Oldest known wild bird, Wisdom, is back with an egg!

Watch a video of Wisdom – the oldest known wild bird – as she returns to her winter nesting grounds in December 2024. And she has a couple surprises!

Oldest known wild bird, Wisdom, is back with an egg

An albatross named Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird at approximately 74 years old, has once again returned to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific. Last year it seemed clear that Wisdom had lost her long-time mate. But now, this golden bachelorette is back with a new mate … and she’s laid an egg! The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Pacific region reported the news on X on December 3, 2024, saying, “SHE DID IT AGAIN!”

SHE DID IT AGAIN!

Wisdom, the world’s oldest known wild bird, is back with a new partner and just laid yet another egg.

At an approximate age of 74, the queen of seabirds returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge last week and began interacting with a male. pic.twitter.com/6qomvs0rKL

— USFWS Pacific (@USFWSPacific) December 3, 2024

The USFWS Pacific posted:

Like other Laysan albatrosses, or moli in Hawaiian, Wisdom returns to the same nesting site each year to reunite with her mate and if able, lay one egg.

For decades she did this with the same partner, Akeakamai. That bird has not been seen for several years, however.

Jon Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll NWR, called Wisdom’s first egg in four years ‘a special joy’ and said she seems to still have the energy and instincts for raising another chick.

‘We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,’ he wrote.

Overall, it is estimated that Wisdom has produced 50-60 eggs and as many as 30 chicks that fledged in her lifetime.

Biologists first identified and banded Wisdom in 1956 after she laid an egg, and the large seabirds aren’t known to breed before age five.

The ageless Wisdom can be seen in these photos and videos with her well-known band number Z333. Her new mate was banded last Friday for future identification.

Looking for a Christmas gift for someone who loves astronomy? The 2025 EarthSky Lunar Calendar is now available! A unique and beautiful poster-sized calendar. Keep up with all phases of the moon every night of the year. Get yours today!

Images of Wisdom

Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird, is back! The USFWS made the announcement on December 3, 2024. Here she is (center, right, with dark back) with her mate and their egg, partly hidden in the grass. Image via Dan Rapp/ USFWS.

Here’s Wisdom at center with the leg band, guarding her egg. Image via Dan Rapp/ USFWS.

Wisdom (right, with leg band) and her mate (left) stand near Wisdom’s new egg at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Image via Dan Rapp/ USFWS.

Laysan albatrosses

Wisdom is a Laysan albatross, or moli. These birds return to tiny atolls in the Pacific every year starting in October. However, because of their long lifespans, they can be a challenge to study. In fact, a typical albatross lives for two to three times the length of a biologist’s career.

Plus, albatrosses are difficult to study because they spend up to 90% of their lives in the air, moving from their summer feeding ground in the northern Pacific, to the tiny atolls in the mid-Pacific that are their places to nest.

Here’s Wisdom with her former mate, Akeakamai (“Lover of Wisdom”). Like most pairs of moli, these two returned every year to the same nest site to lay 1 egg. Akeakamai was last seen at the refuge in 2021. Image via USFWS.

Albatrosses are ‘near-threatened’

The population of the Laysan albatross falls in the category of “near-threatened.” To be sure, they’re no longer hunted as they were in the early 1900s. But their numbers haven’t yet recovered.

Previously, in 2009, scientists estimated that around 10,000 albatrosses died annually due to poisoning at Midway. Chicks born in nests close to buildings left behind by the Navy ingested lead-based paint chips that led to their deaths.

By August 2018, the U.S. had remediated the lead problem and declared Midway Atoll lead-free.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said:

Wisdom’s continued contribution to the fragile albatross population is remarkable and important. Her health and dedication have led to the birth of other healthy offspring, which will help recover albatross populations on Laysan and other islands.

Here’s the world’s oldest known wild bird, an albatross named Wisdom, at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific in 2023. She’s identifiable by the tag labeled Z333 on her leg. In this image she’s near the center, with an open mouth, appearing to catch up with a friend after her long flight. Image via USWFS/ Jon Plissner.

Bottom line: A beloved albatross named Wisdom is the world’s oldest known wild bird. She’s back at her winter nesting ground again with a new mate … and she’s laid an egg!

Read more: New chick for oldest known wild bird Wisdom

The post Oldest known wild bird, Wisdom, is back with an egg! first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/J0GoUCN

Watch a video of Wisdom – the oldest known wild bird – as she returns to her winter nesting grounds in December 2024. And she has a couple surprises!

Oldest known wild bird, Wisdom, is back with an egg

An albatross named Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird at approximately 74 years old, has once again returned to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific. Last year it seemed clear that Wisdom had lost her long-time mate. But now, this golden bachelorette is back with a new mate … and she’s laid an egg! The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Pacific region reported the news on X on December 3, 2024, saying, “SHE DID IT AGAIN!”

SHE DID IT AGAIN!

Wisdom, the world’s oldest known wild bird, is back with a new partner and just laid yet another egg.

At an approximate age of 74, the queen of seabirds returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge last week and began interacting with a male. pic.twitter.com/6qomvs0rKL

— USFWS Pacific (@USFWSPacific) December 3, 2024

The USFWS Pacific posted:

Like other Laysan albatrosses, or moli in Hawaiian, Wisdom returns to the same nesting site each year to reunite with her mate and if able, lay one egg.

For decades she did this with the same partner, Akeakamai. That bird has not been seen for several years, however.

Jon Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll NWR, called Wisdom’s first egg in four years ‘a special joy’ and said she seems to still have the energy and instincts for raising another chick.

‘We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,’ he wrote.

Overall, it is estimated that Wisdom has produced 50-60 eggs and as many as 30 chicks that fledged in her lifetime.

Biologists first identified and banded Wisdom in 1956 after she laid an egg, and the large seabirds aren’t known to breed before age five.

The ageless Wisdom can be seen in these photos and videos with her well-known band number Z333. Her new mate was banded last Friday for future identification.

Looking for a Christmas gift for someone who loves astronomy? The 2025 EarthSky Lunar Calendar is now available! A unique and beautiful poster-sized calendar. Keep up with all phases of the moon every night of the year. Get yours today!

Images of Wisdom

Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird, is back! The USFWS made the announcement on December 3, 2024. Here she is (center, right, with dark back) with her mate and their egg, partly hidden in the grass. Image via Dan Rapp/ USFWS.

Here’s Wisdom at center with the leg band, guarding her egg. Image via Dan Rapp/ USFWS.

Wisdom (right, with leg band) and her mate (left) stand near Wisdom’s new egg at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Image via Dan Rapp/ USFWS.

Laysan albatrosses

Wisdom is a Laysan albatross, or moli. These birds return to tiny atolls in the Pacific every year starting in October. However, because of their long lifespans, they can be a challenge to study. In fact, a typical albatross lives for two to three times the length of a biologist’s career.

Plus, albatrosses are difficult to study because they spend up to 90% of their lives in the air, moving from their summer feeding ground in the northern Pacific, to the tiny atolls in the mid-Pacific that are their places to nest.

Here’s Wisdom with her former mate, Akeakamai (“Lover of Wisdom”). Like most pairs of moli, these two returned every year to the same nest site to lay 1 egg. Akeakamai was last seen at the refuge in 2021. Image via USFWS.

Albatrosses are ‘near-threatened’

The population of the Laysan albatross falls in the category of “near-threatened.” To be sure, they’re no longer hunted as they were in the early 1900s. But their numbers haven’t yet recovered.

Previously, in 2009, scientists estimated that around 10,000 albatrosses died annually due to poisoning at Midway. Chicks born in nests close to buildings left behind by the Navy ingested lead-based paint chips that led to their deaths.

By August 2018, the U.S. had remediated the lead problem and declared Midway Atoll lead-free.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said:

Wisdom’s continued contribution to the fragile albatross population is remarkable and important. Her health and dedication have led to the birth of other healthy offspring, which will help recover albatross populations on Laysan and other islands.

Here’s the world’s oldest known wild bird, an albatross named Wisdom, at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific in 2023. She’s identifiable by the tag labeled Z333 on her leg. In this image she’s near the center, with an open mouth, appearing to catch up with a friend after her long flight. Image via USWFS/ Jon Plissner.

Bottom line: A beloved albatross named Wisdom is the world’s oldest known wild bird. She’s back at her winter nesting ground again with a new mate … and she’s laid an egg!

Read more: New chick for oldest known wild bird Wisdom

The post Oldest known wild bird, Wisdom, is back with an egg! first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/J0GoUCN

Alberta Clipper, Panhandle Hooker, and snow, snow, snow

Average trajectory of an Alberta clipper. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Article written for EarthSky by meteorologist Rachel Duensing.

An Alberta Clipper is a fast-moving low pressure system that moves out of west-central Canada and, typically, skirts across North America’s Great Lakes. It brings cold weather and, if conditions are right, snow. A clipper developed in central Alberta this week and quickly moved southeast toward the Great Lakes. As it’s been moving over the Great Lakes – headed toward the U.S. Northeast today (December 4, 2024) – the chances for snow have been going up.

Plus, there might be another clipper to watch in the coming week. It’s called the Panhandle Hooker, and it’s just as complex – if not more so – than its Canadian neighbor, the Alberta Clipper. Sometimes called a Texas Hooker, the Panhandle Hooker is another fast-moving low pressure system that gets its name from the region where it develops: the Panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma.

A Panhandle Hooker hasn’t yet developed. But global forecasting models are suggesting one could develop early in the week of December 9. What happens after that, if it develops, is still to be determined … as the timing of cold air is vital for snow formation with the hookers.

National Weather Service forecast

As of 2:52 a.m. EST (6:52 UTC) on December 4, the National Weather Service Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland was saying:

A strengthening clipper storm will shift across southeastern Canada Wednesday and Thursday with an arctic cold front crossing the Great Lakes and Northeast which will produce intense bursts of snow and gusty winds. Localized short-duration blizzard conditions will be possible with several feet of additional lake effect snow in the Great Lakes. Dry and warm conditions are expected in the West.

And the NWS was calling for:

…Heavy snow for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the northern Lower Peninsula on Wednesday…

…Heavy lake-enhanced snow downwind from Lakes Erie and Ontario on Wednesday and Thursday; Heavy snow over parts of Northern New England; light to moderate snow over parts of the Central Appalachians on Wednesday…

Image via National Weather Service.

What is an Alberta Clipper?

A clipper on its own won’t bring snow. Several conditions have to be in place, and one of those conditions is cold air. On Sunday and Monday – December 2 and 3 – cold high pressure moved south from Canada and settled into the United States. Wind around a high pressure zone flows clockwise (or anticyclonic). So as the high pressure moved southeast, winds around the high pressure zone came out of the south. In the Northern Hemisphere, these winds can bring in just enough moisture to fuel a chance for snow.

So the ingredients are prepared: cold air, moisture, and a racing Alberta Clipper to help create the chance for wintry precipitation.

Because clippers are fast moving systems, they tend to drop some snow before quickly moving on. But in this instance, the snow from the clipper is just the beginning.

By Thursday, the Alberta Clipper will be moving through southern Ontario, northern New York and southern Quebec. As cold wind moves over the (relatively) warm waters of the Lakes, the warmer, moister air will rise, condensing into clouds in the process. Precipitation will form and fall out of the clouds, and due to the cold air in place anything that falls out of the clouds will be in the form of snow.

Lake-effect snow bands can be persistent and impactful, sometimes dropping up to 3 inches (8 centimeters) of snow per hour! With this lake-effect snow event, parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are expecting 10 to 16 inches (25 to 41 centimeters) of snow through Thursday night. Other communities near the Great Lakes – like Cleveland, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania – expect an additional 2 to 4 inches thanks to lake-effect snow.

Image via Canada.ca.

Another clipper system: The Panhandle Hooker

Here’s another clipper-type system to watch in the coming week. Panhandle Hookers can be complex storm systems. Despite forming in the southern United States, as the name implies, this low pressure zone doesn’t stay there. It eventually “hooks” quickly to the northeast, where impacts are felt in a variety of ways on its path.

As it develops farther south, a Panhandle Hooker has the advantage of warmer, moister air feeding into it from the Gulf of Mexico. The higher moisture content gives it a better chance to produce significant precipitation in many different forms, depending on the conditions.

During the winter, and especially when cold air has spilled south from Canada, these hookers can tap into that cold air and produce snow – sometimes heavy – on the northern side of the low pressure zone. On the southern side of the low pressure zone is where things can be more interesting, as this area is typically warmer for Panhandle Hookers. Strong, cold air crashing in when warmer air is in place is a recipe for thunderstorms, some of which can be severe! It’s not uncommon for snow to fall north of severe thunderstorms in winter, as the complex nature of low pressure systems interact with the different temperatures across the country.

As winter goes on, these systems with unique names are sure to keep us all on our toes, as we prepare for whatever the weather throws at us.

Bottom line: An Alberta Clipper developed in Canada this week and quickly moved southeast toward the Great Lakes. Meanwhile, the chances for snow have been going up.

Via National Weather Service

Via Government of Canada

The post Alberta Clipper, Panhandle Hooker, and snow, snow, snow first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/G9huwjx

Average trajectory of an Alberta clipper. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Article written for EarthSky by meteorologist Rachel Duensing.

An Alberta Clipper is a fast-moving low pressure system that moves out of west-central Canada and, typically, skirts across North America’s Great Lakes. It brings cold weather and, if conditions are right, snow. A clipper developed in central Alberta this week and quickly moved southeast toward the Great Lakes. As it’s been moving over the Great Lakes – headed toward the U.S. Northeast today (December 4, 2024) – the chances for snow have been going up.

Plus, there might be another clipper to watch in the coming week. It’s called the Panhandle Hooker, and it’s just as complex – if not more so – than its Canadian neighbor, the Alberta Clipper. Sometimes called a Texas Hooker, the Panhandle Hooker is another fast-moving low pressure system that gets its name from the region where it develops: the Panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma.

A Panhandle Hooker hasn’t yet developed. But global forecasting models are suggesting one could develop early in the week of December 9. What happens after that, if it develops, is still to be determined … as the timing of cold air is vital for snow formation with the hookers.

National Weather Service forecast

As of 2:52 a.m. EST (6:52 UTC) on December 4, the National Weather Service Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland was saying:

A strengthening clipper storm will shift across southeastern Canada Wednesday and Thursday with an arctic cold front crossing the Great Lakes and Northeast which will produce intense bursts of snow and gusty winds. Localized short-duration blizzard conditions will be possible with several feet of additional lake effect snow in the Great Lakes. Dry and warm conditions are expected in the West.

And the NWS was calling for:

…Heavy snow for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the northern Lower Peninsula on Wednesday…

…Heavy lake-enhanced snow downwind from Lakes Erie and Ontario on Wednesday and Thursday; Heavy snow over parts of Northern New England; light to moderate snow over parts of the Central Appalachians on Wednesday…

Image via National Weather Service.

What is an Alberta Clipper?

A clipper on its own won’t bring snow. Several conditions have to be in place, and one of those conditions is cold air. On Sunday and Monday – December 2 and 3 – cold high pressure moved south from Canada and settled into the United States. Wind around a high pressure zone flows clockwise (or anticyclonic). So as the high pressure moved southeast, winds around the high pressure zone came out of the south. In the Northern Hemisphere, these winds can bring in just enough moisture to fuel a chance for snow.

So the ingredients are prepared: cold air, moisture, and a racing Alberta Clipper to help create the chance for wintry precipitation.

Because clippers are fast moving systems, they tend to drop some snow before quickly moving on. But in this instance, the snow from the clipper is just the beginning.

By Thursday, the Alberta Clipper will be moving through southern Ontario, northern New York and southern Quebec. As cold wind moves over the (relatively) warm waters of the Lakes, the warmer, moister air will rise, condensing into clouds in the process. Precipitation will form and fall out of the clouds, and due to the cold air in place anything that falls out of the clouds will be in the form of snow.

Lake-effect snow bands can be persistent and impactful, sometimes dropping up to 3 inches (8 centimeters) of snow per hour! With this lake-effect snow event, parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are expecting 10 to 16 inches (25 to 41 centimeters) of snow through Thursday night. Other communities near the Great Lakes – like Cleveland, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania – expect an additional 2 to 4 inches thanks to lake-effect snow.

Image via Canada.ca.

Another clipper system: The Panhandle Hooker

Here’s another clipper-type system to watch in the coming week. Panhandle Hookers can be complex storm systems. Despite forming in the southern United States, as the name implies, this low pressure zone doesn’t stay there. It eventually “hooks” quickly to the northeast, where impacts are felt in a variety of ways on its path.

As it develops farther south, a Panhandle Hooker has the advantage of warmer, moister air feeding into it from the Gulf of Mexico. The higher moisture content gives it a better chance to produce significant precipitation in many different forms, depending on the conditions.

During the winter, and especially when cold air has spilled south from Canada, these hookers can tap into that cold air and produce snow – sometimes heavy – on the northern side of the low pressure zone. On the southern side of the low pressure zone is where things can be more interesting, as this area is typically warmer for Panhandle Hookers. Strong, cold air crashing in when warmer air is in place is a recipe for thunderstorms, some of which can be severe! It’s not uncommon for snow to fall north of severe thunderstorms in winter, as the complex nature of low pressure systems interact with the different temperatures across the country.

As winter goes on, these systems with unique names are sure to keep us all on our toes, as we prepare for whatever the weather throws at us.

Bottom line: An Alberta Clipper developed in Canada this week and quickly moved southeast toward the Great Lakes. Meanwhile, the chances for snow have been going up.

Via National Weather Service

Via Government of Canada

The post Alberta Clipper, Panhandle Hooker, and snow, snow, snow first appeared on EarthSky.

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Audubon Christmas Bird Count signup has begun

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lynzie Flynn in California submitted this photo on November 24, 2024, and wrote: “A beautiful, graceful small egret is very active in its feeding behaviors. They forage for food by shuffling their feet in the mud to bring up small fish and invertebrates in shallow water. Its legs are black but the feet are bright gold. They nest in colonies in trees, shrubs, mangroves, sometimes on or near the ground in marshes. This is one of my favorite birds to photograph. They are very entertaining, especially when juveniles.” Thank you, Lynzie! Find out how to join the Audubon Christmas Bird Count below.

The Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count is one of the longest-running citizen science projects. It had a modest beginning on Christmas Day in 1900. And it has since become a strong data-gathering project to study bird population trends. This year’s count – the 125th – runs from December 14, 2024, to January 5, 2025. You have to sign up in advance, and the signup has already begun. Go here to sign up for the Christmas Bird Count 2024.

The 2025 EarthSky lunar calendar makes a great gift. Get yours today!

Audubon Christmas Bird Count – how it’s done

The Christmas Bird Count is a carefully run event. Each count site is a 15-mile (24-km) wide circle; you can see what it looks like by zooming in on this map to inspect a region near you. Counts for each circle are organized by a “circle compiler.” On the day of the count (set by the circle’s compiler), people head out to designated routes within a circle to count every species and number of birds that they see and hear during the day. And, if you live within the range of a count site, you can also tally the birds you see in your yard and at the feeder.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lynzie Flynn in California, captured this image on November 24, 2024, and wrote: “The belted kingfisher is often perched on a high snag or rock or anyplace that gives it a good vantage point. It forages by plunging headfirst into water, capturing fish near surface with its bill. I’ve been watching for this kingfisher each time I go to this particular location. Birds are pretty territorial and they tend to perch in the same few places. I could go back a month from now and it’s likely I’d see this same bird on the same perch or close to it.” Thank you, Lizzie!

To participate in the count – it’s free – you need to sign up with a local circle compiler at the Audubon’s website. If you’re a beginning birder, you’ll be matched up with a more experienced birder. Make sure you register early, because the compiler will need time to organize the event.

In addition, you can share your bird count photographs and experiences on social media with the hashtag #ChristmasBirdCount. We here at EarthSky would love to have you send us your photographs, too!

Audubon Christmas Bird Count history

In some parts of the U.S., there used to be bird-hunting competitions on Christmas Day. However, Frank M. Chapman, an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History, came up with an alternative, an activity to count birds in a given area each Christmas to build up a record of their numbers.

That first count was in 1900. Overall, 27 birders conducted counts at 25 sites, tallying about 89 bird species.

Since then, the Christmas Bird Count has come a long way. It has continued annually since the inaugural event, growing in volunteers and census sites. For instance, the 124th Christmas Bird Count took place from December 14, 2023, to January 5, 2024. That count occurred at 2,677 locations, with 83,186 volunteers in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. Altogether, volunteers observed a total of 2,380 bird species.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Cecille Kennedy captured this in Oregon on November 13, 2024, and wrote: “Anna’s hummingbird resting on a blackberry twig. In certain lighting its gorget or neck and head feathers flash iridescent colors. Anna’s hummingbird is the only hummingbird species to stay all winter at the Oregon coast.” Thank you, Cecille.

What have we learned from these counts?

Additionally, Audubon and other research groups use Christmas Bird Count data to monitor population trends that will help guide conservation efforts. To date, scientists have published more than 300 peer-reviewed studies based on this data. The data are also used by federal agencies to craft policy on bird conservation.

Each annual count provides a snapshot of the birds at a given time and place. It’s hard to draw conclusions from one year to the next, because changes happen gradually. To understand trends, scientists do a statistical analysis of data taken over several years.

Warning signs of environmental degradation show up in declines of bird populations in some types of habitats. For instance, the sharpest declines in bird populations have been in grassland habitats, followed by coastal habitats.

Bird census data also inform scientists about the effects of climate change on wildlife. National Audubon scientists predict some species of birds in North America will be affected by climate change.

Bottom line: Audubon’s 125th Christmas Bird Count will take place from December 14, 2024, to January 5, 2025. You can join in to help collect important data about birds. Find out how to join the Audubon Christmas Bird Count.

The post Audubon Christmas Bird Count signup has begun first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/IXLyjfN

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lynzie Flynn in California submitted this photo on November 24, 2024, and wrote: “A beautiful, graceful small egret is very active in its feeding behaviors. They forage for food by shuffling their feet in the mud to bring up small fish and invertebrates in shallow water. Its legs are black but the feet are bright gold. They nest in colonies in trees, shrubs, mangroves, sometimes on or near the ground in marshes. This is one of my favorite birds to photograph. They are very entertaining, especially when juveniles.” Thank you, Lynzie! Find out how to join the Audubon Christmas Bird Count below.

The Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count is one of the longest-running citizen science projects. It had a modest beginning on Christmas Day in 1900. And it has since become a strong data-gathering project to study bird population trends. This year’s count – the 125th – runs from December 14, 2024, to January 5, 2025. You have to sign up in advance, and the signup has already begun. Go here to sign up for the Christmas Bird Count 2024.

The 2025 EarthSky lunar calendar makes a great gift. Get yours today!

Audubon Christmas Bird Count – how it’s done

The Christmas Bird Count is a carefully run event. Each count site is a 15-mile (24-km) wide circle; you can see what it looks like by zooming in on this map to inspect a region near you. Counts for each circle are organized by a “circle compiler.” On the day of the count (set by the circle’s compiler), people head out to designated routes within a circle to count every species and number of birds that they see and hear during the day. And, if you live within the range of a count site, you can also tally the birds you see in your yard and at the feeder.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lynzie Flynn in California, captured this image on November 24, 2024, and wrote: “The belted kingfisher is often perched on a high snag or rock or anyplace that gives it a good vantage point. It forages by plunging headfirst into water, capturing fish near surface with its bill. I’ve been watching for this kingfisher each time I go to this particular location. Birds are pretty territorial and they tend to perch in the same few places. I could go back a month from now and it’s likely I’d see this same bird on the same perch or close to it.” Thank you, Lizzie!

To participate in the count – it’s free – you need to sign up with a local circle compiler at the Audubon’s website. If you’re a beginning birder, you’ll be matched up with a more experienced birder. Make sure you register early, because the compiler will need time to organize the event.

In addition, you can share your bird count photographs and experiences on social media with the hashtag #ChristmasBirdCount. We here at EarthSky would love to have you send us your photographs, too!

Audubon Christmas Bird Count history

In some parts of the U.S., there used to be bird-hunting competitions on Christmas Day. However, Frank M. Chapman, an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History, came up with an alternative, an activity to count birds in a given area each Christmas to build up a record of their numbers.

That first count was in 1900. Overall, 27 birders conducted counts at 25 sites, tallying about 89 bird species.

Since then, the Christmas Bird Count has come a long way. It has continued annually since the inaugural event, growing in volunteers and census sites. For instance, the 124th Christmas Bird Count took place from December 14, 2023, to January 5, 2024. That count occurred at 2,677 locations, with 83,186 volunteers in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. Altogether, volunteers observed a total of 2,380 bird species.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Cecille Kennedy captured this in Oregon on November 13, 2024, and wrote: “Anna’s hummingbird resting on a blackberry twig. In certain lighting its gorget or neck and head feathers flash iridescent colors. Anna’s hummingbird is the only hummingbird species to stay all winter at the Oregon coast.” Thank you, Cecille.

What have we learned from these counts?

Additionally, Audubon and other research groups use Christmas Bird Count data to monitor population trends that will help guide conservation efforts. To date, scientists have published more than 300 peer-reviewed studies based on this data. The data are also used by federal agencies to craft policy on bird conservation.

Each annual count provides a snapshot of the birds at a given time and place. It’s hard to draw conclusions from one year to the next, because changes happen gradually. To understand trends, scientists do a statistical analysis of data taken over several years.

Warning signs of environmental degradation show up in declines of bird populations in some types of habitats. For instance, the sharpest declines in bird populations have been in grassland habitats, followed by coastal habitats.

Bird census data also inform scientists about the effects of climate change on wildlife. National Audubon scientists predict some species of birds in North America will be affected by climate change.

Bottom line: Audubon’s 125th Christmas Bird Count will take place from December 14, 2024, to January 5, 2025. You can join in to help collect important data about birds. Find out how to join the Audubon Christmas Bird Count.

The post Audubon Christmas Bird Count signup has begun first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/IXLyjfN

Small asteroid to hit Earth’s atmosphere over Siberia today

Keep an eye on this weather webcam out of Russia, and you might see a small asteroid hit Earth’s atmosphere over Siberia around 16:14 UTC (10:14 a.m. CST) today.

Small asteroid to hit Earth’s atmosphere in a couple hours

Just this morning (05:55 UTC on December 3, 2024) astronomers discovered a small asteroid, somewhere in size between 0.5 to 1.2 meters (1.6 to 4 feet) … and it’s headed right toward Earth. This asteroid, currently carrying the name C0WEPC5, will harmlessly enter Earth’s atmosphere around 16:14 UTC (10:14 a.m. CST) on December 3, 2024, over Eastern Siberia. You may recall the impressive Tunguska event, when a large asteroid created an airburst that flattened hundreds of square miles of trees in 1908, also happened in Eastern Siberia. This tiny asteroid will create a nice fireball in dark skies but result in no damage.

According to NASA’s Asteroid Watch, astronomers first made the discovery:

… with the University of Arizona’s Bok telescope by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey and Spacewatch. The impact prediction was made by the Scout system at NASAJPL’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

The incoming asteroid has a velocity of about 15.5 km/s with a moderate angle of 58 degrees. And it’s coming in from the southeast. According to Sam Deen’s predictions on the Minor Planet Mailing List, it might be possible for people in Yakutsk, Mirny, Norilsk or Dudinka to see it.

In a few hours from now, newly-discovered asteroid C0WEPC5 will slam into Russia. It is very small and should cause no damage. pic.twitter.com/csHHymymS4

— Tony Dunn (@tony873004) December 3, 2024

A small asteroid will hit Earth’s atmosphere and harmlessly burn up above Siberia on December 3, 2024. The dark cross with greenish center at upper is the approximate impact zone. Image via Richard Moissl.

4th asteroid to hit Earth’s atmosphere in 2024

This is only the 11th time ever and yet the 4th time this year that astronomers have spotted an asteroid just before it crashed into Earth’s atmosphere. Earlier this year a 3 feet (1 meter) asteroid hit over the Pacific Ocean on October 22, and another one of similar size struck the atmosphere above the Philippines on September 4. And the first one this year hit above Germany on January 21.

With our increasing technology, we are able to spot more of these little asteroids before they hit us. According to NASA:

Every day, Earth is bombarded with more than 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles. About once a year, an automobile-sized asteroid hits Earth’s atmosphere, creates an impressive fireball, and burns up before reaching the surface.

Bottom line: A small asteroid will harmlessly hit Earth’s atmosphere over Siberia in Russia today. Find maps and a webcam here.

Via IMO

Via NASA Asteroid Watch

The post Small asteroid to hit Earth’s atmosphere over Siberia today first appeared on EarthSky.

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Keep an eye on this weather webcam out of Russia, and you might see a small asteroid hit Earth’s atmosphere over Siberia around 16:14 UTC (10:14 a.m. CST) today.

Small asteroid to hit Earth’s atmosphere in a couple hours

Just this morning (05:55 UTC on December 3, 2024) astronomers discovered a small asteroid, somewhere in size between 0.5 to 1.2 meters (1.6 to 4 feet) … and it’s headed right toward Earth. This asteroid, currently carrying the name C0WEPC5, will harmlessly enter Earth’s atmosphere around 16:14 UTC (10:14 a.m. CST) on December 3, 2024, over Eastern Siberia. You may recall the impressive Tunguska event, when a large asteroid created an airburst that flattened hundreds of square miles of trees in 1908, also happened in Eastern Siberia. This tiny asteroid will create a nice fireball in dark skies but result in no damage.

According to NASA’s Asteroid Watch, astronomers first made the discovery:

… with the University of Arizona’s Bok telescope by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey and Spacewatch. The impact prediction was made by the Scout system at NASAJPL’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

The incoming asteroid has a velocity of about 15.5 km/s with a moderate angle of 58 degrees. And it’s coming in from the southeast. According to Sam Deen’s predictions on the Minor Planet Mailing List, it might be possible for people in Yakutsk, Mirny, Norilsk or Dudinka to see it.

In a few hours from now, newly-discovered asteroid C0WEPC5 will slam into Russia. It is very small and should cause no damage. pic.twitter.com/csHHymymS4

— Tony Dunn (@tony873004) December 3, 2024

A small asteroid will hit Earth’s atmosphere and harmlessly burn up above Siberia on December 3, 2024. The dark cross with greenish center at upper is the approximate impact zone. Image via Richard Moissl.

4th asteroid to hit Earth’s atmosphere in 2024

This is only the 11th time ever and yet the 4th time this year that astronomers have spotted an asteroid just before it crashed into Earth’s atmosphere. Earlier this year a 3 feet (1 meter) asteroid hit over the Pacific Ocean on October 22, and another one of similar size struck the atmosphere above the Philippines on September 4. And the first one this year hit above Germany on January 21.

With our increasing technology, we are able to spot more of these little asteroids before they hit us. According to NASA:

Every day, Earth is bombarded with more than 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles. About once a year, an automobile-sized asteroid hits Earth’s atmosphere, creates an impressive fireball, and burns up before reaching the surface.

Bottom line: A small asteroid will harmlessly hit Earth’s atmosphere over Siberia in Russia today. Find maps and a webcam here.

Via IMO

Via NASA Asteroid Watch

The post Small asteroid to hit Earth’s atmosphere over Siberia today first appeared on EarthSky.

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Earth flies between Jupiter and the sun on December 7

In early December 2024, Jupiter will rise around sunset and be visible through dawn. It’ll be near the bright stars of golden Capella, ruddy Betelgeuse and orangish Aldebaran. Also nearby are the open star clusters the Pleiades and the Hyades. Chart via EarthSky.

Jupiter in 2024: Starting in June 2024, you might have noticed Jupiter in the morning twilight. By November, it was the very bright object ascending in the east a few hours after sunset, brighter than all the stars. But December is best for Jupiter in 2024!
Jupiter will reach opposition at 21 UTC (4 p.m. CDT) on December 7, 2024. That’s when Earth will fly between Jupiter and the sun, bringing th giant planet opposite the sun in our sky. As seen from around the globe, Jupiter will rise in the east as the sun sets in the west. It’ll be shining at its highest in the sky, more or less where the sun was at your local noon, around midnight (the time each day when the sun will be below your feet). That’ll be true no matter where you are on Earth.
Jupiter will be closest to Earth one day before its opposition, at 10 UTC (5 a.m. CDT) on December 6, 2024. At that time, its distance will be 380 million miles/ 611 million km/ 34 light-minutes from Earth. Read more: Why is Jupiter closest before opposition?
Opposition constellation: Taurus the Bull.
Brightness at opposition: Magnitude -2.8. Jupiter will shine as the 4th-brightest object in the sky, after the sun, moon and planet Venus. It’ll be the brightest starlike object visible for most of the night (after Venus sets in the evening sky).
Size at opposition (as seen through a telescope): 48.2 arcseconds across.
Through binoculars (anytime): Jupiter reveals a bright disk. If you look closely, you’ll see several of its four Galilean moons appearing as pinpoints of light, arrayed in a line that bisects the giant planet.

December finder charts for Jupiter

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Around the evening of December 12, 2024, bright Jupiter and the Pleiades star cluster will be close to the waxing moon. Also look for the fiery orange star Aldebaran – Eye of Taurus the Bull – near Jupiter. They’ll be visible from sundown until a few hours before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

On the evenings of December 13 and 14, 2024, the almost full moon will slide between the planet Jupiter and Capella, the brightest star in Auriga the Charioteer. Near Jupiter lies the orange giant star Aldebaran, the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull. Also, the shimmering glow of the delicate Pleiades star cluster will be nearby. They’ll rise shortly after sunset and be visible through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

The moment of the Full Cold Moon will fall at 9:02 UTC (3:02 a.m. CST) on December 15, 2024. The moon will look full on the evenings of December 14 and 15, too, and – on both of those evenings – will be near bright Jupiter. Also, the twin stars of Castor and Pollux will twinkle nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

How often does Jupiter reach opposition?

Jupiter takes 12 earthly years to orbit the sun once. So, the giant planet comes to opposition roughly every 13 months. By the same token, that’s how long Earth takes to travel once around the sun relative to Jupiter. Therefore, according to our earthly calendars, Jupiter’s opposition comes about a month later each year. Add to that the fact that there are 12 constellations of the zodiac. And there are 12 months in a year. So Jupiter appears in front of a new zodiacal constellation at each year’s opposition (last year, Aries; this year, Taurus).

2023 Jupiter opposition – November 3
2024 Jupiter opposition – December 7
2026 Jupiter opposition – January 10
2027 Jupiter opposition – February 10

Jupiter events in 2024

January 1, 2024: Jupiter was at perihelion or closest point to the sun for 2024.
May 18, 2024: Jupiter was at solar conjunction, or behind the sun as seen from Earth.
October 9, 2024: Jupiter began retrograde motion, that is, westward motion on the sky’s dome, a sign that opposition lay just ahead.
December 6, 2024: Jupiter at perigee, or closest to Earth for 2024.
December 7, 2024: Jupiter at opposition, or opposite the sun as seen from Earth.
February 4, 2025: Jupiter will end retrograde motion, a sign that the best time to observe Jupiter is ending. However, the planet will remain somewhere in the night sky through April 2025. Then it’ll emerge in the morning sky in July 2025.

A comparison of the apparent size of Jupiter at opposition (December 7, 2024) and when it is most distant from the Earth at solar conjunction (May 18, 2024). Image via Dominic Ford’s In-the-Sky.org. Used with permission.

View from above the solar system, December 2024

Heliocentric view of solar system, December 2024. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

A failed star

Perhaps you know that Jupiter isn’t a rocky planet like Earth. In fact, it’s more like a failed star, not massive enough or hot enough inside to spark thermonuclear fusion reactions, but some 2 1/2 times more massive than all the other planets in our solar system combined. Jupiter is big! But, without that thermonuclear reaction it can’t shine as stars do.

Overall, you’d need some 80 Jupiters – rolled into a ball – to be hot enough inside to spark fusion. So, Jupiter isn’t a star. That is, it doesn’t shine with its own light, but instead by reflected sunlight.

Yet in December 2024 – as bright Jupiter rises in the east opposite the sunset – you can stand on Earth all night and peer toward bright Jupiter in our sky. And indeed, you can imagine that, if the giant planet did have enough mass to shine as stars do, then around Jupiter’s opposition, we’d have no night at all. Instead, Jupiter would shine as a tiny 2nd sun, all night long.

Read more: How to see Jupiter’s moons

Jupiter (red) completes one orbit of the sun (center) for every 11.86 orbits of the Earth (blue), since our orbit is smaller, and we move faster! Animation via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

For precise sun and Jupiter rising times at your location:

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

timeanddate.com (worldwide)

Stellarium (online planetarium program)

In-the-sky information and finder chart for your location

Opposition happens when Earth flies between an outer planet, like Jupiter, and the sun. Illustration via Chris Peat/ Heavens-Above. Used with permission.

Jupiter and its stormy atmosphere as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope on September 4, 2021. Image via Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC)/ Michael H. Wong (UC Berkeley)/ Hubblesite.

EarthSky Community Photos

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Surry, Virginia, created this animation of Jupiter from images captured in the wee hours of October 19, 2023. It’s a beauty! Thank you, Steve. And, if you look closely, you can see Jupiter’s moons Europa and Io, in the upper left and right, respectively. Wow! Read: How to see and enjoy Jupiter’s moons.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Aurelian Neacsu of Visina, Dambovita, Romania, captured this image of Jupiter on August 22, 2023, and wrote: “The bright dot visible on the right bottom corner is not a planet’s satellite; it’s the star Sigma Arietis.” Thank you, Aurelian.

Got a picture of Jupiter? We’d love to see it. Submit them here.

Bottom line: Giant Jupiter is closest to Earth for 2024 on December 6. Then Earth will fly between the sun and Jupiter – bringing Jupiter to opposition – on December 7.

Read more: Jupiter: Closest to the Earth December 6, 2024

Read more: Jupiter’s moons: How to see and enjoy them

Read: Why is Jupiter closest to Earth 1 day before opposition?

The post Earth flies between Jupiter and the sun on December 7 first appeared on EarthSky.

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In early December 2024, Jupiter will rise around sunset and be visible through dawn. It’ll be near the bright stars of golden Capella, ruddy Betelgeuse and orangish Aldebaran. Also nearby are the open star clusters the Pleiades and the Hyades. Chart via EarthSky.

Jupiter in 2024: Starting in June 2024, you might have noticed Jupiter in the morning twilight. By November, it was the very bright object ascending in the east a few hours after sunset, brighter than all the stars. But December is best for Jupiter in 2024!
Jupiter will reach opposition at 21 UTC (4 p.m. CDT) on December 7, 2024. That’s when Earth will fly between Jupiter and the sun, bringing th giant planet opposite the sun in our sky. As seen from around the globe, Jupiter will rise in the east as the sun sets in the west. It’ll be shining at its highest in the sky, more or less where the sun was at your local noon, around midnight (the time each day when the sun will be below your feet). That’ll be true no matter where you are on Earth.
Jupiter will be closest to Earth one day before its opposition, at 10 UTC (5 a.m. CDT) on December 6, 2024. At that time, its distance will be 380 million miles/ 611 million km/ 34 light-minutes from Earth. Read more: Why is Jupiter closest before opposition?
Opposition constellation: Taurus the Bull.
Brightness at opposition: Magnitude -2.8. Jupiter will shine as the 4th-brightest object in the sky, after the sun, moon and planet Venus. It’ll be the brightest starlike object visible for most of the night (after Venus sets in the evening sky).
Size at opposition (as seen through a telescope): 48.2 arcseconds across.
Through binoculars (anytime): Jupiter reveals a bright disk. If you look closely, you’ll see several of its four Galilean moons appearing as pinpoints of light, arrayed in a line that bisects the giant planet.

December finder charts for Jupiter

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Around the evening of December 12, 2024, bright Jupiter and the Pleiades star cluster will be close to the waxing moon. Also look for the fiery orange star Aldebaran – Eye of Taurus the Bull – near Jupiter. They’ll be visible from sundown until a few hours before dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

On the evenings of December 13 and 14, 2024, the almost full moon will slide between the planet Jupiter and Capella, the brightest star in Auriga the Charioteer. Near Jupiter lies the orange giant star Aldebaran, the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull. Also, the shimmering glow of the delicate Pleiades star cluster will be nearby. They’ll rise shortly after sunset and be visible through dawn. Chart via EarthSky.

The moment of the Full Cold Moon will fall at 9:02 UTC (3:02 a.m. CST) on December 15, 2024. The moon will look full on the evenings of December 14 and 15, too, and – on both of those evenings – will be near bright Jupiter. Also, the twin stars of Castor and Pollux will twinkle nearby. Chart via EarthSky.

How often does Jupiter reach opposition?

Jupiter takes 12 earthly years to orbit the sun once. So, the giant planet comes to opposition roughly every 13 months. By the same token, that’s how long Earth takes to travel once around the sun relative to Jupiter. Therefore, according to our earthly calendars, Jupiter’s opposition comes about a month later each year. Add to that the fact that there are 12 constellations of the zodiac. And there are 12 months in a year. So Jupiter appears in front of a new zodiacal constellation at each year’s opposition (last year, Aries; this year, Taurus).

2023 Jupiter opposition – November 3
2024 Jupiter opposition – December 7
2026 Jupiter opposition – January 10
2027 Jupiter opposition – February 10

Jupiter events in 2024

January 1, 2024: Jupiter was at perihelion or closest point to the sun for 2024.
May 18, 2024: Jupiter was at solar conjunction, or behind the sun as seen from Earth.
October 9, 2024: Jupiter began retrograde motion, that is, westward motion on the sky’s dome, a sign that opposition lay just ahead.
December 6, 2024: Jupiter at perigee, or closest to Earth for 2024.
December 7, 2024: Jupiter at opposition, or opposite the sun as seen from Earth.
February 4, 2025: Jupiter will end retrograde motion, a sign that the best time to observe Jupiter is ending. However, the planet will remain somewhere in the night sky through April 2025. Then it’ll emerge in the morning sky in July 2025.

A comparison of the apparent size of Jupiter at opposition (December 7, 2024) and when it is most distant from the Earth at solar conjunction (May 18, 2024). Image via Dominic Ford’s In-the-Sky.org. Used with permission.

View from above the solar system, December 2024

Heliocentric view of solar system, December 2024. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

A failed star

Perhaps you know that Jupiter isn’t a rocky planet like Earth. In fact, it’s more like a failed star, not massive enough or hot enough inside to spark thermonuclear fusion reactions, but some 2 1/2 times more massive than all the other planets in our solar system combined. Jupiter is big! But, without that thermonuclear reaction it can’t shine as stars do.

Overall, you’d need some 80 Jupiters – rolled into a ball – to be hot enough inside to spark fusion. So, Jupiter isn’t a star. That is, it doesn’t shine with its own light, but instead by reflected sunlight.

Yet in December 2024 – as bright Jupiter rises in the east opposite the sunset – you can stand on Earth all night and peer toward bright Jupiter in our sky. And indeed, you can imagine that, if the giant planet did have enough mass to shine as stars do, then around Jupiter’s opposition, we’d have no night at all. Instead, Jupiter would shine as a tiny 2nd sun, all night long.

Read more: How to see Jupiter’s moons

Jupiter (red) completes one orbit of the sun (center) for every 11.86 orbits of the Earth (blue), since our orbit is smaller, and we move faster! Animation via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

For precise sun and Jupiter rising times at your location:

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

timeanddate.com (worldwide)

Stellarium (online planetarium program)

In-the-sky information and finder chart for your location

Opposition happens when Earth flies between an outer planet, like Jupiter, and the sun. Illustration via Chris Peat/ Heavens-Above. Used with permission.

Jupiter and its stormy atmosphere as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope on September 4, 2021. Image via Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC)/ Michael H. Wong (UC Berkeley)/ Hubblesite.

EarthSky Community Photos

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Surry, Virginia, created this animation of Jupiter from images captured in the wee hours of October 19, 2023. It’s a beauty! Thank you, Steve. And, if you look closely, you can see Jupiter’s moons Europa and Io, in the upper left and right, respectively. Wow! Read: How to see and enjoy Jupiter’s moons.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Aurelian Neacsu of Visina, Dambovita, Romania, captured this image of Jupiter on August 22, 2023, and wrote: “The bright dot visible on the right bottom corner is not a planet’s satellite; it’s the star Sigma Arietis.” Thank you, Aurelian.

Got a picture of Jupiter? We’d love to see it. Submit them here.

Bottom line: Giant Jupiter is closest to Earth for 2024 on December 6. Then Earth will fly between the sun and Jupiter – bringing Jupiter to opposition – on December 7.

Read more: Jupiter: Closest to the Earth December 6, 2024

Read more: Jupiter’s moons: How to see and enjoy them

Read: Why is Jupiter closest to Earth 1 day before opposition?

The post Earth flies between Jupiter and the sun on December 7 first appeared on EarthSky.

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Proba-3: A sun-observing telescope made from 2 satellites

An illustration of the 2-part Proba-3 spacecraft, set to launch on December 4, 2024. The pair of satellites will be aligned so that one satellite blocks the sun’s glare for the other. This will allow the second satellite to image the sun’s otherwise invisible atmosphere. Artist’s impression via ESA/ P. Carril.

On December 4, 2024, ESA is set to launch an audacious two-part telescope into space to study the sun’s atmosphere.

If you’ve ever seen a total solar eclipse, you’ll have caught a glimpse of this wispy outer atmosphere, called the corona. With the moon eclipsing the dazzling body of the sun, this faint light streaming from our star suddenly becomes visible. And coronagraphs – telescopes that study the sun’s atmosphere – work the same way. They block out the sun’s glare with a disk called an occulter attached to the front of the telescope.

But ESA’s new spacecraft, Proba-3, isn’t like any other coronagraph. The occulter isn’t attached to the telescope … but will instead be on a separate satellite, 492 feet (150 meters) away. Soaring through space in perfect coordination, the two spacecraft will form the largest coronagraph ever made.

This new instrument is set to launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on December 4, at 10:38 UTC.

The 2025 EarthSky lunar calendar makes a great gift. Get yours today!

Proba-3, reinventing the coronagraph

Scientists have been using coronagraphs to study the sun for almost a century, with French astronomer Bernard Lyot building the first in 1931. Since then we’ve sent several coronagraphs into space, in order to image the sun without the distortion of Earth’s atmosphere. So what’s the need for this unique two-part coronagraph?

Damien Galano, Proba-3’s mission manager, explained:

[Designing a coronagraph] might sound simple, but it’s rendered much harder by the peculiar fact that light acts as both particles and waves. This means some light spills around the edge of whatever’s blocking it, like waves around a seawall. This phenomenon is known as diffraction; it needs to be designed against to minimize unwanted sunlight reaching your instrument.

And the best way to avoid diffraction? Move the occulting disk farther from the telescope. As Andrei Zhukov, Principal Investigator of Proba-3’s main instrument, explained:

This is why total solar eclipses give us such an excellent view of the corona, because the moon is around 238,000 miles (384,000 kilometers) away from Earth, so diffraction effects are minimal.

But a large distance between telescope and the occulter is hard to achieve on a single spacecraft. The LASCO C2 coronagraph on NASA’S SOHO spacecraft – which we often rely on for our daily sun news updates – has its occulter just 70 centimeters (28 inches) away.

It was to overcome this limitation that, two decades ago, scientists at the Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille came up with Proba-3’s system, in which an entirely separate spacecraft occults the sun from afar.

This is the familiar perspective of the SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO C2 coronagraph. This clip shows coronal activity from November 25-26, 2024. Image via NASA.

The fantastic feat of formation flying

To function as a coronagraph, the pair of satellites that make up Proba-3 will have to successfully perform what ESA is calling the ‘world’s first precision formation flying mission’.

The satellites will launch together and then separate into tandem orbits around Earth. These 19.7-hour orbits will be highly elliptical, bringing them just 373 miles (600 kilometers) away at perigee – their closest to Earth – and 37,612 miles (60,530 kilometers) away at apogee, their farthest from Earth.

And during apogee, when Earth’s gravitational pull is weaker and requires less fuel, the satellites will maneuver into formation. They’ll line up 492 feet (150 meters) apart, so that the outer spacecraft’s 4.6 feet (1.4 meter) occulting disk creates an artificial solar eclipse for the inner satellite.

To keep the eclipse stable, they’ll maintain their separation to a precise single millimeter. The spacecraft will do this autonomously, communicating with each other via LEDs and lasers. A shadow detector on the telescope satellite will make corrections if the occulting satellite’s 3 inch (8 centimeters) shadow is in any way misaligned. And they’ll maintain this precise positioning for six hours at a time.

The spacecraft won’t always be aligned, because this would require too much fuel. Instead, they’ll use their thrusters to maneuver into position for 6 hours at a time when required. Animation via ESA.

Proba-3 will provide a unique view of the sun

The increased distance between Proba-3’s telescope and its occulter will allow it to see much closer to the edge of our star without bright sunlight bleeding into the image. Proba-3 will be able to see the corona from just 1.1 times the radius of the solar disk. For contrast, LASCO C2’s field of view starts at 1.5 times the solar radius.

So scientists using Proba-3 will be able to see the sun’s inner corona, which is normally visible only during a total solar eclipse. Total solar eclipses only occur an average of once every 18 months, and typically last under seven minutes. But Proba-3 will be able to study the inner corona for six hours at a time around 50 times a year.

And it will study this region with a better frame rate (number of frames per second) than other space-based coronagraphs. While LASCO C2 takes an image roughly every 12 minutes, Proba-3 can image the corona up to every 30 seconds.

Scientists hope this detailed view of the inner corona will provide insight into the development of coronal mass ejections (CMEs): blobs of solar material and magnetic fields blasted out during events on the sun. CMEs can cause auroras if they reach Earth, as they disturb our magnetic field. And particularly strong CMEs can pose a threat to satellites and even power grids on Earth.

Proba-3 will be in an extremely elliptical orbit around Earth. And when the satellites reach their furthest from Earth, they will maneuver into position to form an artificial total solar eclipse. Artist’s impression via ESA/ P. Carril.

A new look at the corona, coming soon

Observations with Proba-3 are set to begin after a roughly four-month commissioning stage. And the team currently plans to have two six-hour observing periods every week, depending on how much fuel needs to be saved across the planned two years of operation.

Proba-3 is an ambitious innovation, which ESA describes as a “technology demonstration mission”. And if all goes to plan, it should be a useful tool in scientists’ growing sun-observing arsenal. Mission scientist Joe Zender said:

Success will rely on the formation flying technology working as planned, of course, but the closer we get to launch, the more I realize the excitement of what we are doing, including co-observations with many other solar observing missions.

Bottom line: ESA is launching an ambitious spacecraft to study the sun’s atmosphere. Proba-3 is comprised of 2 satellites that will align to form an artificial solar eclipse.

Via ESA

Read more: Why is the sun’s atmosphere hotter than its surface?

The post Proba-3: A sun-observing telescope made from 2 satellites first appeared on EarthSky.

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An illustration of the 2-part Proba-3 spacecraft, set to launch on December 4, 2024. The pair of satellites will be aligned so that one satellite blocks the sun’s glare for the other. This will allow the second satellite to image the sun’s otherwise invisible atmosphere. Artist’s impression via ESA/ P. Carril.

On December 4, 2024, ESA is set to launch an audacious two-part telescope into space to study the sun’s atmosphere.

If you’ve ever seen a total solar eclipse, you’ll have caught a glimpse of this wispy outer atmosphere, called the corona. With the moon eclipsing the dazzling body of the sun, this faint light streaming from our star suddenly becomes visible. And coronagraphs – telescopes that study the sun’s atmosphere – work the same way. They block out the sun’s glare with a disk called an occulter attached to the front of the telescope.

But ESA’s new spacecraft, Proba-3, isn’t like any other coronagraph. The occulter isn’t attached to the telescope … but will instead be on a separate satellite, 492 feet (150 meters) away. Soaring through space in perfect coordination, the two spacecraft will form the largest coronagraph ever made.

This new instrument is set to launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on December 4, at 10:38 UTC.

The 2025 EarthSky lunar calendar makes a great gift. Get yours today!

Proba-3, reinventing the coronagraph

Scientists have been using coronagraphs to study the sun for almost a century, with French astronomer Bernard Lyot building the first in 1931. Since then we’ve sent several coronagraphs into space, in order to image the sun without the distortion of Earth’s atmosphere. So what’s the need for this unique two-part coronagraph?

Damien Galano, Proba-3’s mission manager, explained:

[Designing a coronagraph] might sound simple, but it’s rendered much harder by the peculiar fact that light acts as both particles and waves. This means some light spills around the edge of whatever’s blocking it, like waves around a seawall. This phenomenon is known as diffraction; it needs to be designed against to minimize unwanted sunlight reaching your instrument.

And the best way to avoid diffraction? Move the occulting disk farther from the telescope. As Andrei Zhukov, Principal Investigator of Proba-3’s main instrument, explained:

This is why total solar eclipses give us such an excellent view of the corona, because the moon is around 238,000 miles (384,000 kilometers) away from Earth, so diffraction effects are minimal.

But a large distance between telescope and the occulter is hard to achieve on a single spacecraft. The LASCO C2 coronagraph on NASA’S SOHO spacecraft – which we often rely on for our daily sun news updates – has its occulter just 70 centimeters (28 inches) away.

It was to overcome this limitation that, two decades ago, scientists at the Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille came up with Proba-3’s system, in which an entirely separate spacecraft occults the sun from afar.

This is the familiar perspective of the SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO C2 coronagraph. This clip shows coronal activity from November 25-26, 2024. Image via NASA.

The fantastic feat of formation flying

To function as a coronagraph, the pair of satellites that make up Proba-3 will have to successfully perform what ESA is calling the ‘world’s first precision formation flying mission’.

The satellites will launch together and then separate into tandem orbits around Earth. These 19.7-hour orbits will be highly elliptical, bringing them just 373 miles (600 kilometers) away at perigee – their closest to Earth – and 37,612 miles (60,530 kilometers) away at apogee, their farthest from Earth.

And during apogee, when Earth’s gravitational pull is weaker and requires less fuel, the satellites will maneuver into formation. They’ll line up 492 feet (150 meters) apart, so that the outer spacecraft’s 4.6 feet (1.4 meter) occulting disk creates an artificial solar eclipse for the inner satellite.

To keep the eclipse stable, they’ll maintain their separation to a precise single millimeter. The spacecraft will do this autonomously, communicating with each other via LEDs and lasers. A shadow detector on the telescope satellite will make corrections if the occulting satellite’s 3 inch (8 centimeters) shadow is in any way misaligned. And they’ll maintain this precise positioning for six hours at a time.

The spacecraft won’t always be aligned, because this would require too much fuel. Instead, they’ll use their thrusters to maneuver into position for 6 hours at a time when required. Animation via ESA.

Proba-3 will provide a unique view of the sun

The increased distance between Proba-3’s telescope and its occulter will allow it to see much closer to the edge of our star without bright sunlight bleeding into the image. Proba-3 will be able to see the corona from just 1.1 times the radius of the solar disk. For contrast, LASCO C2’s field of view starts at 1.5 times the solar radius.

So scientists using Proba-3 will be able to see the sun’s inner corona, which is normally visible only during a total solar eclipse. Total solar eclipses only occur an average of once every 18 months, and typically last under seven minutes. But Proba-3 will be able to study the inner corona for six hours at a time around 50 times a year.

And it will study this region with a better frame rate (number of frames per second) than other space-based coronagraphs. While LASCO C2 takes an image roughly every 12 minutes, Proba-3 can image the corona up to every 30 seconds.

Scientists hope this detailed view of the inner corona will provide insight into the development of coronal mass ejections (CMEs): blobs of solar material and magnetic fields blasted out during events on the sun. CMEs can cause auroras if they reach Earth, as they disturb our magnetic field. And particularly strong CMEs can pose a threat to satellites and even power grids on Earth.

Proba-3 will be in an extremely elliptical orbit around Earth. And when the satellites reach their furthest from Earth, they will maneuver into position to form an artificial total solar eclipse. Artist’s impression via ESA/ P. Carril.

A new look at the corona, coming soon

Observations with Proba-3 are set to begin after a roughly four-month commissioning stage. And the team currently plans to have two six-hour observing periods every week, depending on how much fuel needs to be saved across the planned two years of operation.

Proba-3 is an ambitious innovation, which ESA describes as a “technology demonstration mission”. And if all goes to plan, it should be a useful tool in scientists’ growing sun-observing arsenal. Mission scientist Joe Zender said:

Success will rely on the formation flying technology working as planned, of course, but the closer we get to launch, the more I realize the excitement of what we are doing, including co-observations with many other solar observing missions.

Bottom line: ESA is launching an ambitious spacecraft to study the sun’s atmosphere. Proba-3 is comprised of 2 satellites that will align to form an artificial solar eclipse.

Via ESA

Read more: Why is the sun’s atmosphere hotter than its surface?

The post Proba-3: A sun-observing telescope made from 2 satellites first appeared on EarthSky.

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Venus after sunset: Shining brightly in December

In December 2024, bright Venus continues ascending in the evening sky and will move through the constellations of Sagittarius, Capricornus and Aquarius. Venus will remain a brilliant evening star through March 2025. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the sunset in January 2025. It will shine at magnitude -4.4 by the end of month and be dazzling in the evening sky. Chart via EarthSky.

In December 2024, Venus – Earth’s brightest planet – is shining in the western twilight after sunset. It’ll remain visible in the evening sky through the rest of this year. Greatest elongation – when Venus will be farthest from the sunset – will come on January 9-10, 2025. You can’t miss Venus! It’s exceedingly bright and will penetrate the bright twilight. What fun!

So, in December, look in the sunset direction while the sky is darkening. As the weeks pass, Venus will appear higher and higher above the sunset. And it’s finally be visible in a dark sky this month, setting a few hours after sunset by month’s end. You can’t miss it as the dazzling evening “star.”

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)

When will greatest elongation occur?

Greatest elongation is at 4 UTC on January 10, 2025. 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. After greatest elongation, Venus will quickly sink toward the sunset as it races toward its sweep between the Earth and sun around mid-March 2025.
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.

Venus after sunset in 2024 Northern Hemisphere

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.

Venus after sunset in 2024 Southern Hemisphere

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.

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: Look for Venus after sunset! It’s high enough in December’s sky for all to see. It’ll be farthest from the sunset in early January, 2025. Look west for a dazzling point!

The post Venus after sunset: Shining brightly in December first appeared on EarthSky.

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In December 2024, bright Venus continues ascending in the evening sky and will move through the constellations of Sagittarius, Capricornus and Aquarius. Venus will remain a brilliant evening star through March 2025. It’ll reach its greatest distance from the sunset in January 2025. It will shine at magnitude -4.4 by the end of month and be dazzling in the evening sky. Chart via EarthSky.

In December 2024, Venus – Earth’s brightest planet – is shining in the western twilight after sunset. It’ll remain visible in the evening sky through the rest of this year. Greatest elongation – when Venus will be farthest from the sunset – will come on January 9-10, 2025. You can’t miss Venus! It’s exceedingly bright and will penetrate the bright twilight. What fun!

So, in December, look in the sunset direction while the sky is darkening. As the weeks pass, Venus will appear higher and higher above the sunset. And it’s finally be visible in a dark sky this month, setting a few hours after sunset by month’s end. You can’t miss it as the dazzling evening “star.”

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)

When will greatest elongation occur?

Greatest elongation is at 4 UTC on January 10, 2025. 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. After greatest elongation, Venus will quickly sink toward the sunset as it races toward its sweep between the Earth and sun around mid-March 2025.
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.

Venus after sunset in 2024 Northern Hemisphere

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.

Venus after sunset in 2024 Southern Hemisphere

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.

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: Look for Venus after sunset! It’s high enough in December’s sky for all to see. It’ll be farthest from the sunset in early January, 2025. Look west for a dazzling point!

The post Venus after sunset: Shining brightly in December first appeared on EarthSky.

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