2026 has 3 Friday the 13ths. What are the odds?

In 2026, there are 3 Friday the 13ths. They are in February, March and November. Do you believe Friday the 13th is a bad day? An unlucky day? See below to explore the myths and the legacy behind Friday the 13th. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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March 13, 2026, is a Friday, and it’s Act 2 of this year’s epic Friday the 13th trilogy. Plus, we’ll also have another Friday the 13th in November. We started off this year’s trilogy with a Friday the 13th in February, exactly 4 weeks before Friday, March 13, 2026!

Not that we at EarthSky suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia – an irrational fear of Friday the 13th – but, gosh darn, it’s Friday the 13th three times over in 2026. What’s more, last year’s lone Friday the 13th on June 13, 2025, occurred exactly 39 weeks (3 x 13 weeks) before the Friday the 13th in March 2026. And next year’s lone Friday the 13th on August 13, 2027, will happen exactly 39 weeks (3 x 13 weeks) after the Friday the 13th in November 2026. Follow the links below to learn more about why some people fear this day and about 2015’s three Friday the 13ths.

Gioachino Rossini, a 19th century Italian composer. Folklorists say there’s no written evidence that Friday the 13th was considered unlucky before the 19th century. The earliest known documented reference in English appears to be in Henry Sutherland Edwards’ 1869 biography of Rossini. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Scary coincidence or super unlucky?

It’s neither a scary coincidence or super unlucky. It’s just a quirk of our calendar, as you’ll see if you keep reading.

The fact is that, according to folklorists, there’s no written evidence that Friday the 13th was considered unlucky before the 19th century. The earliest known documented reference in English appears to be in Henry Sutherland Edwards’ 1869 biography of Gioachino Rossini. His portrait is above. He doesn’t look scary.

And indeed, Friday has always gotten a bad rap. In the Middle Ages, people would not marry – or set out on a journey – on a Friday.

There are also some links between Christianity and an ill association with either Fridays or the number 13. Jesus was said to be crucified on a Friday. Seating 13 people at a table was seen as bad luck because Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, is said to have been the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Meanwhile, our word for Friday comes from Frigga, an ancient Scandinavian fertility and love goddess. Christians called Frigga a witch and Friday the witches’ Sabbath.

In modern times, the slasher-movie franchise Friday the 13th has helped keep friggatriskaidekaphobia alive.

The Friday the 13th slasher-movie franchise helped keep this day maintain its notoriety. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

In 2026, blame Thursday

In 2026, you can blame Thursday because the year started on a Thursday. Whenever a common year of 365 days starts on a Thursday, it’s inevitable that the months of February, March and November will start on a Sunday. And any month starting on a Sunday always has a Friday the 13th.

Of course, February has exactly four weeks in a non-leap year. So, for that reason, the days of the week have to match up with the same dates in both February and March during any common year. And in any year, the days of the week always fall on the same dates in both March and November. In short, because the year 2026 started on a Thursday, that means February, March and November all have to start on a Sunday and all must have a Friday the 13th.

The February-March-November Friday the 13th trilogy repeats …

How often does the February-March-November Friday the 13th trilogy repeat? More often than you might imagine! The last February-March-November Friday the 13th year happened 11 years ago, in 2015, for the second time in the 21st century (2001-2100). It will next happen eleven years from now, in 2037. After that, the following February-March-November Friday the 13th year will happen six years after 2037, in the year 2043.

A grand total of eleven February-March-November Friday the 13th years takes place in the 21st century (2001-2100):

2009, 2015, 2026, 2037, 2043, 2054, 2065, 2071, 2082, 2093 and 2099

And because the Gregorian calendar has a 400-year cycle, we also know the February-March-November Friday the 13th years will repeat exactly 400 years later in the 25th century (2401-2500):

2409, 2415, 2426, 2437, 2443, 2454, 2465, 2471, 2482, 2493 and 2499

Calendar for 2026

Calendar for the year 2026. There are 3 Friday the 13ths. They are in February, March and November. Calendar via EarthSky.

The rhyme and reason of the Friday the 13th cycle

Is there any rhyme and reason to the Friday the 13th cycle? Yes, it does make sense. Within the 21st century (2001-2100), note that the February-March-November Friday the 13th years repeat in 28-year cycles (going crosswise):

2009, 2037, 2065, 2093
2015, 2043, 2071, 2099
2026, 2054, 2082

Because the Gregorian calendar suppresses the leap year in 2100, the cycle is perturbed, meaning that all eleven February-March-November Friday the 13th years in the 22nd century (2101-2200) come four years earlier than in the 21st century:

2105, 2111, 2122, 2133, 2139, 2150, 2161, 2167, 2178, 2189 and 2195.

However, within the 22nd century (2101-2200), these Friday the 13th years also repeat in cycles of 28 years.

2105, 2133, 2161, 2189
2111, 2139, 2167, 2195
2122, 2150, 2178

The cycle is perturbed again in the 23rd century (2201-2300):

2201, 2229, 2257, 2285
2207, 2235, 2263, 2291
2218, 2246, 2274

And again in the 24th century (2301-2400):

2303, 2331, 2359, 2387
2314, 2342, 2370, 2398
2325, 2353, 2381

Friday-the-13th-year repetitions within 28-year cycle

Some of you, who might not yet be dazed by calendar numerology, may wonder if some formula governs how a given Friday the 13th year repeats within the 28-year cycle. The answer is a definite yes. Keep in mind that this particular February-March-November Friday the 13th year can only happen in a common year of 365 days, and when January 1 falls on a Thursday.

Therefore, if this threefold Friday the 13th year comes one year after a leap year, the days again match up with the dates in 6, 17 and 28 years afterward. For example, take the year 2009, which came one year after a leap year:

2009, 2015, 2026, 2037

However, if this triple Friday the 13th year falls two years after a leap year, the days and dates realign in 11, 17 and 28 years. Take this year, 2026, which takes place two years after a leap year:

2026, 2037, 2043, 2054

Finally, if this trio of Friday the 13ths happens three years after a leap year, the days recur with the same dates in 11, 22 and 28 years. The year 2015 happened three years after a leap year:

2015, 2026, 2037, 2043

It appears as though cycles of 372 and 400 years prevail over the long course of centuries. Take the year 2015, for instance:

2015 + 372 = 2387

2015 + 400 = 2415

The 372-year period is known as the Gregoriana eclipse cycle, which we elaborate about in our post: How often does a solar eclipse happen on the March equinox?.

Can three Friday the 13ths occur in a leap year?

What about three Friday the 13ths in a leap year? Yes, a leap year can harbor three Friday the 13ths (January 13 – April 13 – July 13) if the leap year starts on a Sunday, which last happened in 2012. However, given that this particular Friday the 13th year happens in a leap year, and a leap year only, it recurs only in periods of 28 years. So the last January-April-July Friday the 13th year happened in 1984, and will next happen in 2040.

If a common year starts on a Thursday, there are three Friday the 13ths; and if a leap year begins on a Sunday, there are three Friday the 13ths. So these are the two scenarios whereby three Friday the 13ths can occur in single calendar year.

Bottom line: From what we have been able to gather, the 400-year cycle displayed by Gregorian calendar features 59 years with three Friday the 13ths, consisting of 44 common years (February – March – November Friday the 13ths) and 15 leap years (January – April – July Friday the 13ths).

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The post 2026 has 3 Friday the 13ths. What are the odds? first appeared on EarthSky.

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In 2026, there are 3 Friday the 13ths. They are in February, March and November. Do you believe Friday the 13th is a bad day? An unlucky day? See below to explore the myths and the legacy behind Friday the 13th. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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

March 13, 2026, is a Friday, and it’s Act 2 of this year’s epic Friday the 13th trilogy. Plus, we’ll also have another Friday the 13th in November. We started off this year’s trilogy with a Friday the 13th in February, exactly 4 weeks before Friday, March 13, 2026!

Not that we at EarthSky suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia – an irrational fear of Friday the 13th – but, gosh darn, it’s Friday the 13th three times over in 2026. What’s more, last year’s lone Friday the 13th on June 13, 2025, occurred exactly 39 weeks (3 x 13 weeks) before the Friday the 13th in March 2026. And next year’s lone Friday the 13th on August 13, 2027, will happen exactly 39 weeks (3 x 13 weeks) after the Friday the 13th in November 2026. Follow the links below to learn more about why some people fear this day and about 2015’s three Friday the 13ths.

Gioachino Rossini, a 19th century Italian composer. Folklorists say there’s no written evidence that Friday the 13th was considered unlucky before the 19th century. The earliest known documented reference in English appears to be in Henry Sutherland Edwards’ 1869 biography of Rossini. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Scary coincidence or super unlucky?

It’s neither a scary coincidence or super unlucky. It’s just a quirk of our calendar, as you’ll see if you keep reading.

The fact is that, according to folklorists, there’s no written evidence that Friday the 13th was considered unlucky before the 19th century. The earliest known documented reference in English appears to be in Henry Sutherland Edwards’ 1869 biography of Gioachino Rossini. His portrait is above. He doesn’t look scary.

And indeed, Friday has always gotten a bad rap. In the Middle Ages, people would not marry – or set out on a journey – on a Friday.

There are also some links between Christianity and an ill association with either Fridays or the number 13. Jesus was said to be crucified on a Friday. Seating 13 people at a table was seen as bad luck because Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, is said to have been the 13th guest at the Last Supper. Meanwhile, our word for Friday comes from Frigga, an ancient Scandinavian fertility and love goddess. Christians called Frigga a witch and Friday the witches’ Sabbath.

In modern times, the slasher-movie franchise Friday the 13th has helped keep friggatriskaidekaphobia alive.

The Friday the 13th slasher-movie franchise helped keep this day maintain its notoriety. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

In 2026, blame Thursday

In 2026, you can blame Thursday because the year started on a Thursday. Whenever a common year of 365 days starts on a Thursday, it’s inevitable that the months of February, March and November will start on a Sunday. And any month starting on a Sunday always has a Friday the 13th.

Of course, February has exactly four weeks in a non-leap year. So, for that reason, the days of the week have to match up with the same dates in both February and March during any common year. And in any year, the days of the week always fall on the same dates in both March and November. In short, because the year 2026 started on a Thursday, that means February, March and November all have to start on a Sunday and all must have a Friday the 13th.

The February-March-November Friday the 13th trilogy repeats …

How often does the February-March-November Friday the 13th trilogy repeat? More often than you might imagine! The last February-March-November Friday the 13th year happened 11 years ago, in 2015, for the second time in the 21st century (2001-2100). It will next happen eleven years from now, in 2037. After that, the following February-March-November Friday the 13th year will happen six years after 2037, in the year 2043.

A grand total of eleven February-March-November Friday the 13th years takes place in the 21st century (2001-2100):

2009, 2015, 2026, 2037, 2043, 2054, 2065, 2071, 2082, 2093 and 2099

And because the Gregorian calendar has a 400-year cycle, we also know the February-March-November Friday the 13th years will repeat exactly 400 years later in the 25th century (2401-2500):

2409, 2415, 2426, 2437, 2443, 2454, 2465, 2471, 2482, 2493 and 2499

Calendar for 2026

Calendar for the year 2026. There are 3 Friday the 13ths. They are in February, March and November. Calendar via EarthSky.

The rhyme and reason of the Friday the 13th cycle

Is there any rhyme and reason to the Friday the 13th cycle? Yes, it does make sense. Within the 21st century (2001-2100), note that the February-March-November Friday the 13th years repeat in 28-year cycles (going crosswise):

2009, 2037, 2065, 2093
2015, 2043, 2071, 2099
2026, 2054, 2082

Because the Gregorian calendar suppresses the leap year in 2100, the cycle is perturbed, meaning that all eleven February-March-November Friday the 13th years in the 22nd century (2101-2200) come four years earlier than in the 21st century:

2105, 2111, 2122, 2133, 2139, 2150, 2161, 2167, 2178, 2189 and 2195.

However, within the 22nd century (2101-2200), these Friday the 13th years also repeat in cycles of 28 years.

2105, 2133, 2161, 2189
2111, 2139, 2167, 2195
2122, 2150, 2178

The cycle is perturbed again in the 23rd century (2201-2300):

2201, 2229, 2257, 2285
2207, 2235, 2263, 2291
2218, 2246, 2274

And again in the 24th century (2301-2400):

2303, 2331, 2359, 2387
2314, 2342, 2370, 2398
2325, 2353, 2381

Friday-the-13th-year repetitions within 28-year cycle

Some of you, who might not yet be dazed by calendar numerology, may wonder if some formula governs how a given Friday the 13th year repeats within the 28-year cycle. The answer is a definite yes. Keep in mind that this particular February-March-November Friday the 13th year can only happen in a common year of 365 days, and when January 1 falls on a Thursday.

Therefore, if this threefold Friday the 13th year comes one year after a leap year, the days again match up with the dates in 6, 17 and 28 years afterward. For example, take the year 2009, which came one year after a leap year:

2009, 2015, 2026, 2037

However, if this triple Friday the 13th year falls two years after a leap year, the days and dates realign in 11, 17 and 28 years. Take this year, 2026, which takes place two years after a leap year:

2026, 2037, 2043, 2054

Finally, if this trio of Friday the 13ths happens three years after a leap year, the days recur with the same dates in 11, 22 and 28 years. The year 2015 happened three years after a leap year:

2015, 2026, 2037, 2043

It appears as though cycles of 372 and 400 years prevail over the long course of centuries. Take the year 2015, for instance:

2015 + 372 = 2387

2015 + 400 = 2415

The 372-year period is known as the Gregoriana eclipse cycle, which we elaborate about in our post: How often does a solar eclipse happen on the March equinox?.

Can three Friday the 13ths occur in a leap year?

What about three Friday the 13ths in a leap year? Yes, a leap year can harbor three Friday the 13ths (January 13 – April 13 – July 13) if the leap year starts on a Sunday, which last happened in 2012. However, given that this particular Friday the 13th year happens in a leap year, and a leap year only, it recurs only in periods of 28 years. So the last January-April-July Friday the 13th year happened in 1984, and will next happen in 2040.

If a common year starts on a Thursday, there are three Friday the 13ths; and if a leap year begins on a Sunday, there are three Friday the 13ths. So these are the two scenarios whereby three Friday the 13ths can occur in single calendar year.

Bottom line: From what we have been able to gather, the 400-year cycle displayed by Gregorian calendar features 59 years with three Friday the 13ths, consisting of 44 common years (February – March – November Friday the 13ths) and 15 leap years (January – April – July Friday the 13ths).

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The post 2026 has 3 Friday the 13ths. What are the odds? first appeared on EarthSky.

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Why are the Voyager spacecraft getting closer to Earth now?

View larger. | Both Voyager spacecraft are rushing away from Earth and into interstellar space. Yet for a portion of every year, both spacecrafts’ distances to Earth decrease. How is this possible? This chart shows the location of Voyager 2 as it leaves the solar system. Image via TheSkyLive.com. Used with permission.

Why are the Voyager spacecraft getting closer to Earth?

For a few months each year, the distances between the Voyager spacecraft and Earth actually decrease. You might know that both Voyager spacecraft were launched into space in the 1970s and visited the outer planets through the 1980s. They’ve been heading out of our solar system ever since. In 2012, Voyager 1 entered interstellar space. Then, in 2018, NASA announced that Voyager 2 had entered interstellar space, too. They are both headed outward, never to return to Earth. So, can they get closer?

The answer is that for a few months each year, Earth in its orbit moves toward the spacecraft faster than they’re moving away. Earth’s motion around the sun is faster than the motion of the Voyager spacecraft. Earth moves through space at a speed of 67,000 miles per hour (30 km/s). Voyager 1 moves at a speed of 38,000 miles per hour (17 km/s). Voyager 2 moves at a speed of 35,000 miles per hour (16 km/s).

So, for a portion of the year, Earth comes around the side of the sun and is speeding toward the spacecraft faster than they’re moving away. Therefore their distances to Earth are getting closer, if only temporarily. They never change their outward motion. It is we who change.

From this video, you can see the trajectory of the Voyager spacecraft as they leave Earth, encounter the outer planets (changing their trajectories), and then head in a straight line outward, out of the solar system.

Where are Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 now?

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A closer look at Voyager 2 in relation to Earth

Let’s look specifically at Voyager 2 as an example. Every year from late February to the beginning of June, Voyager 2 actually gets closer to Earth. We measure the distance between objects in space in astronomical units, or AU. This measurement is based on the distance between Earth and the sun, which is one AU.

On February 9, 2026, Voyager 2 was 143.09 AU from Earth. Then, Earth’s orbit began bringing us closer to Voyager 2 once again. The distance between us and Voyager 2 will continue to shrinking until early June when it’ll be 143.4 AU from Earth.

View larger. | This graph shows the distance of Voyager 2 from Earth from January 2020 through January 2030. It’s not a straight line because as Earth circles the sun. Earth’s faster speed means that for a part of every year, Voyager 2 and Earth temporarily get closer together. Image via TheSkyLive.com. Used with permission.

Read more: Voyager 1 location

Bottom line: The Voyager spacecraft are on a never-ending journey away from Earth. So, why do the distances between the spacecraft and Earth decrease for a few months every year? It’s because for a few months, Earth moves toward the spacecraft faster in its orbit around the sun than the spacecraft moves away from us.

The post Why are the Voyager spacecraft getting closer to Earth now? first appeared on EarthSky.

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View larger. | Both Voyager spacecraft are rushing away from Earth and into interstellar space. Yet for a portion of every year, both spacecrafts’ distances to Earth decrease. How is this possible? This chart shows the location of Voyager 2 as it leaves the solar system. Image via TheSkyLive.com. Used with permission.

Why are the Voyager spacecraft getting closer to Earth?

For a few months each year, the distances between the Voyager spacecraft and Earth actually decrease. You might know that both Voyager spacecraft were launched into space in the 1970s and visited the outer planets through the 1980s. They’ve been heading out of our solar system ever since. In 2012, Voyager 1 entered interstellar space. Then, in 2018, NASA announced that Voyager 2 had entered interstellar space, too. They are both headed outward, never to return to Earth. So, can they get closer?

The answer is that for a few months each year, Earth in its orbit moves toward the spacecraft faster than they’re moving away. Earth’s motion around the sun is faster than the motion of the Voyager spacecraft. Earth moves through space at a speed of 67,000 miles per hour (30 km/s). Voyager 1 moves at a speed of 38,000 miles per hour (17 km/s). Voyager 2 moves at a speed of 35,000 miles per hour (16 km/s).

So, for a portion of the year, Earth comes around the side of the sun and is speeding toward the spacecraft faster than they’re moving away. Therefore their distances to Earth are getting closer, if only temporarily. They never change their outward motion. It is we who change.

From this video, you can see the trajectory of the Voyager spacecraft as they leave Earth, encounter the outer planets (changing their trajectories), and then head in a straight line outward, out of the solar system.

Where are Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 now?

Don’t miss the next unmissable night sky event. Sign up to our free newsletter for daily night sky updates, as well as the latest science news.

A closer look at Voyager 2 in relation to Earth

Let’s look specifically at Voyager 2 as an example. Every year from late February to the beginning of June, Voyager 2 actually gets closer to Earth. We measure the distance between objects in space in astronomical units, or AU. This measurement is based on the distance between Earth and the sun, which is one AU.

On February 9, 2026, Voyager 2 was 143.09 AU from Earth. Then, Earth’s orbit began bringing us closer to Voyager 2 once again. The distance between us and Voyager 2 will continue to shrinking until early June when it’ll be 143.4 AU from Earth.

View larger. | This graph shows the distance of Voyager 2 from Earth from January 2020 through January 2030. It’s not a straight line because as Earth circles the sun. Earth’s faster speed means that for a part of every year, Voyager 2 and Earth temporarily get closer together. Image via TheSkyLive.com. Used with permission.

Read more: Voyager 1 location

Bottom line: The Voyager spacecraft are on a never-ending journey away from Earth. So, why do the distances between the spacecraft and Earth decrease for a few months every year? It’s because for a few months, Earth moves toward the spacecraft faster in its orbit around the sun than the spacecraft moves away from us.

The post Why are the Voyager spacecraft getting closer to Earth now? first appeared on EarthSky.

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Virga is rain that doesn’t reach the ground

Rain that doesn’t reach the ground

Have you seen clouds that are pouring rain … but the rain never reaches the ground? Meteorologists call this rain by the name virga. You see virga in places where the air is dry, and often warm. The rain evaporates as it falls, before hitting Earth. So you might see virga in a desert or at high altitudes, for example, in the western U.S. and Canadian prairies, the Middle East, Australia and North Africa. Virga isn’t rare. But it’s delicate and very beautiful. Maybe you’ve seen it lots of times, but never knew it had a name?

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ross Stone caught this virga – rain that doesn’t reach the ground – at Big Pine, California, on September 21, 2024. Good catch, Ross! Thank you.

Virga on radar

Sometimes, when you’re looking at your weather app, you might see what looks like rain or snow on the radar, but nothing is falling outside. Instead, look up at the clouds and see if you can spot virga. The radar is picking up precipitation in the air which is just not reaching the ground. As weather.gov says:

The radar isn’t lying, rather, the rain or snow is not hitting the ground. If you have a dry air mass in place in the low levels, sometimes rain cannot completely penetrate that dry layer before it evaporates.

This graphic gives you a better idea of how virga forms. The rainclouds higher up in the atmosphere are dropping rain, but as that moisture hits drier air below, it evaporates. So you might see radar indicating rain or snow, but nothing is reaching the ground. Image via weather.gov (public domain).

Do you want to learn to identify virga when you see it? Check out the photos on this page from our global EarthSky community. Once you acquaint yourself with the variations of virga, you’ll be able to spot it in your own sky. If you capture a photo of virga, submit it to us!

Can you identify virga?

Photos of virga from EarthSky’s community

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Susan Jensen captured this image on May 6, 2024, in Washington. She wrote: “Late afternoon thunder with a few brief lightning flashes caught my attention! These were such beautiful virga clouds.” Thank you, Susan.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Helio C. Vital from Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, took this photo on December 17, 2023, and wrote: “The photo shows precipitation that is seen pending from a cloud and evaporating before reaching the ground (virga). The virga was backlit by the setting sun, that caused its strong reddish color.” Thank you, Helio!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jennifer Browne captured this scene of virga and New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains on October 23, 2023. Jennifer wrote: “Looking west from my home. The magic of Santa Fe sunsets.” Thank you, Jennifer! Look closely, and you’ll see the wispy undersides of the clouds. That’s virga.

Virga photos

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sandi Hryhor in Blairstown, New Jersey, caught this image of virga on March 26, 2022. Sandi wrote: “Taken at the Blairstown airport. It was completely overcast when we left our house 10 miles away, then some sun, then it hailed, and this sky greeted us when we arrived.” Thank you for sharing!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jan Curtis took this photo on December 17, 2021, and wrote: “The lower levels of the atmosphere are very cold and moist. Lots of virga (ice crystals) are falling out of these thin cloud masses. Had this occurred in summer, severe weather is most likely later in the day. On this day, scattered convective snow shower occurred shortly after this mid-morning capture. An alternative cloud classification could be ‘altocumulus floccus clouds with virga’ but I believe these clouds were well below 6,000 feet [1,800 meters] above ground level.” Thank you, Jan!

More photos

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Wells Shoemaker from Burr Point, Utah, took this photo on April 22, 2019, and wrote: “Late sun slashed through a crease in the clouds to illuminate the Wingate and Navajo cliffs above the Dirty Devil River … through a lace of virga.” Thank you, Wells!

Virga over West Texas. Image via EarthSky founder, Deborah Byrd.

Peter Lowenstein captured this scene from Mutare, Zimbabwe, on March 5, 2019. He wrote: “Some lingering clouds and a strange curtain of virga left over after a late afternoon shower produced a spectacular display just after the sun had set below the horizon.” Thank you, Peter!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Here’s a tricky one: a virga rainbow. Hazel Holby in Willows, California, captured this image on September 29, 2021. She wrote: “Can you tell me how this rainbow managed to form? Thank you and love your site!” Thank you, Hazel! Les Cowley of the website Atmospheric Optics said: “This is a broad bow and also of variable width. These suggest that it was made by virga or other small water droplets. The smaller the water drops, the broader the bow. When the drops get down to mist size, then we have a fogbow.” Thank you, Les!

Bottom line: Learn what virga is and how it forms, and see great photos to help you learn how to identify it yourself!

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The post Virga is rain that doesn’t reach the ground first appeared on EarthSky.

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Rain that doesn’t reach the ground

Have you seen clouds that are pouring rain … but the rain never reaches the ground? Meteorologists call this rain by the name virga. You see virga in places where the air is dry, and often warm. The rain evaporates as it falls, before hitting Earth. So you might see virga in a desert or at high altitudes, for example, in the western U.S. and Canadian prairies, the Middle East, Australia and North Africa. Virga isn’t rare. But it’s delicate and very beautiful. Maybe you’ve seen it lots of times, but never knew it had a name?

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ross Stone caught this virga – rain that doesn’t reach the ground – at Big Pine, California, on September 21, 2024. Good catch, Ross! Thank you.

Virga on radar

Sometimes, when you’re looking at your weather app, you might see what looks like rain or snow on the radar, but nothing is falling outside. Instead, look up at the clouds and see if you can spot virga. The radar is picking up precipitation in the air which is just not reaching the ground. As weather.gov says:

The radar isn’t lying, rather, the rain or snow is not hitting the ground. If you have a dry air mass in place in the low levels, sometimes rain cannot completely penetrate that dry layer before it evaporates.

This graphic gives you a better idea of how virga forms. The rainclouds higher up in the atmosphere are dropping rain, but as that moisture hits drier air below, it evaporates. So you might see radar indicating rain or snow, but nothing is reaching the ground. Image via weather.gov (public domain).

Do you want to learn to identify virga when you see it? Check out the photos on this page from our global EarthSky community. Once you acquaint yourself with the variations of virga, you’ll be able to spot it in your own sky. If you capture a photo of virga, submit it to us!

Can you identify virga?

Photos of virga from EarthSky’s community

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Susan Jensen captured this image on May 6, 2024, in Washington. She wrote: “Late afternoon thunder with a few brief lightning flashes caught my attention! These were such beautiful virga clouds.” Thank you, Susan.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Helio C. Vital from Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, took this photo on December 17, 2023, and wrote: “The photo shows precipitation that is seen pending from a cloud and evaporating before reaching the ground (virga). The virga was backlit by the setting sun, that caused its strong reddish color.” Thank you, Helio!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jennifer Browne captured this scene of virga and New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains on October 23, 2023. Jennifer wrote: “Looking west from my home. The magic of Santa Fe sunsets.” Thank you, Jennifer! Look closely, and you’ll see the wispy undersides of the clouds. That’s virga.

Virga photos

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sandi Hryhor in Blairstown, New Jersey, caught this image of virga on March 26, 2022. Sandi wrote: “Taken at the Blairstown airport. It was completely overcast when we left our house 10 miles away, then some sun, then it hailed, and this sky greeted us when we arrived.” Thank you for sharing!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jan Curtis took this photo on December 17, 2021, and wrote: “The lower levels of the atmosphere are very cold and moist. Lots of virga (ice crystals) are falling out of these thin cloud masses. Had this occurred in summer, severe weather is most likely later in the day. On this day, scattered convective snow shower occurred shortly after this mid-morning capture. An alternative cloud classification could be ‘altocumulus floccus clouds with virga’ but I believe these clouds were well below 6,000 feet [1,800 meters] above ground level.” Thank you, Jan!

More photos

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Wells Shoemaker from Burr Point, Utah, took this photo on April 22, 2019, and wrote: “Late sun slashed through a crease in the clouds to illuminate the Wingate and Navajo cliffs above the Dirty Devil River … through a lace of virga.” Thank you, Wells!

Virga over West Texas. Image via EarthSky founder, Deborah Byrd.

Peter Lowenstein captured this scene from Mutare, Zimbabwe, on March 5, 2019. He wrote: “Some lingering clouds and a strange curtain of virga left over after a late afternoon shower produced a spectacular display just after the sun had set below the horizon.” Thank you, Peter!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Here’s a tricky one: a virga rainbow. Hazel Holby in Willows, California, captured this image on September 29, 2021. She wrote: “Can you tell me how this rainbow managed to form? Thank you and love your site!” Thank you, Hazel! Les Cowley of the website Atmospheric Optics said: “This is a broad bow and also of variable width. These suggest that it was made by virga or other small water droplets. The smaller the water drops, the broader the bow. When the drops get down to mist size, then we have a fogbow.” Thank you, Les!

Bottom line: Learn what virga is and how it forms, and see great photos to help you learn how to identify it yourself!

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

The Very Large Array is a collection of 27 radio antennas located near Socorro, New Mexico. Each antenna in the array measures 82 feet (25 m) in diameter and weighs about 507,000 pounds (230 metric tons). These telescopes have been used for SETI, the search for radio signals from aliens. But, so far, no alien signals have been verified. Image via Alex Savello/ NRAO/ SETI Institute.

• Astronomers have searched for alien radio signals for decades. But there are still no confirmed detections. Is space weather to blame?
• Space weather is the flow of energy and particles from the sun and other stars through space. Its presence in space could disrupt some types of artificial radio signals, says a new study from the SETI Institute.
• The researchers found similar effects on human-made radio signals from spacecraft in our own solar system, as the craft encounter our sun’s space weather.

Why no radio signals from aliens?

For decades, astronomers have looked for radio signals from alien civilizations. They call this endeavor SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. But so far, they haven’t found any confirmed signals from aliens. Why not? On March 5, 2026, two researchers at the SETI Institute in Mountainview, California, offered an explanation.

They said the answer might be space weather from our sun and other stars. That is, the restless activity of our sun and other stars in our Milky Way galaxy – as they send energy and particles sweeping across space – might be making signals from aliens harder to detect. So things like our sun’s solar wind (or the stellar winds from other stars) and the coronal mass ejections (great burps of material from our sun and other stars) might cause artificial signals to broaden and weaken so that they become unrecognizable. They said a signal might be “blurred” before it ever leaves its home star system.

In fact, the researchers say that our sun’s space weather affects radio signals close to home, including signals from spacecraft in our own solar system.

The researchers published their peer-reviewed findings in The Astrophysical Journal on March 5, 2026.

The new study offers a possible explanation for why astronomers haven’t found any confirmed extraterrestrial radio signals yet. Image via Breakthrough Listen/ Danielle Futselaar/ SETI Institute.

What is space weather?

Overall, space weather includes a constant stream of turbulent charged particles (mostly electrons and protons) flowing outward from our sun’s outer atmosphere. We call this stream of particles the solar wind when speaking of our sun and solar system. We call it stellar wind when speaking of other stars.

Space weather also includes coronal mass ejections (CMEs), or great burps of solar materials and magnetic fields that leave the sun’s surface and travel across space.

When strong streams of solar wind or strong CMEs reach Earth, they can create displays of beautiful auroras. But they can also affect earthly technologies such as power grids on Earth’s surface and satellites in space.

Search for narrowband radio signals

Meanwhile, for the most part, SETI astronomers have focused most of their efforts on the search for intelligent radio signals. They typically search for narrowband radio signals, which occupy a narrow range of frequencies or have a small fractional bandwidth. On Earth, these sorts of signals are typically artificial, not natural. That’s why astronomers look for them in space as possible evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. They are unlikely to be produced by natural earthly or astrophysical phenomena.

In fact, astronomers have made some detections of such narrowband signals. But they haven’t been able to verify any of them as artificial. Usually the signals have turned out to be earthly interference. Or the signals didn’t repeat, so that astronomers could re-observe them. In that case, we don’t know what they are.

PRESS RELEASEA new study by researchers at the SETI Institute suggests stellar “space weather” could make radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligence harder to detect. Stellar activity and plasma turbulence near a transmitting planet can broaden… ?

— SETI Institute (@setiinstitute.bsky.social) 2026-03-05T18:04:09.569Z

Does space weather affect alien radio signals?

But now, two researchers at the SETI Institute, Vishal Gajjar and Grayce C. Brown, have proposed a possible explanation for the dearth of signals. Intriguingly, they suggest that space weather might be to blame. Space weather is the environment around a star – including our own sun – where stellar winds of charged particles (plasma) stream out from the star. There can be turbulence in those winds, just like turbulence in our atmosphere. Coronal mass ejections are also part of space weather. These are huge eruptions of plasma from the surface of a star.

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

Vishal Gajjar at the SETI Institute is the lead author of the new study about alien radio signals and space weather. Image via Vishal Gajjar.

Space weather could distort narrowband alien radio signals

The new study found that space weather can “smear” a narrowband signal, making it more diffuse and weaker. This happens before the signal has even left the star system it originated from. So, by the time astronomers here on Earth detect it, it is already blurred so much as to be almost indistinguishable from natural broadband signals. Lead author Gajjar said:

SETI searches are often optimized for extremely narrow signals. If a signal gets broadened by its own star’s environment, it can slip below our detection thresholds, even if it’s there, potentially helping explain some of the radio silence we’ve seen in technosignature searches.

View larger. | Illustration of how space weather from the sun can affect communications, satellites, aircraft and more on Earth. Image via ESA/ Science Office (CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO).

Spacecraft in our solar system

The researchers tested the hypothesis further by using radio signals from active spacecraft in our own solar system. Our sun emits plasma in the solar wind. With this in mind, the researchers calibrated how the plasma broadens the narrowband radio signals from the spacecraft. Then, they extrapolated those results to a wide range of different stellar environments around various stars.

The results show how space weather can affect narrowband radio signals around different types of stars. This is true for red dwarf stars in particular, which are very active and emit more radiation and plasma than our sun. Plus, they are the most numerous type of star in our galaxy. Astronomers could now adapt future searches with the new findings in mind. As co-author Brown noted:

By quantifying how stellar activity can reshape narrowband signals, we can design searches that are better matched to what actually arrives at Earth, not just what might be transmitted.

View larger. | This artist’s concept of Europa Clipper shows the spacecraft silhouetted against Europa’s surface. Clipper will arrive at Jupiter in April 2030. The researchers studied the effects of space weather from the sun on spacecraft in the solar system. They found similar effects on radio signals from the spacecraft as postulated for alien radio signals from other star systems. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech.

Bottom line: Astronomers have looked for radio signals from aliens for decades. But none have been confirmed. A new study says space weather could make their detection difficult.

Source: Exo–IPM Scattering as a Hidden Gatekeeper of Narrowband Technosignatures

Via Space Institute

Read more: SETI@home takes a closer look at 100 notable signals

Read more: Strange double starlight pulses revealed in new SETI search

The post Why no radio signals from aliens? Is space weather to blame? first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/zvxQy84

The Very Large Array is a collection of 27 radio antennas located near Socorro, New Mexico. Each antenna in the array measures 82 feet (25 m) in diameter and weighs about 507,000 pounds (230 metric tons). These telescopes have been used for SETI, the search for radio signals from aliens. But, so far, no alien signals have been verified. Image via Alex Savello/ NRAO/ SETI Institute.

• Astronomers have searched for alien radio signals for decades. But there are still no confirmed detections. Is space weather to blame?
• Space weather is the flow of energy and particles from the sun and other stars through space. Its presence in space could disrupt some types of artificial radio signals, says a new study from the SETI Institute.
• The researchers found similar effects on human-made radio signals from spacecraft in our own solar system, as the craft encounter our sun’s space weather.

Why no radio signals from aliens?

For decades, astronomers have looked for radio signals from alien civilizations. They call this endeavor SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. But so far, they haven’t found any confirmed signals from aliens. Why not? On March 5, 2026, two researchers at the SETI Institute in Mountainview, California, offered an explanation.

They said the answer might be space weather from our sun and other stars. That is, the restless activity of our sun and other stars in our Milky Way galaxy – as they send energy and particles sweeping across space – might be making signals from aliens harder to detect. So things like our sun’s solar wind (or the stellar winds from other stars) and the coronal mass ejections (great burps of material from our sun and other stars) might cause artificial signals to broaden and weaken so that they become unrecognizable. They said a signal might be “blurred” before it ever leaves its home star system.

In fact, the researchers say that our sun’s space weather affects radio signals close to home, including signals from spacecraft in our own solar system.

The researchers published their peer-reviewed findings in The Astrophysical Journal on March 5, 2026.

The new study offers a possible explanation for why astronomers haven’t found any confirmed extraterrestrial radio signals yet. Image via Breakthrough Listen/ Danielle Futselaar/ SETI Institute.

What is space weather?

Overall, space weather includes a constant stream of turbulent charged particles (mostly electrons and protons) flowing outward from our sun’s outer atmosphere. We call this stream of particles the solar wind when speaking of our sun and solar system. We call it stellar wind when speaking of other stars.

Space weather also includes coronal mass ejections (CMEs), or great burps of solar materials and magnetic fields that leave the sun’s surface and travel across space.

When strong streams of solar wind or strong CMEs reach Earth, they can create displays of beautiful auroras. But they can also affect earthly technologies such as power grids on Earth’s surface and satellites in space.

Search for narrowband radio signals

Meanwhile, for the most part, SETI astronomers have focused most of their efforts on the search for intelligent radio signals. They typically search for narrowband radio signals, which occupy a narrow range of frequencies or have a small fractional bandwidth. On Earth, these sorts of signals are typically artificial, not natural. That’s why astronomers look for them in space as possible evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations. They are unlikely to be produced by natural earthly or astrophysical phenomena.

In fact, astronomers have made some detections of such narrowband signals. But they haven’t been able to verify any of them as artificial. Usually the signals have turned out to be earthly interference. Or the signals didn’t repeat, so that astronomers could re-observe them. In that case, we don’t know what they are.

PRESS RELEASEA new study by researchers at the SETI Institute suggests stellar “space weather” could make radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligence harder to detect. Stellar activity and plasma turbulence near a transmitting planet can broaden… ?

— SETI Institute (@setiinstitute.bsky.social) 2026-03-05T18:04:09.569Z

Does space weather affect alien radio signals?

But now, two researchers at the SETI Institute, Vishal Gajjar and Grayce C. Brown, have proposed a possible explanation for the dearth of signals. Intriguingly, they suggest that space weather might be to blame. Space weather is the environment around a star – including our own sun – where stellar winds of charged particles (plasma) stream out from the star. There can be turbulence in those winds, just like turbulence in our atmosphere. Coronal mass ejections are also part of space weather. These are huge eruptions of plasma from the surface of a star.

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

Vishal Gajjar at the SETI Institute is the lead author of the new study about alien radio signals and space weather. Image via Vishal Gajjar.

Space weather could distort narrowband alien radio signals

The new study found that space weather can “smear” a narrowband signal, making it more diffuse and weaker. This happens before the signal has even left the star system it originated from. So, by the time astronomers here on Earth detect it, it is already blurred so much as to be almost indistinguishable from natural broadband signals. Lead author Gajjar said:

SETI searches are often optimized for extremely narrow signals. If a signal gets broadened by its own star’s environment, it can slip below our detection thresholds, even if it’s there, potentially helping explain some of the radio silence we’ve seen in technosignature searches.

View larger. | Illustration of how space weather from the sun can affect communications, satellites, aircraft and more on Earth. Image via ESA/ Science Office (CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO).

Spacecraft in our solar system

The researchers tested the hypothesis further by using radio signals from active spacecraft in our own solar system. Our sun emits plasma in the solar wind. With this in mind, the researchers calibrated how the plasma broadens the narrowband radio signals from the spacecraft. Then, they extrapolated those results to a wide range of different stellar environments around various stars.

The results show how space weather can affect narrowband radio signals around different types of stars. This is true for red dwarf stars in particular, which are very active and emit more radiation and plasma than our sun. Plus, they are the most numerous type of star in our galaxy. Astronomers could now adapt future searches with the new findings in mind. As co-author Brown noted:

By quantifying how stellar activity can reshape narrowband signals, we can design searches that are better matched to what actually arrives at Earth, not just what might be transmitted.

View larger. | This artist’s concept of Europa Clipper shows the spacecraft silhouetted against Europa’s surface. Clipper will arrive at Jupiter in April 2030. The researchers studied the effects of space weather from the sun on spacecraft in the solar system. They found similar effects on radio signals from the spacecraft as postulated for alien radio signals from other star systems. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech.

Bottom line: Astronomers have looked for radio signals from aliens for decades. But none have been confirmed. A new study says space weather could make their detection difficult.

Source: Exo–IPM Scattering as a Hidden Gatekeeper of Narrowband Technosignatures

Via Space Institute

Read more: SETI@home takes a closer look at 100 notable signals

Read more: Strange double starlight pulses revealed in new SETI search

The post Why no radio signals from aliens? Is space weather to blame? first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/zvxQy84

Summer Triangle: A signpost for all seasons

The Summer Triangle consists of 3 bright stars in 3 separate constellations: Vega, Deneb and Altair. Chart via EarthSky.

Summer Triangle: Watch before dawn

Before sunup on March mornings, look for the Summer Triangle. Although it’s not summer at our northern latitudes, the Summer Triangle’s three bright stars – Vega, Deneb and Altair – are visible now in the east before sunrise. They’re all 1st-magnitude stars and the brightest stars in their constellations. The three stars are: Vega in Lyra the Harp, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan and Altair in Aquila the Eagle.

The Summer Triangle isn’t one of the officially recognized 88 constellations. Like the Big Dipper, it’s what’s called an asterism, a pattern of stars that’s easy to pick out.

For much of the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Triangle stars are up for at least part of the night every night of the year. Are you in the Southern Hemisphere? You probably won’t see the entire Summer Triangle yet before sunup from your part of the world. The star Deneb will be challenging to find in the glare of sunrise at southern temperate latitudes.

To gauge the size of the Summer Triangle, hold a one-foot (30cm) ruler at arm’s length from your eye. The ruler (about 1/3 of a meter) pretty much fills the gap between Vega and Altair, the Summer Triangle’s 1st- and 2nd-brightest stars, respectively.

Under a dark sky and on a moonless night, the Great Rift passes right through the Summer Triangle. Also, in this image we can see the asterism of the Summer Triangle, a giant triangle in the sky composed of the three bright stars Vega (top left), Altair (lower middle) and Deneb (far left). Image via NASA/ A. Fujii/ ESA.

Prominent after sunset around the northern summer solstice

Like all the stars, the stars of the Summer Triangle rise four minutes earlier with each passing day. That also means, the stars rise two hours earlier with each passing month. Why is this happening? It’s happening because Earth is orbiting the sun, and our night sky is pointing outward toward an ever-changing panorama of stars.

Around May 1, the Summer Triangle will climb over the eastern horizon around local midnight (1 a.m. daylight saving time).

When middle to late June comes rolling along, you’ll see the Summer Triangle sparkling in the east at evening dusk. Watch for it around the time of the June solstice. It’s a sure sign of summer’s return to the Northern Hemisphere.

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View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steve Wilson captured this image on October 8, 2023, from Kansas and wrote: “Went out to a dark sky site south of Salina, Kansas to the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge to take this photo of the Milky Way and the Summer Triangle.” Thank you, Steve!

Bottom line: Watch for the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle – Vega, Deneb and Altair – before dawn in March, before midnight in May and at dusk near the June solstice.

The post Summer Triangle: A signpost for all seasons first appeared on EarthSky.

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The Summer Triangle consists of 3 bright stars in 3 separate constellations: Vega, Deneb and Altair. Chart via EarthSky.

Summer Triangle: Watch before dawn

Before sunup on March mornings, look for the Summer Triangle. Although it’s not summer at our northern latitudes, the Summer Triangle’s three bright stars – Vega, Deneb and Altair – are visible now in the east before sunrise. They’re all 1st-magnitude stars and the brightest stars in their constellations. The three stars are: Vega in Lyra the Harp, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan and Altair in Aquila the Eagle.

The Summer Triangle isn’t one of the officially recognized 88 constellations. Like the Big Dipper, it’s what’s called an asterism, a pattern of stars that’s easy to pick out.

For much of the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Triangle stars are up for at least part of the night every night of the year. Are you in the Southern Hemisphere? You probably won’t see the entire Summer Triangle yet before sunup from your part of the world. The star Deneb will be challenging to find in the glare of sunrise at southern temperate latitudes.

To gauge the size of the Summer Triangle, hold a one-foot (30cm) ruler at arm’s length from your eye. The ruler (about 1/3 of a meter) pretty much fills the gap between Vega and Altair, the Summer Triangle’s 1st- and 2nd-brightest stars, respectively.

Under a dark sky and on a moonless night, the Great Rift passes right through the Summer Triangle. Also, in this image we can see the asterism of the Summer Triangle, a giant triangle in the sky composed of the three bright stars Vega (top left), Altair (lower middle) and Deneb (far left). Image via NASA/ A. Fujii/ ESA.

Prominent after sunset around the northern summer solstice

Like all the stars, the stars of the Summer Triangle rise four minutes earlier with each passing day. That also means, the stars rise two hours earlier with each passing month. Why is this happening? It’s happening because Earth is orbiting the sun, and our night sky is pointing outward toward an ever-changing panorama of stars.

Around May 1, the Summer Triangle will climb over the eastern horizon around local midnight (1 a.m. daylight saving time).

When middle to late June comes rolling along, you’ll see the Summer Triangle sparkling in the east at evening dusk. Watch for it around the time of the June solstice. It’s a sure sign of summer’s return to the Northern Hemisphere.

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

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

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steve Wilson captured this image on October 8, 2023, from Kansas and wrote: “Went out to a dark sky site south of Salina, Kansas to the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge to take this photo of the Milky Way and the Summer Triangle.” Thank you, Steve!

Bottom line: Watch for the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle – Vega, Deneb and Altair – before dawn in March, before midnight in May and at dusk near the June solstice.

The post Summer Triangle: A signpost for all seasons first appeared on EarthSky.

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Mizar and Alcor in the bend of the Big Dipper

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Abdul Thomas captured this image through a telescope in Leeds on February 2, 2024, and said: “Mizar and Alcor, a double star system in the northern constellation of Ursa Major the Great Bear. These 2 stars are clearly visible with the unaided eye and located on the handle of The Plough (Big Dipper) asterism.” Thank you, Abdul!

Mizar and Alcor

Mizar and its fainter companion star Alcor make up one of the most famous double stars in the sky. These two stars are bound to one another by gravity. And they’re located in the famous Big Dipper, an asterism which is ascending in the northeast on February and March evenings. You can spot this pair easily, and it’s lots of fun to see them! Look at the middle star in the Dipper’s handle. You’ll spot Mizar first, because it’s brighter. Look closely, and you’ll see fainter Alcor right next to Mizar.

Historically, Mizar and Alcor are a test of eyesight. But even people with less-than-perfect eyesight can see the two stars, especially if they’re looking in a dark, clear sky. This pair of stars in the Big Dipper’s handle has the nickname of horse and rider. If you can’t see fainter Alcor with the unaided eye, use binoculars to see Mizar’s nearby companion.

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On February and March evenings, the Big Dipper is ascending in the northeast. The famous star pair Mizar and Alcor is the 2nd star to the end of the Dipper’s handle. Look closely, and you’ll see the 2 points of light. Mizar is the brighter one, and Alcor is the fainter one.

Mizar alone is a quadruple star

Mizar is perhaps the Big Dipper’s most famous star, glorified in the annals of astronomy many times over. Apart from Alcor, Mizar by itself is a double star. In fact, it was the first double star known. An Italian astronomer brought it to the attention of Galileo in 1617. A third Italian astronomer, Giovanni Battista Riccioli, wrote about Mizar as a double star.

Few, if any, astronomers back then even dreamed that double stars were anything other than chance alignments of physically unrelated stars. Yet, in 1889, a spectroscope revealed that the brighter component of Mizar’s two stars consisted of two stars itself. This made Mizar the first binary star ever discovered by spectroscopic means.

Later, Mizar’s dimmer telescopic component also showed itself to be a spectroscopic binary, meaning that Mizar consists of two sets of binaries, making it a quadruple star.

Mizar and Alcor. Mizar is the brighter of the two. Image via Fred Espenak/ AstroPixels.com. Used with permission.

And Alcor is double

As for Alcor, scientists long believed that Mizar and Alcor were not gravitationally bound and did not form a true binary star system. Not until 2009 did our knowledge expand. Two groups of astronomers independently reported that Alcor is itself a binary, consisting of Alcor A and Alcor B. Astronomers now believe that the Alcor binary system is gravitationally bound to the Mizar quadruple system. That makes this “double” star six stars in all, but we can only see two with the unaided eye.

Mizar and Alcor have proven to not only be a test of human eyesight, but a test of the limits of our technological vision as well.

Located in the handle of the Big Dipper, Mizar (brighter at right center) and Alcor (fainter and centered) make up one of the most famous visual double stars in the sky. Image via ESO/ Online Digitized Sky Survey.

Bottom line: Famous star pair Mizar and Alcor is easy to find in the handle of the Big Dipper. Mizar is really four stars, and Alcor is two stars. So what we see as two stars are really six in one!

The post Mizar and Alcor in the bend of the Big Dipper first appeared on EarthSky.

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View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Abdul Thomas captured this image through a telescope in Leeds on February 2, 2024, and said: “Mizar and Alcor, a double star system in the northern constellation of Ursa Major the Great Bear. These 2 stars are clearly visible with the unaided eye and located on the handle of The Plough (Big Dipper) asterism.” Thank you, Abdul!

Mizar and Alcor

Mizar and its fainter companion star Alcor make up one of the most famous double stars in the sky. These two stars are bound to one another by gravity. And they’re located in the famous Big Dipper, an asterism which is ascending in the northeast on February and March evenings. You can spot this pair easily, and it’s lots of fun to see them! Look at the middle star in the Dipper’s handle. You’ll spot Mizar first, because it’s brighter. Look closely, and you’ll see fainter Alcor right next to Mizar.

Historically, Mizar and Alcor are a test of eyesight. But even people with less-than-perfect eyesight can see the two stars, especially if they’re looking in a dark, clear sky. This pair of stars in the Big Dipper’s handle has the nickname of horse and rider. If you can’t see fainter Alcor with the unaided eye, use binoculars to see Mizar’s nearby companion.

EarthSky lunar calendars are back in stock! And we’re guaranteed to sell out, so get one while you can. Your support means the world to us and allows us to keep going. Purchase here.

On February and March evenings, the Big Dipper is ascending in the northeast. The famous star pair Mizar and Alcor is the 2nd star to the end of the Dipper’s handle. Look closely, and you’ll see the 2 points of light. Mizar is the brighter one, and Alcor is the fainter one.

Mizar alone is a quadruple star

Mizar is perhaps the Big Dipper’s most famous star, glorified in the annals of astronomy many times over. Apart from Alcor, Mizar by itself is a double star. In fact, it was the first double star known. An Italian astronomer brought it to the attention of Galileo in 1617. A third Italian astronomer, Giovanni Battista Riccioli, wrote about Mizar as a double star.

Few, if any, astronomers back then even dreamed that double stars were anything other than chance alignments of physically unrelated stars. Yet, in 1889, a spectroscope revealed that the brighter component of Mizar’s two stars consisted of two stars itself. This made Mizar the first binary star ever discovered by spectroscopic means.

Later, Mizar’s dimmer telescopic component also showed itself to be a spectroscopic binary, meaning that Mizar consists of two sets of binaries, making it a quadruple star.

Mizar and Alcor. Mizar is the brighter of the two. Image via Fred Espenak/ AstroPixels.com. Used with permission.

And Alcor is double

As for Alcor, scientists long believed that Mizar and Alcor were not gravitationally bound and did not form a true binary star system. Not until 2009 did our knowledge expand. Two groups of astronomers independently reported that Alcor is itself a binary, consisting of Alcor A and Alcor B. Astronomers now believe that the Alcor binary system is gravitationally bound to the Mizar quadruple system. That makes this “double” star six stars in all, but we can only see two with the unaided eye.

Mizar and Alcor have proven to not only be a test of human eyesight, but a test of the limits of our technological vision as well.

Located in the handle of the Big Dipper, Mizar (brighter at right center) and Alcor (fainter and centered) make up one of the most famous visual double stars in the sky. Image via ESO/ Online Digitized Sky Survey.

Bottom line: Famous star pair Mizar and Alcor is easy to find in the handle of the Big Dipper. Mizar is really four stars, and Alcor is two stars. So what we see as two stars are really six in one!

The post Mizar and Alcor in the bend of the Big Dipper first appeared on EarthSky.

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Meet the constellation Lynx, overhead in March

The constellation Lynx lies far in the north and passes overhead in the Northern Hemisphere on March evenings. It resides not far from Gemini’s twin stars, Castor and Pollux.

The constellation of the Lynx, named for the wild cat, may be dim, but it holds a few notable deep-sky objects, including the strange globular cluster known as the Intergalactic Wanderer. March is a great time to view Lynx when it’s positioned high in the sky, passing overhead for those in the Northern Hemisphere. Learn more about the constellation’s stars and how to find it.

The creation of the constellation Lynx

The Lynx is another constellation, similar to Lacerta and Leo Minor, that astronomer Johannes Hevelius created out of the vast darkness between major constellations in the late 1600s. Hevelius supposedly named this smattering of dim stars for a lynx, due to its fine eyesight. It would take someone with equally fine eyesight to discern the form of a lynx here.

View larger. | The constellation Lynx keeps company with many other animals in the sky, including a giraffe, bear, lion and crab. Image via Stellarium.

Finding the constellation Lynx

The Lynx is located between well-known constellations. Look for it in front of the nose and front paws of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. On the opposite side from Ursa Major, Lynx is bordered by Castor and Pollux the Twins and Auriga the Charioteer with its brilliant star Capella. If you can find Ursa Major and Auriga, the quiet dark space between them is the home of the Lynx.

View larger. | The constellation Lynx may be subtle, but the surrounding constellations are not. Lynx lies in front of the bear’s head in Ursa Major. The bright star Capella in Auriga the Charioteer is on the other side of Lynx from Ursa Major. The Twin stars Castor and Pollux are to the west. Image via Stellarium.

The stars of the Lynx

The two brightest stars in Lynx lie together in the very corner of the constellation. Find them under Ursa Major’s front paws and above the head of Leo the Lion. The star closer to Leo is Alpha Lyncis at magnitude 3.14. It lies 222 light-years away. The star above it, at magnitude 3.82, has the designation 38 Lyncis. It lies at a distance of 122 light-years from us.

The stars of Lynx form a crooked line. The constellation lies above the 2 bright stars in Gemini the Twins. Lynx’s 2 brightest stars lie in the bottom corner in this chart. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Galaxies in the constellation Lynx

The brightest galaxy in Lynx is about six degrees from the stars Alpha and 38 Lyncis. Look in the direction of Castor and Pollux in Gemini. This galaxy, NGC 2683, also lies straight up from the constellation Cancer. If you extend a line from the Beehive Cluster at the center of Cancer through the star Iota Cancri, you’ll come to NGC 2683 just across the border in Lynx. NGC 2683 has a magnitude of 9.69 (seeing it requires at least a medium-sized telescope) and lies 16 million light-years away. This spiral galaxy, which bears the nickname the UFO Galaxy, is oriented nearly edge-on from our perspective.

The Hubble Space Telescope took this image of the spiral galaxy NGC 2683. It has the nickname the UFO Galaxy. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Another notable galaxy, near the center of the constellation, is the Bear Paw Galaxy, or NGC 2537. It’s a challengingly faint dwarf galaxy with a magnitude of 11.7. It consists of a half circle shape with a line sticking out of it. Does it look like a bear’s paw to you?

The Bear Paw Galaxy, NGC 2537, has a magnitude of 11.7. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

The Intergalactic Wanderer

The last deep-sky target we’ll cover in Lynx is the Intergalactic Wanderer, NGC 2419. It lies seven degrees from the star Castor, when heading north in the direction of Polaris. The Intergalactic Wanderer is a globular cluster shining at magnitude 10.4. You will need a large telescope to see it. An unnamed magnitude 7.2 star lies beside NGC 2419.

This globular cluster got its name because it’s at such a tremendous distance from us; approximately 300,000 light-years away. Normal globular clusters are huge groupings of stars that are gravitationally bound to a galaxy and rotate around it, outside of the central region of a galaxy.

But the Intergalactic Wanderer is even farther away from the Milky Way than some of our galaxy’s satellite galaxies, such as the Magellanic Clouds. Therefore, the Intergalactic Wanderer seems to be near the theoretical limit for globular clusters bound to our galaxy.

NGC 2419, or the Intergalactic Wanderer, is a globular star cluster that lies farther away from our Milky Way galaxy than its largest satellite galaxies. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Bottom line: The constellation Lynx represents a cat and passes high overhead in March skies for the Northern Hemisphere. Learn its stars and deep-sky objects.

The post Meet the constellation Lynx, overhead in March first appeared on EarthSky.

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The constellation Lynx lies far in the north and passes overhead in the Northern Hemisphere on March evenings. It resides not far from Gemini’s twin stars, Castor and Pollux.

The constellation of the Lynx, named for the wild cat, may be dim, but it holds a few notable deep-sky objects, including the strange globular cluster known as the Intergalactic Wanderer. March is a great time to view Lynx when it’s positioned high in the sky, passing overhead for those in the Northern Hemisphere. Learn more about the constellation’s stars and how to find it.

The creation of the constellation Lynx

The Lynx is another constellation, similar to Lacerta and Leo Minor, that astronomer Johannes Hevelius created out of the vast darkness between major constellations in the late 1600s. Hevelius supposedly named this smattering of dim stars for a lynx, due to its fine eyesight. It would take someone with equally fine eyesight to discern the form of a lynx here.

View larger. | The constellation Lynx keeps company with many other animals in the sky, including a giraffe, bear, lion and crab. Image via Stellarium.

Finding the constellation Lynx

The Lynx is located between well-known constellations. Look for it in front of the nose and front paws of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. On the opposite side from Ursa Major, Lynx is bordered by Castor and Pollux the Twins and Auriga the Charioteer with its brilliant star Capella. If you can find Ursa Major and Auriga, the quiet dark space between them is the home of the Lynx.

View larger. | The constellation Lynx may be subtle, but the surrounding constellations are not. Lynx lies in front of the bear’s head in Ursa Major. The bright star Capella in Auriga the Charioteer is on the other side of Lynx from Ursa Major. The Twin stars Castor and Pollux are to the west. Image via Stellarium.

The stars of the Lynx

The two brightest stars in Lynx lie together in the very corner of the constellation. Find them under Ursa Major’s front paws and above the head of Leo the Lion. The star closer to Leo is Alpha Lyncis at magnitude 3.14. It lies 222 light-years away. The star above it, at magnitude 3.82, has the designation 38 Lyncis. It lies at a distance of 122 light-years from us.

The stars of Lynx form a crooked line. The constellation lies above the 2 bright stars in Gemini the Twins. Lynx’s 2 brightest stars lie in the bottom corner in this chart. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Galaxies in the constellation Lynx

The brightest galaxy in Lynx is about six degrees from the stars Alpha and 38 Lyncis. Look in the direction of Castor and Pollux in Gemini. This galaxy, NGC 2683, also lies straight up from the constellation Cancer. If you extend a line from the Beehive Cluster at the center of Cancer through the star Iota Cancri, you’ll come to NGC 2683 just across the border in Lynx. NGC 2683 has a magnitude of 9.69 (seeing it requires at least a medium-sized telescope) and lies 16 million light-years away. This spiral galaxy, which bears the nickname the UFO Galaxy, is oriented nearly edge-on from our perspective.

The Hubble Space Telescope took this image of the spiral galaxy NGC 2683. It has the nickname the UFO Galaxy. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Another notable galaxy, near the center of the constellation, is the Bear Paw Galaxy, or NGC 2537. It’s a challengingly faint dwarf galaxy with a magnitude of 11.7. It consists of a half circle shape with a line sticking out of it. Does it look like a bear’s paw to you?

The Bear Paw Galaxy, NGC 2537, has a magnitude of 11.7. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

The Intergalactic Wanderer

The last deep-sky target we’ll cover in Lynx is the Intergalactic Wanderer, NGC 2419. It lies seven degrees from the star Castor, when heading north in the direction of Polaris. The Intergalactic Wanderer is a globular cluster shining at magnitude 10.4. You will need a large telescope to see it. An unnamed magnitude 7.2 star lies beside NGC 2419.

This globular cluster got its name because it’s at such a tremendous distance from us; approximately 300,000 light-years away. Normal globular clusters are huge groupings of stars that are gravitationally bound to a galaxy and rotate around it, outside of the central region of a galaxy.

But the Intergalactic Wanderer is even farther away from the Milky Way than some of our galaxy’s satellite galaxies, such as the Magellanic Clouds. Therefore, the Intergalactic Wanderer seems to be near the theoretical limit for globular clusters bound to our galaxy.

NGC 2419, or the Intergalactic Wanderer, is a globular star cluster that lies farther away from our Milky Way galaxy than its largest satellite galaxies. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Bottom line: The constellation Lynx represents a cat and passes high overhead in March skies for the Northern Hemisphere. Learn its stars and deep-sky objects.

The post Meet the constellation Lynx, overhead in March first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/jzHVqPF