4th batch of Pentagon UAP files: ‘Floating brain’ goes viral

Clipped version of the jellyfish or “floating brain” video from over the Atlantic on January 1, 2020. It’s part of the 4th batch of Pentagon UAP files, released on July 10, 2026. Observers said the object didn’t maneuver or change direction and traveled with the wind. So it might be an unusually shaped balloon or clump of deflated balloons squashed together. Or it might be something else. An AI-enhanced version of this video went viral on the internet this weekend. Read more about the latest Pentagon UAP files below. Video via DoD/ Forbes.

• The Pentagon released the 4th batch of its UAP files on July 10, 2026.
• It contains a mix of video, image, document and audio files. There are 40 new files in all, and 19 are videos, including the now-viral “floating brain” video.
• The release is part of a continuing rollout of files every couple or few weeks.

EarthSky isn’t powered by billionaires. We’re powered by you. Support EarthSky’s 2026 Donation Campaign and help keep science accessible.

AI-enhanced ‘floating brain’ UAP video goes viral

The Pentagon released a 4th batch of UAP/UFO files on July 10, 2026. The release includes 19 videos, 14 documents, three images and four audio files. One video – dubbed the “floating brain” – was immediately altered with AI and re-released to the internet, where it went viral this weekend. Forbes reported:

An X user applied AI to enhance the Pentagon’s previously released UFO footage designated DOW-UAP-PR030, also called the ‘floating brain’ UAP. The enhanced image depicts an image that shape-shifts and performs a sharp high-speed maneuver before it accelerates away …

The AI-enhanced image took the internet by storm, sparking a fresh wave of speculation, with viewers drawing very different conclusions about what they’re seeing.

One user wrote, ‘It’s just a bunch of Mylar balloons tied together. Probably escaped a fair. They can ascend for thousands of feet without popping like latex balloons.’

Another one also presented its own theory, stating, ‘Yeah, that thing flew here from Alpha Centauri, or from the Andromeda Galaxy. Makes perfect sense. Look at its mystifyingly perfect symmetry. It can’t possibly be a distorted balloon or a random piece of garbage. Our lives are changed forever.’

Meanwhile, the non-AI-enhanced videos – like the ones found on this page – are also being widely distributed online. The recent batch of UAP files includes the data coming from various agencies, including FBI, NASA, CIA, Energy Department and Pentagon.

The AI-enhanced ‘floating brain’ UFO video went viral, sparking conspiracy theories. See a video of this AI-enhanced image at X. Image via Forbes.

Pentagon UAP files: Part 4

The Pentagon had released its 1st batch of declassified UAP/UFO materials on May 8, 2026. It released a 2nd batch on May 22, and a 3rd batch on June 12.

And as usual, Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman, said in a statement:

Today, the Department of War is publishing the fourth release of declassified and historical Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). The collection continues to be housed on WAR.GOV/UFO, and the Department will release additional files on a rolling basis.

And again, many of these files have been known about already, both historically and more recently, by researchers and others who follow the subject. But these centralized releases will help more of the general public to see them as well.

The full video of the jellyfish or “floating brain” video from over the Atlantic on January 1, 2020. Video via DoD.

UAP video from the Middle East on January 1, 2023. A dark squarish object comes into view at the bottom of the video. Just as it reaches the top of the frame, a long, dark, skinny object suddenly enters the frame at the same spot, and crosses very fast toward the lower left corner. Video via DoD.

‘Floating brain’ and other odd videos

One of the most unusual-looking videos is from January 1, 2020, over the Atlantic Ocean. It was taken by a “U.S. military platform.”

The witnesses described the object as a “darker, maroonish color, approximately 12-15 feet [3.6-4.5 m] in height.” It had an odd, kind of layered look, with smaller pieces extending sideways and from the bottom. Indeed, some people have likened it to a jellyfish or “floating brain.”

Unfortunately, as is often the case, the release provides no other details. The accompanying Range Fouler Debrief stated that the object didn’t maneuver or change direction and traveled with the wind. So a good possibility is that this was an unusually shaped balloon or clump of deflated balloons squashed together.

A Range Fouler Debrief is a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training.

Also, another interesting military video from somewhere in the Middle East on January 1, 2023, shows a dark squarish object coming into view at the bottom of the video. Just as it reaches the top of the frame, a long, dark, skinny object suddenly enters the frame at the same spot, and crosses very fast toward the lower left corner.

It looks like the square object suddenly changed shape and direction extremely quickly. But is it two different objects as the description suggests?

More historical and other documents

The documents in this release include more historical documents, as well as some more recent ones.

One of these is a document from 1948, from Project Sign. It includes 100 reports from between 1947 and 1948. This was also the time when World War II pilots reported sightings of foo fighters, glowing orbs that followed their aircraft. And the infamous Roswell incident occurred in July 1947.

In addition, a review file from Project Blue Book is also included. It documents the 1966 and 1967 Scientific Advisory Board review. The board recommended that the Air Force contract a university-affiliated scientific team to investigate selected UAP sightings.

Plus, a more recent document records details of a UAP reported near the Pantex nuclear plant in Texas on September 1, 2015. The object was diamond-shaped and rounded on the top, about 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide (1.2-.6 m). It was silent and moved slowly, about 10-15 mph (16-24 kph), sometimes increasing speed.

Parts of this document had originally been released in the 2nd batch of files released on May 22, 2026.

There is also an Air Force assessment from 1949 called “Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States.” It includes details and sketches from the famous Chiles-Whitted pilot UAP case from July 24, 1948.

And while it is not known what the object was, there has been a long history of UAP near or right over nuclear installations in the U.S.

Other documents from the DoD, CIA and FGI are also here.

View larger. | Sketch 1 from the Chiles-Whitted pilot UAP report on July 24, 1948. Image via DoD.

View larger. | Sketch 2 from the Chiles-Whitted pilot UAP report on July 24, 1948. Image via DoD.

Los Alamos conference and green fireballs

There is also a complete transcript of the February 1949 Los Alamos conference. Edward Teller, the Hungarian-American theoretical physicist known as the father of the hydrogen bomb, organized the conference. It discussed “green fireballs” seen near Los Alamos and other nuclear sites.

‘Characteristics they had never seen in 28 years of service’

And in another Range Fouler Debrief report from 2019, five military pilots reported an unauthorized intrusion into their airspace during active military operations or training. They described a small rectangular object that was caught on the camera of a surveillance plane. The witnesses described it as having flight characteristics they had never seen in 28 years of service for the Navy and Air Force. In addition, they reported that it moved fast enough to outrun the aircraft’s tracking system.

Fourth Release of UAP Encounter Documentswww.leonarddavid.com/fourth-relea…

— Leonard David (@ldavid1129.bsky.social) 2026-07-11T03:48:58.628Z

The volume includes 40 new files, including 19 videos. #space

— NewsNation (@newsnation.bsky.social) 2026-07-10T12:56:05.088Z

Official policy of debunking

Another document, the “1966-1967 deliberations and recommendations of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Scientific Advisory Board’s Ad Hoc Committee to Review Project Blue Book,” includes the CIA’s official position at the time to deliberately “debunk” the UAP issue in the minds of the public. It says:

… the Panel recommends … That the national security agencies take immediate steps to strip the Unidentified Flying Objects of the special status they have been given and the aura of mystery they have unfortunately acquired.

The CIA did this to “reassure the public” that there was no threat or “inimical forces behind the phenomena.” Plus there was also new training for military personnel to focus on “true indications of hostile measures” from adversaries.

View larger. | 1st of 3 images from the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-80 in 1996. A triangular object can be seen in the distance. Image via NASA/ DoD.

View larger. | 2nd of 3 images from the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-80 in 1996. A triangular object can be seen in the distance. Image via NASA/ DoD.

View larger. | 3rd of 3 images from the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-80 in 1996. A triangular object can be seen in the distance, but now it’s in front of Earth and more difficult to see (near center of image). Image via NASA/ DoD.

More NASA images and audio

As with the previous releases, there are also some new NASA files. This includes three images and four audio files.

The images are from the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-80 mission in 1996. They show a long, narrow triangular object in the distance. The object has changed orientation between the first two images, and in the third Earth is behind it.

These images had been known about before, and in 2016, one of the astronauts on STS-80, Tom Jones, said that he thought the object was an ice particle or other debris.

The audio files are debriefings from the Apollo 14 and Apollo 17 missions. They discuss the “flashes of light” seen outside the astronauts’ capsules. This might have been a biological effect caused by high energy cosmic-rays passing through the astronauts’ eyes and striking the retina.

New Science Advisory Council and Governance Board

In related news, Avi Loeb at Harvard University said last month that the White House tasked him to lead a new UAP Science Advisory Council.

The council is part of a larger new UAP Governance Board. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) stated:

To support the President’s directive on UAP transparency, ODNI – alongside FBI and DOW [Department of War] – established a UAP Governance Board to provide guidance, recommendations and coordination at the interagency level, bringing together military, law enforcement, the intelligence community and other civilian agencies.

The 4th installment of the Pentagon’s UAP files has provided more videos, documents, images and audio to be examined and debated, but still no “smoking gun” hard evidence for any particular theory. What will the 5th release reveal? We’ll just have to wait to find out.

Bottom line: The 4th batch of the Pentagon UAP files has just been released. The files range from a “floating brain” video to more historical documents, including from NASA.

Read more:

Video files can be seen and downloaded here

Document files can be seen and downloaded here

Image files can be seen and downloaded here

Audio files can be seen and downloaded here

Department of War Publishes Fourth Release of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Files on WAR.GOV/UFO

Pentagon releases fourth batch of UFO files

Fourth Release of UAP Encounter Documents

Pentagon releases new batch of UFO files: “Unlike anything I had seen”

Pentagon releases fourth batch of UFO files

Highlights from the Fourth UAP Data Release by the U.S. Government

The post 4th batch of Pentagon UAP files: ‘Floating brain’ goes viral first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/EVN0ZkT

Clipped version of the jellyfish or “floating brain” video from over the Atlantic on January 1, 2020. It’s part of the 4th batch of Pentagon UAP files, released on July 10, 2026. Observers said the object didn’t maneuver or change direction and traveled with the wind. So it might be an unusually shaped balloon or clump of deflated balloons squashed together. Or it might be something else. An AI-enhanced version of this video went viral on the internet this weekend. Read more about the latest Pentagon UAP files below. Video via DoD/ Forbes.

• The Pentagon released the 4th batch of its UAP files on July 10, 2026.
• It contains a mix of video, image, document and audio files. There are 40 new files in all, and 19 are videos, including the now-viral “floating brain” video.
• The release is part of a continuing rollout of files every couple or few weeks.

EarthSky isn’t powered by billionaires. We’re powered by you. Support EarthSky’s 2026 Donation Campaign and help keep science accessible.

AI-enhanced ‘floating brain’ UAP video goes viral

The Pentagon released a 4th batch of UAP/UFO files on July 10, 2026. The release includes 19 videos, 14 documents, three images and four audio files. One video – dubbed the “floating brain” – was immediately altered with AI and re-released to the internet, where it went viral this weekend. Forbes reported:

An X user applied AI to enhance the Pentagon’s previously released UFO footage designated DOW-UAP-PR030, also called the ‘floating brain’ UAP. The enhanced image depicts an image that shape-shifts and performs a sharp high-speed maneuver before it accelerates away …

The AI-enhanced image took the internet by storm, sparking a fresh wave of speculation, with viewers drawing very different conclusions about what they’re seeing.

One user wrote, ‘It’s just a bunch of Mylar balloons tied together. Probably escaped a fair. They can ascend for thousands of feet without popping like latex balloons.’

Another one also presented its own theory, stating, ‘Yeah, that thing flew here from Alpha Centauri, or from the Andromeda Galaxy. Makes perfect sense. Look at its mystifyingly perfect symmetry. It can’t possibly be a distorted balloon or a random piece of garbage. Our lives are changed forever.’

Meanwhile, the non-AI-enhanced videos – like the ones found on this page – are also being widely distributed online. The recent batch of UAP files includes the data coming from various agencies, including FBI, NASA, CIA, Energy Department and Pentagon.

The AI-enhanced ‘floating brain’ UFO video went viral, sparking conspiracy theories. See a video of this AI-enhanced image at X. Image via Forbes.

Pentagon UAP files: Part 4

The Pentagon had released its 1st batch of declassified UAP/UFO materials on May 8, 2026. It released a 2nd batch on May 22, and a 3rd batch on June 12.

And as usual, Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman, said in a statement:

Today, the Department of War is publishing the fourth release of declassified and historical Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). The collection continues to be housed on WAR.GOV/UFO, and the Department will release additional files on a rolling basis.

And again, many of these files have been known about already, both historically and more recently, by researchers and others who follow the subject. But these centralized releases will help more of the general public to see them as well.

The full video of the jellyfish or “floating brain” video from over the Atlantic on January 1, 2020. Video via DoD.

UAP video from the Middle East on January 1, 2023. A dark squarish object comes into view at the bottom of the video. Just as it reaches the top of the frame, a long, dark, skinny object suddenly enters the frame at the same spot, and crosses very fast toward the lower left corner. Video via DoD.

‘Floating brain’ and other odd videos

One of the most unusual-looking videos is from January 1, 2020, over the Atlantic Ocean. It was taken by a “U.S. military platform.”

The witnesses described the object as a “darker, maroonish color, approximately 12-15 feet [3.6-4.5 m] in height.” It had an odd, kind of layered look, with smaller pieces extending sideways and from the bottom. Indeed, some people have likened it to a jellyfish or “floating brain.”

Unfortunately, as is often the case, the release provides no other details. The accompanying Range Fouler Debrief stated that the object didn’t maneuver or change direction and traveled with the wind. So a good possibility is that this was an unusually shaped balloon or clump of deflated balloons squashed together.

A Range Fouler Debrief is a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training.

Also, another interesting military video from somewhere in the Middle East on January 1, 2023, shows a dark squarish object coming into view at the bottom of the video. Just as it reaches the top of the frame, a long, dark, skinny object suddenly enters the frame at the same spot, and crosses very fast toward the lower left corner.

It looks like the square object suddenly changed shape and direction extremely quickly. But is it two different objects as the description suggests?

More historical and other documents

The documents in this release include more historical documents, as well as some more recent ones.

One of these is a document from 1948, from Project Sign. It includes 100 reports from between 1947 and 1948. This was also the time when World War II pilots reported sightings of foo fighters, glowing orbs that followed their aircraft. And the infamous Roswell incident occurred in July 1947.

In addition, a review file from Project Blue Book is also included. It documents the 1966 and 1967 Scientific Advisory Board review. The board recommended that the Air Force contract a university-affiliated scientific team to investigate selected UAP sightings.

Plus, a more recent document records details of a UAP reported near the Pantex nuclear plant in Texas on September 1, 2015. The object was diamond-shaped and rounded on the top, about 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide (1.2-.6 m). It was silent and moved slowly, about 10-15 mph (16-24 kph), sometimes increasing speed.

Parts of this document had originally been released in the 2nd batch of files released on May 22, 2026.

There is also an Air Force assessment from 1949 called “Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States.” It includes details and sketches from the famous Chiles-Whitted pilot UAP case from July 24, 1948.

And while it is not known what the object was, there has been a long history of UAP near or right over nuclear installations in the U.S.

Other documents from the DoD, CIA and FGI are also here.

View larger. | Sketch 1 from the Chiles-Whitted pilot UAP report on July 24, 1948. Image via DoD.

View larger. | Sketch 2 from the Chiles-Whitted pilot UAP report on July 24, 1948. Image via DoD.

Los Alamos conference and green fireballs

There is also a complete transcript of the February 1949 Los Alamos conference. Edward Teller, the Hungarian-American theoretical physicist known as the father of the hydrogen bomb, organized the conference. It discussed “green fireballs” seen near Los Alamos and other nuclear sites.

‘Characteristics they had never seen in 28 years of service’

And in another Range Fouler Debrief report from 2019, five military pilots reported an unauthorized intrusion into their airspace during active military operations or training. They described a small rectangular object that was caught on the camera of a surveillance plane. The witnesses described it as having flight characteristics they had never seen in 28 years of service for the Navy and Air Force. In addition, they reported that it moved fast enough to outrun the aircraft’s tracking system.

Fourth Release of UAP Encounter Documentswww.leonarddavid.com/fourth-relea…

— Leonard David (@ldavid1129.bsky.social) 2026-07-11T03:48:58.628Z

The volume includes 40 new files, including 19 videos. #space

— NewsNation (@newsnation.bsky.social) 2026-07-10T12:56:05.088Z

Official policy of debunking

Another document, the “1966-1967 deliberations and recommendations of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Scientific Advisory Board’s Ad Hoc Committee to Review Project Blue Book,” includes the CIA’s official position at the time to deliberately “debunk” the UAP issue in the minds of the public. It says:

… the Panel recommends … That the national security agencies take immediate steps to strip the Unidentified Flying Objects of the special status they have been given and the aura of mystery they have unfortunately acquired.

The CIA did this to “reassure the public” that there was no threat or “inimical forces behind the phenomena.” Plus there was also new training for military personnel to focus on “true indications of hostile measures” from adversaries.

View larger. | 1st of 3 images from the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-80 in 1996. A triangular object can be seen in the distance. Image via NASA/ DoD.

View larger. | 2nd of 3 images from the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-80 in 1996. A triangular object can be seen in the distance. Image via NASA/ DoD.

View larger. | 3rd of 3 images from the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-80 in 1996. A triangular object can be seen in the distance, but now it’s in front of Earth and more difficult to see (near center of image). Image via NASA/ DoD.

More NASA images and audio

As with the previous releases, there are also some new NASA files. This includes three images and four audio files.

The images are from the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-80 mission in 1996. They show a long, narrow triangular object in the distance. The object has changed orientation between the first two images, and in the third Earth is behind it.

These images had been known about before, and in 2016, one of the astronauts on STS-80, Tom Jones, said that he thought the object was an ice particle or other debris.

The audio files are debriefings from the Apollo 14 and Apollo 17 missions. They discuss the “flashes of light” seen outside the astronauts’ capsules. This might have been a biological effect caused by high energy cosmic-rays passing through the astronauts’ eyes and striking the retina.

New Science Advisory Council and Governance Board

In related news, Avi Loeb at Harvard University said last month that the White House tasked him to lead a new UAP Science Advisory Council.

The council is part of a larger new UAP Governance Board. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) stated:

To support the President’s directive on UAP transparency, ODNI – alongside FBI and DOW [Department of War] – established a UAP Governance Board to provide guidance, recommendations and coordination at the interagency level, bringing together military, law enforcement, the intelligence community and other civilian agencies.

The 4th installment of the Pentagon’s UAP files has provided more videos, documents, images and audio to be examined and debated, but still no “smoking gun” hard evidence for any particular theory. What will the 5th release reveal? We’ll just have to wait to find out.

Bottom line: The 4th batch of the Pentagon UAP files has just been released. The files range from a “floating brain” video to more historical documents, including from NASA.

Read more:

Video files can be seen and downloaded here

Document files can be seen and downloaded here

Image files can be seen and downloaded here

Audio files can be seen and downloaded here

Department of War Publishes Fourth Release of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Files on WAR.GOV/UFO

Pentagon releases fourth batch of UFO files

Fourth Release of UAP Encounter Documents

Pentagon releases new batch of UFO files: “Unlike anything I had seen”

Pentagon releases fourth batch of UFO files

Highlights from the Fourth UAP Data Release by the U.S. Government

The post 4th batch of Pentagon UAP files: ‘Floating brain’ goes viral first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/EVN0ZkT

See 3 small constellations near the Summer Triangle

In the east on June, July and August evenings, you’ll find the large pattern of the Summer Triangle, made of 3 bright stars. In a dark sky, you’ll find 3 of the sky’s smallest constellations nestled among these stars.

3 small constellations

Look for the Summer Triangle, a large asterism visible in the east on July evenings. It consists of three bright stars in three separate constellations. These stars are Vega, Deneb and Altair. If you can find the Summer Triangle, you can use it to locate three of the sky’s smallest constellations. They are Vulpecula the Fox, Delphinus the Dolphin and Sagitta the Arrow. All three are impossible to see from the city. But they’re lots of fun to pick out in a dark sky.

How can you find them? Look at the detailed chart above, and try picking out Vega, Deneb and Altair. Notice these three bright stars make a large triangle on the sky’s dome. Now – still using the chart – look within and around the Summer Triangle for Delphinus, Sagitta and Vulpecula.

View at EarthSly Community Photos. | Raúl Cortés, of EarthSky, shared this image of the Summer Triangle with 6 constellations. It is a busy part of the sky, and very fun to see. Thank you, Raúl!

Delphinus the Dolphin

Delphinus is a truly delightful little constellation that really resembles a dolphin leaping among the waves. Also, Delphinus is one of the earliest constellations, first cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century CE. Sometimes, Delphinus is said to be the dolphin that carried a Greek poet – Arion – safely away from his enemies. Another star lore believed this sky Dolphin represented the dolphin sent by the sea god Poseidon to find Amphitrite, the Nereid he wanted to marry.

Delphinus the Dolphin. Utah’s Adventure Family wrote, “… looking at this beautiful constellation makes my heart soar every time.” Image via Stellarium.

Sagitta the Arrow

Sagitta is the third-smallest constellation in our sky, following Crux aka the Southern Cross and Equuleus. And Sagitta is near Vulpecula on the sky’s dome. Its name means “the arrow” in Latin. If you look for Sagitta, you’ll see why. This little star pattern does have a shape reminiscent of an arrow. Sagitta is also one of the earliest constellations, named by Ptolemy in the second century. Sagitta is sometimes said to be an arrow shot from the bow of Hercules, the great mythological hero and god.

The stars of Sagitta the Arrow. Image via IAU. Used with permission.

Vulpecula the Fox

Vulpecula means “the little fox” in Latin. It’s the hardest to find of these three small constellations because it lacks a distinctive shape. Vulpecula is a relatively new constellation, introduced by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the late 17th century. Hevelius depicted Vulpecula as not just a fox, but as a fox carrying a goose in its mouth. He also named the goose Anser. Nowadays you can still see the fox and goose on old star charts. And Fox and Goose is a traditional British pub name, according to Ian Ridpath. If you have a dark sky, and you’re up for a binocular challenge, also try finding the Coathanger asterism in Vulpecula.

The stars of Vulpecula the Fox. Image via IAU.

More about the Summer Triangle stars

Vega is bright and blue-white

Deneb is distant and luminous

Altair spins fast!

Bottom line: Although you need a dark country sky to see these three small constellations, they are worth hunting them down. They are: Vulpecula the Fox, Delphinus the Dolphin and Sagitta the Arrow. And they are all near the Summer Triangle.

The post See 3 small constellations near the Summer Triangle first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/U3CTbuS

In the east on June, July and August evenings, you’ll find the large pattern of the Summer Triangle, made of 3 bright stars. In a dark sky, you’ll find 3 of the sky’s smallest constellations nestled among these stars.

3 small constellations

Look for the Summer Triangle, a large asterism visible in the east on July evenings. It consists of three bright stars in three separate constellations. These stars are Vega, Deneb and Altair. If you can find the Summer Triangle, you can use it to locate three of the sky’s smallest constellations. They are Vulpecula the Fox, Delphinus the Dolphin and Sagitta the Arrow. All three are impossible to see from the city. But they’re lots of fun to pick out in a dark sky.

How can you find them? Look at the detailed chart above, and try picking out Vega, Deneb and Altair. Notice these three bright stars make a large triangle on the sky’s dome. Now – still using the chart – look within and around the Summer Triangle for Delphinus, Sagitta and Vulpecula.

View at EarthSly Community Photos. | Raúl Cortés, of EarthSky, shared this image of the Summer Triangle with 6 constellations. It is a busy part of the sky, and very fun to see. Thank you, Raúl!

Delphinus the Dolphin

Delphinus is a truly delightful little constellation that really resembles a dolphin leaping among the waves. Also, Delphinus is one of the earliest constellations, first cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century CE. Sometimes, Delphinus is said to be the dolphin that carried a Greek poet – Arion – safely away from his enemies. Another star lore believed this sky Dolphin represented the dolphin sent by the sea god Poseidon to find Amphitrite, the Nereid he wanted to marry.

Delphinus the Dolphin. Utah’s Adventure Family wrote, “… looking at this beautiful constellation makes my heart soar every time.” Image via Stellarium.

Sagitta the Arrow

Sagitta is the third-smallest constellation in our sky, following Crux aka the Southern Cross and Equuleus. And Sagitta is near Vulpecula on the sky’s dome. Its name means “the arrow” in Latin. If you look for Sagitta, you’ll see why. This little star pattern does have a shape reminiscent of an arrow. Sagitta is also one of the earliest constellations, named by Ptolemy in the second century. Sagitta is sometimes said to be an arrow shot from the bow of Hercules, the great mythological hero and god.

The stars of Sagitta the Arrow. Image via IAU. Used with permission.

Vulpecula the Fox

Vulpecula means “the little fox” in Latin. It’s the hardest to find of these three small constellations because it lacks a distinctive shape. Vulpecula is a relatively new constellation, introduced by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the late 17th century. Hevelius depicted Vulpecula as not just a fox, but as a fox carrying a goose in its mouth. He also named the goose Anser. Nowadays you can still see the fox and goose on old star charts. And Fox and Goose is a traditional British pub name, according to Ian Ridpath. If you have a dark sky, and you’re up for a binocular challenge, also try finding the Coathanger asterism in Vulpecula.

The stars of Vulpecula the Fox. Image via IAU.

More about the Summer Triangle stars

Vega is bright and blue-white

Deneb is distant and luminous

Altair spins fast!

Bottom line: Although you need a dark country sky to see these three small constellations, they are worth hunting them down. They are: Vulpecula the Fox, Delphinus the Dolphin and Sagitta the Arrow. And they are all near the Summer Triangle.

The post See 3 small constellations near the Summer Triangle first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/U3CTbuS

The total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026

Michael Zeiler describes himself as an “eclipse cartographer.” You won’t believe the maps on his beautiful new website EclipseAtlas.com. Join EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd and Michael Zeiler for this view preview of the upcoming eclipse on August 12, 2026. Watch in the player above or on YouTube.

August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse

The second solar eclipse of 2026 will be a total solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. On this date, the new moon will cover the sun entirely. Its dark shadow will fall on Earth, blotting the sun entirely from view for observers in the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and Spain.

At its longest, near the centerline over the North Atlantic between Greenland and Iceland, the total part of the eclipse will last 2 minutes and 18 seconds. This is a relatively short eclipse! Compare the time of totality to that of the Great North American Eclipse on April 8, 2024 (4 minutes and 28 seconds). Or compare it to the total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027 in North Africa; this eclipse will be one of the longest of the 21st century (6 minutes and 23 seconds).

A popular eclipse destination in August, 2026, will be Spain, where the eclipse will happen close to sunset. Most observers in Spain will see between about 1 minute 20 seconds and 1 minute 50 seconds of totality, depending on exactly where they are within the path of the eclipse. But the sun will be only a few degrees above the western horizon during totality, creating the possibility of a spectacular darkened landscape below the eclipsed sun.

If you’re anywhere along the path of totality, there’s a chance you’ll see a Perseid meteor shoot by during totality! That’s because the Perseid meteor shower is peaking on eclipse day. For all of us, because the moon is new that day, it’s going to be a great year for the Perseids.

The continental United States will not see any part of the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse.

Only the total stage of the eclipse is safe to view without a filter. Image via AAS.

Eclipse maps from EclipseAtlas.com

Michael Zeiler at EclipseAtlas.com is an amazing resource for total solar eclipses. The maps here are just a selection of his extensive and informative collection.

On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will cross northern sections of the globe, including parts of Greenland and Iceland and then down into Spain. Image via EclipseAtlas.com. Used with permission.

If you are outside the path of totality, you still might see a partial eclipse. This map shows areas of Europe, North America and Africa that can see the partial phase. Image via EclipseAtlas.com. Used with permission.

A closeup on the total solar eclipse path of August 12, 2026, for Greenland and Iceland. Image via EclipseAtlas.com. Used with permission.

This is a closeup of the path of the total solar eclipse across Spain on August 12, 2026. Image via EclipseAtlas.com. Used with permission.

Who will see the partial eclipse?

Western Europe will see a partial solar eclipse. And how about North America? Will it see any of the August 12, 2026 eclipse? Yes. The August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse will be visible as a partial eclipse from parts of Greenland and northeastern Canada. Approximate maximum obscuration (fraction of the sun’s diameter covered):

London: ~30–40%
Paris: ~45–55%
Brussels/Amsterdam: ~40–50%
Dublin: ~20–30%
Lisbon: ~70–80%
Madrid: 90%+ (outside but close to the path of totality)
Rome: ~20–30%

The farther south and west you are in Europe, the deeper the partial eclipse generally becomes. In Spain, areas just outside the path of totality will see the Sun reduced to a very thin crescent.

The eclipse barely reaches North America.

Greenland: 80–100% (totality in parts)
Northern Labrador: roughly 40–70%, depending on location
Newfoundland: generally under 30%, with northeastern parts seeing the deepest partial eclipse
Most of Canada: no eclipse
Continental U.S. (lower 48): no eclipse at all
Most of Alaska: no eclipse (only the extreme northeastern Arctic may glimpse a tiny partial eclipse)

Times of the August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse

Partial eclipse begins: at 15:34:11 UTC on August 12.
Total eclipse begins: at 16:58:05 UTC on August 12.
Greatest eclipse: at 17:45:53 UTC on August 12.
Total eclipse ends: at 18:34:05 UTC on August 12.
Partial eclipse ends: at 19:57:56 UTC on August 12.
Note: The instant of greatest eclipse – when the axis of the moon’s shadow cone passes closest to Earth’s center – takes place at 17:45:53 UTC. It’s a relatively short total eclipse with a maximum duration of totality lasting over two minutes (depending on your location).

Source: Eclipsewise.com

Animations and seeing the eclipse from your location

Watch total solar eclipse animations and see maps at eclipseatlas.com

Watch an animation of the path of the annular solar eclipse at timeanddate.com

Watch an animation of the path of the annular eclipse at in-the-sky.org

Another animation of the eclipse at eclipsewise.com

Information for your location timeanddate.com

Path of totality

The path of totality begins at 17:00 UTC along the Arctic coastline. It races north and passes near the North Pole at 17:06 UTC where it has 1 minute and 54 seconds of totality.

Next it races to Greenland hitting the coastline at 17:15 UTC with 2 minutes 6 seconds of totality. Greatest eclipse – 2 minutes 18 seconds – occurs at 17:45:57 UTC near the Denmark Strait. It continues on to Ireland, Portugal and Spain. Areas in northern Spain are just inside the path of totality and will see 20 seconds of totality. It continues on over Spain to the Mediterranean coast where it finally reaches its last landfall the Balearic Islands and the eclipse ends at 18:34:05 UTC.

The eclipse path lasted over 92 minutes and covered 5,157 miles (8,300 kilometers) – or just 0.47% – of the Earth.

Remember to convert UTC to your time. Note the different between UTC and UT1. You can visit timeanddate.com to get an exact timing of the eclipse from your location. The number one rule for solar eclipse observing is to make sure you protect your eyes by using an appropriate filter.

The appearance of a total solar eclipse (left), partial solar eclipse (middle) and annular solar eclipse (right). The one on the right – the annular eclipse – is what those along the eclipse path will see on Wednesday, October 2. Image via K. Bikos/ timeanddate.com. Used with permission.

Moon, constellation, Saros

Greatest eclipse takes place a little over one day after the moon reaches perigee, its closest point to Earth for the month. During the August 12, 2026, eclipse, the sun is located in the direction of the constellation Leo.

This eclipse has a magnitude of 1.0386.

The Saros catalog describes the periodicity of eclipses. The eclipse belongs to Saros 126. It is number 48 of 72 eclipses in the series. All eclipses in this series occur at the moon’s descending node. The moon moves northward with respect to the node with each succeeding eclipse in the series.

Next eclipse and eclipse seasons

This total solar eclipse is followed in two weeks by a partial lunar eclipse on August 27-28.

These eclipses all take place during a single eclipse season.

An eclipse season is an approximate 35-day period during which it’s inevitable for at least two (and possibly three) eclipses to take place. The first eclipse season of 2026 had two eclipses: An annular solar eclipse on February 17 and a total lunar eclipse on March 2-3.

Composite image of the total phase of March 20, 2015, solar eclipse as seen from the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic. Image via AAS/ Reinhard Wittich.

Bottom line: On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible including parts of Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. And it’ll be visible as a partial eclipse from much of western Europe and North America.

The post The total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026 first appeared on EarthSky.

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Michael Zeiler describes himself as an “eclipse cartographer.” You won’t believe the maps on his beautiful new website EclipseAtlas.com. Join EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd and Michael Zeiler for this view preview of the upcoming eclipse on August 12, 2026. Watch in the player above or on YouTube.

August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse

The second solar eclipse of 2026 will be a total solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. On this date, the new moon will cover the sun entirely. Its dark shadow will fall on Earth, blotting the sun entirely from view for observers in the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and Spain.

At its longest, near the centerline over the North Atlantic between Greenland and Iceland, the total part of the eclipse will last 2 minutes and 18 seconds. This is a relatively short eclipse! Compare the time of totality to that of the Great North American Eclipse on April 8, 2024 (4 minutes and 28 seconds). Or compare it to the total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027 in North Africa; this eclipse will be one of the longest of the 21st century (6 minutes and 23 seconds).

A popular eclipse destination in August, 2026, will be Spain, where the eclipse will happen close to sunset. Most observers in Spain will see between about 1 minute 20 seconds and 1 minute 50 seconds of totality, depending on exactly where they are within the path of the eclipse. But the sun will be only a few degrees above the western horizon during totality, creating the possibility of a spectacular darkened landscape below the eclipsed sun.

If you’re anywhere along the path of totality, there’s a chance you’ll see a Perseid meteor shoot by during totality! That’s because the Perseid meteor shower is peaking on eclipse day. For all of us, because the moon is new that day, it’s going to be a great year for the Perseids.

The continental United States will not see any part of the August 12, 2026, total solar eclipse.

Only the total stage of the eclipse is safe to view without a filter. Image via AAS.

Eclipse maps from EclipseAtlas.com

Michael Zeiler at EclipseAtlas.com is an amazing resource for total solar eclipses. The maps here are just a selection of his extensive and informative collection.

On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will cross northern sections of the globe, including parts of Greenland and Iceland and then down into Spain. Image via EclipseAtlas.com. Used with permission.

If you are outside the path of totality, you still might see a partial eclipse. This map shows areas of Europe, North America and Africa that can see the partial phase. Image via EclipseAtlas.com. Used with permission.

A closeup on the total solar eclipse path of August 12, 2026, for Greenland and Iceland. Image via EclipseAtlas.com. Used with permission.

This is a closeup of the path of the total solar eclipse across Spain on August 12, 2026. Image via EclipseAtlas.com. Used with permission.

Who will see the partial eclipse?

Western Europe will see a partial solar eclipse. And how about North America? Will it see any of the August 12, 2026 eclipse? Yes. The August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse will be visible as a partial eclipse from parts of Greenland and northeastern Canada. Approximate maximum obscuration (fraction of the sun’s diameter covered):

London: ~30–40%
Paris: ~45–55%
Brussels/Amsterdam: ~40–50%
Dublin: ~20–30%
Lisbon: ~70–80%
Madrid: 90%+ (outside but close to the path of totality)
Rome: ~20–30%

The farther south and west you are in Europe, the deeper the partial eclipse generally becomes. In Spain, areas just outside the path of totality will see the Sun reduced to a very thin crescent.

The eclipse barely reaches North America.

Greenland: 80–100% (totality in parts)
Northern Labrador: roughly 40–70%, depending on location
Newfoundland: generally under 30%, with northeastern parts seeing the deepest partial eclipse
Most of Canada: no eclipse
Continental U.S. (lower 48): no eclipse at all
Most of Alaska: no eclipse (only the extreme northeastern Arctic may glimpse a tiny partial eclipse)

Times of the August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse

Partial eclipse begins: at 15:34:11 UTC on August 12.
Total eclipse begins: at 16:58:05 UTC on August 12.
Greatest eclipse: at 17:45:53 UTC on August 12.
Total eclipse ends: at 18:34:05 UTC on August 12.
Partial eclipse ends: at 19:57:56 UTC on August 12.
Note: The instant of greatest eclipse – when the axis of the moon’s shadow cone passes closest to Earth’s center – takes place at 17:45:53 UTC. It’s a relatively short total eclipse with a maximum duration of totality lasting over two minutes (depending on your location).

Source: Eclipsewise.com

Animations and seeing the eclipse from your location

Watch total solar eclipse animations and see maps at eclipseatlas.com

Watch an animation of the path of the annular solar eclipse at timeanddate.com

Watch an animation of the path of the annular eclipse at in-the-sky.org

Another animation of the eclipse at eclipsewise.com

Information for your location timeanddate.com

Path of totality

The path of totality begins at 17:00 UTC along the Arctic coastline. It races north and passes near the North Pole at 17:06 UTC where it has 1 minute and 54 seconds of totality.

Next it races to Greenland hitting the coastline at 17:15 UTC with 2 minutes 6 seconds of totality. Greatest eclipse – 2 minutes 18 seconds – occurs at 17:45:57 UTC near the Denmark Strait. It continues on to Ireland, Portugal and Spain. Areas in northern Spain are just inside the path of totality and will see 20 seconds of totality. It continues on over Spain to the Mediterranean coast where it finally reaches its last landfall the Balearic Islands and the eclipse ends at 18:34:05 UTC.

The eclipse path lasted over 92 minutes and covered 5,157 miles (8,300 kilometers) – or just 0.47% – of the Earth.

Remember to convert UTC to your time. Note the different between UTC and UT1. You can visit timeanddate.com to get an exact timing of the eclipse from your location. The number one rule for solar eclipse observing is to make sure you protect your eyes by using an appropriate filter.

The appearance of a total solar eclipse (left), partial solar eclipse (middle) and annular solar eclipse (right). The one on the right – the annular eclipse – is what those along the eclipse path will see on Wednesday, October 2. Image via K. Bikos/ timeanddate.com. Used with permission.

Moon, constellation, Saros

Greatest eclipse takes place a little over one day after the moon reaches perigee, its closest point to Earth for the month. During the August 12, 2026, eclipse, the sun is located in the direction of the constellation Leo.

This eclipse has a magnitude of 1.0386.

The Saros catalog describes the periodicity of eclipses. The eclipse belongs to Saros 126. It is number 48 of 72 eclipses in the series. All eclipses in this series occur at the moon’s descending node. The moon moves northward with respect to the node with each succeeding eclipse in the series.

Next eclipse and eclipse seasons

This total solar eclipse is followed in two weeks by a partial lunar eclipse on August 27-28.

These eclipses all take place during a single eclipse season.

An eclipse season is an approximate 35-day period during which it’s inevitable for at least two (and possibly three) eclipses to take place. The first eclipse season of 2026 had two eclipses: An annular solar eclipse on February 17 and a total lunar eclipse on March 2-3.

Composite image of the total phase of March 20, 2015, solar eclipse as seen from the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic. Image via AAS/ Reinhard Wittich.

Bottom line: On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible including parts of Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. And it’ll be visible as a partial eclipse from much of western Europe and North America.

The post The total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026 first appeared on EarthSky.

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What is a waning crescent moon?

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | David Hawkes wrote: “in South Yorkshire, UK, captured this image this morning. He wrote, “A warm night after a very hot day, and the waning crescent moon takes on a coppery appearance …” The reddish color is due to the fact that David caught the moon low in the sky, where we see it through a greater-than-usual thickness of Earth’s atmosphere. Thank you David!

The waning crescent phase

You’ll see a waning crescent moon – sometimes called an old moon – in the east before dawn.

On each successive morning, a waning crescent moon will show us less and less of its lighted portion, or day side. Each day, it rises closer to the sunrise, heading for new moon, when the moon will be between the Earth and the sun.

The illuminated side of a waning crescent moon always points eastward, or in the direction of sunrise.

What’s more, the lit side of waning crescent points in the direction of the moon’s daily motion relative to the backdrop stars and planets of the zodiac. That direction is also east.

Many people miss the waning crescent moon because it’s a morning moon, visible before sunrise. But it’s fun to follow the waning crescent day by day, as it inches into the dawn glare.

EarthSky Community Photos for the waning crescent moon

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Meiying Lee in Taipei, Taiwan, caught elusive Mercury shining brightly near the moon on August 22, 2025. Meiying wrote: “Less than an hour before sunrise, the thinnest waning crescent moon rose above the treetops. Its dark side was clearly revealed under earthshine, while nearby the rarely seen Mercury shone brightly. In the orange-blue twilight, their conjunction looked as enchanting as a painting.” Thank you, Meiying!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mandy Daniels captured this image on September 14, 2025 , from the UK and wrote: “The 13% waning crescent moon photographed at 05:40:08 UTC, just as the sun was beginning to rise.” Thank you, Mandy!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Meiying Lee in Taipei, Taiwan, captured this photo of a waning crescent moon on April 29, 2022, and wrote: “This is the changing process of the waning moon rising in the early morning yesterday and finally disappearing into the sky. When the waning moon rises in the dark sky, it appears red due to atmospheric scattering. Before the sun rises, the sky slowly turns orange, and the moon turns a beautiful golden color with it. At last, the sky became brighter and brighter, and the moon gradually turned gray and white, and finally merged with the sky and disappeared.” Thank you, Meiying!

The slender waning crescent moon

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Chicky Leclair caught the waning crescent moon above the glittering skyline of San Antonio, Texas, on January 16, 2026. Chicky wrote: “Here’s a beautiful 5% illuminated waning crescent moon rising above the Tower of the Americas, downtown San Antonio, Texas. Captured @ 50 feet above ground level from 4 miles away.” Thank you, Chicky!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Sweet captured this image on January 16, 2026, from Canada and wrote: “After a couple days of snow it was so nice to capture this thin waning crescent Moon followed by a red mackerel sky and fantastic sunrise.” Thank you, Steven!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mohamed Mohamed of Tripoli, Libya, captured this waning crescent moon only 2% illuminated on October 24, 2022. Thank you, Mohamed!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven A. Sweet of Lunar 101 Moon Book caught this amazing little waning crescent moon – only 16 hours and 54 minutes from new moon – on August 18, 2020. Congratulations, Steven!

The phases of the moon

As the moon orbits Earth, it changes phase in an orderly way. Follow the links below to understand the phases of the moon.

New moon
Waxing crescent moon
First quarter moon
Waxing gibbous moon
Full moon
Waning gibbous moon
Last quarter moon
Waning crescent moon

Read more: 4 keys to understanding moon phases

Bottom line: You’ll find a waning crescent moon in the east before sunrise. It’s waning toward new moon, when the moon will be between the Earth and the sun.

Check out EarthSky’s guide to the bright planets and more

Top 4 keys to understanding moon phases

Help EarthSky keep going! Please donate

The post What is a waning crescent moon? first appeared on EarthSky.

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View at EarthSky Community Photos. | David Hawkes wrote: “in South Yorkshire, UK, captured this image this morning. He wrote, “A warm night after a very hot day, and the waning crescent moon takes on a coppery appearance …” The reddish color is due to the fact that David caught the moon low in the sky, where we see it through a greater-than-usual thickness of Earth’s atmosphere. Thank you David!

The waning crescent phase

You’ll see a waning crescent moon – sometimes called an old moon – in the east before dawn.

On each successive morning, a waning crescent moon will show us less and less of its lighted portion, or day side. Each day, it rises closer to the sunrise, heading for new moon, when the moon will be between the Earth and the sun.

The illuminated side of a waning crescent moon always points eastward, or in the direction of sunrise.

What’s more, the lit side of waning crescent points in the direction of the moon’s daily motion relative to the backdrop stars and planets of the zodiac. That direction is also east.

Many people miss the waning crescent moon because it’s a morning moon, visible before sunrise. But it’s fun to follow the waning crescent day by day, as it inches into the dawn glare.

EarthSky Community Photos for the waning crescent moon

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Meiying Lee in Taipei, Taiwan, caught elusive Mercury shining brightly near the moon on August 22, 2025. Meiying wrote: “Less than an hour before sunrise, the thinnest waning crescent moon rose above the treetops. Its dark side was clearly revealed under earthshine, while nearby the rarely seen Mercury shone brightly. In the orange-blue twilight, their conjunction looked as enchanting as a painting.” Thank you, Meiying!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mandy Daniels captured this image on September 14, 2025 , from the UK and wrote: “The 13% waning crescent moon photographed at 05:40:08 UTC, just as the sun was beginning to rise.” Thank you, Mandy!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Meiying Lee in Taipei, Taiwan, captured this photo of a waning crescent moon on April 29, 2022, and wrote: “This is the changing process of the waning moon rising in the early morning yesterday and finally disappearing into the sky. When the waning moon rises in the dark sky, it appears red due to atmospheric scattering. Before the sun rises, the sky slowly turns orange, and the moon turns a beautiful golden color with it. At last, the sky became brighter and brighter, and the moon gradually turned gray and white, and finally merged with the sky and disappeared.” Thank you, Meiying!

The slender waning crescent moon

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Chicky Leclair caught the waning crescent moon above the glittering skyline of San Antonio, Texas, on January 16, 2026. Chicky wrote: “Here’s a beautiful 5% illuminated waning crescent moon rising above the Tower of the Americas, downtown San Antonio, Texas. Captured @ 50 feet above ground level from 4 miles away.” Thank you, Chicky!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Sweet captured this image on January 16, 2026, from Canada and wrote: “After a couple days of snow it was so nice to capture this thin waning crescent Moon followed by a red mackerel sky and fantastic sunrise.” Thank you, Steven!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mohamed Mohamed of Tripoli, Libya, captured this waning crescent moon only 2% illuminated on October 24, 2022. Thank you, Mohamed!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven A. Sweet of Lunar 101 Moon Book caught this amazing little waning crescent moon – only 16 hours and 54 minutes from new moon – on August 18, 2020. Congratulations, Steven!

The phases of the moon

As the moon orbits Earth, it changes phase in an orderly way. Follow the links below to understand the phases of the moon.

New moon
Waxing crescent moon
First quarter moon
Waxing gibbous moon
Full moon
Waning gibbous moon
Last quarter moon
Waning crescent moon

Read more: 4 keys to understanding moon phases

Bottom line: You’ll find a waning crescent moon in the east before sunrise. It’s waning toward new moon, when the moon will be between the Earth and the sun.

Check out EarthSky’s guide to the bright planets and more

Top 4 keys to understanding moon phases

Help EarthSky keep going! Please donate

The post What is a waning crescent moon? first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/VJO4je6

Atlantic hurricane season forecast updated due to El Niño

The eye of Hurricane Melissa – strongest Atlantic hurricane of 2025 – on October 28, 2025. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite captured this image while looking down from space – from 500 miles (750 km) high – shortly before Melissa hit the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica. On July 8, 2026, Colorado State University revised its forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season. It said that a strengthening El Niño means even lower chances of tropical storms than its already low forecast from earlier this year. Image via Copernicus Sentinel-2.

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

An update to the Atlantic hurricane season forecast

On July 3, 2026, the World Meteorological Organization provided an update on how El Niño is developing. It said that from July through September we can expect a rapid development into a strong El Niño event. This means higher temperatures over much of the globe, including for the waters of the Gulf and Atlantic. So on July 8, 2026, Colorado State University provided an updated Atlantic hurricane forecast for this season. It has revised the number of tropical storms down from an already low forecast.

Both NOAA and Colorado State University (CSU) release a forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season each year. This year, both organizations called for a below-average year for tropical storms in the Atlantic basin. Back on April 9, the CSU forecast called for 13 named storms, including 2 major hurricanes. And now, as of July 8, CSU predicts 9 named storms and just 1 major hurricane.

Even though a strengthening El Niño means a less-likely chance for an active hurricane season in the Atlantic, CSU said:

Coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them.

As always, be aware and be prepared.

The original Atlantic hurricane season forecast for 2026

Originally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its official forecast for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season on May 21, 2026. And it predicted a below-average hurricane season, specifically, 8-14 total named storms (this includes both tropical storms and hurricanes), 3-6 hurricanes and 1-3 major hurricanes. NOAA has not yet made any changes to its 2026 forecast.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. With one month down, the Atlantic has only seen one named storm in 2026. Tropical Storm Arthur impacted the Texas coast in mid-June.

What are the categories of hurricanes? Well, major hurricanes are those that reach categories 3, 4 or 5.

• Category 3: 111–129 mph sustained winds (180-209 km/h)
• Category 4: 130–156 mph sustained winds (210-250 km/h)
• Category 5: 157 mph or higher sustained winds (251+ km/h)

Why does El Niño mean fewer hurricanes?

El Niño conditions happen when warmer-than-average water pools in the eastern Pacific near equatorial South America. Normally, cold, nutrient-rich water rises from the deep ocean in this area. But El Niño blocks the upwelling of this cold water. So it disrupts marine life and local fisheries. And its effects cascade into Earth’s atmosphere, creating conditions like rainfall and temperature shifts in some parts of the world … and affecting wind shear.

It’s El Niño’s wind shear effects that have a major impact on hurricanes. Wind shear is the change in speed and direction of the wind. Specifically for hurricanes, what matters is the condition of wind shear at 5,000 to 35,000 feet (1,500 m to 10,700 m) above the ground.

In the Atlantic, El Niño can create strong wind shear, so strong it can rip apart storms or prohibit them from forming in the first place. El Niño often brings a downstream trough of flowing winds over the Caribbean Sea and western tropical Atlantic. It’s this trough that brings the wind shear that can disrupt hurricane formation or growth. Plus, El Niño can bring sinking air to the region, which is a sign of an area of high pressure. And hurricanes are, essentially, huge organized low-pressure systems.

While El Niño hinders the formation of strong hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean, it helps hurricane formation in the Pacific. El Niño creates a ridge over parts of the Pacific, which favors conditions such as weaker upper-level winds and less vertical wind shear.

In conditions such as these, hurricanes can grow without obstruction.

View larger. | This map shows the typical influence of El Niño on Pacific and Atlantic seasonal hurricane activity. Image via NOAA/ Climate.gov.

Keep up-to-date with tropical conditions

To stay up-to-date on the tropics, visit NOAA’s National Hurricane Center page. You can toggle between Atlantic, Pacific and Central Pacific, as well as 2-day and 7-day forecasts.

Bottom line: On July 8, 2026, Colorado State University, one of the two organizations that make Atlantic hurricane season forecasts, revised their forecast down for fewer storms in 2026.

Read more: Here’s the hurricane name list for 2026

The post Atlantic hurricane season forecast updated due to El Niño first appeared on EarthSky.

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The eye of Hurricane Melissa – strongest Atlantic hurricane of 2025 – on October 28, 2025. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite captured this image while looking down from space – from 500 miles (750 km) high – shortly before Melissa hit the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica. On July 8, 2026, Colorado State University revised its forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season. It said that a strengthening El Niño means even lower chances of tropical storms than its already low forecast from earlier this year. Image via Copernicus Sentinel-2.

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

An update to the Atlantic hurricane season forecast

On July 3, 2026, the World Meteorological Organization provided an update on how El Niño is developing. It said that from July through September we can expect a rapid development into a strong El Niño event. This means higher temperatures over much of the globe, including for the waters of the Gulf and Atlantic. So on July 8, 2026, Colorado State University provided an updated Atlantic hurricane forecast for this season. It has revised the number of tropical storms down from an already low forecast.

Both NOAA and Colorado State University (CSU) release a forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season each year. This year, both organizations called for a below-average year for tropical storms in the Atlantic basin. Back on April 9, the CSU forecast called for 13 named storms, including 2 major hurricanes. And now, as of July 8, CSU predicts 9 named storms and just 1 major hurricane.

Even though a strengthening El Niño means a less-likely chance for an active hurricane season in the Atlantic, CSU said:

Coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them.

As always, be aware and be prepared.

The original Atlantic hurricane season forecast for 2026

Originally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its official forecast for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season on May 21, 2026. And it predicted a below-average hurricane season, specifically, 8-14 total named storms (this includes both tropical storms and hurricanes), 3-6 hurricanes and 1-3 major hurricanes. NOAA has not yet made any changes to its 2026 forecast.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. With one month down, the Atlantic has only seen one named storm in 2026. Tropical Storm Arthur impacted the Texas coast in mid-June.

What are the categories of hurricanes? Well, major hurricanes are those that reach categories 3, 4 or 5.

• Category 3: 111–129 mph sustained winds (180-209 km/h)
• Category 4: 130–156 mph sustained winds (210-250 km/h)
• Category 5: 157 mph or higher sustained winds (251+ km/h)

Why does El Niño mean fewer hurricanes?

El Niño conditions happen when warmer-than-average water pools in the eastern Pacific near equatorial South America. Normally, cold, nutrient-rich water rises from the deep ocean in this area. But El Niño blocks the upwelling of this cold water. So it disrupts marine life and local fisheries. And its effects cascade into Earth’s atmosphere, creating conditions like rainfall and temperature shifts in some parts of the world … and affecting wind shear.

It’s El Niño’s wind shear effects that have a major impact on hurricanes. Wind shear is the change in speed and direction of the wind. Specifically for hurricanes, what matters is the condition of wind shear at 5,000 to 35,000 feet (1,500 m to 10,700 m) above the ground.

In the Atlantic, El Niño can create strong wind shear, so strong it can rip apart storms or prohibit them from forming in the first place. El Niño often brings a downstream trough of flowing winds over the Caribbean Sea and western tropical Atlantic. It’s this trough that brings the wind shear that can disrupt hurricane formation or growth. Plus, El Niño can bring sinking air to the region, which is a sign of an area of high pressure. And hurricanes are, essentially, huge organized low-pressure systems.

While El Niño hinders the formation of strong hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean, it helps hurricane formation in the Pacific. El Niño creates a ridge over parts of the Pacific, which favors conditions such as weaker upper-level winds and less vertical wind shear.

In conditions such as these, hurricanes can grow without obstruction.

View larger. | This map shows the typical influence of El Niño on Pacific and Atlantic seasonal hurricane activity. Image via NOAA/ Climate.gov.

Keep up-to-date with tropical conditions

To stay up-to-date on the tropics, visit NOAA’s National Hurricane Center page. You can toggle between Atlantic, Pacific and Central Pacific, as well as 2-day and 7-day forecasts.

Bottom line: On July 8, 2026, Colorado State University, one of the two organizations that make Atlantic hurricane season forecasts, revised their forecast down for fewer storms in 2026.

Read more: Here’s the hurricane name list for 2026

The post Atlantic hurricane season forecast updated due to El Niño first appeared on EarthSky.

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Warped spacetime reveals exoplanet far from its star

View larger. | Artist’s concept of Gaia23bra b, a super-Jupiter exoplanet that is 40,000 light-years away. Astronomers discovered it thanks to the warping of the fabric of the universe. Find out how warped spacetime can reveal new worlds below. Image via NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center/ University of New Mexico.

• Gaia23bra b is a super-Jupiter exoplanet orbiting an orange dwarf star. It orbits farther out from its star than most exoplanets found so far.
• NASA’s TESS space telescope discovered it because the planet’s gravity bent and magnified the light of a more distant background star.
• Gaia23bra b is one of only about 5% of exoplanets found by microlensing so far. But astronomers expect to find many more.

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Warped spacetime reveals an exoplanet

Astronomers discover most exoplanets when they pass in front of their stars. Sometimes they discover one when they see a star wobbling slightly due to the planet’s gravity. But researchers at the University of New Mexico have just found a new exoplanet another way: by its warping of spacetime.

When a star passes in front of another star from our perspective, its gravity can magnify and intensify the more distant star’s light. This is called gravitational microlensing, and it’s not uncommon. But when the now-retired Gaia space telescope recorded one such event in 2023, something was different. The change in the star’s brightness wasn’t smooth. It suggested a smaller object was orbiting the nearer star.

Researchers then found that NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) had also recorded the event. And TESS’ more in-depth data was able to confirm that this light signature was caused by a planet orbiting the star. The planet – a super-Jupiter now known as Gaia23bra b, 40,000 light-years away – had warped the fabric of the universe enough with its gravity that it perceptibly magnified a distant star’s light.

The researchers said on July 1, 2026, that this is the first time TESS has discovered a new exoplanet using this gravitational microlensing technique.

Co-author Diana Dragomir at the University of New Mexico said:

When TESS launched, no one expected it to ever be capable of finding this kind of planet.

The researchers published the peer-reviewed details of the new discovery in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on July 1, 2026.

Microlensing reveals a distant world

Astronomers discover most exoplanets when they pass in front of their star (transit method) or when their gravity tugs on their star (radial velocity method). About 3/4 of TESS’ planets have been found using the transit method. But the discovery of Gaia23bra b was different. Astronomers detected it during a gravitational microlensing event.

When Gaia and TESS observed the star system, the star-planet combination magnified a background star. The mass of the foreground star and its planet bent spacetime and acted as a “lens,” magnifying the background star’s light as the two systems briefly aligned in the sky.

Lead author Mallory Harris at the University of New Mexico also noted:

Gaia’s observations were too sparse to pick up on the planet. TESS happened to be monitoring the same area of the sky during the event, and its denser time coverage showed extra features in the light curve caused by a planet.

Why microlensing?

The astronomers used the microlensing method in this case because the method is especially effective with planets that orbit farther out from their stars, as Gaia23bra b does.

Most exoplanets discovered so far have been close to their stars, because that makes them easier to detect. To date, microlensing has found less than 5% of known exoplanets. But those discoveries are important, because they reveal planets farther from their stars. That includes planets more like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Microlensing is also the only method that can routinely find Earth-mass planets at earthlike distances from their stars.

As Harris explained:

The main advantage of microlensing lies in the kinds of planets it is sensitive to. Planets that orbit very close to their host stars effectively blend with the star’s mass and do not produce a distinct microlensing signal. With microlensing, we can find smaller planets with greater orbital distances, including worlds in the habitable zone of their star and even farther away.

Animation depicting gravitational microlensing. When one star appears to pass nearly in front of another, the light rays of the background star become bent due to the warped spacetime around the foreground star. This star acts like a virtual magnifying glass, amplifying the brightness of the background source star. If the nearer star has a planetary system, then those planets can also act as lenses. Image via NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center/ CI Lab/ University of New Mexico.

Microlensing isn’t the only tool we need

Dragomir added:

Transits and microlensing are very complementary because they each reveal a category of planet the other may not be able to detect. And they offer different details. Transits give us the size of a planet, and in concert with other methods, we can determine its mass and density. Microlensing gives us masses and orbital distances for planets we’d otherwise never see.

Making the most of a brief opportunity

Gaia and TESS were lucky to detect the exoplanet when they did. Microlensing events only happen once and then they’re gone. They don’t repeat. Harris said:

I like to joke that we’ll probably find the first Earth analog with microlensing, and then wave at it as it goes by because we’ll never see it again.

Finding planets through microlensing is therefore a relatively rare occurrence. But scientists think they will find more. Dragomir said:

The discovery implies that there are probably other microlensing planets hiding in TESS’ data that we hadn’t previously thought to look for.

Harris added:

TESS has been observing the sky for nearly eight years and has repeatedly monitored regions along the Galactic Plane, where this system is located. Despite this extensive coverage, Gaia23bra b represents the first definitive microlensing planet discovered using TESS data.

Mallory Harris at the University of New Mexico led the new study about the new exoplanet revealed by gravitational microlensing. Image via University of New Mexico.

Space telescope team effort

Gaia23bra b is also one of the few microlensing exoplanets found using space-based data (Gaia and TESS). And Gaia and TESS did so in different ways. Gaia’s observations were long-term, while TESS’ were every 200 seconds for nearly 60 days. Those faster observations from TESS allowed astronomers to detect subtle features in the microlensing light curve that might otherwise be missed.

Harris said:

Microlensing is currently the only method capable of detecting Earth-mass planets at Earth-like orbital distances, so demonstrating that these techniques work in real datasets is particularly valuable for future searches for potentially habitable worlds.

The upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be able to search for more of these microlensing planets. It is scheduled to launch this summer. As Harris noted:

Gaia23bra b is also one of only a very small number of microlensing planets discovered using space-based data, making it an important case study for the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Roman is expected to find up to 1,000 microlensing planets and 100,000 transiting planets. It’s currently scheduled to launch as early as August 30, 2026.

Artist’s illustration of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled to launch this summer. Roman is expected to find up to 1,000 microlensing planets and 100,000 transiting planets. Image via NASA.

Bottom line: The Gaia and TESS space telescopes have discovered a Jupiter-like world – Gaia23bra b – by studying warped spacetime.

Source: TESS’s First Bound Microlensing Planet—A Binary Microlensing Event Revealing a Planetary Companion toward the Galactic Plane

Via University of New Mexico

Read more: Enormous rogue super-Jupiter is a surprisingly complex world

Read more: Saturn-mass rogue planet revealed in unique new observations

The post Warped spacetime reveals exoplanet far from its star first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/oKXYdlt

View larger. | Artist’s concept of Gaia23bra b, a super-Jupiter exoplanet that is 40,000 light-years away. Astronomers discovered it thanks to the warping of the fabric of the universe. Find out how warped spacetime can reveal new worlds below. Image via NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center/ University of New Mexico.

• Gaia23bra b is a super-Jupiter exoplanet orbiting an orange dwarf star. It orbits farther out from its star than most exoplanets found so far.
• NASA’s TESS space telescope discovered it because the planet’s gravity bent and magnified the light of a more distant background star.
• Gaia23bra b is one of only about 5% of exoplanets found by microlensing so far. But astronomers expect to find many more.

Your support = more science, more stars, more wonder. Donate to EarthSky and be part of something bigger.

Warped spacetime reveals an exoplanet

Astronomers discover most exoplanets when they pass in front of their stars. Sometimes they discover one when they see a star wobbling slightly due to the planet’s gravity. But researchers at the University of New Mexico have just found a new exoplanet another way: by its warping of spacetime.

When a star passes in front of another star from our perspective, its gravity can magnify and intensify the more distant star’s light. This is called gravitational microlensing, and it’s not uncommon. But when the now-retired Gaia space telescope recorded one such event in 2023, something was different. The change in the star’s brightness wasn’t smooth. It suggested a smaller object was orbiting the nearer star.

Researchers then found that NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) had also recorded the event. And TESS’ more in-depth data was able to confirm that this light signature was caused by a planet orbiting the star. The planet – a super-Jupiter now known as Gaia23bra b, 40,000 light-years away – had warped the fabric of the universe enough with its gravity that it perceptibly magnified a distant star’s light.

The researchers said on July 1, 2026, that this is the first time TESS has discovered a new exoplanet using this gravitational microlensing technique.

Co-author Diana Dragomir at the University of New Mexico said:

When TESS launched, no one expected it to ever be capable of finding this kind of planet.

The researchers published the peer-reviewed details of the new discovery in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on July 1, 2026.

Microlensing reveals a distant world

Astronomers discover most exoplanets when they pass in front of their star (transit method) or when their gravity tugs on their star (radial velocity method). About 3/4 of TESS’ planets have been found using the transit method. But the discovery of Gaia23bra b was different. Astronomers detected it during a gravitational microlensing event.

When Gaia and TESS observed the star system, the star-planet combination magnified a background star. The mass of the foreground star and its planet bent spacetime and acted as a “lens,” magnifying the background star’s light as the two systems briefly aligned in the sky.

Lead author Mallory Harris at the University of New Mexico also noted:

Gaia’s observations were too sparse to pick up on the planet. TESS happened to be monitoring the same area of the sky during the event, and its denser time coverage showed extra features in the light curve caused by a planet.

Why microlensing?

The astronomers used the microlensing method in this case because the method is especially effective with planets that orbit farther out from their stars, as Gaia23bra b does.

Most exoplanets discovered so far have been close to their stars, because that makes them easier to detect. To date, microlensing has found less than 5% of known exoplanets. But those discoveries are important, because they reveal planets farther from their stars. That includes planets more like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Microlensing is also the only method that can routinely find Earth-mass planets at earthlike distances from their stars.

As Harris explained:

The main advantage of microlensing lies in the kinds of planets it is sensitive to. Planets that orbit very close to their host stars effectively blend with the star’s mass and do not produce a distinct microlensing signal. With microlensing, we can find smaller planets with greater orbital distances, including worlds in the habitable zone of their star and even farther away.

Animation depicting gravitational microlensing. When one star appears to pass nearly in front of another, the light rays of the background star become bent due to the warped spacetime around the foreground star. This star acts like a virtual magnifying glass, amplifying the brightness of the background source star. If the nearer star has a planetary system, then those planets can also act as lenses. Image via NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center/ CI Lab/ University of New Mexico.

Microlensing isn’t the only tool we need

Dragomir added:

Transits and microlensing are very complementary because they each reveal a category of planet the other may not be able to detect. And they offer different details. Transits give us the size of a planet, and in concert with other methods, we can determine its mass and density. Microlensing gives us masses and orbital distances for planets we’d otherwise never see.

Making the most of a brief opportunity

Gaia and TESS were lucky to detect the exoplanet when they did. Microlensing events only happen once and then they’re gone. They don’t repeat. Harris said:

I like to joke that we’ll probably find the first Earth analog with microlensing, and then wave at it as it goes by because we’ll never see it again.

Finding planets through microlensing is therefore a relatively rare occurrence. But scientists think they will find more. Dragomir said:

The discovery implies that there are probably other microlensing planets hiding in TESS’ data that we hadn’t previously thought to look for.

Harris added:

TESS has been observing the sky for nearly eight years and has repeatedly monitored regions along the Galactic Plane, where this system is located. Despite this extensive coverage, Gaia23bra b represents the first definitive microlensing planet discovered using TESS data.

Mallory Harris at the University of New Mexico led the new study about the new exoplanet revealed by gravitational microlensing. Image via University of New Mexico.

Space telescope team effort

Gaia23bra b is also one of the few microlensing exoplanets found using space-based data (Gaia and TESS). And Gaia and TESS did so in different ways. Gaia’s observations were long-term, while TESS’ were every 200 seconds for nearly 60 days. Those faster observations from TESS allowed astronomers to detect subtle features in the microlensing light curve that might otherwise be missed.

Harris said:

Microlensing is currently the only method capable of detecting Earth-mass planets at Earth-like orbital distances, so demonstrating that these techniques work in real datasets is particularly valuable for future searches for potentially habitable worlds.

The upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be able to search for more of these microlensing planets. It is scheduled to launch this summer. As Harris noted:

Gaia23bra b is also one of only a very small number of microlensing planets discovered using space-based data, making it an important case study for the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Roman is expected to find up to 1,000 microlensing planets and 100,000 transiting planets. It’s currently scheduled to launch as early as August 30, 2026.

Artist’s illustration of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled to launch this summer. Roman is expected to find up to 1,000 microlensing planets and 100,000 transiting planets. Image via NASA.

Bottom line: The Gaia and TESS space telescopes have discovered a Jupiter-like world – Gaia23bra b – by studying warped spacetime.

Source: TESS’s First Bound Microlensing Planet—A Binary Microlensing Event Revealing a Planetary Companion toward the Galactic Plane

Via University of New Mexico

Read more: Enormous rogue super-Jupiter is a surprisingly complex world

Read more: Saturn-mass rogue planet revealed in unique new observations

The post Warped spacetime reveals exoplanet far from its star first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/oKXYdlt

Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, is overhead now

Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, with its brightest star Alphecca. Read more about the Northern Crown below. Image via Fred Espenak/ AstroPixels. Used with permission.

On June, July and August evenings, look for the constellation Corona Borealis, also known as the Northern Crown. It’s a faint constellation, but a dark sky will reveal a distinctive C shape of stars in the night sky.

In the middle of the C is a white jewel of a star. This star, the brightest light in the Northern Crown, is called Alphecca or Gemma.

To see this famous C-shaped pattern of stars from the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll be looking high overhead during the evening hours in the northern summer. And from the Southern Hemisphere, the constellation is low in the northern sky during the southern winter.

Look for Corona Borealis between 2 bright stars

The Crown is located roughly along a line between two bright stars. The first is the orange star Arcturus in the constellation Boötes the Herdsman. The second is beautiful, blue-white Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp.

Arcturus has already passed its highest point in the evening at this time of year. It is slowly descending to the west. However, Vega is still high in the east in July and overhead in August evenings from the Northern Hemisphere. With dark skies, you’ll notice the orange color of Arcturus and Vega’s bright blue-white tinge.

Corona Borealis is between these two stars. But, remember, a dark sky is best for seeing this faint starry semicircle.

Millions come to EarthSky for night sky news and trusted science. Your donation keeps us free and accessible for all.

Look for Corona Borealis between the bright stars Vega and Arcturus. Image via EarthSky.

Or find it between two constellations

Also, you can look for the Northern Crown between the constellations of Hercules the Strongman and Boötes the Herdsman. See chart below.

The C-shaped – or semicircular – constellation Corona Borealis shines between the constellations Boötes and Hercules. Image via IAU/ Wikipedia.

Finding the Northern Crown from southern skies

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

From southern latitudes, Corona Borealis never climbs high into the sky. But it is still visible during winter evenings in the northern sky. From Twizel, New Zealand (44 degrees south latitude), the constellation reaches only about 18 degrees above the horizon when crossing the meridian (the invisible line in the sky from north to south), while from Auckland it reaches around 28 degrees, and from Sydney, Australia, about 34 degrees.

Despite its low altitude, the Northern Crown remains an intriguing constellation, recognized by southern stargazers for its distinctive shape. The familiar C-shaped pattern appears rotated compared with the view from the Northern Hemisphere, placing its brightest star, Alphecca, high in the arc and making it especially prominent.

It is best seen on clear July evenings when it reaches its greatest altitude in the sky. Look for Arcturus, the 4th-brightest star in the night sky, and find the crown to its east. Because the constellation remains low, a clear, unobstructed northern horizon is essential for seeing its fainter stars.

Gem of the Northern Crown

The brightest star in Corona Borealis is Gemma at magnitude 2.21. The meaning of this Latin star name might be obvious; this star is the gem of the Northern Crown.

But, as is the case with many stars, this star has more than one name. It’s also called Alphecca. This second name is from an Arabic phrase meaning the bright one of the dish. So you can see that, throughout history, stargazers have identified Corona Borealis with a common shape: a dish, a disk, or a crown.

By the way, Gemma, aka Alphecca, is an eclipsing binary system. It consists of a smaller sunlike star that passes in front of a brighter star every 17.4 days, as seen from our earthly vantage point. It is 75 light-years away.

Read more about Gemma, aka Alphecca, in the Northern Crown

Other bright stars in the Northern Crown

The second brightest star, Beta Coronae Borealis, has the name of Nusakan. It shines at magnitude 3.65. Nukasan and Alphecca are a little less than 3 degrees apart. Nukasan lies 114 light-years away.

The other stars that make up the curved shape of Corona Borealis are all 3rd and 4th magnitude. Theta lies on the other side of Nukasan, and Gamma and Delta lie on the other side of Alphecca. Also, Gamma is a double star, but the two are very close and require high magnification and steady skies to see.

Want to see the Blaze Star go nova? X marks the spot! Astronomers say an impending nova will give the constellation of the Northern Crown an additional star that will rival its brightest star. Image via Chris Harvey/ Stellarium. Used with permission.

Watch out for the Blaze Star

The Blaze Star is also in the constellation Corona Borealis. It was supposed to go nova last year. That is, to undergo an eruption that makes it many times brighter in our sky. Well, we’re still waiting. But when it finally does erupt, it’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime show.

The eagerly awaited Blaze Star nova is a real opportunity for keen night sky observers to witness a “new star” in the sky … but only for a few days before it fades away again.

Read more: When will the Blaze Star explode and how can I see it?

Bottom line: On July and August evenings, look for Corona Borealis’ graceful semicircle of stars between the two bright stars Arcturus and Vega.

The post Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, is overhead now first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/L9vupUD

Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, with its brightest star Alphecca. Read more about the Northern Crown below. Image via Fred Espenak/ AstroPixels. Used with permission.

On June, July and August evenings, look for the constellation Corona Borealis, also known as the Northern Crown. It’s a faint constellation, but a dark sky will reveal a distinctive C shape of stars in the night sky.

In the middle of the C is a white jewel of a star. This star, the brightest light in the Northern Crown, is called Alphecca or Gemma.

To see this famous C-shaped pattern of stars from the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll be looking high overhead during the evening hours in the northern summer. And from the Southern Hemisphere, the constellation is low in the northern sky during the southern winter.

Look for Corona Borealis between 2 bright stars

The Crown is located roughly along a line between two bright stars. The first is the orange star Arcturus in the constellation Boötes the Herdsman. The second is beautiful, blue-white Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp.

Arcturus has already passed its highest point in the evening at this time of year. It is slowly descending to the west. However, Vega is still high in the east in July and overhead in August evenings from the Northern Hemisphere. With dark skies, you’ll notice the orange color of Arcturus and Vega’s bright blue-white tinge.

Corona Borealis is between these two stars. But, remember, a dark sky is best for seeing this faint starry semicircle.

Millions come to EarthSky for night sky news and trusted science. Your donation keeps us free and accessible for all.

Look for Corona Borealis between the bright stars Vega and Arcturus. Image via EarthSky.

Or find it between two constellations

Also, you can look for the Northern Crown between the constellations of Hercules the Strongman and Boötes the Herdsman. See chart below.

The C-shaped – or semicircular – constellation Corona Borealis shines between the constellations Boötes and Hercules. Image via IAU/ Wikipedia.

Finding the Northern Crown from southern skies

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

From southern latitudes, Corona Borealis never climbs high into the sky. But it is still visible during winter evenings in the northern sky. From Twizel, New Zealand (44 degrees south latitude), the constellation reaches only about 18 degrees above the horizon when crossing the meridian (the invisible line in the sky from north to south), while from Auckland it reaches around 28 degrees, and from Sydney, Australia, about 34 degrees.

Despite its low altitude, the Northern Crown remains an intriguing constellation, recognized by southern stargazers for its distinctive shape. The familiar C-shaped pattern appears rotated compared with the view from the Northern Hemisphere, placing its brightest star, Alphecca, high in the arc and making it especially prominent.

It is best seen on clear July evenings when it reaches its greatest altitude in the sky. Look for Arcturus, the 4th-brightest star in the night sky, and find the crown to its east. Because the constellation remains low, a clear, unobstructed northern horizon is essential for seeing its fainter stars.

Gem of the Northern Crown

The brightest star in Corona Borealis is Gemma at magnitude 2.21. The meaning of this Latin star name might be obvious; this star is the gem of the Northern Crown.

But, as is the case with many stars, this star has more than one name. It’s also called Alphecca. This second name is from an Arabic phrase meaning the bright one of the dish. So you can see that, throughout history, stargazers have identified Corona Borealis with a common shape: a dish, a disk, or a crown.

By the way, Gemma, aka Alphecca, is an eclipsing binary system. It consists of a smaller sunlike star that passes in front of a brighter star every 17.4 days, as seen from our earthly vantage point. It is 75 light-years away.

Read more about Gemma, aka Alphecca, in the Northern Crown

Other bright stars in the Northern Crown

The second brightest star, Beta Coronae Borealis, has the name of Nusakan. It shines at magnitude 3.65. Nukasan and Alphecca are a little less than 3 degrees apart. Nukasan lies 114 light-years away.

The other stars that make up the curved shape of Corona Borealis are all 3rd and 4th magnitude. Theta lies on the other side of Nukasan, and Gamma and Delta lie on the other side of Alphecca. Also, Gamma is a double star, but the two are very close and require high magnification and steady skies to see.

Want to see the Blaze Star go nova? X marks the spot! Astronomers say an impending nova will give the constellation of the Northern Crown an additional star that will rival its brightest star. Image via Chris Harvey/ Stellarium. Used with permission.

Watch out for the Blaze Star

The Blaze Star is also in the constellation Corona Borealis. It was supposed to go nova last year. That is, to undergo an eruption that makes it many times brighter in our sky. Well, we’re still waiting. But when it finally does erupt, it’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime show.

The eagerly awaited Blaze Star nova is a real opportunity for keen night sky observers to witness a “new star” in the sky … but only for a few days before it fades away again.

Read more: When will the Blaze Star explode and how can I see it?

Bottom line: On July and August evenings, look for Corona Borealis’ graceful semicircle of stars between the two bright stars Arcturus and Vega.

The post Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, is overhead now first appeared on EarthSky.

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