2026 name list for Atlantic hurricanes: Is yours among them?

This is the list of tropical cyclone names for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Read about the names of hurricanes below.

Read: NOAA’s hurricane season forecast for 2026

Atlantic hurricane names for 2026

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has just released its hurricane season outlook for 2026. But what are the names for the 2026 Atlantic tropical cyclones and hurricanes?

See the complete list of 2026 tropical cyclone and hurricane names in the image above. If any of these storms become truly destructive in 2026, the World Meteorological Organization, which is in charge of the list, retires and replaces the name. For example, in 2024, the World Meteorological Organization retired the names Beryl, Helene and Milton. Helene, in particular, became the deadliest storm in the U.S. since Katrina in 2005.

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1 and extends through November 30.

If you live near the Atlantic basin, you can keep up-to-date with forecasts from the National Hurricane Center.

Learn more about how to prepare for hurricane season.

How do hurricanes get their names?

Meteorologists long ago learned that naming tropical storms and hurricanes helps people remember the storms, communicate about them more effectively, and consequently stay safer if and when a particular storm strikes a coast.

These experts assign names to tropical storms according to an approved list before the start of each hurricane season. The U.S. National Hurricane Center started this practice in the early 1950s. Now, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) generates and maintains the list of hurricane names.

Here are the hurricane names for 2026

Atlantic hurricane names (season runs from June 1 to November 30) are: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle. Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar. Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.

Eastern North Pacific hurricane names (season runs from May 15 to November 30) are: Amanda, Boris, Cristina, Douglas, Elida, Fausto, Genevieve, Hernan, Iselle, Julio, Karina, Lowell, Marie, Norbert, Odalys, Polo, Rachel, Simon, Trudy, Vance, Winnie. Xavier, Yolanda and Zeke.

If you’re interested, you can view those names, and names for upcoming years, at the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

In 2022, Hurricane Ian devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast. It also brought flooding to central Florida, ripped roofs off on the Atlantic Coast and then menaced South Carolina. The name Ian will never again be used for a tropical cyclone or hurricane. Image via NOAA/ GOES.

The history of hurricane names

While people have been naming major storms for hundreds of years, most hurricanes originally had a designation using a system of latitude-longitude numbers. This was useful to meteorologists trying to track these storms. Unfortunately, this system confused people living on coasts seeking hurricane information.

In the early 1950s, the U.S. National Hurricane Center first developed a formal practice for storm naming for the Atlantic Ocean. At that time, storms got their names according to a phonetic alphabet (e.g., Able, Baker, Charlie) and the names used were the same for each hurricane season. In other words, the first hurricane of a season was always named “Able,” the second “Baker,” and so on.

In 1953, to avoid the repetitive use of names, the National Weather Service revised the system to give storms female names. By doing this, the National Weather Service was mimicking the habit of naval meteorologists, who named the storms after women, much as ships at sea traditionally had female names.

In 1978–1979, they revised the system again to include both female and male hurricane names.

See the complete history of naming hurricanes, including retired names, from NOAA.

When does a storm receive a name?

Tropical storms get a name when they display a rotating circulation pattern and wind speeds reach 39 miles per hour (63 kilometers per hour). A tropical storm develops into a hurricane when wind speeds go above 74 mph (119 km/h).

Experts have developed lists of hurricane names for many of the major ocean basins around the world. Today, there are six lists of hurricane names in use for Atlantic Ocean and Eastern North Pacific storms. These lists rotate, one each year. So that means the list of this year’s hurricane names for each basin will come up again six years from now.

However, there’s an exception to this practice. The World Meteorological Organization retires the names of extremely damaging hurricanes for legal, cultural sensitivity and historical reasons. For example, they retired the name Katrina in 2005 following the devastating impact that Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans. In 2022, the World Meteorological Organization Hurricane Committee retired the names Fiona and Ian.

Hurricane Katrina on August 28, 2005. Image via NASA.

Bottom line: The forecasts for Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms is out. And the hurricane names for 2026 are ready. What’ll happen next?

Read: NOAA’s hurricane season forecast for 2026

Read more: What is a hurricane storm surge?

The post 2026 name list for Atlantic hurricanes: Is yours among them? first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/0lK3YCe

This is the list of tropical cyclone names for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Read about the names of hurricanes below.

Read: NOAA’s hurricane season forecast for 2026

Atlantic hurricane names for 2026

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has just released its hurricane season outlook for 2026. But what are the names for the 2026 Atlantic tropical cyclones and hurricanes?

See the complete list of 2026 tropical cyclone and hurricane names in the image above. If any of these storms become truly destructive in 2026, the World Meteorological Organization, which is in charge of the list, retires and replaces the name. For example, in 2024, the World Meteorological Organization retired the names Beryl, Helene and Milton. Helene, in particular, became the deadliest storm in the U.S. since Katrina in 2005.

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1 and extends through November 30.

If you live near the Atlantic basin, you can keep up-to-date with forecasts from the National Hurricane Center.

Learn more about how to prepare for hurricane season.

How do hurricanes get their names?

Meteorologists long ago learned that naming tropical storms and hurricanes helps people remember the storms, communicate about them more effectively, and consequently stay safer if and when a particular storm strikes a coast.

These experts assign names to tropical storms according to an approved list before the start of each hurricane season. The U.S. National Hurricane Center started this practice in the early 1950s. Now, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) generates and maintains the list of hurricane names.

Here are the hurricane names for 2026

Atlantic hurricane names (season runs from June 1 to November 30) are: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle. Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar. Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.

Eastern North Pacific hurricane names (season runs from May 15 to November 30) are: Amanda, Boris, Cristina, Douglas, Elida, Fausto, Genevieve, Hernan, Iselle, Julio, Karina, Lowell, Marie, Norbert, Odalys, Polo, Rachel, Simon, Trudy, Vance, Winnie. Xavier, Yolanda and Zeke.

If you’re interested, you can view those names, and names for upcoming years, at the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

In 2022, Hurricane Ian devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast. It also brought flooding to central Florida, ripped roofs off on the Atlantic Coast and then menaced South Carolina. The name Ian will never again be used for a tropical cyclone or hurricane. Image via NOAA/ GOES.

The history of hurricane names

While people have been naming major storms for hundreds of years, most hurricanes originally had a designation using a system of latitude-longitude numbers. This was useful to meteorologists trying to track these storms. Unfortunately, this system confused people living on coasts seeking hurricane information.

In the early 1950s, the U.S. National Hurricane Center first developed a formal practice for storm naming for the Atlantic Ocean. At that time, storms got their names according to a phonetic alphabet (e.g., Able, Baker, Charlie) and the names used were the same for each hurricane season. In other words, the first hurricane of a season was always named “Able,” the second “Baker,” and so on.

In 1953, to avoid the repetitive use of names, the National Weather Service revised the system to give storms female names. By doing this, the National Weather Service was mimicking the habit of naval meteorologists, who named the storms after women, much as ships at sea traditionally had female names.

In 1978–1979, they revised the system again to include both female and male hurricane names.

See the complete history of naming hurricanes, including retired names, from NOAA.

When does a storm receive a name?

Tropical storms get a name when they display a rotating circulation pattern and wind speeds reach 39 miles per hour (63 kilometers per hour). A tropical storm develops into a hurricane when wind speeds go above 74 mph (119 km/h).

Experts have developed lists of hurricane names for many of the major ocean basins around the world. Today, there are six lists of hurricane names in use for Atlantic Ocean and Eastern North Pacific storms. These lists rotate, one each year. So that means the list of this year’s hurricane names for each basin will come up again six years from now.

However, there’s an exception to this practice. The World Meteorological Organization retires the names of extremely damaging hurricanes for legal, cultural sensitivity and historical reasons. For example, they retired the name Katrina in 2005 following the devastating impact that Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans. In 2022, the World Meteorological Organization Hurricane Committee retired the names Fiona and Ian.

Hurricane Katrina on August 28, 2005. Image via NASA.

Bottom line: The forecasts for Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms is out. And the hurricane names for 2026 are ready. What’ll happen next?

Read: NOAA’s hurricane season forecast for 2026

Read more: What is a hurricane storm surge?

The post 2026 name list for Atlantic hurricanes: Is yours among them? first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/0lK3YCe

Ice volcanoes on Ganymede? New promising candidates found

View larger. | Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. Are there ice volcanoes on Ganymede? It’s possible, and now a new study has identified several good candidates. NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this view of Ganymede on June 7, 2021. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ MSSS/ Kalleheikki Kannisto.

• Ganymede is Jupiter’s largest moon. It has a deep ocean beneath its outer icy surface. Does it also have ice volcanoes?
• A new international study has identified several good candidates on Ganymede’s frozen surface.
• These are depressions in the surface surrounded by flow-like formations, where water could have erupted to the surface from below.

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

Possible ice volcanoes on Ganymede

Does Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede have ice volcanoes? We don’t know for sure yet, but a new international study has identified some promising candidates.

Ganymede has a deep ocean hidden beneath its icy crust. That’s led scientists to speculate it could have ice volcanoes similar to the explosive geysers on Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus. And on May 9, 2026, researchers said they have identified four primary locations where water and other volatile materials might have erupted to Ganymede’s surface.

Anezina Solomonidou at the Hellenic Space Center (HSC) in Greece led the new study. The study also includes researchers from France, Italy, Germany, the United States, the Czech Republic, ESA and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The new peer-reviewed paper is accepted for publication in the Planetary Science Journal.

Musa Patera, a depression on Ganymede some 43 miles (69 km) across. Scientists think it could have been left by an erupting ice volcano. NASA’s Galileo spacecraft captured this view on May 7, 1997. Image via NASA/ JPL/ Wikipedia.

View larger. | Another view of Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede, from the Juno flyby on June 7, 2021. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ MSSS; image processing by Kevin M. Gill.

Most promising locations for ice volcanoes

Ganymede has unusual depressions – called paterae – and flow-like structures on its surface. Could upwelling water have formed them?

It certainly seems possible, since Ganymede has a deep, dark ocean beneath its outer icy crust. But it depends on whether the water could get through the crust in cracks or by other means. Scientists estimate Ganymede’s crust to be about 90-95 miles (145-153 km) thick. And they estimate the ocean below to be 60 miles (96 km) deep.

Intriguingly, the flow-like structures would have been formed by flowing icy watery material. And the paterae depressions would have been the volcanic vents. It’s similar to regular volcanism, but involving icy fluids rather than molten rock.

View larger. | Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus is famous for its geyser-like ice volcanoes. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft took this image on November 21, 2009. Does Ganymede have ice volcanoes too? Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ Space Science Institute.

Implications for life

If there were – or perhaps still are – active ice volcanoes on Ganymede, that could provide clues about the conditions in the ocean below. And those conditions could determine whether Ganymede’s ocean might be habitable or not.

Solomonidou said:

Ganymede is one of the most fascinating worlds in the solar system. Understanding possible cryovolcanic activity can help us better understand how ocean worlds evolve and whether they may host conditions suitable for life.

Anezina Solomonidou at the Hellenic Space Center in Greece led the new study about ice volcanoes on Ganymede. Image via Hellenic Space Center.

Future observations by JUICE

The candidate ice volcanoes will be of great interest for the European Space Agency’s upcoming Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission. JUICE was launched in 2023 and will arrive at Jupiter in 2031. It will focus on exploring the largest moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa. JUICE will use its MAJIS imaging spectrometer and the JANUS camera system to take a closer look at these potential ice volcanoes.

In 2023, scientists found that Ganymede is coated in salts and organics; and in 2021, they found water vapor in Ganymede’s thin atmosphere.

Also in 2021, NASA released new closeups of Ganymede from its Juno spacecraft. Juno obtained the images on June 7, 2021.

Bottom line: Are there ice volcanoes on Ganymede? A new international study reveals several good candidates on Jupiter’s large ocean moon.

Via Hellenic Space Center

Read more: Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is coated in salts and organics

Read more: Why do Jupiter’s large moons outnumber Saturn’s?

The post Ice volcanoes on Ganymede? New promising candidates found first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/UCOoDVx

View larger. | Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. Are there ice volcanoes on Ganymede? It’s possible, and now a new study has identified several good candidates. NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this view of Ganymede on June 7, 2021. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ MSSS/ Kalleheikki Kannisto.

• Ganymede is Jupiter’s largest moon. It has a deep ocean beneath its outer icy surface. Does it also have ice volcanoes?
• A new international study has identified several good candidates on Ganymede’s frozen surface.
• These are depressions in the surface surrounded by flow-like formations, where water could have erupted to the surface from below.

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

Possible ice volcanoes on Ganymede

Does Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede have ice volcanoes? We don’t know for sure yet, but a new international study has identified some promising candidates.

Ganymede has a deep ocean hidden beneath its icy crust. That’s led scientists to speculate it could have ice volcanoes similar to the explosive geysers on Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus. And on May 9, 2026, researchers said they have identified four primary locations where water and other volatile materials might have erupted to Ganymede’s surface.

Anezina Solomonidou at the Hellenic Space Center (HSC) in Greece led the new study. The study also includes researchers from France, Italy, Germany, the United States, the Czech Republic, ESA and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The new peer-reviewed paper is accepted for publication in the Planetary Science Journal.

Musa Patera, a depression on Ganymede some 43 miles (69 km) across. Scientists think it could have been left by an erupting ice volcano. NASA’s Galileo spacecraft captured this view on May 7, 1997. Image via NASA/ JPL/ Wikipedia.

View larger. | Another view of Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede, from the Juno flyby on June 7, 2021. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ MSSS; image processing by Kevin M. Gill.

Most promising locations for ice volcanoes

Ganymede has unusual depressions – called paterae – and flow-like structures on its surface. Could upwelling water have formed them?

It certainly seems possible, since Ganymede has a deep, dark ocean beneath its outer icy crust. But it depends on whether the water could get through the crust in cracks or by other means. Scientists estimate Ganymede’s crust to be about 90-95 miles (145-153 km) thick. And they estimate the ocean below to be 60 miles (96 km) deep.

Intriguingly, the flow-like structures would have been formed by flowing icy watery material. And the paterae depressions would have been the volcanic vents. It’s similar to regular volcanism, but involving icy fluids rather than molten rock.

View larger. | Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus is famous for its geyser-like ice volcanoes. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft took this image on November 21, 2009. Does Ganymede have ice volcanoes too? Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ Space Science Institute.

Implications for life

If there were – or perhaps still are – active ice volcanoes on Ganymede, that could provide clues about the conditions in the ocean below. And those conditions could determine whether Ganymede’s ocean might be habitable or not.

Solomonidou said:

Ganymede is one of the most fascinating worlds in the solar system. Understanding possible cryovolcanic activity can help us better understand how ocean worlds evolve and whether they may host conditions suitable for life.

Anezina Solomonidou at the Hellenic Space Center in Greece led the new study about ice volcanoes on Ganymede. Image via Hellenic Space Center.

Future observations by JUICE

The candidate ice volcanoes will be of great interest for the European Space Agency’s upcoming Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission. JUICE was launched in 2023 and will arrive at Jupiter in 2031. It will focus on exploring the largest moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa. JUICE will use its MAJIS imaging spectrometer and the JANUS camera system to take a closer look at these potential ice volcanoes.

In 2023, scientists found that Ganymede is coated in salts and organics; and in 2021, they found water vapor in Ganymede’s thin atmosphere.

Also in 2021, NASA released new closeups of Ganymede from its Juno spacecraft. Juno obtained the images on June 7, 2021.

Bottom line: Are there ice volcanoes on Ganymede? A new international study reveals several good candidates on Jupiter’s large ocean moon.

Via Hellenic Space Center

Read more: Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is coated in salts and organics

Read more: Why do Jupiter’s large moons outnumber Saturn’s?

The post Ice volcanoes on Ganymede? New promising candidates found first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/UCOoDVx

Cumulonimbus clouds bring thunderstorms: How to spot them

Terry O’Leary of Virginia Beach, Virginia, captured the classic anvil shape of cumulonimbus clouds – out the window of an airplane – in early summer 2003 over central Virginia. Image via NASA GLOBE Clouds.

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What are cumulonimbus clouds?

Cumulonimbus clouds are among the most awe-inspiring of cloud formations. They might start as low as 0.6 miles (1,000 meters) above Earth’s surface. And their tops can reach up to 7 miles (12,000 meters) or more. So they can tower for miles into the sky, bumping into Earth’s stratosphere. Cumulonimbus clouds are known to flatten out into an anvil shape on top. They’re sometimes called thunderheads, because they’re the engines behind thunderstorms, severe weather and even tornadoes.

If you see a cumulonimbus cloud bubbling upward into the sky, get ready to take cover!

The word cumulonimbus comes from the Latin cumulo meaning heap or pile and nimbus meaning cloud. They begin as puffy white cumulus clouds that can rapidly grow under the right conditions.

How do they form?

As with cumulus clouds, which are fair-weather clouds, a cumulonimbus cloud begins with the process of convection. That’s what happens when warm air rises, because it’s less dense than the cooler air around it. Convection tends to happen on warm days when Earth’s surface heats unevenly, for example, in the afternoon over land. As the warm, moist air rises, it cools and condenses, forming puffy cumulus clouds.

If the rising air continues to be warmer than its surroundings, it’ll keep growing. That’s when it’ll form larger and taller clouds. When the atmosphere is particularly unstable – meaning that temperature decreases rapidly with height – this upward motion becomes more vigorous. In this case, a cumulus cloud can quickly grow into a cumulonimbus cloud.

Inside a developing cumulonimbus cloud, there are both updrafts and downdrafts. The winds of the updrafts can reach speeds of more than 100 mph (161 kph). These updrafts carry water vapor high into the atmosphere, where it condenses into water droplets or ice crystals. This process releases latent heat, fueling further cloud growth. The top of the cloud eventually flattens out when it hits the tropopause, the divider between the lower troposphere (the bottom layer of the atmosphere, where we live) and the higher stratosphere.

Watch this time lapse of cumulus clouds growing into a towering cumulonimbus cloud with an anvil top.

When and where do you see cumulonimbus clouds?

Cumulonimbus clouds can form anywhere in the world. But they’re most common in regions where warm, moist air is prevalent. In the United States, for instance, you can frequently see these clouds in the spring and summer months. That’s especially true if you live in the U.S. Great Plains, Midwest and Southeast, where warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico interacts with cooler air masses. But you can also see these clouds nearly every summer afternoon in central Florida, thanks to sea breezes and lots of tropical moisture.

And indeed – although they can also occur at other times of the day or night – afternoon and early evening are the best times to look for cumulonimbus clouds. That’s when surface heating from the sun is at its peak.

What kind of weather do cumulonimbus clouds bring?

Cumulonimbus clouds are synonymous with severe weather. They are the primary cloud type responsible for thunderstorms.

Depending on their intensity and the conditions around them, cumulonimbus clouds can produce:

• Torrential rain: Localized downpours that can lead to flash flooding.
• Hail: Ice particles carried in updrafts and downdrafts, growing larger before falling to the ground.
• Strong winds: Often associated with downdrafts or microbursts, which can cause damage similar to weak tornadoes.
• Tornadoes: In the most severe storms, rotating updrafts can spawn tornadoes.
• Lightning: Electrical charges can trigger lightning within the cloud and also send bolts careening to the ground.

Due to all these hazards, airplanes fly around – and not through – cumulonimbus clouds.

In this video, you can see air traffic diverting around cumulonimbus clouds and then circling, waiting for the storms to clear the Atlanta airport before landing.

Stay safe

When you see a cumulonimbus cloud, think safety. The lightning from these clouds can strike miles away, far from where the cloud is producing rain. Hail can be dangerous for people and animals without shelter. Torrential rain can cause flash flooding, and strong winds and tornadoes can send objects flying.

Cumulonimbus clouds are awe-inspiring and formidable phenomena that remind us of nature’s raw power. Spotting a cumulonimbus cloud offers us a glimpse into the dynamic processes of the atmosphere. And it provides a warning of the powerful forces brewing above.

If you catch a great image of a cumulonimbus cloud, submit it to EarthSky’s community page.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ross Stone captured this image in California on July 31, 2024. Ross wrote: “When I saw this gigantic cumulonimbus cloud I had to pull off to the side of the road and take out my camera. I absolutely love the summertime clouds.” Thank you, Ross!

Bottom line: Cumulonimbus clouds, sometimes called thunderheads, are towering formations that can bring severe storms such as hail, lightning, flooding and tornadoes.

Read more:

Cloud shapes are a useful tool for predicting weather

Media we love: The book A Cloud a Day

Bumpy flight? Here’s how clouds affect air travel

The post Cumulonimbus clouds bring thunderstorms: How to spot them first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/yfUla1o

Terry O’Leary of Virginia Beach, Virginia, captured the classic anvil shape of cumulonimbus clouds – out the window of an airplane – in early summer 2003 over central Virginia. Image via NASA GLOBE Clouds.

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

What are cumulonimbus clouds?

Cumulonimbus clouds are among the most awe-inspiring of cloud formations. They might start as low as 0.6 miles (1,000 meters) above Earth’s surface. And their tops can reach up to 7 miles (12,000 meters) or more. So they can tower for miles into the sky, bumping into Earth’s stratosphere. Cumulonimbus clouds are known to flatten out into an anvil shape on top. They’re sometimes called thunderheads, because they’re the engines behind thunderstorms, severe weather and even tornadoes.

If you see a cumulonimbus cloud bubbling upward into the sky, get ready to take cover!

The word cumulonimbus comes from the Latin cumulo meaning heap or pile and nimbus meaning cloud. They begin as puffy white cumulus clouds that can rapidly grow under the right conditions.

How do they form?

As with cumulus clouds, which are fair-weather clouds, a cumulonimbus cloud begins with the process of convection. That’s what happens when warm air rises, because it’s less dense than the cooler air around it. Convection tends to happen on warm days when Earth’s surface heats unevenly, for example, in the afternoon over land. As the warm, moist air rises, it cools and condenses, forming puffy cumulus clouds.

If the rising air continues to be warmer than its surroundings, it’ll keep growing. That’s when it’ll form larger and taller clouds. When the atmosphere is particularly unstable – meaning that temperature decreases rapidly with height – this upward motion becomes more vigorous. In this case, a cumulus cloud can quickly grow into a cumulonimbus cloud.

Inside a developing cumulonimbus cloud, there are both updrafts and downdrafts. The winds of the updrafts can reach speeds of more than 100 mph (161 kph). These updrafts carry water vapor high into the atmosphere, where it condenses into water droplets or ice crystals. This process releases latent heat, fueling further cloud growth. The top of the cloud eventually flattens out when it hits the tropopause, the divider between the lower troposphere (the bottom layer of the atmosphere, where we live) and the higher stratosphere.

Watch this time lapse of cumulus clouds growing into a towering cumulonimbus cloud with an anvil top.

When and where do you see cumulonimbus clouds?

Cumulonimbus clouds can form anywhere in the world. But they’re most common in regions where warm, moist air is prevalent. In the United States, for instance, you can frequently see these clouds in the spring and summer months. That’s especially true if you live in the U.S. Great Plains, Midwest and Southeast, where warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico interacts with cooler air masses. But you can also see these clouds nearly every summer afternoon in central Florida, thanks to sea breezes and lots of tropical moisture.

And indeed – although they can also occur at other times of the day or night – afternoon and early evening are the best times to look for cumulonimbus clouds. That’s when surface heating from the sun is at its peak.

What kind of weather do cumulonimbus clouds bring?

Cumulonimbus clouds are synonymous with severe weather. They are the primary cloud type responsible for thunderstorms.

Depending on their intensity and the conditions around them, cumulonimbus clouds can produce:

• Torrential rain: Localized downpours that can lead to flash flooding.
• Hail: Ice particles carried in updrafts and downdrafts, growing larger before falling to the ground.
• Strong winds: Often associated with downdrafts or microbursts, which can cause damage similar to weak tornadoes.
• Tornadoes: In the most severe storms, rotating updrafts can spawn tornadoes.
• Lightning: Electrical charges can trigger lightning within the cloud and also send bolts careening to the ground.

Due to all these hazards, airplanes fly around – and not through – cumulonimbus clouds.

In this video, you can see air traffic diverting around cumulonimbus clouds and then circling, waiting for the storms to clear the Atlanta airport before landing.

Stay safe

When you see a cumulonimbus cloud, think safety. The lightning from these clouds can strike miles away, far from where the cloud is producing rain. Hail can be dangerous for people and animals without shelter. Torrential rain can cause flash flooding, and strong winds and tornadoes can send objects flying.

Cumulonimbus clouds are awe-inspiring and formidable phenomena that remind us of nature’s raw power. Spotting a cumulonimbus cloud offers us a glimpse into the dynamic processes of the atmosphere. And it provides a warning of the powerful forces brewing above.

If you catch a great image of a cumulonimbus cloud, submit it to EarthSky’s community page.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ross Stone captured this image in California on July 31, 2024. Ross wrote: “When I saw this gigantic cumulonimbus cloud I had to pull off to the side of the road and take out my camera. I absolutely love the summertime clouds.” Thank you, Ross!

Bottom line: Cumulonimbus clouds, sometimes called thunderheads, are towering formations that can bring severe storms such as hail, lightning, flooding and tornadoes.

Read more:

Cloud shapes are a useful tool for predicting weather

Media we love: The book A Cloud a Day

Bumpy flight? Here’s how clouds affect air travel

The post Cumulonimbus clouds bring thunderstorms: How to spot them first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/yfUla1o

Synchronous fireflies light up these national parks

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

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Synchronous fireflies

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

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

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

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

Fireflies are bioluminescent

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

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

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

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

A landmark study on synchronous fireflies

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

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

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

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

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

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

More synchronous fireflies studies

Since that early study, these researchers have been busy:

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

  
  Fireflies in the wild. Video via University of Colorado.

  Does the Southern Hemisphere have synchronous fireflies?

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

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

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

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

  Via University of Colorado Boulder

  Read more: Fireflies: How and why they light up

  Watch: Astonishing facts about fireflies! With AstroBob

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

  
  
  from EarthSky https://ift.tt/IbYDHwJ
  

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

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Synchronous fireflies

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

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

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

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

Fireflies are bioluminescent

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

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

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

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

A landmark study on synchronous fireflies

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

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

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

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

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

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

More synchronous fireflies studies

Since that early study, these researchers have been busy:

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

  
  Fireflies in the wild. Video via University of Colorado.

  Does the Southern Hemisphere have synchronous fireflies?

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

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

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

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

  Via University of Colorado Boulder

  Read more: Fireflies: How and why they light up

  Watch: Astonishing facts about fireflies! With AstroBob

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

  
  
  from EarthSky https://ift.tt/IbYDHwJ
  

Constellations and signs: What’s the difference?

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

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

Constellations and astrological signs

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

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

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

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

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

The sun’s path through the sky

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

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

Picturing constellations and signs

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

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

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

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

Read more from Guy Ottewell.

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

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

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

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

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/TSsfV2y

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

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

Constellations and astrological signs

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

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

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

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

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

The sun’s path through the sky

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

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

Picturing constellations and signs

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

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

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

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

Read more from Guy Ottewell.

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

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

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

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

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/TSsfV2y

Interstellar turbulence in the Milky Way distorts light

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

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

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

Detecting interstellar turbulence

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

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

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

An insightful quasar

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

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

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

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

Imagery revealed light patterns consistent with turbulence

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

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

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

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

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

Understanding how gas behaves in our galaxy

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

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

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

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

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

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

Via Harvard and Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics

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

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

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/W5NrijF

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

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

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

Detecting interstellar turbulence

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

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

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

An insightful quasar

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

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

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

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

Imagery revealed light patterns consistent with turbulence

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

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

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

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

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

Understanding how gas behaves in our galaxy

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

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

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

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

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

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

Via Harvard and Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics

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

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

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/W5NrijF

Find the Keystone in Hercules, and the Hercules Cluster M13

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

Use Vega to locate the Keystone in Hercules

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

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

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

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

Use the Keystone to find M13

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

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

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

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

Photos of M13 from EarthSky Community Photos

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

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

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

Finding the Hercules Cluster from Southern Latitudes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Use Vega to locate the Keystone in Hercules

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

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

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

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

Use the Keystone to find M13

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

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

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

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

Photos of M13 from EarthSky Community Photos

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

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

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

Finding the Hercules Cluster from Southern Latitudes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/ruIX2B5