Canada’s Jasper fire: A beautiful place burns, a call for fire strategy

The Jasper fire is an ongoing wildfire that hit the western Canadian resort town of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, from two sides this week. By July 25, 2024, roughly 25,000 people had been evacuated. Later that day, park officials reported the north and south fires had merged. Parks Canada said wildfire damaged 358 of the 1,113 structures within the Jasper townsite. However, all critical infrastructure such as the hospital, schools and wastewater treatment plant were saved. Meanwhile, the BBC reported on July 26 that this “monster” fire might have destroyed “half the town.” And ABC News reported on July 27 that Jasper has been “ravaged” by wildfire, according to officials, as the large blaze continues to burn out of control.

  • A huge, fast wildfire ripped through the historic town of Jasper – and nearby national park – in Alberta, Canada this week. The town is just 15 miles (24 km) from the West Entrance to Jasper National Park. It is the largest national park within Alberta’s Rocky Mountains and said to be one of the most beautiful places in the world..
  • The fire has prompted an outcry for a strong national wildfire strategy in Canada. More and more Canadian communities are being affected by wildfires, with evacuations and some whole towns burning to the ground, according to Edward Struzik of Queen’s University in Ontario, who wrote the article below.
  • Struzik writes that century of fire suppression has left behind too many aging trees, plus the mountain pine beetle has devastated some forests, adding more kindling to the fire.
Jasper fire: Satellite image with huge, thick white plume of smoke billowing across a forested landscape.
View from NOAA-20 satellite in space on July 23, 2024. It shows the Jasper fire burning through the national park and toward the town. Image via X/ @NASAEarth.

By Edward Struzik, Queen’s University, Ontario

Jasper fire is a warning for others

In what is becoming an unfortunately common occurrence, the town of Jasper, Alberta, has been ravaged by a wildfire of unprecedented scale. Crews report witnessing “300- to 400-foot flames,” while up to 50% of Jasper’s buildings may be damaged. Luckily, there have been no reported fatalities so far.

If a fire can burn the town of Jasper in a national park that has the resources to deal with fire, what does the future hold for hundreds of small boreal forest towns across the country that do not have the means, know-how or resolve to accept that fire will come someday?

Jasper is the latest in a growing number of communities affected by wildfires. Some 20,000 people living in Yellowknife were evacuated from their homes for more than three weeks in 2023. The British Columbia town of Lytton is still rebuilding after it burned in 2021.

Indigenous people, who represent 5% of the population, are disproportionately affected by wildfires, as First Nations communities comprise 42% of evacuations. Residents of Fort Good Hope, a community that is mainly Indigenous in the Northwest Territories, were recently displaced from their homes for three weeks due to a wildfire.

Jasper fire from social media

A need for a national wildfire strategy

Jasper reinforces just how much we need a national wildfire strategy. The strategy needs to bring together all levels of governance within the business and Indigenous communities to map out a blueprint for how to better predict, prevent, mitigate and manage fires. It also needs to spell out how to provide small boreal communities with the resources they need to make them more resilient.

A report on the Jasper wildfires produced by Global News.

Long time coming

In the summer of 2010, Parks Canada fire manager Dave Smith conducted aerial and ground surveys of three main valleys in Jasper National Park and found that 400 trees had been attacked by the mountain pine beetle.

Until then, Jasper had been one of the few regions on the east slopes of the Rockies that had not been seriously affected by this slow-moving catastrophe. This beetle species has destroyed pristine views, shuttered lumber mills, increased the threat of forest fires while dead needles are still in the trees and reshaped British Columbia’s economy.

In 2011, I joined Smith on an aerial and ground survey to see how the infestation was progressing. So many trees in Jasper had been reddened by the pine beetle that Smith decided there was no use counting again. He would have to find some other way of monitoring the situation.

Before he retired, Smith told me that, although he loved his job, he had trouble sleeping at night on hot summer days. He worried about a wind-driven wildfire sweeping through the highly combustible needles still clinging to all those dead trees and the living stands of 80-year-old spruce and pine that were at risk of burning. It wasn’t just the aging forest and dead needles that worried him. It was the intense heat, extended droughts and lightning that were intensifying in a rapidly warming world.

Some positive news from the east end of Jasper

What has and has not been done

Parks Canada fire specialists like Smith have done a lot to prevent fire from coming into Jasper, Banff and other park towns across the country. Forests have been thinned, controlled burns have been ignited to reduce the threat of fire, and business and residential owners have been encouraged to make their properties fire smart.

But even that was not enough to save Jasper from the heartbreak its residents are going through. Jasper’s aggressive response came too late to take the necessary actions to make the national park more resilient to fire. Perhaps, most critically, a century of fire suppression has left behind too many aging trees and not enough space for more resilient stands to be regenerated.

Other recent fires

The scenes in Jasper are devastating but also depressingly predictable given the trajectory we’ve been heading towards since 2003 when Parks Canada was overwhelmed by fires. These fires burned in Kootenay, Jasper and Banff and other parts of the country. And then more than 45,000 people were evacuated from the Okanagan.

Waterton Lakes Park in Alberta dodged a bullet for nearly a century before the exceptionally intense Kenow fire ripped through it in 2017. Jasper got a scare in 2022 when the Chetamon Fire lit up the night sky. Is Banff next?

As Rob Walker, a former Parks Canada fire and vegetation specialist, noted in a Facebook post on July 25:

Wildfire seasons will continue to worsen, and our political leadership must find a way to stop the madness of our addiction to oil and gas.

It was Walker who told me the 2003 wildfire season was a harbinger of what we could expect in a rapidly warming world.

Factors contributing to the Jasper fire outcome

Alberta no longer has a wildfire rappel team that can get to fires that are inaccessible to ground crews. Its fire science co-ordinator has long departed, and its wildfire budget is heavily weighted in favor of suppression over wildfire science. That has been left to the University of Alberta to do, even though its budget has been cut by more than 20%.

In 2024, the government of Canada invested close to $800 million in initiatives to improve wildfire management, including helping provinces and territories purchase additional firefighting equipment and training 1,000 firefighters across the country.

Its investment in wildfire science pales in comparison.

There was a glimmer of hope in June when the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers met in Cranbrook, B.C. They ended their meeting with a promise to follow through on a national wildfire prevention and mitigation strategy. This time may be different, but we have heard this kind of promise many times before.

Future of wildfire in Canada

More dark days may be coming unless we develop a culture, and political policies, that respect fire, drawing upon the wealth of valuable insights in Indigenous fire stewardship practices.

Fire has no ideology or preferences; it will always be quite simply a chemical reaction, a propulsive oxidation of hydrocarbons shaped by terrain, weather, climate and the combustible material around it. We must learn to live with fire, and find ways of containing it. For fire will never learn to live with us.The Conversation

Edward Struzik, a Fellow of the Queen’s Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen’s University in Ontario

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Bottom line: The Jasper fire devastated the Alberta town and ripped through part of the national park. It prompted calls for a strong national wildfire strategy.

Read more: This Is Wildfire: Tips on preparing yourself and your home

The post Canada’s Jasper fire: A beautiful place burns, a call for fire strategy first appeared on EarthSky.



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The Jasper fire is an ongoing wildfire that hit the western Canadian resort town of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, from two sides this week. By July 25, 2024, roughly 25,000 people had been evacuated. Later that day, park officials reported the north and south fires had merged. Parks Canada said wildfire damaged 358 of the 1,113 structures within the Jasper townsite. However, all critical infrastructure such as the hospital, schools and wastewater treatment plant were saved. Meanwhile, the BBC reported on July 26 that this “monster” fire might have destroyed “half the town.” And ABC News reported on July 27 that Jasper has been “ravaged” by wildfire, according to officials, as the large blaze continues to burn out of control.

  • A huge, fast wildfire ripped through the historic town of Jasper – and nearby national park – in Alberta, Canada this week. The town is just 15 miles (24 km) from the West Entrance to Jasper National Park. It is the largest national park within Alberta’s Rocky Mountains and said to be one of the most beautiful places in the world..
  • The fire has prompted an outcry for a strong national wildfire strategy in Canada. More and more Canadian communities are being affected by wildfires, with evacuations and some whole towns burning to the ground, according to Edward Struzik of Queen’s University in Ontario, who wrote the article below.
  • Struzik writes that century of fire suppression has left behind too many aging trees, plus the mountain pine beetle has devastated some forests, adding more kindling to the fire.
Jasper fire: Satellite image with huge, thick white plume of smoke billowing across a forested landscape.
View from NOAA-20 satellite in space on July 23, 2024. It shows the Jasper fire burning through the national park and toward the town. Image via X/ @NASAEarth.

By Edward Struzik, Queen’s University, Ontario

Jasper fire is a warning for others

In what is becoming an unfortunately common occurrence, the town of Jasper, Alberta, has been ravaged by a wildfire of unprecedented scale. Crews report witnessing “300- to 400-foot flames,” while up to 50% of Jasper’s buildings may be damaged. Luckily, there have been no reported fatalities so far.

If a fire can burn the town of Jasper in a national park that has the resources to deal with fire, what does the future hold for hundreds of small boreal forest towns across the country that do not have the means, know-how or resolve to accept that fire will come someday?

Jasper is the latest in a growing number of communities affected by wildfires. Some 20,000 people living in Yellowknife were evacuated from their homes for more than three weeks in 2023. The British Columbia town of Lytton is still rebuilding after it burned in 2021.

Indigenous people, who represent 5% of the population, are disproportionately affected by wildfires, as First Nations communities comprise 42% of evacuations. Residents of Fort Good Hope, a community that is mainly Indigenous in the Northwest Territories, were recently displaced from their homes for three weeks due to a wildfire.

Jasper fire from social media

A need for a national wildfire strategy

Jasper reinforces just how much we need a national wildfire strategy. The strategy needs to bring together all levels of governance within the business and Indigenous communities to map out a blueprint for how to better predict, prevent, mitigate and manage fires. It also needs to spell out how to provide small boreal communities with the resources they need to make them more resilient.

A report on the Jasper wildfires produced by Global News.

Long time coming

In the summer of 2010, Parks Canada fire manager Dave Smith conducted aerial and ground surveys of three main valleys in Jasper National Park and found that 400 trees had been attacked by the mountain pine beetle.

Until then, Jasper had been one of the few regions on the east slopes of the Rockies that had not been seriously affected by this slow-moving catastrophe. This beetle species has destroyed pristine views, shuttered lumber mills, increased the threat of forest fires while dead needles are still in the trees and reshaped British Columbia’s economy.

In 2011, I joined Smith on an aerial and ground survey to see how the infestation was progressing. So many trees in Jasper had been reddened by the pine beetle that Smith decided there was no use counting again. He would have to find some other way of monitoring the situation.

Before he retired, Smith told me that, although he loved his job, he had trouble sleeping at night on hot summer days. He worried about a wind-driven wildfire sweeping through the highly combustible needles still clinging to all those dead trees and the living stands of 80-year-old spruce and pine that were at risk of burning. It wasn’t just the aging forest and dead needles that worried him. It was the intense heat, extended droughts and lightning that were intensifying in a rapidly warming world.

Some positive news from the east end of Jasper

What has and has not been done

Parks Canada fire specialists like Smith have done a lot to prevent fire from coming into Jasper, Banff and other park towns across the country. Forests have been thinned, controlled burns have been ignited to reduce the threat of fire, and business and residential owners have been encouraged to make their properties fire smart.

But even that was not enough to save Jasper from the heartbreak its residents are going through. Jasper’s aggressive response came too late to take the necessary actions to make the national park more resilient to fire. Perhaps, most critically, a century of fire suppression has left behind too many aging trees and not enough space for more resilient stands to be regenerated.

Other recent fires

The scenes in Jasper are devastating but also depressingly predictable given the trajectory we’ve been heading towards since 2003 when Parks Canada was overwhelmed by fires. These fires burned in Kootenay, Jasper and Banff and other parts of the country. And then more than 45,000 people were evacuated from the Okanagan.

Waterton Lakes Park in Alberta dodged a bullet for nearly a century before the exceptionally intense Kenow fire ripped through it in 2017. Jasper got a scare in 2022 when the Chetamon Fire lit up the night sky. Is Banff next?

As Rob Walker, a former Parks Canada fire and vegetation specialist, noted in a Facebook post on July 25:

Wildfire seasons will continue to worsen, and our political leadership must find a way to stop the madness of our addiction to oil and gas.

It was Walker who told me the 2003 wildfire season was a harbinger of what we could expect in a rapidly warming world.

Factors contributing to the Jasper fire outcome

Alberta no longer has a wildfire rappel team that can get to fires that are inaccessible to ground crews. Its fire science co-ordinator has long departed, and its wildfire budget is heavily weighted in favor of suppression over wildfire science. That has been left to the University of Alberta to do, even though its budget has been cut by more than 20%.

In 2024, the government of Canada invested close to $800 million in initiatives to improve wildfire management, including helping provinces and territories purchase additional firefighting equipment and training 1,000 firefighters across the country.

Its investment in wildfire science pales in comparison.

There was a glimmer of hope in June when the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers met in Cranbrook, B.C. They ended their meeting with a promise to follow through on a national wildfire prevention and mitigation strategy. This time may be different, but we have heard this kind of promise many times before.

Future of wildfire in Canada

More dark days may be coming unless we develop a culture, and political policies, that respect fire, drawing upon the wealth of valuable insights in Indigenous fire stewardship practices.

Fire has no ideology or preferences; it will always be quite simply a chemical reaction, a propulsive oxidation of hydrocarbons shaped by terrain, weather, climate and the combustible material around it. We must learn to live with fire, and find ways of containing it. For fire will never learn to live with us.The Conversation

Edward Struzik, a Fellow of the Queen’s Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen’s University in Ontario

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Bottom line: The Jasper fire devastated the Alberta town and ripped through part of the national park. It prompted calls for a strong national wildfire strategy.

Read more: This Is Wildfire: Tips on preparing yourself and your home

The post Canada’s Jasper fire: A beautiful place burns, a call for fire strategy first appeared on EarthSky.



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Circinus the Drawing Compass, Alpha Centauri’s neighbor

Starry background with lines and dots drawing tweezer shape of Circinus.
Circinus the Drawing Compass is shaped like a pair of tweezers. Chart via EarthSky.

Circinus the Drawing Compass is a dim constellation of the Southern Hemisphere. Its biggest claim to fame might be that it’s located next to Alpha Centauri, the third brightest star in our sky and closest star system to Earth. Both Circinus and Alpha Centauri lie near the south celestial pole. And so, from the Southern Hemisphere, Circinus never sets. It’s visible throughout the night, and throughout the year, in the southern sky.

Circinus is one of the 14 constellations that Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille named in the 18th century. He named it after a drafting tool, the drawing compass.

How to find Circinus

Circinus may be dim, with only one star above magnitude 4, but the presence of Alpha Centauri across the border makes it easy to find. Obviously Alpha Centauri, at magnitude -0.27, is easy to find as the third brightest star in the sky. It’s so far south that to even get a glimpse of it from the Northern Hemisphere, you have to be south of 29 degrees north latitude. Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere, you just have to look up.

On the opposite side of Circinus from Alpha Centauri is Triangulum Australe, the Southern Triangle. Indeed, Triangulum Australe does resemble a triangle, with its brightest corner star farthest from Circinus.

Stars and star clusters in the Drawing Compass

Circinus’s brightest star, Alpha Circini, is magnitude 3.19 and lies 53 light-years away. And its second brightest star, Beta Circini, lies 7 1/2 degrees from Alpha and shines at magnitude 4.07. It’s 97 light-years from Earth.

Circinus’s best open cluster is NGC 5823. This cluster is magnitude 7.9. Also, about 3 1/2 degrees away is another cluster for telescope observers, NGC 5715, at magnitude 10.

Circinus lies along the Milky Way, which makes it a rich hunting ground for simply scanning with a telescope and seeing what pops up.

White star chart with black dots for stars and constellations outlined including Circinus.
Circinus the Drawing Compass is a constellation best seen from southern skies. The dim constellation lies near the bright star Alpha Centauri. Image via IAU/ Sky and Telescope/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Bottom line: Circinus the Drawing Compass is a dim constellation located next to the third brightest star in the sky, Alpha Centauri.

Read more: Golden veil cloaks a newborn star

The post Circinus the Drawing Compass, Alpha Centauri’s neighbor first appeared on EarthSky.



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Starry background with lines and dots drawing tweezer shape of Circinus.
Circinus the Drawing Compass is shaped like a pair of tweezers. Chart via EarthSky.

Circinus the Drawing Compass is a dim constellation of the Southern Hemisphere. Its biggest claim to fame might be that it’s located next to Alpha Centauri, the third brightest star in our sky and closest star system to Earth. Both Circinus and Alpha Centauri lie near the south celestial pole. And so, from the Southern Hemisphere, Circinus never sets. It’s visible throughout the night, and throughout the year, in the southern sky.

Circinus is one of the 14 constellations that Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille named in the 18th century. He named it after a drafting tool, the drawing compass.

How to find Circinus

Circinus may be dim, with only one star above magnitude 4, but the presence of Alpha Centauri across the border makes it easy to find. Obviously Alpha Centauri, at magnitude -0.27, is easy to find as the third brightest star in the sky. It’s so far south that to even get a glimpse of it from the Northern Hemisphere, you have to be south of 29 degrees north latitude. Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere, you just have to look up.

On the opposite side of Circinus from Alpha Centauri is Triangulum Australe, the Southern Triangle. Indeed, Triangulum Australe does resemble a triangle, with its brightest corner star farthest from Circinus.

Stars and star clusters in the Drawing Compass

Circinus’s brightest star, Alpha Circini, is magnitude 3.19 and lies 53 light-years away. And its second brightest star, Beta Circini, lies 7 1/2 degrees from Alpha and shines at magnitude 4.07. It’s 97 light-years from Earth.

Circinus’s best open cluster is NGC 5823. This cluster is magnitude 7.9. Also, about 3 1/2 degrees away is another cluster for telescope observers, NGC 5715, at magnitude 10.

Circinus lies along the Milky Way, which makes it a rich hunting ground for simply scanning with a telescope and seeing what pops up.

White star chart with black dots for stars and constellations outlined including Circinus.
Circinus the Drawing Compass is a constellation best seen from southern skies. The dim constellation lies near the bright star Alpha Centauri. Image via IAU/ Sky and Telescope/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Bottom line: Circinus the Drawing Compass is a dim constellation located next to the third brightest star in the sky, Alpha Centauri.

Read more: Golden veil cloaks a newborn star

The post Circinus the Drawing Compass, Alpha Centauri’s neighbor first appeared on EarthSky.



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Venus after sunset 2024: Back in the evening sky soon

Dots for Mercury and Venus in July.
Venus will hang low in the west about 30 minutes after sunset on the last few evenings of July. Tiny Mercury will lie near Venus as well. Look for them in the bright evening twilight. Venus sets about 50 minutes after the sun. Chart via EarthSky.

When to watch: In 2024, Venus will emerge after sunset at the end of July. It will remain visible in the evening sky throughout the rest of the year. Greatest elongation – when Venus will be farthest from the sunset – happens on January 9-10, 2025. Afterwards, Venus will quickly sink toward the sunset as it races toward its sweep between the Earth and sun around mid-March 2025.
Where to look: Look in the sunset direction while the sky is darkening. You can’t miss Venus as the dazzling evening “star.”
Greatest elongation is at 4 UTC on January 10, 2024. That’s 10 p.m. CST on January 9. Venus will appear in our evening sky, in the west after sunset. At this elongation, the distance of Venus from the sun on the sky’s dome is 47.2 degrees.
Magnitude at greatest elongation: Venus shines at magnitude -4.4.
Through a telescope: Venus appears 51% illuminated, near a first quarter phase, 24.5 arcseconds across.
Note: As the sun’s 2nd planet, Venus is bound by an invisible tether to the sun in our sky. It’s always east before sunrise, or west after sunset (never overhead at midnight). Venus is the brightest planet visible from Earth and shines brilliantly throughout every morning or evening apparition. Greatest elongation happens when Venus is farthest from the sun on the sky’s dome.

For precise sun and Venus rising times at your location:

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

timeanddate.com (worldwide)

Stellarium (free online planetarium program)

Venus after sunset in 2024 Northern Hemisphere

Venus after sunset: Diagram: Path of Venus over horizon, a pointy arc, with planet's phases with their dates shown along it.
Look for Venus after sunset starting in late July. Venus’s greatest evening elongation in 2024 from the Northern Hemisphere as viewed through a powerful telescope. The planet images are at the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. Dots show the actual positions of Venus every day. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.
Diagram: Path of Venus over horizon, a pointy arc, with planet's phases with their dates shown along it.
Venus’s greatest evening elongation in 2024 from the Southern Hemisphere as viewed through a powerful telescope. The planet images are at the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. Dots show the actual positions of Venus every day. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

A comparison of elongations

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

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

Diagram: 2 asymmetrical humps, 1 gray and 1 blue, with arced lines in them and dates and
A comparison chart of Venus elongations in 2024. Gray areas represent evening apparitions (eastward elongation). Blue areas represent morning apparitions (westward elongation). The top figures are the maximum elongations, reached at the top dates shown beneath. Curves show the altitude of the planet above the horizon at sunrise or sunset, for latitude 40 degrees north (thick line) and 35 degrees south (thin). Maxima are reached at the parenthesized dates below (40 degrees north bold). Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

Venus events from late 2024 and 2025

Note: Times listed are in UTC.

June 4, 2024: Superior conjunction (passed behind sun from Earth)
January 10, 2025: Greatest elongation (evening)
March 23, 2025: Inferior conjunction (races between Earth and sun)
May 31, 2025: Greatest elongation (morning)

Bottom line: At greatest eastern elongation on January 9-10, 2024, Venus is as far from the sunset as it will be for this evening apparition.

The post Venus after sunset 2024: Back in the evening sky soon first appeared on EarthSky.



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Dots for Mercury and Venus in July.
Venus will hang low in the west about 30 minutes after sunset on the last few evenings of July. Tiny Mercury will lie near Venus as well. Look for them in the bright evening twilight. Venus sets about 50 minutes after the sun. Chart via EarthSky.

When to watch: In 2024, Venus will emerge after sunset at the end of July. It will remain visible in the evening sky throughout the rest of the year. Greatest elongation – when Venus will be farthest from the sunset – happens on January 9-10, 2025. Afterwards, Venus will quickly sink toward the sunset as it races toward its sweep between the Earth and sun around mid-March 2025.
Where to look: Look in the sunset direction while the sky is darkening. You can’t miss Venus as the dazzling evening “star.”
Greatest elongation is at 4 UTC on January 10, 2024. That’s 10 p.m. CST on January 9. Venus will appear in our evening sky, in the west after sunset. At this elongation, the distance of Venus from the sun on the sky’s dome is 47.2 degrees.
Magnitude at greatest elongation: Venus shines at magnitude -4.4.
Through a telescope: Venus appears 51% illuminated, near a first quarter phase, 24.5 arcseconds across.
Note: As the sun’s 2nd planet, Venus is bound by an invisible tether to the sun in our sky. It’s always east before sunrise, or west after sunset (never overhead at midnight). Venus is the brightest planet visible from Earth and shines brilliantly throughout every morning or evening apparition. Greatest elongation happens when Venus is farthest from the sun on the sky’s dome.

For precise sun and Venus rising times at your location:

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

timeanddate.com (worldwide)

Stellarium (free online planetarium program)

Venus after sunset in 2024 Northern Hemisphere

Venus after sunset: Diagram: Path of Venus over horizon, a pointy arc, with planet's phases with their dates shown along it.
Look for Venus after sunset starting in late July. Venus’s greatest evening elongation in 2024 from the Northern Hemisphere as viewed through a powerful telescope. The planet images are at the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. Dots show the actual positions of Venus every day. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.
Diagram: Path of Venus over horizon, a pointy arc, with planet's phases with their dates shown along it.
Venus’s greatest evening elongation in 2024 from the Southern Hemisphere as viewed through a powerful telescope. The planet images are at the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. Dots show the actual positions of Venus every day. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

A comparison of elongations

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

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

Diagram: 2 asymmetrical humps, 1 gray and 1 blue, with arced lines in them and dates and
A comparison chart of Venus elongations in 2024. Gray areas represent evening apparitions (eastward elongation). Blue areas represent morning apparitions (westward elongation). The top figures are the maximum elongations, reached at the top dates shown beneath. Curves show the altitude of the planet above the horizon at sunrise or sunset, for latitude 40 degrees north (thick line) and 35 degrees south (thin). Maxima are reached at the parenthesized dates below (40 degrees north bold). Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

Venus events from late 2024 and 2025

Note: Times listed are in UTC.

June 4, 2024: Superior conjunction (passed behind sun from Earth)
January 10, 2025: Greatest elongation (evening)
March 23, 2025: Inferior conjunction (races between Earth and sun)
May 31, 2025: Greatest elongation (morning)

Bottom line: At greatest eastern elongation on January 9-10, 2024, Venus is as far from the sunset as it will be for this evening apparition.

The post Venus after sunset 2024: Back in the evening sky soon first appeared on EarthSky.



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SpaceX Starlink launches for July resume after mishap

Update: After an in-flight failure on July 11, 2024, the FAA grounded SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Falcon 9 is the rocket used to boost Starlink satellites into space. After two weeks, the Falcon 9 returned to flight on July 27 as it delivered 23 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida.

Upcoming SpaceX Starlink launches in July 2024

Starlink Group 10-4: July 28, 2024, 12:13 a.m. EDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | TIME/DATE MAY CHANGE

Starlink Group 9-4: July 28, 2024, 12:24 a.m. PDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Vandenberg Space Force Station, California | TIME/DATE MAY CHANGE

Past SpaceX Starlink launches in July 2024

Starlink Group 10-9: July 27, 2024, 1:45 a.m. EDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | SUCCESS

Starlink Group 9-3: July 11, 2024, 7:35 p.m. PDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Vandenberg Space Force Station, California | FAILURE

Starlink Group 8-9: July 3, 2024, 4:55 a.m. EDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | SUCCESS

You can watch a livestream of the Starlink launches on SpaceX’s X account.

Watch this space for updates!

SpaceX Starlink: rocket launches upward with glowing stream of hot gas extending from the bottom and a massive cloud of smoke billowing into the air.
On June 27, 2024, Falcon 9 launched 23 Starlink satellites into orbit from Florida. Image via SpaceX.

After launch, look for a train of lights

Following every Starlink launch, the internet buzzes with people asking:

What’s that long line of lights in the sky that looks like a train?

What you’re seeing is the Starlink satellites moving into a higher orbit. You can check to see if they will pass over your area using the Find Starlink website.

Growing numbers amid controversy

According to Wikipedia, as of early March 2024, Starlink consists of over 6,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit that communicate with designated ground transceivers. They provide internet access to more than 2 million subscribers.

Love ’em or hate ’em, these Starlink satellites are part of SpaceX’s vision for a global internet communication satellite constellation. They deliver high-speed internet service worldwide, mainly to locations where ground-based internet is unreliable, unavailable or expensive. The private company is well-known for launching batches back-to-back, several times a month, regularly lofting up to 60 satellites at a time. And SpaceX plans to build up to perhaps as many as 30,000 eventually.

Most thought it was exciting to see the first few Starlink satellites traveling together in the night sky. But then more were launched, and then more. And astronomers began to worry.

Because Starlinks are bright, astronomers say they’re photobombing astronomical images. Therefore, they have the potential to interfere with the professional astronomical observations that have brought us our modern-day view of the cosmos. And although SpaceX has tried to address the issue, they remain far from what astronomers say is acceptable.

Bottom line: SpaceX Starlink launches were temporarily grounded after an in-flight failure with the second stage of a Falcon 9 rocket. On July 27, Falcon 9 returned to flight with a successful launch of Starlink from Florida.

Read more from EarthSky: Starlink satellites can look like a plume or train of light

Via Next Spaceflight

The post SpaceX Starlink launches for July resume after mishap first appeared on EarthSky.



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Update: After an in-flight failure on July 11, 2024, the FAA grounded SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Falcon 9 is the rocket used to boost Starlink satellites into space. After two weeks, the Falcon 9 returned to flight on July 27 as it delivered 23 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida.

Upcoming SpaceX Starlink launches in July 2024

Starlink Group 10-4: July 28, 2024, 12:13 a.m. EDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | TIME/DATE MAY CHANGE

Starlink Group 9-4: July 28, 2024, 12:24 a.m. PDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Vandenberg Space Force Station, California | TIME/DATE MAY CHANGE

Past SpaceX Starlink launches in July 2024

Starlink Group 10-9: July 27, 2024, 1:45 a.m. EDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | SUCCESS

Starlink Group 9-3: July 11, 2024, 7:35 p.m. PDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Vandenberg Space Force Station, California | FAILURE

Starlink Group 8-9: July 3, 2024, 4:55 a.m. EDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida | SUCCESS

You can watch a livestream of the Starlink launches on SpaceX’s X account.

Watch this space for updates!

SpaceX Starlink: rocket launches upward with glowing stream of hot gas extending from the bottom and a massive cloud of smoke billowing into the air.
On June 27, 2024, Falcon 9 launched 23 Starlink satellites into orbit from Florida. Image via SpaceX.

After launch, look for a train of lights

Following every Starlink launch, the internet buzzes with people asking:

What’s that long line of lights in the sky that looks like a train?

What you’re seeing is the Starlink satellites moving into a higher orbit. You can check to see if they will pass over your area using the Find Starlink website.

Growing numbers amid controversy

According to Wikipedia, as of early March 2024, Starlink consists of over 6,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit that communicate with designated ground transceivers. They provide internet access to more than 2 million subscribers.

Love ’em or hate ’em, these Starlink satellites are part of SpaceX’s vision for a global internet communication satellite constellation. They deliver high-speed internet service worldwide, mainly to locations where ground-based internet is unreliable, unavailable or expensive. The private company is well-known for launching batches back-to-back, several times a month, regularly lofting up to 60 satellites at a time. And SpaceX plans to build up to perhaps as many as 30,000 eventually.

Most thought it was exciting to see the first few Starlink satellites traveling together in the night sky. But then more were launched, and then more. And astronomers began to worry.

Because Starlinks are bright, astronomers say they’re photobombing astronomical images. Therefore, they have the potential to interfere with the professional astronomical observations that have brought us our modern-day view of the cosmos. And although SpaceX has tried to address the issue, they remain far from what astronomers say is acceptable.

Bottom line: SpaceX Starlink launches were temporarily grounded after an in-flight failure with the second stage of a Falcon 9 rocket. On July 27, Falcon 9 returned to flight with a successful launch of Starlink from Florida.

Read more from EarthSky: Starlink satellites can look like a plume or train of light

Via Next Spaceflight

The post SpaceX Starlink launches for July resume after mishap first appeared on EarthSky.



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Learn how to shoot photos of meteors

Shoot photos of meteors: Geminid meteor in 2012 by Henry Shaw.
Do you want to learn how to shoot photos of meteors? Here is a Geminid meteor via Henry Shaw.

By Henry Shaw (1956-2022) of of SummersMagic Photography in Baltimore, Maryland.

[Editor’s Note: Summer meteor showers are going on now and will last through mid-August! For more information, here’s EarthSky’s meteor shower guide for 2024.

Do you want to shoot photos of meteors?

Have you ever been outside on a clear night and had the unexpected pleasure of seeing a shooting star go whizzing by?

Ever wanted to try and capture a shooting star – also called a meteor – with your camera?

In this post, we’ll go over the equipment you need, and the steps you should follow, to capture your very own meteor. So, check out the steps below to learn more about how to shoot photos of meteors, or shooting stars.

First … make a plan

Basically, the first step in capturing that shooting star image is planning. However, you’ll increase your odds of success if you head out on a night that coincides with a meteor shower.

So to find that perfect meteor shower check the EarthSky meteor shower guide. Along with the dates of upcoming meteor showers for the year, you’ll find the peak date and expected meteor rates per hour near the predicted peak. Plus learn where to find the meteor shower radiant point in the sky, and maybe details of past performances.

After you’ve selected your meteor shower, there are three factors to be consider before you head out: the location you’ll shoot from, the weather and the phase of the moon. Because all of these will have a direct impact on your success.

Click here for a custom sunrise-sunset calendar. Check the boxes for moon phases and moonrise/set times.

Above all, you’ll want to shoot from a location far away from city and ambient light. State Parks make a great choice but check in advance to make sure they’re open after dark and if they have lights on at night. Also, scout out your campsite in advance to find one offering the most open view of the night sky.

The weather is critical. You need a very clear night.

If the moon is up and full, try to shoot before the moon rises or after it sets because the light from the moon will block out over half of the meteors you’d see otherwise.

Leonid meteors via Henry Shaw/SummersMagic Photography.
Leonid meteors via Henry Shaw.

Next … gather your equipment.

Finally, you’ve picked a location, you know the best date and time to observe, you’ve checked the weather and moon phase during the meteor shower. Now what?

Next grab your camera bag and select the hardware you’ll be using. Below is a basic check list of the minimum requirements to capture a shooting star.

  • DSLR body
  • All your camera batteries or extended grip if you have one
  • Fast wide-angle prime or zoom lens (f2.8 or faster) with UV or skylight filter attached
  • Heavy duty tripod
  • Cable release or intervalometer (see below)
  • A good flashlight with a red filter to protect your night vision
  • Lens-cleaning supplies
  • A comfortable outdoor reclining chair

Why do I suggest a wide-angle lens and not a telephoto lens? Probability. Because the more sky you cover, the greater the likelihood of capturing a shooting star. Also, you can cover twice as much sky with a 24 or 28mm lens than you can with a 50mm lens and the difference gets more dramatic the longer the lens gets. Although you may get lucky and pick just the right spot with a telephoto lens, your odds of getting a perfect shot increase tremendously when you cover a greater area of sky.

An intervalometer is like a cable release on steroids. Besides with a cable release, you’re only shooting one frame at a time. But with the intervalometer, you can program the length of the exposure, and the delay between shots. Plus it allows you to program the number of frames you want to shoot.

Geminid meteor 2012 via Henry Shaw/SummersMagic Photography.
Geminid meteor 2012 via Henry Shaw.

Finally … shoot photos of meteors!

And now let’s examine the capture process itself.

Below is a check list to follow in setting up your camera:

  • Setup and level the tripod.
  • Mount your camera and estimate where the best position and angle is for shooting.
  • An astronomy app on your smartphone can help find the location of constellations.
  • Set the shutter speed on “B” or Bulb.
  • Shoot RAW images for better processing ability, use JPEG is you have limited memory.
  • Put your lenses focus control switch on “MANUAL” this will keep it from searching for infinity in the dark.
  • Set the aperture to wide open.
  • Attach your cable release or Intervalometer.
  • Set the focus to infinity by manually aligning the infinity mark on the lens with the focal length point on the barrel you are using.
  • Set the ISO to either 800 or 1600 to start (experiment from there).
  • If your camera has mirror lock-up, use it (this will reduce vibration caused by the mirror).
  • Verify your exposure settings (suggested exposure of 30 seconds to avoid star movement).
  • Press the start or release button.
  • Check your first frame for focus by zooming in on the LCD display screen and adjust if necessary.

Check your first shots for necessary adjustments

After shooting the first frame, check the focus. Infinity may not be perfectly on the mark for you, with your lens at wide-open. Adjust focus accordingly.

Then check the exposure. If there’s ambient light in the frame, you may want to shorten your exposure time for better results. When there’s no ambient light to consider, a good base exposure is 30 seconds. At 30 to 45 seconds your star background will look like a night sky. Any longer and you begin to get motion in the stars. The longer the exposure, the more of Earth’s rotation you’re going to capture and start to show star trails. Don’t change the aperture as this will prevent all but the brightest shooting star from leaving an impression on the sensor.

Once you’ve started shooting, watch your camera’s power closely. Cold temperatures will quickly drain your battery, so stay ahead of it.

Dealing with cold weather

Cold temperatures will quickly kill your battery power. Foremost, plan on running through batteries quickly. Batteries don’t hold a charge well when it’s below freezing. A lithium-ion battery will only last about 1.5 hours of near continuous shooting. A set of six AA’s will last 45 minutes if you are lucky. Keep the batteries tucked close to your body, inside your coat, to keep them warm.

Cold temperatures can also provide a challenge with frost on your lens filter. You can see this clearly on your LCD display as a haze or glow building up around the brighter stars in the frame. Do not use any kind of moisture or cleaning solution; it just freezes and makes things worse. Same with trying to use your breath. I’ve had limited success using a dry Norwex glass cloth but the best solution is to have a portable propane heater or other source of heat in the general area of the camera to keep temps above freezing.

The cold doesn’t just affect the batteries and filter. After several nights of freezing my buns off, I have started wearing several layers of clothes that include a down parka and thermal gloves. I’ve combined this with an insulated sleeping bag and a heating blanket tucked inside. I am lucky to have access to power where I shoot. Plan accordingly to stay warm. You could stay in your car if you are using an intervolameter, but I like being close to my hardware so I can check my power and lens often.

Shooting meteor showers during the summer months is a lot less complicated. Aside from the equipment all you’ll need is bug repellent … lots of bug repellent. However, still bring plenty of warm clothing, even the nights in summer can get chilly.

Protect your tripod and other tips to shoot photos of meteors

Be aware of where your tripod and camera are, and of where you are in relationship to other people, if they are present. I’ve seen more than one camera end up on the ground after someone tripped over a black tripod and black camera in the dark. If that happens, you’ll be thankful you have a filter protecting your lens.

By the way, today’s cell phones are also capable of capturing images of the night sky and meteors. They can do timed exposures and often have night time settings. With the digital world, you can see instantly if you have a “keeper” or what adjustments you need for the perfect shot.

One final recommendation: have fun! And if you get a good photo, consider sharing it with EarthSky on Facebook or EarthSky Community Photos.

Henry Shaw of SummersMagic Photography
Henry Shaw of SummersMagic Photography

Based in Baltimore, Maryland, and operating under the name SummersMagic Photography, Henry Shaw (1956-2022) had years of experience as a photojournalist and commercial photographer. He was originally fascinated with lightning, after receiving a challenge to capture a bolt with the Atlanta skyline some 40 years ago. It wasn’t until he and his wife became RVer’s, that he became obsessed with shooting stars. Fortunately shooting lightning translates well technically for catching shooting stars.

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

Bottom line: Follow these tips to learn how to shoot photos of meteors on your camera.

The post Learn how to shoot photos of meteors first appeared on EarthSky.



from EarthSky https://ift.tt/LYszMeg
Shoot photos of meteors: Geminid meteor in 2012 by Henry Shaw.
Do you want to learn how to shoot photos of meteors? Here is a Geminid meteor via Henry Shaw.

By Henry Shaw (1956-2022) of of SummersMagic Photography in Baltimore, Maryland.

[Editor’s Note: Summer meteor showers are going on now and will last through mid-August! For more information, here’s EarthSky’s meteor shower guide for 2024.

Do you want to shoot photos of meteors?

Have you ever been outside on a clear night and had the unexpected pleasure of seeing a shooting star go whizzing by?

Ever wanted to try and capture a shooting star – also called a meteor – with your camera?

In this post, we’ll go over the equipment you need, and the steps you should follow, to capture your very own meteor. So, check out the steps below to learn more about how to shoot photos of meteors, or shooting stars.

First … make a plan

Basically, the first step in capturing that shooting star image is planning. However, you’ll increase your odds of success if you head out on a night that coincides with a meteor shower.

So to find that perfect meteor shower check the EarthSky meteor shower guide. Along with the dates of upcoming meteor showers for the year, you’ll find the peak date and expected meteor rates per hour near the predicted peak. Plus learn where to find the meteor shower radiant point in the sky, and maybe details of past performances.

After you’ve selected your meteor shower, there are three factors to be consider before you head out: the location you’ll shoot from, the weather and the phase of the moon. Because all of these will have a direct impact on your success.

Click here for a custom sunrise-sunset calendar. Check the boxes for moon phases and moonrise/set times.

Above all, you’ll want to shoot from a location far away from city and ambient light. State Parks make a great choice but check in advance to make sure they’re open after dark and if they have lights on at night. Also, scout out your campsite in advance to find one offering the most open view of the night sky.

The weather is critical. You need a very clear night.

If the moon is up and full, try to shoot before the moon rises or after it sets because the light from the moon will block out over half of the meteors you’d see otherwise.

Leonid meteors via Henry Shaw/SummersMagic Photography.
Leonid meteors via Henry Shaw.

Next … gather your equipment.

Finally, you’ve picked a location, you know the best date and time to observe, you’ve checked the weather and moon phase during the meteor shower. Now what?

Next grab your camera bag and select the hardware you’ll be using. Below is a basic check list of the minimum requirements to capture a shooting star.

  • DSLR body
  • All your camera batteries or extended grip if you have one
  • Fast wide-angle prime or zoom lens (f2.8 or faster) with UV or skylight filter attached
  • Heavy duty tripod
  • Cable release or intervalometer (see below)
  • A good flashlight with a red filter to protect your night vision
  • Lens-cleaning supplies
  • A comfortable outdoor reclining chair

Why do I suggest a wide-angle lens and not a telephoto lens? Probability. Because the more sky you cover, the greater the likelihood of capturing a shooting star. Also, you can cover twice as much sky with a 24 or 28mm lens than you can with a 50mm lens and the difference gets more dramatic the longer the lens gets. Although you may get lucky and pick just the right spot with a telephoto lens, your odds of getting a perfect shot increase tremendously when you cover a greater area of sky.

An intervalometer is like a cable release on steroids. Besides with a cable release, you’re only shooting one frame at a time. But with the intervalometer, you can program the length of the exposure, and the delay between shots. Plus it allows you to program the number of frames you want to shoot.

Geminid meteor 2012 via Henry Shaw/SummersMagic Photography.
Geminid meteor 2012 via Henry Shaw.

Finally … shoot photos of meteors!

And now let’s examine the capture process itself.

Below is a check list to follow in setting up your camera:

  • Setup and level the tripod.
  • Mount your camera and estimate where the best position and angle is for shooting.
  • An astronomy app on your smartphone can help find the location of constellations.
  • Set the shutter speed on “B” or Bulb.
  • Shoot RAW images for better processing ability, use JPEG is you have limited memory.
  • Put your lenses focus control switch on “MANUAL” this will keep it from searching for infinity in the dark.
  • Set the aperture to wide open.
  • Attach your cable release or Intervalometer.
  • Set the focus to infinity by manually aligning the infinity mark on the lens with the focal length point on the barrel you are using.
  • Set the ISO to either 800 or 1600 to start (experiment from there).
  • If your camera has mirror lock-up, use it (this will reduce vibration caused by the mirror).
  • Verify your exposure settings (suggested exposure of 30 seconds to avoid star movement).
  • Press the start or release button.
  • Check your first frame for focus by zooming in on the LCD display screen and adjust if necessary.

Check your first shots for necessary adjustments

After shooting the first frame, check the focus. Infinity may not be perfectly on the mark for you, with your lens at wide-open. Adjust focus accordingly.

Then check the exposure. If there’s ambient light in the frame, you may want to shorten your exposure time for better results. When there’s no ambient light to consider, a good base exposure is 30 seconds. At 30 to 45 seconds your star background will look like a night sky. Any longer and you begin to get motion in the stars. The longer the exposure, the more of Earth’s rotation you’re going to capture and start to show star trails. Don’t change the aperture as this will prevent all but the brightest shooting star from leaving an impression on the sensor.

Once you’ve started shooting, watch your camera’s power closely. Cold temperatures will quickly drain your battery, so stay ahead of it.

Dealing with cold weather

Cold temperatures will quickly kill your battery power. Foremost, plan on running through batteries quickly. Batteries don’t hold a charge well when it’s below freezing. A lithium-ion battery will only last about 1.5 hours of near continuous shooting. A set of six AA’s will last 45 minutes if you are lucky. Keep the batteries tucked close to your body, inside your coat, to keep them warm.

Cold temperatures can also provide a challenge with frost on your lens filter. You can see this clearly on your LCD display as a haze or glow building up around the brighter stars in the frame. Do not use any kind of moisture or cleaning solution; it just freezes and makes things worse. Same with trying to use your breath. I’ve had limited success using a dry Norwex glass cloth but the best solution is to have a portable propane heater or other source of heat in the general area of the camera to keep temps above freezing.

The cold doesn’t just affect the batteries and filter. After several nights of freezing my buns off, I have started wearing several layers of clothes that include a down parka and thermal gloves. I’ve combined this with an insulated sleeping bag and a heating blanket tucked inside. I am lucky to have access to power where I shoot. Plan accordingly to stay warm. You could stay in your car if you are using an intervolameter, but I like being close to my hardware so I can check my power and lens often.

Shooting meteor showers during the summer months is a lot less complicated. Aside from the equipment all you’ll need is bug repellent … lots of bug repellent. However, still bring plenty of warm clothing, even the nights in summer can get chilly.

Protect your tripod and other tips to shoot photos of meteors

Be aware of where your tripod and camera are, and of where you are in relationship to other people, if they are present. I’ve seen more than one camera end up on the ground after someone tripped over a black tripod and black camera in the dark. If that happens, you’ll be thankful you have a filter protecting your lens.

By the way, today’s cell phones are also capable of capturing images of the night sky and meteors. They can do timed exposures and often have night time settings. With the digital world, you can see instantly if you have a “keeper” or what adjustments you need for the perfect shot.

One final recommendation: have fun! And if you get a good photo, consider sharing it with EarthSky on Facebook or EarthSky Community Photos.

Henry Shaw of SummersMagic Photography
Henry Shaw of SummersMagic Photography

Based in Baltimore, Maryland, and operating under the name SummersMagic Photography, Henry Shaw (1956-2022) had years of experience as a photojournalist and commercial photographer. He was originally fascinated with lightning, after receiving a challenge to capture a bolt with the Atlanta skyline some 40 years ago. It wasn’t until he and his wife became RVer’s, that he became obsessed with shooting stars. Fortunately shooting lightning translates well technically for catching shooting stars.

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

Bottom line: Follow these tips to learn how to shoot photos of meteors on your camera.

The post Learn how to shoot photos of meteors first appeared on EarthSky.



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Summer meteor showers are here: Top 10 tips for watching

It’s summer meteor time! The Delta Aquariid meteors ramble across the sky for weeks from late July through early August. They blend in with the famous Perseid meteor show that will peak around the morning of August 12, 2024.

When is the next meteor shower? Click here for EarthSky’s meteor shower guide

So, how can you optimize your chances of seeing a great meteor display? Follow the tips below.

Starry sky with a white, long streak crossing it. It is reflected in the water in a green color.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jason Dain in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, captured this Geminid meteor and its reflection in the water. He wrote: “I was out watching for the aurora. I had a 2nd camera running some star trails, and managed to capture this fireball streaking across the sky.” We are so grateful for those 2 cameras! Thank you, Jason. Read our tips for watching meteor showers below.

1. Know the peak time

Meteor showers generally happen over many days as Earth encounters a wide stream of icy particles in space. These particles are debris left behind by a comet. The peak is a point in time when Earth is expected to encounter the greatest number of comet particles. To find the peak dates of meteor showers, try EarthSky’s meteor guide.

And here’s the catch … the peak of the shower comes at the same time for all of us on Earth. Meanwhile, our clocks are saying different times. You’ll often need to adjust from UTC to your local time.

The predictions are not always right on the money, however. And remember … it’s possible to see nice meteor displays in the hours – even days – before or after the predicted peak.

Just remember, meteor showers are part of nature. They often defy prediction.

2. Location, location, location

We can’t say this strongly enough. You need a dark place to observe in the country. Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze.

And … you need a wide-open view of the sky. A farmer’s field? A stretch of country road? A campsite with a clear view in one or more directions? Indeed, an open sky will increase your chances of seeing some meteors.

3. Oh no! The moon is out

In meteor showers, a bright moon is not your friend. To be sure, nothing dampens the display of a meteor shower more effectively than a bright moon.

If the moon is out, look at areas of the sky away from the moon. Anything in the moon’s vicinity – including meteors – will likely be washed out by its bright light. And, another tip for watching in moonlight: place some object between yourself and the moon. Observing from the shadow of a barn, or vehicle, even a tree, can help you see more meteors.

4. Know the expected rate

Here we touch on a topic that sometimes leads to some disappointment, especially among novice meteor-watchers: the rate.

Tables of meteor showers almost always list what is known as the zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) for each shower.

The ZHR is the number of meteors you’ll see if you’re watching in a very dark sky, with the radiant overhead, when the shower is at its peak. In other words, the ZHR represents the number of meteors you might see per hour given the very best observing conditions during the shower’s maximum.

If the peak occurs when it’s still daylight at your location, if most of the meteors are predominantly faint, if a bright moon is out or if you’re located in a light-polluted area, the total number of meteors you see will be considerably reduced.

5. Don’t worry too much about radiant points

You don’t need to stare all night in a single direction – or even locate the radiant point – to have fun watching the shower. The meteors will appear all over the sky.

But … although you can see meteors shoot up from the horizon before a shower’s radiant rises, you’ll see more meteors after it rises. And you’ll see the most when the radiant is highest in the sky. So, find out the radiant point’s rising time. It can help you pinpoint the best time of night to watch the shower.

And … the radiant point is interesting. If you track meteors backward on the sky’s dome, you’ll find them streaming from their radiant point, a single point within a given constellation. Hence the meteor shower’s name.

6. Watch for an hour or more

Meteor showers will be better if you let your eyes adapt to the dark. That can take as long as 20 minutes. Plus, the meteors tend to come in spurts, followed by lulls. Be patient! You’ll see some.

7. Notice the meteors’ speeds and colors

The Delta Aquariid meteors are medium speed, not slow or fast, while the Perseids are swift. The nice thing about a slow meteor shower – such as the Taurids – is if you see one and yell “meteor”, other people can catch it as well.

Plus, the Perseids can be colorful. Unlike another beloved shower, the December Geminids. The Geminids tend to be bright and white.

8. Watch for meteor trains

A meteor train is a persistent glow in the air left by some meteors after they have faded from view. Trains are from luminous ionized matter left in the wake of this incoming space debris. In fact, both the Delta Aquariid and Perseid meteors can leave a meteor train.

9. Bring a blanket, a buddy, a hot drink and a lawn chair

A reclining lawn chair helps you lie back in comfort for an hour or more of meteor-watching.

If several of you are watching, take different parts of the sky. If you see one, shout “Meteor!” Dress warmly; the nights can be cool or cold, even during the spring and summer months. You’ll probably appreciate that blanket and warm drink in the wee hours of the morning. Also, leave your laptops and tablets home; even using the nighttime dark mode will ruin your night vision. And this will be tough on some people: leave your cell phone in your pocket or the car. It can also ruin your night vision.

10. Enjoy nature

Relax and enjoy the night sky. Not every meteor shower is a winner. Sometimes, you may come away from a shower seeing only one meteor. But if that one meteor is bright, and takes a slow path across a starry night sky … it’ll be worth it.

To be successful at observing any meteor shower, you need to get into a kind of zen state, waiting and expecting the meteors to come to you, if you place yourself in a good position (country location, wide open sky) to see them.

Or forget the zen state, and let yourself be guided by this old meteor watcher’s motto:

You might see a lot or you might not see many, but if you stay in the house, you won’t see any.

Photos of meteors from EarthSky’s community

Very bright line with purple, green, blue and yellow colors in a starry sky. There is a cirgular galaxy under this trail of light.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | José Pedrero from Las Corbeteras de Pajaroncillo, Cuenca, Spain, took this photo on August 12, 2023, and wrote: “We arrived at the place and found a perfect position to capture the Perseids with the rocks in the foreground. At 2:24 am, while using my second camera to photograph the Andromeda galaxy, a bright and explosive Perseid passed right in front of the galaxy, taking our breath away. The intensity of the meteor as it entered the atmosphere was so intense that it illuminated the surrounding landscape, leaving a trail of light across the sky that lasted for several seconds.” Wow! Thank you, José!
Dark sky with many short, thin bright streaks flying mostly from a center point.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | It pays to be someplace dark! Sara Slate was in Terlingua, Texas, on August 13, 2023, when she captured these Perseid meteors over a 3-hour period. She said she created the composite from 120 single frames, processed in Adobe Lightroom, then stacked in Adobe Photoshop. She shot the photos on a full-spectrum modified Sony a7 with a 12mm lens. Thanks, Sara!

More meteor photos

Meteor showers: In greenish sky, fuzzy band of Milky Way, and a single thin bright streak.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Martha Dean in San Saba County, Texas, captured this Perseid meteor on the morning of August 13, 2023. She wrote: “Great memory-making night, watching Perseid meteors with family.” Nothing better! Thank you, Martha.
Black sky with a few scattered stars and bright streak crossing it.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Valerie Liard in Epernay, France, wrote: “Hi EarthSky, on the occasion of the night of the stars 2023 I was able to photograph this magnificent Perseid fireball above the city of Epernay … It’s my first … Celebrating! :-)” Thank you and congratulations, Valerie!

Post your own photos at EarthSky Community Photos

Bottom line: Meteor showers are unpredictable but always a fun and relaxing time. Maximize your viewing with these tips.

When is the next meteor shower? Click here for EarthSky’s meteor shower guide

The post Summer meteor showers are here: Top 10 tips for watching first appeared on EarthSky.



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It’s summer meteor time! The Delta Aquariid meteors ramble across the sky for weeks from late July through early August. They blend in with the famous Perseid meteor show that will peak around the morning of August 12, 2024.

When is the next meteor shower? Click here for EarthSky’s meteor shower guide

So, how can you optimize your chances of seeing a great meteor display? Follow the tips below.

Starry sky with a white, long streak crossing it. It is reflected in the water in a green color.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jason Dain in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, captured this Geminid meteor and its reflection in the water. He wrote: “I was out watching for the aurora. I had a 2nd camera running some star trails, and managed to capture this fireball streaking across the sky.” We are so grateful for those 2 cameras! Thank you, Jason. Read our tips for watching meteor showers below.

1. Know the peak time

Meteor showers generally happen over many days as Earth encounters a wide stream of icy particles in space. These particles are debris left behind by a comet. The peak is a point in time when Earth is expected to encounter the greatest number of comet particles. To find the peak dates of meteor showers, try EarthSky’s meteor guide.

And here’s the catch … the peak of the shower comes at the same time for all of us on Earth. Meanwhile, our clocks are saying different times. You’ll often need to adjust from UTC to your local time.

The predictions are not always right on the money, however. And remember … it’s possible to see nice meteor displays in the hours – even days – before or after the predicted peak.

Just remember, meteor showers are part of nature. They often defy prediction.

2. Location, location, location

We can’t say this strongly enough. You need a dark place to observe in the country. Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze.

And … you need a wide-open view of the sky. A farmer’s field? A stretch of country road? A campsite with a clear view in one or more directions? Indeed, an open sky will increase your chances of seeing some meteors.

3. Oh no! The moon is out

In meteor showers, a bright moon is not your friend. To be sure, nothing dampens the display of a meteor shower more effectively than a bright moon.

If the moon is out, look at areas of the sky away from the moon. Anything in the moon’s vicinity – including meteors – will likely be washed out by its bright light. And, another tip for watching in moonlight: place some object between yourself and the moon. Observing from the shadow of a barn, or vehicle, even a tree, can help you see more meteors.

4. Know the expected rate

Here we touch on a topic that sometimes leads to some disappointment, especially among novice meteor-watchers: the rate.

Tables of meteor showers almost always list what is known as the zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) for each shower.

The ZHR is the number of meteors you’ll see if you’re watching in a very dark sky, with the radiant overhead, when the shower is at its peak. In other words, the ZHR represents the number of meteors you might see per hour given the very best observing conditions during the shower’s maximum.

If the peak occurs when it’s still daylight at your location, if most of the meteors are predominantly faint, if a bright moon is out or if you’re located in a light-polluted area, the total number of meteors you see will be considerably reduced.

5. Don’t worry too much about radiant points

You don’t need to stare all night in a single direction – or even locate the radiant point – to have fun watching the shower. The meteors will appear all over the sky.

But … although you can see meteors shoot up from the horizon before a shower’s radiant rises, you’ll see more meteors after it rises. And you’ll see the most when the radiant is highest in the sky. So, find out the radiant point’s rising time. It can help you pinpoint the best time of night to watch the shower.

And … the radiant point is interesting. If you track meteors backward on the sky’s dome, you’ll find them streaming from their radiant point, a single point within a given constellation. Hence the meteor shower’s name.

6. Watch for an hour or more

Meteor showers will be better if you let your eyes adapt to the dark. That can take as long as 20 minutes. Plus, the meteors tend to come in spurts, followed by lulls. Be patient! You’ll see some.

7. Notice the meteors’ speeds and colors

The Delta Aquariid meteors are medium speed, not slow or fast, while the Perseids are swift. The nice thing about a slow meteor shower – such as the Taurids – is if you see one and yell “meteor”, other people can catch it as well.

Plus, the Perseids can be colorful. Unlike another beloved shower, the December Geminids. The Geminids tend to be bright and white.

8. Watch for meteor trains

A meteor train is a persistent glow in the air left by some meteors after they have faded from view. Trains are from luminous ionized matter left in the wake of this incoming space debris. In fact, both the Delta Aquariid and Perseid meteors can leave a meteor train.

9. Bring a blanket, a buddy, a hot drink and a lawn chair

A reclining lawn chair helps you lie back in comfort for an hour or more of meteor-watching.

If several of you are watching, take different parts of the sky. If you see one, shout “Meteor!” Dress warmly; the nights can be cool or cold, even during the spring and summer months. You’ll probably appreciate that blanket and warm drink in the wee hours of the morning. Also, leave your laptops and tablets home; even using the nighttime dark mode will ruin your night vision. And this will be tough on some people: leave your cell phone in your pocket or the car. It can also ruin your night vision.

10. Enjoy nature

Relax and enjoy the night sky. Not every meteor shower is a winner. Sometimes, you may come away from a shower seeing only one meteor. But if that one meteor is bright, and takes a slow path across a starry night sky … it’ll be worth it.

To be successful at observing any meteor shower, you need to get into a kind of zen state, waiting and expecting the meteors to come to you, if you place yourself in a good position (country location, wide open sky) to see them.

Or forget the zen state, and let yourself be guided by this old meteor watcher’s motto:

You might see a lot or you might not see many, but if you stay in the house, you won’t see any.

Photos of meteors from EarthSky’s community

Very bright line with purple, green, blue and yellow colors in a starry sky. There is a cirgular galaxy under this trail of light.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | José Pedrero from Las Corbeteras de Pajaroncillo, Cuenca, Spain, took this photo on August 12, 2023, and wrote: “We arrived at the place and found a perfect position to capture the Perseids with the rocks in the foreground. At 2:24 am, while using my second camera to photograph the Andromeda galaxy, a bright and explosive Perseid passed right in front of the galaxy, taking our breath away. The intensity of the meteor as it entered the atmosphere was so intense that it illuminated the surrounding landscape, leaving a trail of light across the sky that lasted for several seconds.” Wow! Thank you, José!
Dark sky with many short, thin bright streaks flying mostly from a center point.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | It pays to be someplace dark! Sara Slate was in Terlingua, Texas, on August 13, 2023, when she captured these Perseid meteors over a 3-hour period. She said she created the composite from 120 single frames, processed in Adobe Lightroom, then stacked in Adobe Photoshop. She shot the photos on a full-spectrum modified Sony a7 with a 12mm lens. Thanks, Sara!

More meteor photos

Meteor showers: In greenish sky, fuzzy band of Milky Way, and a single thin bright streak.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Martha Dean in San Saba County, Texas, captured this Perseid meteor on the morning of August 13, 2023. She wrote: “Great memory-making night, watching Perseid meteors with family.” Nothing better! Thank you, Martha.
Black sky with a few scattered stars and bright streak crossing it.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Valerie Liard in Epernay, France, wrote: “Hi EarthSky, on the occasion of the night of the stars 2023 I was able to photograph this magnificent Perseid fireball above the city of Epernay … It’s my first … Celebrating! :-)” Thank you and congratulations, Valerie!

Post your own photos at EarthSky Community Photos

Bottom line: Meteor showers are unpredictable but always a fun and relaxing time. Maximize your viewing with these tips.

When is the next meteor shower? Click here for EarthSky’s meteor shower guide

The post Summer meteor showers are here: Top 10 tips for watching first appeared on EarthSky.



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See 3 small constellations near the Summer Triangle

Star chart showing Summer Triangle, Delphinus, Vulpecula and Sagitta with labels.
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.

Grey sky with green lines creating the Summer Triangle, and orange lines creating 6 constellations.
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.

Star chart showing stars of Delphinus, with the shape of a dolphin in gray added on top of them.
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.

White star chart with black dots denoting the small arrow.
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.

White star chart with black dots denoting the shape of 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.



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Star chart showing Summer Triangle, Delphinus, Vulpecula and Sagitta with labels.
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.

Grey sky with green lines creating the Summer Triangle, and orange lines creating 6 constellations.
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.

Star chart showing stars of Delphinus, with the shape of a dolphin in gray added on top of them.
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.

White star chart with black dots denoting the small arrow.
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.

White star chart with black dots denoting the shape of 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.



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