocean waves.

Since its original formulation by Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz around 1870, KHI has been observed and investigated across many areas of physics, including fluid dynamics, meteorology, oceanography, heliosphysics, and astrophysics. We can observe the instability at a variety of scales. This includes small lake and ocean waves (in windy conditions) and cloud formations on Earth to the atmospheres of gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. And we can even see the interaction of the solar wind with planetary magnetospheres within our solar system.

The sun’s explosive events

The swirling vortices of magnetic solar plasma have become an area of increased interest for solar physicists. They could be an effective source of free magnetic energy. This energy powers major solar activity. That includes explosive events from tiny nano-flares to massive flares, jets and coronal mass ejections. These are the main contributors to space weather. And they can severely disrupt our modern technological infrastructure, including power grids, satellites, GPS navigation and global communications.

The leading theory on how the sun builds up magnetic energy is called flux braiding. As magnetic field lines twist around each other – like braiding hair – they create a tense, unstable setup. When that tension is rapidly released, the tangled magnetic lines snap, cross over each other and reconnect in new shapes (a process called magnetic reconnection). This sudden rearrangement releases a burst of energy as the system settles into a calmer, lower-energy state.

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability may drive the activity

What scientists don’t fully understand yet is what causes the twisting and braiding to happen in the first place. This new discovery – those small swirling patterns (from the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability) – might be part of the answer. Since the swirls seem to be happening constantly and everywhere on the sun’s surface where there is a strong enough magnetic field, they could be the everyday “engine” that keeps twisting the magnetic field lines and setting the whole process in motion.

Friedrich Wöger, Senior Scientist at the National Solar Observatory, said:

We are only at the beginning of recognizing the wide-reaching impact the discovery of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability has on our understanding of the connection between the magnetized plasma motion and the energy transport and release into the upper solar atmosphere.

Inouye Solar Telescope data obtained at the wavelength 416 nm, with 3 zoomed regions. Three selected close-up areas show the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability on the sun. Video via NSF/NSO/AURA/MPS.

Inouye observations, simulations and theory align

In their Nature paper, the team analyzed and compared the high-resolution Inouye observations with computer simulations of the solar photosphere created with a highly specialized code built and maintained by international teams including HAO and MPS (MPS/University of Chicago Radiative MHD, or “MURaM”).

These computer simulations provided by HAO are built using basic physics equations. The equations describe what’s happening in the sun’s atmosphere and are an important tool in the interpretation of scientific data. The simulations allow the scientists to “see” things that are hard or impossible to measure directly by observation. It gives insight into processes that would otherwise stay hidden.

Combination of data from the NASA/SDO satellite, the NSF Inouye Solar Telescope VBI instrument, the MPS camera and the HAO MuRAM simulation. This demonstrates the high detail from the Inouye Solar Telescope. In the last part of the movie, the HAO MURaM simulation data is overlaid for both the synthesized intensity and the vertical magnetic field component that is finally displayed in three dimensions. Video via NSF/NSO/AURA/MPS/HAO/NASA/SDO/AIA.

Observations meet simulations

In the case of this work, the scientists found dozens of vortex-like structures along the edges of magnetic areas both in the observations and simulations. And they had strikingly similar characteristics and dynamics. For example, the average distance between vortices, known as the “instability wavelength,” ranged between 50–65 km in both cases. The study shows that the sun’s constantly bubbling surface, or granulation, interacts with magnetic structures to create areas where neighboring layers move at different speeds. And that provides the conditions necessary to trigger KHI.

Matthias Rempel, Senior Scientist at the High Altitude Observatory, said:

It is very exciting to see that the highest-resolution observations of the solar photosphere revealed a new dynamical regime in the form of KH vortices at the edges of magnetic field concentrations. These observations also provide the highest resolution validation of solar magnetohydrodynamic simulations to date, and the agreement in physical details is impressive.

The team’s advanced analyses of the Inouye observations and the computer simulations, combined with their agreement with analytical theory, led to the conclusion that the swirling vortices, and the fast-moving, finest-scale dark stripes (“striations”), found in both the observations and simulations are without a doubt produced by KHI.

A side-by-side comparison of a real observation from the Inouye Solar Telescope (top left) and a synthetic image from computer simulations (top right). The remarkable agreement between the 2 allows scientists to confirm the origin of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. This is a universal physical phenomenon that occurs when adjacent layers of fluid or gas move at different speeds. It creates swirling patterns at their interface. A simulated map of the sun’s surface magnetic field (bottom right) confirms that these processes physically bend and deform the boundaries of the magnetic elements. Image via NSF/NSO/AURA/HAO.

Implications for the solar atmosphere and coronal heating mystery

Thomas Rimmele, Chief Technologist at the National Solar Observatory, said:

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is likely a mechanism that contributes to the heating of the outer atmosphere and is part of the solution of the longstanding enigma of why stars have a million-degrees-Kelvin-hot corona.

The data also shows that this swirling effect (KHI) efficiently mixes magnetized and non-magnetized plasma on the sun’s surface. It enhances the spreading out or diffusion of magnetic fields throughout the solar atmosphere. The diffusion resulting from the KHI is a key factor scientists use when building models to predict how magnetic activity changes over time. This is not just for our sun, but for other stars too.

David Kuridze, Astronomer at the National Solar Observatory, said:

The sun’s magnetic field is generated by dynamo processes that act like giant cosmic engines that turn the star’s rotational energy into magnetic fields. However, because the solar magnetic cycle is only 11 years, a remarkably rapid timescale in cosmic terms, the generated magnetic flux must dissipate efficiently. Current models struggle to explain this rapid diffusion. The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability we discovered in the solar photosphere can act as a key source of this missing magnetic diffusion.

Looking ahead

Scientists are now moving toward the next phase of analysis. This phase includes using computer programs that can automatically spot and study these swirling patterns. And they are aided by the high resolution data from the Inouye Solar Telescope.

This next phase of research will help in two main ways. It’ll show scientists more about how much energy these KHIs can carry up into the sun’s higher atmosphere, where it helps heat things up. And it’ll also help scientists figure out just how much they affect the way magnetic fields spread out in the lower parts of the sun’s atmosphere.

Jacqueline Keane, NSF Program Director for the National Solar Observatory, said:

To understand the dynamic space weather that affects Earth, we have to see the small-scale processes driving it. For decades, seeing these vortices at such tiny scales remained elusive. By pairing a massive four-meter mirror with state-of-the-art optics and instruments, the NSF Inouye Solar Telescope delivers the resolving power needed to reveal these ultrafine details for the first time, enabling discoveries that were once beyond our reach.

Bottom line: The Inouye Solar Telescope has captured the highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface yet. These images show Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities, which may help explain why the sun’s surface gets so hot and explosive.

Source: Ubiquitous Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities driving plasma mixing on the Sun

Via NSO

Watch: Kelly visits Mauna Kea

Watch: See Haleakala National Park, stunning from summit to sea

The post Highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface here! first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/zEAk1Cj

Scientists used the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope – on the summit of the Haleakal? volcano on the island of Maui, Hawaii – to obtain this image of the sun. It’s the highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface (photosphere) yet. In the process they also discovered Kelvin-Helmholtz instability on the sun’s surface. Video via NSO.

• The world’s most powerful solar telescope – the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii – combined with computer simulations to find the signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.
• It happens when 2 fluid or gas layers slide past each, creating friction (or “shear”) along their boundary. The curling, vortex patterns resembling breaking ocean waves or wind-driven clouds on Earth.
• The discovery helps reveal the fundamental physics of the sun and other stars, these scientists say. It also can help people prepare for solar bursts that can affect satellites, power grids and other earthly technology.

The National Solar Observatory published this original story on August 5, 2026. Edits by EarthSky.

Highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface

On August 5, 2026, the U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO) announced what they said is a groundbreaking discovery in the field of solar physics. They said it could fundamentally change how we understand the physical mechanisms driving solar activity and its impacts on life on Earth.

A team of international researchers has discovered Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the form of small, swirling, whirlpool-like patterns on the surface of the sun (the photosphere).

The researchers from the National Solar Observatory, the NCAR High Altitude Observatory , and the German Max Planck Institut für Sonnensystemforschung published their study in the journal Nature on August 5, 2026.

And the research is based on data collected with the world’s largest solar telescope, the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. It’s built and operated by the National Solar Observatory on the island of Maui, Hawaii.

Ground-breaking new images

The time-lapse video (above) and images released reveal a solar landscape unlike any seen before.

They uncover small-scale and dynamic swirls everywhere at the edges of magnetic areas. This allowed for the unambiguous identification of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the photosphere.

And it provides the first experimental confirmation of a phenomenon that has long been predicted by theory. David Boboltz, Deputy Director at the National Solar Observatory, said:

We believe that the discovery of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the solar photosphere, backed up by analysis of numerical simulations, is a major step forward in our understanding of the dynamics and evolution of solar and stellar plasma, and will serve as a basis for future discoveries.

The highest-resolution image of the sun’s surface (photosphere) ever captured. The Inouye Solar Telescope took this image at 416 nm. It reveals deformed boundaries of magnetic elements and ultra-fine scale stripes. Both are associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Image via NSF/NSO/AURA/MPS.

An explanation of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability

An effect caused by fluid motion, KHI occurs when two fluids slide past each other at different velocities. This creates a “shear” at the interface. And it causes small disturbances to grow into striking, wave-like or spiraling vortices that look like breaking ocean waves.

Since its original formulation by Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz around 1870, KHI has been observed and investigated across many areas of physics, including fluid dynamics, meteorology, oceanography, heliosphysics, and astrophysics. We can observe the instability at a variety of scales. This includes small lake and ocean waves (in windy conditions) and cloud formations on Earth to the atmospheres of gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. And we can even see the interaction of the solar wind with planetary magnetospheres within our solar system.

The sun’s explosive events

The swirling vortices of magnetic solar plasma have become an area of increased interest for solar physicists. They could be an effective source of free magnetic energy. This energy powers major solar activity. That includes explosive events from tiny nano-flares to massive flares, jets and coronal mass ejections. These are the main contributors to space weather. And they can severely disrupt our modern technological infrastructure, including power grids, satellites, GPS navigation and global communications.

The leading theory on how the sun builds up magnetic energy is called flux braiding. As magnetic field lines twist around each other – like braiding hair – they create a tense, unstable setup. When that tension is rapidly released, the tangled magnetic lines snap, cross over each other and reconnect in new shapes (a process called magnetic reconnection). This sudden rearrangement releases a burst of energy as the system settles into a calmer, lower-energy state.

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability may drive the activity

What scientists don’t fully understand yet is what causes the twisting and braiding to happen in the first place. This new discovery – those small swirling patterns (from the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability) – might be part of the answer. Since the swirls seem to be happening constantly and everywhere on the sun’s surface where there is a strong enough magnetic field, they could be the everyday “engine” that keeps twisting the magnetic field lines and setting the whole process in motion.

Friedrich Wöger, Senior Scientist at the National Solar Observatory, said:

We are only at the beginning of recognizing the wide-reaching impact the discovery of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability has on our understanding of the connection between the magnetized plasma motion and the energy transport and release into the upper solar atmosphere.

Inouye Solar Telescope data obtained at the wavelength 416 nm, with 3 zoomed regions. Three selected close-up areas show the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability on the sun. Video via NSF/NSO/AURA/MPS.

Inouye observations, simulations and theory align

In their Nature paper, the team analyzed and compared the high-resolution Inouye observations with computer simulations of the solar photosphere created with a highly specialized code built and maintained by international teams including HAO and MPS (MPS/University of Chicago Radiative MHD, or “MURaM”).

These computer simulations provided by HAO are built using basic physics equations. The equations describe what’s happening in the sun’s atmosphere and are an important tool in the interpretation of scientific data. The simulations allow the scientists to “see” things that are hard or impossible to measure directly by observation. It gives insight into processes that would otherwise stay hidden.

Combination of data from the NASA/SDO satellite, the NSF Inouye Solar Telescope VBI instrument, the MPS camera and the HAO MuRAM simulation. This demonstrates the high detail from the Inouye Solar Telescope. In the last part of the movie, the HAO MURaM simulation data is overlaid for both the synthesized intensity and the vertical magnetic field component that is finally displayed in three dimensions. Video via NSF/NSO/AURA/MPS/HAO/NASA/SDO/AIA.

Observations meet simulations

In the case of this work, the scientists found dozens of vortex-like structures along the edges of magnetic areas both in the observations and simulations. And they had strikingly similar characteristics and dynamics. For example, the average distance between vortices, known as the “instability wavelength,” ranged between 50–65 km in both cases. The study shows that the sun’s constantly bubbling surface, or granulation, interacts with magnetic structures to create areas where neighboring layers move at different speeds. And that provides the conditions necessary to trigger KHI.

Matthias Rempel, Senior Scientist at the High Altitude Observatory, said:

It is very exciting to see that the highest-resolution observations of the solar photosphere revealed a new dynamical regime in the form of KH vortices at the edges of magnetic field concentrations. These observations also provide the highest resolution validation of solar magnetohydrodynamic simulations to date, and the agreement in physical details is impressive.

The team’s advanced analyses of the Inouye observations and the computer simulations, combined with their agreement with analytical theory, led to the conclusion that the swirling vortices, and the fast-moving, finest-scale dark stripes (“striations”), found in both the observations and simulations are without a doubt produced by KHI.

A side-by-side comparison of a real observation from the Inouye Solar Telescope (top left) and a synthetic image from computer simulations (top right). The remarkable agreement between the 2 allows scientists to confirm the origin of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. This is a universal physical phenomenon that occurs when adjacent layers of fluid or gas move at different speeds. It creates swirling patterns at their interface. A simulated map of the sun’s surface magnetic field (bottom right) confirms that these processes physically bend and deform the boundaries of the magnetic elements. Image via NSF/NSO/AURA/HAO.

Implications for the solar atmosphere and coronal heating mystery

Thomas Rimmele, Chief Technologist at the National Solar Observatory, said:

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is likely a mechanism that contributes to the heating of the outer atmosphere and is part of the solution of the longstanding enigma of why stars have a million-degrees-Kelvin-hot corona.

The data also shows that this swirling effect (KHI) efficiently mixes magnetized and non-magnetized plasma on the sun’s surface. It enhances the spreading out or diffusion of magnetic fields throughout the solar atmosphere. The diffusion resulting from the KHI is a key factor scientists use when building models to predict how magnetic activity changes over time. This is not just for our sun, but for other stars too.

David Kuridze, Astronomer at the National Solar Observatory, said:

The sun’s magnetic field is generated by dynamo processes that act like giant cosmic engines that turn the star’s rotational energy into magnetic fields. However, because the solar magnetic cycle is only 11 years, a remarkably rapid timescale in cosmic terms, the generated magnetic flux must dissipate efficiently. Current models struggle to explain this rapid diffusion. The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability we discovered in the solar photosphere can act as a key source of this missing magnetic diffusion.

Looking ahead

Scientists are now moving toward the next phase of analysis. This phase includes using computer programs that can automatically spot and study these swirling patterns. And they are aided by the high resolution data from the Inouye Solar Telescope.

This next phase of research will help in two main ways. It’ll show scientists more about how much energy these KHIs can carry up into the sun’s higher atmosphere, where it helps heat things up. And it’ll also help scientists figure out just how much they affect the way magnetic fields spread out in the lower parts of the sun’s atmosphere.

Jacqueline Keane, NSF Program Director for the National Solar Observatory, said:

To understand the dynamic space weather that affects Earth, we have to see the small-scale processes driving it. For decades, seeing these vortices at such tiny scales remained elusive. By pairing a massive four-meter mirror with state-of-the-art optics and instruments, the NSF Inouye Solar Telescope delivers the resolving power needed to reveal these ultrafine details for the first time, enabling discoveries that were once beyond our reach.

Bottom line: The Inouye Solar Telescope has captured the highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface yet. These images show Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities, which may help explain why the sun’s surface gets so hot and explosive.

Source: Ubiquitous Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities driving plasma mixing on the Sun

Via NSO

Watch: Kelly visits Mauna Kea

Watch: See Haleakala National Park, stunning from summit to sea

The post Highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface here! first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/zEAk1Cj

Venus greatest distance from the sun August 14-15, 2026

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | P Govardhana Siddartha of India submitted this composite of Venus taken over 4 months. Venus was recorded from December 2024 to March 2025. Venus was at its greatest distance from the sun in January 2025. You can see how the size of Venus increases and the phase decreases on its way to inferior conjunction. That’s when it passes between Earth and the sun which last occurred in March 2025 and will occur next on October 24, 2026. Thank you, P Govardhana!

Venus after sunset in August 2026

In August 2026, Venus – Earth’s brightest neighboring planet – will be shining in the western twilight after sunset. You can’t miss Venus! It’s exceedingly bright and will penetrate the bright twilight. It’ll remain visible in the evening sky through October. Greatest elongation – when Venus will reach its farthest distance from the sunset – is at 6 UTC on August 15, 2026. Venus will reach its greatest brilliancy in the evening sky on September 18, 2026.

As the 2nd planet in orbit (going outward from the sun), Venus is bound by an invisible tether to the sun in our sky. It’s always east before sunrise, or west after sunset (never overhead at midnight). Venus is the brightest planet visible from Earth and shines brilliantly throughout every morning or evening apparition. Greatest elongation happens when Venus is farthest from the sun on the sky’s dome.

For precise sun and Venus rising times at your location:

Old Farmer’s Almanac (U.S. and Canada)

timeanddate.com (worldwide)

Stellarium (free online planetarium program)

When will greatest elongation occur?

Greatest elongation will occur at 6 UTC on August 15, 2026 (1 a.m. CDT). Venus will be in our evening sky, in the west after sunset. At this elongation, the distance of Venus from the sun on the sky’s dome will be 46 degrees. Then, after greatest elongation, Venus will sink toward the sunset as it races toward its sweep between the Earth and sun around October 24, 2026.
Magnitude at greatest elongation: Venus will be shining at magnitude -4.4.
Through a telescope: Venus will appear 49% illuminated, near a first quarter phase, 24.48 arcseconds across.

2026 Venus finder charts

Bright Venus will rise slightly higher shortly after sunset each evening all month. It will pass the star Regulus on July 9, then they’ll drift apart. Venus will ascend higher each night as it races toward its greatest distance from the sun on August 14-15. Chart via EarthSky.

On the evening of July 15, the waxing crescent moon will be approaching brilliant Venus and Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Chart via EarthSky.

On the evenings of July 16 and 17, the waxing crescent moon will lie near brilliant Venus and Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Regulus is the bright dot at the bottom of a backward question-mark pattern of stars known as the Sickle. Also look for the delicate glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. They’ll set late evening. Chart via EarthSky.

A comparison of elongations

Not all of Venus’ greatest elongations are created equal. That’s because the farthest from the sun that Venus can ever appear on the sky’s dome is about 47.3 degrees. On the other hand, the least distance is around 45.4 degrees.

Elongations are also higher or lower depending on the time of year they occur and your location on Earth.

A comparison chart of Venus elongations in 2026 and 2027. Gray areas represent evening apparitions (eastward elongation). The blue area represents morning apparitions (westward elongation). The top figures are the maximum elongations, reached at the top dates shown beneath. Curves show the altitude of the planet above the horizon at sunrise or sunset, for latitude 40 degrees north (thick line) and 35 degrees south (thin). Maxima are reached at the parenthesized dates below (40 degrees north bold). Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

More Venus evening elongation comparisons for 2026

Venus’ greatest evening elongation in 2026 from the Northern Hemisphere as viewed through a powerful telescope. The planet images are at the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. Dots show the actual positions of Venus every day. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

Venus’ greatest evening elongation in 2026 from the Southern Hemisphere as viewed through a powerful telescope. The planet images are at the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. Dots show the actual positions of Venus every day. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

Venus events in 2026

January 6, 2026: Superior conjunction (passed behind sun from Earth)
August 15, 2026: Greatest elongation (evening)
October 24, 2026: Inferior conjunction (races between Earth and sun)
January 3, 2027: Greatest elongation (morning)

Bottom line: Look for Venus after sunset! It’s high in the August evening sky for all to see. Look west for a dazzling point of light.

The post Venus greatest distance from the sun August 14-15, 2026 first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/D4VLxOn

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | P Govardhana Siddartha of India submitted this composite of Venus taken over 4 months. Venus was recorded from December 2024 to March 2025. Venus was at its greatest distance from the sun in January 2025. You can see how the size of Venus increases and the phase decreases on its way to inferior conjunction. That’s when it passes between Earth and the sun which last occurred in March 2025 and will occur next on October 24, 2026. Thank you, P Govardhana!

Venus after sunset in August 2026

In August 2026, Venus – Earth’s brightest neighboring planet – will be shining in the western twilight after sunset. You can’t miss Venus! It’s exceedingly bright and will penetrate the bright twilight. It’ll remain visible in the evening sky through October. Greatest elongation – when Venus will reach its farthest distance from the sunset – is at 6 UTC on August 15, 2026. Venus will reach its greatest brilliancy in the evening sky on September 18, 2026.

As the 2nd planet in orbit (going outward from the sun), Venus is bound by an invisible tether to the sun in our sky. It’s always east before sunrise, or west after sunset (never overhead at midnight). Venus is the brightest planet visible from Earth and shines brilliantly throughout every morning or evening apparition. Greatest elongation happens when Venus is farthest from the sun on the sky’s dome.

For precise sun and Venus rising times at your location:

Old Farmer’s Almanac (U.S. and Canada)

timeanddate.com (worldwide)

Stellarium (free online planetarium program)

When will greatest elongation occur?

Greatest elongation will occur at 6 UTC on August 15, 2026 (1 a.m. CDT). Venus will be in our evening sky, in the west after sunset. At this elongation, the distance of Venus from the sun on the sky’s dome will be 46 degrees. Then, after greatest elongation, Venus will sink toward the sunset as it races toward its sweep between the Earth and sun around October 24, 2026.
Magnitude at greatest elongation: Venus will be shining at magnitude -4.4.
Through a telescope: Venus will appear 49% illuminated, near a first quarter phase, 24.48 arcseconds across.

2026 Venus finder charts

Bright Venus will rise slightly higher shortly after sunset each evening all month. It will pass the star Regulus on July 9, then they’ll drift apart. Venus will ascend higher each night as it races toward its greatest distance from the sun on August 14-15. Chart via EarthSky.

On the evening of July 15, the waxing crescent moon will be approaching brilliant Venus and Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Chart via EarthSky.

On the evenings of July 16 and 17, the waxing crescent moon will lie near brilliant Venus and Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the Lion. Regulus is the bright dot at the bottom of a backward question-mark pattern of stars known as the Sickle. Also look for the delicate glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. They’ll set late evening. Chart via EarthSky.

A comparison of elongations

Not all of Venus’ greatest elongations are created equal. That’s because the farthest from the sun that Venus can ever appear on the sky’s dome is about 47.3 degrees. On the other hand, the least distance is around 45.4 degrees.

Elongations are also higher or lower depending on the time of year they occur and your location on Earth.

A comparison chart of Venus elongations in 2026 and 2027. Gray areas represent evening apparitions (eastward elongation). The blue area represents morning apparitions (westward elongation). The top figures are the maximum elongations, reached at the top dates shown beneath. Curves show the altitude of the planet above the horizon at sunrise or sunset, for latitude 40 degrees north (thick line) and 35 degrees south (thin). Maxima are reached at the parenthesized dates below (40 degrees north bold). Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

More Venus evening elongation comparisons for 2026

Venus’ greatest evening elongation in 2026 from the Northern Hemisphere as viewed through a powerful telescope. The planet images are at the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. Dots show the actual positions of Venus every day. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

Venus’ greatest evening elongation in 2026 from the Southern Hemisphere as viewed through a powerful telescope. The planet images are at the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. Dots show the actual positions of Venus every day. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2026 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

Venus events in 2026

January 6, 2026: Superior conjunction (passed behind sun from Earth)
August 15, 2026: Greatest elongation (evening)
October 24, 2026: Inferior conjunction (races between Earth and sun)
January 3, 2027: Greatest elongation (morning)

Bottom line: Look for Venus after sunset! It’s high in the August evening sky for all to see. Look west for a dazzling point of light.

The post Venus greatest distance from the sun August 14-15, 2026 first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/D4VLxOn

The electromagnetic spectrum: It’s more than visible light

The light we can see with our eyes is part of a range of radiation known as the electromagnetic spectrum. Shorter wavelengths of light are higher energy, and longer wavelengths of light are lower energy. The Hubble Space Telescope sees primarily visible light (indicated here by the rainbow), as well as some infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Image via NASA/ JHUAPL/ SwRI.

• The electromagnetic spectrum includes a range of all types of light, not just what we can see. This range – going from radio waves to gamma rays – is mostly invisible to our eyes.
• Our eyes see just visible light, which includes colors from red to violet. Different colors represent different wavelengths!
• Astronomers use the entire spectrum of radiation from stars and other objects to study outer space. For example, radio waves help map galaxies, while infrared can see through dust clouds and identify cool stars.

The electromagnetic spectrum

When you think of light, you probably think of what your eyes can see. However, the light our human eyes can detect is only a sliver of the total amount of light that’s out there. So, the electromagnetic spectrum is the term scientists use to describe the entire range of light that exists. From radio waves to gamma rays, most of the light in the universe is, in fact, invisible to us.

Light is a wave of alternating electric and magnetic fields. The propagation of light isn’t much different than waves crossing an ocean. Like any other wave, light has a few fundamental properties that describe it. For example, one is its frequency, measured in hertz (Hz), which counts the number of waves that pass by a point in one second. Another closely related property is its wavelength: the distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of the next. In fact, these two attributes are inversely related. The larger the frequency, the smaller the wavelength, and vice versa.

Our eyes see visible light

The electromagnetic waves your eyes detect – visible light – oscillate between 400 and 790 terahertz (THz). To put it another way, that’s several hundred trillion times a second. As an illustration, the wavelengths are roughly the size of a large virus: 390 – 750 nanometers (1 nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter; a meter is about 39 inches long). Our brain interprets the various wavelengths of light as different colors. For example, red has the longest wavelength, and violet the shortest. When we pass sunlight through a prism, we see that it’s actually composed of many wavelengths of light. So the prism creates a rainbow by redirecting each wavelength out at a slightly different angle.

The entire electromagnetic spectrum is much more than just visible light. It encompasses a range of wavelengths of energy that our human eyes can’t see. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

But light doesn’t stop at red or violet. Indeed, just like there are sounds we can’t hear, there is an enormous range of light that our eyes can’t detect. In general, the longer wavelengths come from the coolest and darkest regions of space. Meanwhile, the shorter wavelengths measure extremely energetic phenomena.

The coolest part of the electromagnetic spectrum

Astronomers use the entire electromagnetic spectrum to observe a variety of things. Radio waves and microwaves are the longest wavelengths and lowest energies of light. With this in mind, they are used to peer inside dense interstellar clouds and track the motion of cold, dark gas. Radio telescopes have been used to map the structure of our galaxy. Additionally, microwave telescopes are sensitive to the remnant glow of the Big Bang.

This image from the Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA) shows what the galaxy M33 would look like if you could see it in radio waves. This image maps atomic hydrogen gas in the galaxy. The different colors map velocities in the gas: red shows gas moving away from us, blue is moving towards us. Image via NRAO/ AUI.

Infrared telescopes excel at finding cool, dim stars, slicing through interstellar dust bands. Plus, they even measure the temperatures of planets in other solar systems. The wavelengths of infrared light are long enough to navigate through clouds that would otherwise block our view. By using large infrared telescopes, astronomers peer through the dust lanes of our galaxy into the Milky Way’s core.

This image from the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes shows the central 300 light-years of our Milky Way galaxy, as we would see it if our eyes could see infrared energy. The image reveals massive star clusters and swirling gas clouds. Image via NASA/ ESA/ JPL/ Q.D. Wang/ S. Stolovy.

Most stars emit visible light

The majority of stars emit most of their electromagnetic energy as visible light, the tiny portion of the spectrum to which our eyes are sensitive. And, because wavelength correlates with energy, the color of a star tells us how hot it is: red stars are coolest, blue are hottest. On the other hand, the coldest of stars emit hardly any visible light at all; they can only be seen with infrared telescopes.

The more energetic ultraviolet light

Then at wavelengths shorter than violet, we find the ultraviolet, or UV, light. You may be familiar with UV from its ability to give you a sunburn. Astronomers use it to hunt out the most energetic of stars and identify regions of star birth. When viewing distant galaxies with UV telescopes, most of the stars and gas disappear, and all the stellar nurseries pop into view.

A view of the spiral galaxy M81 in the ultraviolet, made possible by the GALEX space observatory. The bright regions show stellar nurseries in the spiral arms. Image via NASA.

Highest energy light: X-ray and Gamma Ray

Then, beyond UV come the highest energies in the electromagnetic spectrum: X-rays and gamma rays. Our atmosphere blocks this light, so astronomers must rely on telescopes in space to see the X-ray and gamma ray universe. X-rays come from exotic neutron stars, or from the vortex of superheated material spiraling around a black hole. As well as, from diffuse clouds of gas in galactic clusters that are heated to many millions of degrees.

Meanwhile, gamma rays – the shortest wavelength of light and deadly to humans – unveil violent events. And these include supernova explosions, cosmic radioactive decay and even the destruction of antimatter. Gamma ray bursts are among the most energetic singular events in the universe. Or they are a brief flickering of gamma ray light from distant galaxies when a star explodes and creates a black hole.

If you could see in X-rays, over long distances, you’d see this view of the nebula surrounding pulsar PSR B1509-58. This image is from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Located 17,000 light-years away, the pulsar is the rapidly spinning remnant of a stellar core left behind after a supernova. Image via NASA.

See the difference for yourself

As visible light fades to near-infrared, more stars are revealed, plus twin jets blasting out from a young star at the top of this dusty pillar. Different wavelengths of light show more of what is happening in space. Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI. pic.twitter.com/ROKk7hooOI

— Hubble Space Telescope (@HubbleTelescope) August 11, 2023

Hubble and #NASAWebb work together to give complementary views of the star-forming region NGC 346. Fading from visible light to near-infrared and mid-infrared, each image highlights different features: https://t.co/z1TIxa3Hao pic.twitter.com/oZIdafgbBX

— Space Telescope Science Institute (@SpaceTelescope) October 10, 2023

Which came first for this Penguin and its Egg? @NASAHubble took the visible-light view on the left in 2013.

On the right side is Webb's near-infrared image. With its sensitive vision, Webb peers through dust, intensifies bright objects, and highlights unseen stars and galaxies. pic.twitter.com/IYyBoTWm8V

— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 12, 2024

There is more than meets the eye on the Sun.

In visible light (left), which the human eye can see, the Sun’s surface has dark splotches known as sunspots.

Ultraviolet light (right) is invisible to the human eye but shows sunspots surrounded by bright regions named faculae. pic.twitter.com/DbLMh0s13P

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) October 3, 2022

Bottom line: The electromagnetic spectrum describes all the wavelengths of light, both seen and unseen.

The post The electromagnetic spectrum: It’s more than visible light first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/OqeTLxr

The light we can see with our eyes is part of a range of radiation known as the electromagnetic spectrum. Shorter wavelengths of light are higher energy, and longer wavelengths of light are lower energy. The Hubble Space Telescope sees primarily visible light (indicated here by the rainbow), as well as some infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Image via NASA/ JHUAPL/ SwRI.

• The electromagnetic spectrum includes a range of all types of light, not just what we can see. This range – going from radio waves to gamma rays – is mostly invisible to our eyes.
• Our eyes see just visible light, which includes colors from red to violet. Different colors represent different wavelengths!
• Astronomers use the entire spectrum of radiation from stars and other objects to study outer space. For example, radio waves help map galaxies, while infrared can see through dust clouds and identify cool stars.

The electromagnetic spectrum

When you think of light, you probably think of what your eyes can see. However, the light our human eyes can detect is only a sliver of the total amount of light that’s out there. So, the electromagnetic spectrum is the term scientists use to describe the entire range of light that exists. From radio waves to gamma rays, most of the light in the universe is, in fact, invisible to us.

Light is a wave of alternating electric and magnetic fields. The propagation of light isn’t much different than waves crossing an ocean. Like any other wave, light has a few fundamental properties that describe it. For example, one is its frequency, measured in hertz (Hz), which counts the number of waves that pass by a point in one second. Another closely related property is its wavelength: the distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of the next. In fact, these two attributes are inversely related. The larger the frequency, the smaller the wavelength, and vice versa.

Our eyes see visible light

The electromagnetic waves your eyes detect – visible light – oscillate between 400 and 790 terahertz (THz). To put it another way, that’s several hundred trillion times a second. As an illustration, the wavelengths are roughly the size of a large virus: 390 – 750 nanometers (1 nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter; a meter is about 39 inches long). Our brain interprets the various wavelengths of light as different colors. For example, red has the longest wavelength, and violet the shortest. When we pass sunlight through a prism, we see that it’s actually composed of many wavelengths of light. So the prism creates a rainbow by redirecting each wavelength out at a slightly different angle.

The entire electromagnetic spectrum is much more than just visible light. It encompasses a range of wavelengths of energy that our human eyes can’t see. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

But light doesn’t stop at red or violet. Indeed, just like there are sounds we can’t hear, there is an enormous range of light that our eyes can’t detect. In general, the longer wavelengths come from the coolest and darkest regions of space. Meanwhile, the shorter wavelengths measure extremely energetic phenomena.

The coolest part of the electromagnetic spectrum

Astronomers use the entire electromagnetic spectrum to observe a variety of things. Radio waves and microwaves are the longest wavelengths and lowest energies of light. With this in mind, they are used to peer inside dense interstellar clouds and track the motion of cold, dark gas. Radio telescopes have been used to map the structure of our galaxy. Additionally, microwave telescopes are sensitive to the remnant glow of the Big Bang.

This image from the Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA) shows what the galaxy M33 would look like if you could see it in radio waves. This image maps atomic hydrogen gas in the galaxy. The different colors map velocities in the gas: red shows gas moving away from us, blue is moving towards us. Image via NRAO/ AUI.

Infrared telescopes excel at finding cool, dim stars, slicing through interstellar dust bands. Plus, they even measure the temperatures of planets in other solar systems. The wavelengths of infrared light are long enough to navigate through clouds that would otherwise block our view. By using large infrared telescopes, astronomers peer through the dust lanes of our galaxy into the Milky Way’s core.

This image from the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes shows the central 300 light-years of our Milky Way galaxy, as we would see it if our eyes could see infrared energy. The image reveals massive star clusters and swirling gas clouds. Image via NASA/ ESA/ JPL/ Q.D. Wang/ S. Stolovy.

Most stars emit visible light

The majority of stars emit most of their electromagnetic energy as visible light, the tiny portion of the spectrum to which our eyes are sensitive. And, because wavelength correlates with energy, the color of a star tells us how hot it is: red stars are coolest, blue are hottest. On the other hand, the coldest of stars emit hardly any visible light at all; they can only be seen with infrared telescopes.

The more energetic ultraviolet light

Then at wavelengths shorter than violet, we find the ultraviolet, or UV, light. You may be familiar with UV from its ability to give you a sunburn. Astronomers use it to hunt out the most energetic of stars and identify regions of star birth. When viewing distant galaxies with UV telescopes, most of the stars and gas disappear, and all the stellar nurseries pop into view.

A view of the spiral galaxy M81 in the ultraviolet, made possible by the GALEX space observatory. The bright regions show stellar nurseries in the spiral arms. Image via NASA.

Highest energy light: X-ray and Gamma Ray

Then, beyond UV come the highest energies in the electromagnetic spectrum: X-rays and gamma rays. Our atmosphere blocks this light, so astronomers must rely on telescopes in space to see the X-ray and gamma ray universe. X-rays come from exotic neutron stars, or from the vortex of superheated material spiraling around a black hole. As well as, from diffuse clouds of gas in galactic clusters that are heated to many millions of degrees.

Meanwhile, gamma rays – the shortest wavelength of light and deadly to humans – unveil violent events. And these include supernova explosions, cosmic radioactive decay and even the destruction of antimatter. Gamma ray bursts are among the most energetic singular events in the universe. Or they are a brief flickering of gamma ray light from distant galaxies when a star explodes and creates a black hole.

If you could see in X-rays, over long distances, you’d see this view of the nebula surrounding pulsar PSR B1509-58. This image is from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Located 17,000 light-years away, the pulsar is the rapidly spinning remnant of a stellar core left behind after a supernova. Image via NASA.

See the difference for yourself

As visible light fades to near-infrared, more stars are revealed, plus twin jets blasting out from a young star at the top of this dusty pillar. Different wavelengths of light show more of what is happening in space. Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI. pic.twitter.com/ROKk7hooOI

— Hubble Space Telescope (@HubbleTelescope) August 11, 2023

Hubble and #NASAWebb work together to give complementary views of the star-forming region NGC 346. Fading from visible light to near-infrared and mid-infrared, each image highlights different features: https://t.co/z1TIxa3Hao pic.twitter.com/oZIdafgbBX

— Space Telescope Science Institute (@SpaceTelescope) October 10, 2023

Which came first for this Penguin and its Egg? @NASAHubble took the visible-light view on the left in 2013.

On the right side is Webb's near-infrared image. With its sensitive vision, Webb peers through dust, intensifies bright objects, and highlights unseen stars and galaxies. pic.twitter.com/IYyBoTWm8V

— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 12, 2024

There is more than meets the eye on the Sun.

In visible light (left), which the human eye can see, the Sun’s surface has dark splotches known as sunspots.

Ultraviolet light (right) is invisible to the human eye but shows sunspots surrounded by bright regions named faculae. pic.twitter.com/DbLMh0s13P

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) October 3, 2022

Bottom line: The electromagnetic spectrum describes all the wavelengths of light, both seen and unseen.

The post The electromagnetic spectrum: It’s more than visible light first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/OqeTLxr

The 2nd eclipse season of 2026 is underway

Here are the eclipse seasons of 2026, shown in bold. The sun is at the center of this diagram. The Earth is shown as a white dot in the center of each blue disk. And the moon’s orbit defines the blue disks surrounding each white dot. The moon is either sunward from Earth (new moon) or outward from it (full moon). Small arrows at the edge of the blue disks show the moon’s course over 7 days. Image via Guy Ottewell’s Astronomical Calendar 2026. Used with permission.

2nd eclipse season of 2026

The 2nd eclipse season of 2026 is underway. An eclipse season is an approximately 35-day period during which it’s inevitable that at least two (and possibly three) eclipses will occur. There will be a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, followed two weeks later by a partial lunar eclipse on August 28, 2026.

The first eclipse season of 2026 featured two eclipses, an annular or “ring of fire” solar eclipse on February 17 and a total lunar eclipse on March 2-3.

During an eclipse season, the Earth, moon and sun line up in space. Eclipse seasons recur about every 173 days (somewhat shy of every six calendar months), when the sun aligns with one of the moon’s orbital nodes — the two points where the plane of the moon’s orbit crosses the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun. The moon has to be at a node at either full or new moon, in order for an eclipse to occur.

A full moon at a lunar node means a lunar eclipse. A new moon at a node means a solar eclipse.

Why don’t we see every eclipse?

So we have two eclipse seasons per year (usually), giving us have at least four eclipses per year and sometimes more. But – unless we become eclipse chasers – most of us don’t see that many eclipses. To see a lunar eclipse, the full moon has to be above your horizon. And that can only happen at night, or close to night, because a full moon is opposite the sun. Night falls for half of Earth at once. So, generally speaking, half of Earth can see a lunar eclipse at once.

Solar eclipses are harder to catch. A total solar eclipse can be seen only from a narrow track along Earth’s surface. The accompanying partial solar eclipse can be seen only in areas adjacent to that track.

So you have to be in the right location on Earth’s surface to see a lunar or solar eclipse. But lunar eclipses are easier to catch than solar eclipses.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Catherine Hyde in Cambria, California, captured this stunning telescope image of the total lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026. Thank you, Catherine! See more incredible lunar eclipse images below.

See spectacular total lunar eclipse images from March 2-3, 2026

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Iaroslav Kourzenkov in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, captured a partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025. Iaroslav wrote: “Witnessed a rare beauty this morning! Caught the stunning partial solar eclipse at sunrise and managed to snap a few photos.” Thank you, Iaroslav!

What causes an eclipse season?

Astronomy is all about cycles. When you learn to watch the night sky, you’ll begin to notice the many cycles of the sky.

And, of course, eclipses come in cycles, too. Consider a scenario where the moon orbited Earth on the same plane as the Earth orbits the sun. Then we’d have a solar eclipse at every new moon, and a lunar eclipse at every full moon.

But, in reality, the plane of the moon’s orbit is inclined by 5 degrees to the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane). Most of the time, the new moon or full moon swings too far north, or south, of the ecliptic for an eclipse to take place.

For instance, in the year 2026, we will have 12 new moons and 13 full moons, but only two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses.

Eclipses are all about alignments. In a solar eclipse, the sun, moon and Earth line up, with the moon in the middle. Image via NASA.

In a lunar eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon line up, with the Earth in the middle. Image via NASA.

When lunar nodes point at the sun

So, as the moon orbits Earth, the moon crosses the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane) twice each month. Those crossing points are the nodes. If the moon is going from south to north, it’s called the moon’s ascending node. If the moon is moving from north to south, it’s called the moon’s descending node.

But, for an eclipse to take place, that crossing point – or lunar node – must be pointed at the sun. And that momentous crossing marks the middle of the eclipse season. Maybe you can see that the alignment of the moon, sun and Earth is most exact when an eclipse happens at the middle of an eclipse season, in other words, when there’s a new or full moon precisely at a node crossing. On the other hand, the alignment of the moon, sun and Earth is least exact when a new or full moon happens at the start or the end of an eclipse season. A lunar eclipse happening early or late in the eclipse season gives us a penumbral lunar eclipse, where the outer, lighter shadow of the Earth brushes the moon’s face. And any solar eclipse happening early or late in the eclipse season is a skimpy partial eclipse.

Read more: Node passages of the moon: 2001 to 2100

View larger. | Nodal precession of the lunar nodes as the Earth revolves around the sun causes an eclipse season approximately every 6 months. Image via Nela/ Wikimedia Commons.

2 or 3 eclipses in one eclipse season?

An eclipse season most often presents only two eclipses. However, if the first eclipse falls early in the eclipse season, then it’s possible for a third eclipse to occur before the eclipse season ends.

For example, the last time three eclipses happened in one eclipse season was June-July 2020:

June 5, 2020: Penumbral lunar eclipse
June 21, 2020: Annular solar eclipse
July 5, 2020: Penumbral lunar eclipse

Likewise, the next time three eclipses will occur in one eclipse season will be July-August 2027:

July 18, 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse
August 2, 2027: Total solar eclipse
August 17, 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse

Eclipse season terminology

With this in mind, here are some words you need to know to understand eclipse seasons: lunar nodes and ecliptic. The ecliptic is the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. A lunar node is the point where, in its monthly orbit of Earth, the moon’s orbit intersects that plane. An eclipse season is when – from Earth’s perspective – the sun is close enough to a lunar node to allow an eclipse to take place. If the sun is close to a lunar node at full moon, we see a lunar eclipse. If the sun is close to a lunar node at new moon, we see a solar eclipse.

To put it another way, if the moon turns new or full in close concert with the moon’s crossing of one of its nodes, then an eclipse is not only possible, but inevitable.

The moon’s orbit around Earth is inclined 5 degrees to Earth’s orbit around the sun, so the moon crosses the Earth’s orbital plane twice a month at points called nodes. Every 173.3 days, the line of nodes points at the sun, which is the middle of the approximate 5-week eclipse season (highlighted in gray). During any eclipse season, there is always at least 1 solar eclipse and 1 lunar eclipse, occurring within one fortnight of the other. If the 1st eclipse arrives early enough in the eclipse season, 3 eclipses can fit within a lunar month, and up to 7 eclipses occur in one year’s time. Image via SuperManu/ Wikimedia Commons.

Minimum of 4 eclipses in one year

A lunar month (period of time between successive new moons or successive full moons) is about 29.5 days long. So a minimum of two eclipses (one solar and one lunar, in either order) happens in one eclipse season. A maximum of three eclipses is possible (either lunar/solar/lunar or solar/lunar/solar), though the first eclipse of the eclipse season has to come quite early to allow for a third eclipse near the end.

So a minimum of two lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses occurs in one calendar year. Yet, depending on how the eclipse seasons and lunar phases align, it’s possible to also have five, six or seven eclipses in one year.

For the maximum of seven eclipses to occur in one calendar year, the first eclipse must come in early January. That leaves enough room for the seventh eclipse in late December. In one scenario, an eclipse season sporting two eclipses comes early in the year and late in the year. The middle eclipse season stages three eclipses.

It’s quite rare for seven eclipses to occur in one calendar year, however. Seven eclipses last happened in the year 1982, and will next occur in the year 2038.

Maximum of 7 eclipses in one year

Also, it’s remotely possible for a calendar year to sport two eclipse seasons with three eclipses each, and one eclipse from an eclipse season that straddles into the previous or following year. Click in to see two examples, the years 1935 and 1879-80.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | David Chapman in Seaforth, Nova Scotia, Canada, captured a partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025. David wrote: “I drove to a coastal location northeast of Halifax to avoid the encroaching cloud bank. I observed a point-like green flash as the upper cusp of the crescent appeared at 7:00 ADT. Photo is at peak eclipse and is a bit overexposed.” Thank you, David!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kathy Hunter caught these views of the lunar eclipse on March 14, 2025, from West Virginia. Kathy wrote: “My first composite!” Thank you, Kathy.

Bottom line: Eclipse seasons are periods during which eclipses not only can take place, but must take place. There’s a minimum of two eclipses in one eclipse season and a maximum of seven eclipses possible in a calendar year. In 2026, the 2nd eclipse season is in August with a total solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse.

Details here: Total solar eclipse dazzles observers on August 12, 2026

Read more: Partial lunar eclipse of the August 27-28 full Sturgeon Moon

Read more: New mission could create artificial solar eclipses in space

The post The 2nd eclipse season of 2026 is underway first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/BOgNJYV

Here are the eclipse seasons of 2026, shown in bold. The sun is at the center of this diagram. The Earth is shown as a white dot in the center of each blue disk. And the moon’s orbit defines the blue disks surrounding each white dot. The moon is either sunward from Earth (new moon) or outward from it (full moon). Small arrows at the edge of the blue disks show the moon’s course over 7 days. Image via Guy Ottewell’s Astronomical Calendar 2026. Used with permission.

2nd eclipse season of 2026

The 2nd eclipse season of 2026 is underway. An eclipse season is an approximately 35-day period during which it’s inevitable that at least two (and possibly three) eclipses will occur. There will be a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, followed two weeks later by a partial lunar eclipse on August 28, 2026.

The first eclipse season of 2026 featured two eclipses, an annular or “ring of fire” solar eclipse on February 17 and a total lunar eclipse on March 2-3.

During an eclipse season, the Earth, moon and sun line up in space. Eclipse seasons recur about every 173 days (somewhat shy of every six calendar months), when the sun aligns with one of the moon’s orbital nodes — the two points where the plane of the moon’s orbit crosses the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun. The moon has to be at a node at either full or new moon, in order for an eclipse to occur.

A full moon at a lunar node means a lunar eclipse. A new moon at a node means a solar eclipse.

Why don’t we see every eclipse?

So we have two eclipse seasons per year (usually), giving us have at least four eclipses per year and sometimes more. But – unless we become eclipse chasers – most of us don’t see that many eclipses. To see a lunar eclipse, the full moon has to be above your horizon. And that can only happen at night, or close to night, because a full moon is opposite the sun. Night falls for half of Earth at once. So, generally speaking, half of Earth can see a lunar eclipse at once.

Solar eclipses are harder to catch. A total solar eclipse can be seen only from a narrow track along Earth’s surface. The accompanying partial solar eclipse can be seen only in areas adjacent to that track.

So you have to be in the right location on Earth’s surface to see a lunar or solar eclipse. But lunar eclipses are easier to catch than solar eclipses.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Catherine Hyde in Cambria, California, captured this stunning telescope image of the total lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026. Thank you, Catherine! See more incredible lunar eclipse images below.

See spectacular total lunar eclipse images from March 2-3, 2026

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Iaroslav Kourzenkov in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, captured a partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025. Iaroslav wrote: “Witnessed a rare beauty this morning! Caught the stunning partial solar eclipse at sunrise and managed to snap a few photos.” Thank you, Iaroslav!

What causes an eclipse season?

Astronomy is all about cycles. When you learn to watch the night sky, you’ll begin to notice the many cycles of the sky.

And, of course, eclipses come in cycles, too. Consider a scenario where the moon orbited Earth on the same plane as the Earth orbits the sun. Then we’d have a solar eclipse at every new moon, and a lunar eclipse at every full moon.

But, in reality, the plane of the moon’s orbit is inclined by 5 degrees to the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane). Most of the time, the new moon or full moon swings too far north, or south, of the ecliptic for an eclipse to take place.

For instance, in the year 2026, we will have 12 new moons and 13 full moons, but only two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses.

Eclipses are all about alignments. In a solar eclipse, the sun, moon and Earth line up, with the moon in the middle. Image via NASA.

In a lunar eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon line up, with the Earth in the middle. Image via NASA.

When lunar nodes point at the sun

So, as the moon orbits Earth, the moon crosses the ecliptic (Earth’s orbital plane) twice each month. Those crossing points are the nodes. If the moon is going from south to north, it’s called the moon’s ascending node. If the moon is moving from north to south, it’s called the moon’s descending node.

But, for an eclipse to take place, that crossing point – or lunar node – must be pointed at the sun. And that momentous crossing marks the middle of the eclipse season. Maybe you can see that the alignment of the moon, sun and Earth is most exact when an eclipse happens at the middle of an eclipse season, in other words, when there’s a new or full moon precisely at a node crossing. On the other hand, the alignment of the moon, sun and Earth is least exact when a new or full moon happens at the start or the end of an eclipse season. A lunar eclipse happening early or late in the eclipse season gives us a penumbral lunar eclipse, where the outer, lighter shadow of the Earth brushes the moon’s face. And any solar eclipse happening early or late in the eclipse season is a skimpy partial eclipse.

Read more: Node passages of the moon: 2001 to 2100

View larger. | Nodal precession of the lunar nodes as the Earth revolves around the sun causes an eclipse season approximately every 6 months. Image via Nela/ Wikimedia Commons.

2 or 3 eclipses in one eclipse season?

An eclipse season most often presents only two eclipses. However, if the first eclipse falls early in the eclipse season, then it’s possible for a third eclipse to occur before the eclipse season ends.

For example, the last time three eclipses happened in one eclipse season was June-July 2020:

June 5, 2020: Penumbral lunar eclipse
June 21, 2020: Annular solar eclipse
July 5, 2020: Penumbral lunar eclipse

Likewise, the next time three eclipses will occur in one eclipse season will be July-August 2027:

July 18, 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse
August 2, 2027: Total solar eclipse
August 17, 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse

Eclipse season terminology

With this in mind, here are some words you need to know to understand eclipse seasons: lunar nodes and ecliptic. The ecliptic is the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the sun. A lunar node is the point where, in its monthly orbit of Earth, the moon’s orbit intersects that plane. An eclipse season is when – from Earth’s perspective – the sun is close enough to a lunar node to allow an eclipse to take place. If the sun is close to a lunar node at full moon, we see a lunar eclipse. If the sun is close to a lunar node at new moon, we see a solar eclipse.

To put it another way, if the moon turns new or full in close concert with the moon’s crossing of one of its nodes, then an eclipse is not only possible, but inevitable.

The moon’s orbit around Earth is inclined 5 degrees to Earth’s orbit around the sun, so the moon crosses the Earth’s orbital plane twice a month at points called nodes. Every 173.3 days, the line of nodes points at the sun, which is the middle of the approximate 5-week eclipse season (highlighted in gray). During any eclipse season, there is always at least 1 solar eclipse and 1 lunar eclipse, occurring within one fortnight of the other. If the 1st eclipse arrives early enough in the eclipse season, 3 eclipses can fit within a lunar month, and up to 7 eclipses occur in one year’s time. Image via SuperManu/ Wikimedia Commons.

Minimum of 4 eclipses in one year

A lunar month (period of time between successive new moons or successive full moons) is about 29.5 days long. So a minimum of two eclipses (one solar and one lunar, in either order) happens in one eclipse season. A maximum of three eclipses is possible (either lunar/solar/lunar or solar/lunar/solar), though the first eclipse of the eclipse season has to come quite early to allow for a third eclipse near the end.

So a minimum of two lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses occurs in one calendar year. Yet, depending on how the eclipse seasons and lunar phases align, it’s possible to also have five, six or seven eclipses in one year.

For the maximum of seven eclipses to occur in one calendar year, the first eclipse must come in early January. That leaves enough room for the seventh eclipse in late December. In one scenario, an eclipse season sporting two eclipses comes early in the year and late in the year. The middle eclipse season stages three eclipses.

It’s quite rare for seven eclipses to occur in one calendar year, however. Seven eclipses last happened in the year 1982, and will next occur in the year 2038.

Maximum of 7 eclipses in one year

Also, it’s remotely possible for a calendar year to sport two eclipse seasons with three eclipses each, and one eclipse from an eclipse season that straddles into the previous or following year. Click in to see two examples, the years 1935 and 1879-80.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | David Chapman in Seaforth, Nova Scotia, Canada, captured a partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025. David wrote: “I drove to a coastal location northeast of Halifax to avoid the encroaching cloud bank. I observed a point-like green flash as the upper cusp of the crescent appeared at 7:00 ADT. Photo is at peak eclipse and is a bit overexposed.” Thank you, David!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kathy Hunter caught these views of the lunar eclipse on March 14, 2025, from West Virginia. Kathy wrote: “My first composite!” Thank you, Kathy.

Bottom line: Eclipse seasons are periods during which eclipses not only can take place, but must take place. There’s a minimum of two eclipses in one eclipse season and a maximum of seven eclipses possible in a calendar year. In 2026, the 2nd eclipse season is in August with a total solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse.

Details here: Total solar eclipse dazzles observers on August 12, 2026

Read more: Partial lunar eclipse of the August 27-28 full Sturgeon Moon

Read more: New mission could create artificial solar eclipses in space

The post The 2nd eclipse season of 2026 is underway first appeared on EarthSky.

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Solar eclipse: Top 5 tips for photographing an eclipse

People watch a partial solar eclipse in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on March 20, 2015. Image via NASA/ Robin Cordiner.

Via Mara Johnson-Groh, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

There’s a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, visible from parts of the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and Spain. And it’ll be visible as a partial eclipse from much of western Europe and North America.

Here’s a unique photo tip: During this total solar eclipse, you might catch a Perseid meteor! That’s because the Perseid shower is reaching its peak on August 12-13.

Solar eclipses offer a unique opportunity for scientists studying the shadow of the moon. And it’s also a perfect opportunity to capture unforgettable images. Try out these tips for photographing the eclipse.

1. Safety first

To take images as the sun is being eclipsed, you’ll need to use a special solar filter to protect your camera’s sensor. That’s just like you’ll need a pair of eclipse glasses to protect your own eyes. However, at totality, when the moon completely blocks the sun, make sure to remove the filter so you can see the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona.

How to watch a solar eclipse safely

Having a few other pieces of equipment can also come in handy during the eclipse. Using a tripod can help you stabilize the camera and avoid taking blurry images thanks to the low lighting. Additionally, using a delayed shutter release timer will allow you to snap shots without jiggling the camera.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Shaun Tarpley in Shawnee National Forest, Illinois, wrote: “I created this using a 9-image bracket series I took during the 2017 total solar eclipse and overlaid frames indicating the relative field-of-view of common focal lengths to help photographers planning to photograph the 2024 eclipse to visualize what focal length is optimum for their imaging goals. It is a quick way to visualize the differences.” Thank you, Shaun!

2. Any camera is a good camera

Taking a stunning photo has more to do with the photographer than the camera. Whether you have a high-end DLSR or a camera phone, you can take great photos during the eclipse. After all, the best piece of equipment you can have is a good eye and a vision for the image you want to create.

If you don’t have a telephoto zoom lens, focus on taking landscape shots, which capture the changing environment.

During totality, the moon completely covers the sun. If you do have a telephoto lens with a solar filter, you’ll be able to see and photograph the structures in the sun’s corona.

Robert Asher in Artesia, New Mexico, captured these images of the sun in a ring around the moon – at mid-eclipse – on October 14, 2023. When you see crescents dancing under the trees during an eclipse of the sun, it’s because tree leaves are creating natural pinhole cameras that project the image of the sun and moon. Thank you, Robert! Used with permission.

3. Look up, down, all around

While the sun is the most commanding element of an eclipse, remember to look around you. As the moon slips in front of the sun, the landscape will be bathed in long shadows, creating eerie lighting across the landscape. Light filtering through the overlapping leaves of trees will create natural pinholes, producing mini eclipse replicas on the ground. Everywhere you can point your camera can yield exceptional imagery, so be sure to compose some wide-angle photos that can capture your eclipse experience.

NASA photographer Bill Ingalls recommends focusing on the human experience of watching the eclipse. He said:

The real pictures are going to be of the people around you pointing, gawking and watching it. Those are going to be some great moments to capture to show the emotion of the whole thing.

4. Practice and plan

Be sure you know the capabilities of your camera before eclipse day. Most cameras, and even many camera phones, have adjustable exposures. These can help you darken or lighten your image during the tricky eclipse lighting. Make sure you know how to manually focus the camera for crisp shots.

For DSLR cameras, the best way to determine the correct exposure is to test settings on the uneclipsed sun beforehand using a solar filter. Using a fixed aperture of f/8 to f/16, try shutter speeds between 1/1000 to 1/4 second to find the optimal setting. You can then use that to take images during the partial stages of the eclipse. During totality, the corona has a wide range of brightness. So it’s best to use a fixed aperture and a range of exposures from approximately 1/1000 to 1 second without the solar filter. Then, put your solar filter back once totality has ended.

5. Share!

Share your eclipse experience with friends and family afterwards. Use the hashtag #Eclipse2026 on your favorite social media sites.

And share your pics with us at EarthSky here.

While you’re out perfecting your perfect eclipse shot, don’t forget to stop and look at the eclipse with your own eyes. Just remember to wear your eclipse glasses for all stages of the eclipse before and after totality!

Bottom line: Here are five tips for photographing the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse.

Science news, night sky events and beautiful photos, all in one place. Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.

Read more: April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse pics and video from the EarthSky community

Read more: Eclipse photos here! Annular solar eclipse October 14, 2023

The post Solar eclipse: Top 5 tips for photographing an eclipse first appeared on EarthSky.

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People watch a partial solar eclipse in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on March 20, 2015. Image via NASA/ Robin Cordiner.

Via Mara Johnson-Groh, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

There’s a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, visible from parts of the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and Spain. And it’ll be visible as a partial eclipse from much of western Europe and North America.

Here’s a unique photo tip: During this total solar eclipse, you might catch a Perseid meteor! That’s because the Perseid shower is reaching its peak on August 12-13.

Solar eclipses offer a unique opportunity for scientists studying the shadow of the moon. And it’s also a perfect opportunity to capture unforgettable images. Try out these tips for photographing the eclipse.

1. Safety first

To take images as the sun is being eclipsed, you’ll need to use a special solar filter to protect your camera’s sensor. That’s just like you’ll need a pair of eclipse glasses to protect your own eyes. However, at totality, when the moon completely blocks the sun, make sure to remove the filter so you can see the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona.

How to watch a solar eclipse safely

Having a few other pieces of equipment can also come in handy during the eclipse. Using a tripod can help you stabilize the camera and avoid taking blurry images thanks to the low lighting. Additionally, using a delayed shutter release timer will allow you to snap shots without jiggling the camera.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Shaun Tarpley in Shawnee National Forest, Illinois, wrote: “I created this using a 9-image bracket series I took during the 2017 total solar eclipse and overlaid frames indicating the relative field-of-view of common focal lengths to help photographers planning to photograph the 2024 eclipse to visualize what focal length is optimum for their imaging goals. It is a quick way to visualize the differences.” Thank you, Shaun!

2. Any camera is a good camera

Taking a stunning photo has more to do with the photographer than the camera. Whether you have a high-end DLSR or a camera phone, you can take great photos during the eclipse. After all, the best piece of equipment you can have is a good eye and a vision for the image you want to create.

If you don’t have a telephoto zoom lens, focus on taking landscape shots, which capture the changing environment.

During totality, the moon completely covers the sun. If you do have a telephoto lens with a solar filter, you’ll be able to see and photograph the structures in the sun’s corona.

Robert Asher in Artesia, New Mexico, captured these images of the sun in a ring around the moon – at mid-eclipse – on October 14, 2023. When you see crescents dancing under the trees during an eclipse of the sun, it’s because tree leaves are creating natural pinhole cameras that project the image of the sun and moon. Thank you, Robert! Used with permission.

3. Look up, down, all around

While the sun is the most commanding element of an eclipse, remember to look around you. As the moon slips in front of the sun, the landscape will be bathed in long shadows, creating eerie lighting across the landscape. Light filtering through the overlapping leaves of trees will create natural pinholes, producing mini eclipse replicas on the ground. Everywhere you can point your camera can yield exceptional imagery, so be sure to compose some wide-angle photos that can capture your eclipse experience.

NASA photographer Bill Ingalls recommends focusing on the human experience of watching the eclipse. He said:

The real pictures are going to be of the people around you pointing, gawking and watching it. Those are going to be some great moments to capture to show the emotion of the whole thing.

4. Practice and plan

Be sure you know the capabilities of your camera before eclipse day. Most cameras, and even many camera phones, have adjustable exposures. These can help you darken or lighten your image during the tricky eclipse lighting. Make sure you know how to manually focus the camera for crisp shots.

For DSLR cameras, the best way to determine the correct exposure is to test settings on the uneclipsed sun beforehand using a solar filter. Using a fixed aperture of f/8 to f/16, try shutter speeds between 1/1000 to 1/4 second to find the optimal setting. You can then use that to take images during the partial stages of the eclipse. During totality, the corona has a wide range of brightness. So it’s best to use a fixed aperture and a range of exposures from approximately 1/1000 to 1 second without the solar filter. Then, put your solar filter back once totality has ended.

5. Share!

Share your eclipse experience with friends and family afterwards. Use the hashtag #Eclipse2026 on your favorite social media sites.

And share your pics with us at EarthSky here.

While you’re out perfecting your perfect eclipse shot, don’t forget to stop and look at the eclipse with your own eyes. Just remember to wear your eclipse glasses for all stages of the eclipse before and after totality!

Bottom line: Here are five tips for photographing the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse.

Science news, night sky events and beautiful photos, all in one place. Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.

Read more: April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse pics and video from the EarthSky community

Read more: Eclipse photos here! Annular solar eclipse October 14, 2023

The post Solar eclipse: Top 5 tips for photographing an eclipse first appeared on EarthSky.

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Aquila the Eagle soars along the Milky Way

Aquila the Eagle is home to the star Altair, which is one of the corners of the Summer Triangle. In addition, you can also use Aquila to starhop your way to the Wild Duck cluster in Scutum the Shield. Image via EarthSky.

The best time to see the constellation Aquila the Eagle in the evening sky is from July to November as it soars along the Milky Way. And, because our galaxy provides a starry backdrop, many clusters and nebulae lie within its borders. Aquila’s brightest star, Altair, is the southernmost corner star in the Summer Triangle. In mythology, Aquila carried Zeus’ thunderbolts for him.

The stars of Aquila the Eagle

The brightest star in Aquila is Alpha Aquilae, or Altair. At magnitude 0.76, it is one of the three bright stars that mark the corners of the Summer Triangle. Deneb and Vega are the other two and they lie higher in the sky, closer to the zenith on summer evenings. Altair lies just 17 light-years away from Earth.

Additionally, two moderately bright stars lie on either side of Altair. To the southeast is Beta Aquilae, or Alshain. This magnitude 3.71 star lies 45 light-years away. To the other side of Altair is Gamma Aquilae, or Tarazed. At magnitude 2.72, it’s brighter than Alshain but lies much farther away at 461 light-years. This trio of stars is found near the head of Aquila the Eagle.

Then, the star marking Aquila’s back is Delta Aquilae, at magnitude 3.36 and 50 light-years away. Likewise, Theta Aquilae marks the left wing. It shines at magnitude 3.26 from across 286 light-years. The right wing, that points to Vega, holds Zeta Aquilae at magnitude 2.99 and 83 light-years distant. Lastly, the star at the end of the tail of the Eagle is Lambda Aquilae at magnitude 3.43, lying 125 light-years away.

The stars of Aquila the Eagle. The larger the dot, the brighter the star. Image via IAU/ Sky and Telescope/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Globular clusters

While there are no Messier objects in Aquila, there is still a lot to see, especially if you have a big enough telescope. For example, two globular clusters lie in Aquila: NGC 6749 and NGC 6760.

The two globular clusters are in the vicinity of Delta Aquilae. NGC 6760 shines at magnitude 9.1. Then, about 2 degrees farther away is NGC 6749 at magnitude 12.

In addition, several open clusters lie in Aquila, but most of them are faint. With this in mind, the best one to observe is NGC 6755, a 7.5-magnitude grouping found near the star marking the back of the Eagle. Another good open cluster to try for is NGC 6709, which, at magnitude 6.7, appears in binoculars. NGC 6709 is fairly near Zeta Aquilae, the upper wing of the Eagle. Between these two clusters is yet another cluster, NGC 6738. This sparse cluster is 8th magnitude.

Also, a lot of observers who come to Aquila use it to starhop to a cluster just over the border of the constellation Scutum the Shield. The Wild Duck Cluster, M11, shines at magnitude 6.3, making it brighter than any of the clusters in Aquila. Here’s how to find it.

Altair in Aquila the Eagle, with 2 smaller constellations nearby. Image via Wikipedia.

Nebulae of Aquila

A number of nebulae lie along the line that marks the body of the Eagle, but only one is bright enough to reach even 10th magnitude. NGC 6790 lies a little less than 2 degrees from the star that marks the back of the Eagle in the direction of its tail.

Good luck tracking down these tough-to-spot, faint objects in Aquila the Eagle. Or, you can always just scan the area in binoculars and see what materializes.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Cecille Kennedy caught this image from the central Oregon coast. Notice how Aquila the Eagle soars along the Milky Way. Thank you, Cecille!

Bottom line: Aquila the Eagle is home to the bright star Altair, which forms one corner of the Summer Triangle. And you can see this constellation at its best in northern late summer or early fall evenings.

The post Aquila the Eagle soars along the Milky Way first appeared on EarthSky.

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Aquila the Eagle is home to the star Altair, which is one of the corners of the Summer Triangle. In addition, you can also use Aquila to starhop your way to the Wild Duck cluster in Scutum the Shield. Image via EarthSky.

The best time to see the constellation Aquila the Eagle in the evening sky is from July to November as it soars along the Milky Way. And, because our galaxy provides a starry backdrop, many clusters and nebulae lie within its borders. Aquila’s brightest star, Altair, is the southernmost corner star in the Summer Triangle. In mythology, Aquila carried Zeus’ thunderbolts for him.

The stars of Aquila the Eagle

The brightest star in Aquila is Alpha Aquilae, or Altair. At magnitude 0.76, it is one of the three bright stars that mark the corners of the Summer Triangle. Deneb and Vega are the other two and they lie higher in the sky, closer to the zenith on summer evenings. Altair lies just 17 light-years away from Earth.

Additionally, two moderately bright stars lie on either side of Altair. To the southeast is Beta Aquilae, or Alshain. This magnitude 3.71 star lies 45 light-years away. To the other side of Altair is Gamma Aquilae, or Tarazed. At magnitude 2.72, it’s brighter than Alshain but lies much farther away at 461 light-years. This trio of stars is found near the head of Aquila the Eagle.

Then, the star marking Aquila’s back is Delta Aquilae, at magnitude 3.36 and 50 light-years away. Likewise, Theta Aquilae marks the left wing. It shines at magnitude 3.26 from across 286 light-years. The right wing, that points to Vega, holds Zeta Aquilae at magnitude 2.99 and 83 light-years distant. Lastly, the star at the end of the tail of the Eagle is Lambda Aquilae at magnitude 3.43, lying 125 light-years away.

The stars of Aquila the Eagle. The larger the dot, the brighter the star. Image via IAU/ Sky and Telescope/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Globular clusters

While there are no Messier objects in Aquila, there is still a lot to see, especially if you have a big enough telescope. For example, two globular clusters lie in Aquila: NGC 6749 and NGC 6760.

The two globular clusters are in the vicinity of Delta Aquilae. NGC 6760 shines at magnitude 9.1. Then, about 2 degrees farther away is NGC 6749 at magnitude 12.

In addition, several open clusters lie in Aquila, but most of them are faint. With this in mind, the best one to observe is NGC 6755, a 7.5-magnitude grouping found near the star marking the back of the Eagle. Another good open cluster to try for is NGC 6709, which, at magnitude 6.7, appears in binoculars. NGC 6709 is fairly near Zeta Aquilae, the upper wing of the Eagle. Between these two clusters is yet another cluster, NGC 6738. This sparse cluster is 8th magnitude.

Also, a lot of observers who come to Aquila use it to starhop to a cluster just over the border of the constellation Scutum the Shield. The Wild Duck Cluster, M11, shines at magnitude 6.3, making it brighter than any of the clusters in Aquila. Here’s how to find it.

Altair in Aquila the Eagle, with 2 smaller constellations nearby. Image via Wikipedia.

Nebulae of Aquila

A number of nebulae lie along the line that marks the body of the Eagle, but only one is bright enough to reach even 10th magnitude. NGC 6790 lies a little less than 2 degrees from the star that marks the back of the Eagle in the direction of its tail.

Good luck tracking down these tough-to-spot, faint objects in Aquila the Eagle. Or, you can always just scan the area in binoculars and see what materializes.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Cecille Kennedy caught this image from the central Oregon coast. Notice how Aquila the Eagle soars along the Milky Way. Thank you, Cecille!

Bottom line: Aquila the Eagle is home to the bright star Altair, which forms one corner of the Summer Triangle. And you can see this constellation at its best in northern late summer or early fall evenings.

The post Aquila the Eagle soars along the Milky Way first appeared on EarthSky.

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How to watch a solar eclipse safely: tips here

Raúl Cortés – a co-author of EarthSky’s daily sun post – is the one on the top right in this photo. He lives in Mexico. But he and his family traveled to Corpus Christi, Texas, to place themselves in the path of the annular eclipse on October 14, 2023. Thank you, Raúl! Read tips below on how to safely watch a solar eclipse.

You learned long ago never to look directly at the sun. Gazing sunward without eye protection can permanently damage your eyes. But there are a variety of ways you can safely view the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse.

You deserve a daily dose of good news. For the latest in science and the night sky, click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.

Here’s what NOT to do

First, let’s cover what you shouldn’t do to look at the sun. Whatever you do, never look at the sun directly without a safe filter in place to protect your eyes.

Besides your unprotected eyeballs, here are some other things you should not use: Do NOT use sunglasses, polaroid filters, smoked glass, exposed color film, X-ray film or photographic neutral density filters.

Fred Espenak created this self-portrait during a 2006 total solar eclipse. He’s using a small telescope equipped with a solar filter for observing the sun safely. Thank you, Fred! Used with permission. Read the ways to watch a solar eclipse – and the sun – safely, below.

DO use these techniques for observing the sun safely

Safe commercial solar filters for a telescope. If you have a telescope, you’ll need a safe solar filter on the sky end of it in order to search for sunspots or watch a solar eclipse safely. Do not use a filter on the eyepiece end of your telescope. There’s too much to say about solar filters to include in this article, so we refer you to Fred Espenak’s article on safe solar filters. If you don’t have a ‘scope, you still have plenty of options, such as …

Creating a pinhole camera. If you make a DIY easy pinhole projector, you can shine the sun’s image onto a flat surface and give your friends and family a cool experience too.

Use handy things around the house. You can use a colander, a slotted spoon or even criss-cross your fingers and let the sun shine through them to see dozens of little eclipsed suns on the ground.

Use a colander as an easy pinhole projector to safely view a solar eclipse. Image via Marcy Curran.

Check out the ground below trees

The little pinholes in leaves on trees are a wonderful pinhole projector.

This young astronomer in Austin, Texas, is using solar binoculars, especially designed for watching eclipses and tracking sunspots. See the crescent suns at his feet? Those are projected images of the eclipsed sun. Image via EarthSky.

But wait, there’s more …

A commercial pinhole projector. There are several versions of this handy and unique device to safely project an image of the sun. The Sunspotter projects an enlarged image of the sun onto a piece of paper, and even shows all but the smallest sunspots. It’s easy to use, plus multiple people can safely watch the eclipse (or see sunspots) at the same time. Of course, for solar eclipses the advancing – and eventual retreating – of the moon’s shadow is easy to see and even photograph.

Commercial sun projection devices are available as well, such as this Sunspotter. They use lenses to project the sun on a piece of paper to safely watch solar eclipses and to view sunspots. Image via Marcy Curran.

Commercial solar eclipse glasses. You might find these online or at a local nature center or museum. Solar eclipse glasses – or eclipse viewers – are super easy to use, and they’re sort of cool-looking.

Certified eclipse glasses are a safe alternative for viewing.

Watch a solar eclipse with others

Local viewing at an astronomy club, park or nature center. We highly recommend this route for any kind of eclipse, any daytime solar viewing or any nighttime astronomical event. If you watch among other amateur astronomers and casual sky gazers, you’ll have fun, learn about astronomy and get a great view of the objects and events going on in the sky.

The NASA Night Sky Network has a list of local astronomy clubs in the U.S. Here’s a search page from Go-astronomy.com which includes worldwide clubs. And here are astronomy clubs and societies affiliated with the Astronomical League, one of the most established confederations of amateur astronomers in the U.S.

Bottom line: Some tips for observing the sun safely during a solar eclipse here.

Read about the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse

The post How to watch a solar eclipse safely: tips here first appeared on EarthSky.

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Raúl Cortés – a co-author of EarthSky’s daily sun post – is the one on the top right in this photo. He lives in Mexico. But he and his family traveled to Corpus Christi, Texas, to place themselves in the path of the annular eclipse on October 14, 2023. Thank you, Raúl! Read tips below on how to safely watch a solar eclipse.

You learned long ago never to look directly at the sun. Gazing sunward without eye protection can permanently damage your eyes. But there are a variety of ways you can safely view the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse.

You deserve a daily dose of good news. For the latest in science and the night sky, click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.

Here’s what NOT to do

First, let’s cover what you shouldn’t do to look at the sun. Whatever you do, never look at the sun directly without a safe filter in place to protect your eyes.

Besides your unprotected eyeballs, here are some other things you should not use: Do NOT use sunglasses, polaroid filters, smoked glass, exposed color film, X-ray film or photographic neutral density filters.

Fred Espenak created this self-portrait during a 2006 total solar eclipse. He’s using a small telescope equipped with a solar filter for observing the sun safely. Thank you, Fred! Used with permission. Read the ways to watch a solar eclipse – and the sun – safely, below.

DO use these techniques for observing the sun safely

Safe commercial solar filters for a telescope. If you have a telescope, you’ll need a safe solar filter on the sky end of it in order to search for sunspots or watch a solar eclipse safely. Do not use a filter on the eyepiece end of your telescope. There’s too much to say about solar filters to include in this article, so we refer you to Fred Espenak’s article on safe solar filters. If you don’t have a ‘scope, you still have plenty of options, such as …

Creating a pinhole camera. If you make a DIY easy pinhole projector, you can shine the sun’s image onto a flat surface and give your friends and family a cool experience too.

Use handy things around the house. You can use a colander, a slotted spoon or even criss-cross your fingers and let the sun shine through them to see dozens of little eclipsed suns on the ground.

Use a colander as an easy pinhole projector to safely view a solar eclipse. Image via Marcy Curran.

Check out the ground below trees

The little pinholes in leaves on trees are a wonderful pinhole projector.

This young astronomer in Austin, Texas, is using solar binoculars, especially designed for watching eclipses and tracking sunspots. See the crescent suns at his feet? Those are projected images of the eclipsed sun. Image via EarthSky.

But wait, there’s more …

A commercial pinhole projector. There are several versions of this handy and unique device to safely project an image of the sun. The Sunspotter projects an enlarged image of the sun onto a piece of paper, and even shows all but the smallest sunspots. It’s easy to use, plus multiple people can safely watch the eclipse (or see sunspots) at the same time. Of course, for solar eclipses the advancing – and eventual retreating – of the moon’s shadow is easy to see and even photograph.

Commercial sun projection devices are available as well, such as this Sunspotter. They use lenses to project the sun on a piece of paper to safely watch solar eclipses and to view sunspots. Image via Marcy Curran.

Commercial solar eclipse glasses. You might find these online or at a local nature center or museum. Solar eclipse glasses – or eclipse viewers – are super easy to use, and they’re sort of cool-looking.

Certified eclipse glasses are a safe alternative for viewing.

Watch a solar eclipse with others

Local viewing at an astronomy club, park or nature center. We highly recommend this route for any kind of eclipse, any daytime solar viewing or any nighttime astronomical event. If you watch among other amateur astronomers and casual sky gazers, you’ll have fun, learn about astronomy and get a great view of the objects and events going on in the sky.

The NASA Night Sky Network has a list of local astronomy clubs in the U.S. Here’s a search page from Go-astronomy.com which includes worldwide clubs. And here are astronomy clubs and societies affiliated with the Astronomical League, one of the most established confederations of amateur astronomers in the U.S.

Bottom line: Some tips for observing the sun safely during a solar eclipse here.

Read about the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse

The post How to watch a solar eclipse safely: tips here first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/kiuES1m