Juno measures fiery Io’s subsurface temperature for 1st time

NASA’s Galileo spacecraft obtained this image of Jupiter’s moon Io on June 28, 1997. Here, an active volcano erupts on the moon’s horizon at the top. Now, the Juno orbiter has measured Io’s subsurface temperature for the 1st time. Image via NASA/ JPL/ University of Arizona.

• Io, a moon of Jupiter, is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. So it is hot on the inside, despite being freezing cold on the near-airless surface.
• NASA’s Juno spacecraft, orbiting Jupiter, has now measured the temperature of Io just below the surface.
• Juno found that the temperature rose by more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit every few feet going deeper into the crust.

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Measuring Io’s subsurface temperature

Jupiter’s moon Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. The gravity of Jupiter squeezing Io generates massive amounts of heat within the moon, powering the volcanoes that burst through its crust. And finally, scientists have obtained the first temperature measurements from below Io’s surface.

NASA said on July 22, 2026, that the Juno spacecraft found significant heating in the shallow subsurface of Io during two flybys of the moon.

Io sometimes is referred to as the “pizza moon” because its surface resembles a pizza, with its colorful surface pockmarked by its volcanoes and other volcanic features. The Voyager, Galileo and Juno probes have all taken images of some of Io’s volcanoes actually erupting, too.

The researchers published their peer-reviewed findings in the journal JGR Planets on July 22, 2026.

Io’s temperature below the surface

We know Io is naturally hot inside. This comes from tidal heating, which powers the moon’s many volcanoes. As Io orbits Jupiter, the giant planets pulls and squeezes Io, creating heat inside the moon.

But scientists hadn’t been able to determine the temperature of Io’s subsurface until this new study. The new measurement comes courtesy of the Microwave Radiometer instrument on the Juno spacecraft.

Co-author Scott Bolton, at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, said:

The Juno Microwave Radiometer directly observed Io’s heat output by looking below the surface. The surprising discovery that we could see below a rocky moon’s surface has important implications for studying Earth’s volcanoes. Juno has taught us that if we look with a Microwave Radiometer-type instrument near a volcano on Earth, we might see a similar signature in the subsurface temperature gradient, providing new information on how terrestrial volcanoes work.

View larger. | This map from Juno‘s Microwave Radiometer instrument shows the areas with the most heat below the surface (hottest is in red). Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ USGS.

View larger. | The areas sampled by Juno‘s Microwave Radiometer instrument on Io. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ USGS.

A hot new technique

Scientists originally designed the Microwave Radiometer to examine the deep atmosphere of Jupiter itself. It has six microwave antennas, which work together to detect microwave radiation. But in Juno’s extended mission phase, it has also looked at the moons Ganymede, Europa and Io. As Bolton explained:

The technique is novel in that each wavelength explores different depths, providing a new way to characterize the deep atmosphere of giant planets and the subsurface crusts of icy and rocky moons. At Ganymede and Europa, we explored tens of miles below the surface, assuming their ice shells were mostly pure water, but the ability to probe into the volcanic rock at Io was an unexpected discovery.

The Microwave Radiometer measured Io’s thermal emission: the process where an object with a temperature above absolute zero gives off energy as thermal radiation, mainly in the form of infrared waves. The measurements ranged from a few inches to 10s of feet below the surface. Shannon Brown, lead author of the new paper at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and Caltech, said:

Everywhere we looked, we found the temperature rising by more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit just several feet into the surface; a gradient far steeper than solar heating alone can explain.

View larger. | NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this view of Io on December 30, 2023. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ MSSS/ Gerald Eichstädt.

Where is the excess heat coming from?

The researchers found that Io has an unexpected extra background flow of heat in its interior. The background heat flow itself is small, 1 to 3 watts per square meter. But when measured across the entire moon, the amount is much greater, about 30 time that of Earth on average.

Where is the excess heat coming from? The researchers present two possibilities. The first is that the heat is steadily rising upward through a conductive crust. The other possibility is that the heat is coming from cooling lava flows. These lava flows are about 30 to 35 feet (9 to 11 meters) below a layer of solidified crust.

Overall, Io provides valuable values as to how tidal heating works on different bodies in the solar system and beyond. Bolton explained:

Io provides a unique window into learning how tidal heating works throughout the cosmos, a fundamental process that provides energy and heat to worlds that are far from their parent star. This process can not only create the most volcanic body in the solar system, in the case of Io, but also fuels the subsurface oceans on the moons of giant planets, such as Europa and Ganymede. Up until this point we could only observe the heat escaping at the surface or through eruptions. Now we can characterize how the heat is moving from the interior toward the surface.

Shannon Brown at JPL and Caltech is the lead author of the new paper about Io. Image via IEEE Explore.

A smooth world

Juno also found that Io is quite smooth, overall. It does have mountains and volcanoes, but there are also vast smooth patches that extend 60 miles (100 km) or more. The surface material is also of surprisingly low density. Brown said:

Away from its mountains, the surface is more like the Great Plains of North America, and even though Io is a rocky body, the surface material has a very low density, more like pumice or a fluffy volcanic ash than solid rock.

What would it be like to walk on that surface?

Bottom line: NASA’s Juno spacecraft has measured Jupiter’s moon Io’s subsurface temperature for the 1st time, providing new clues about the tidally-heated volcanic world.

Source: Io Sub-Surface Temperature Profile Observed by the Juno Microwave Radiometer

Via NASA

Read more: Jupiter’s moon Io has a new volcano! See pics here

Read more: Jupiter’s moon Io as you’ve never seen it

The post Juno measures fiery Io’s subsurface temperature for 1st time first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/hACnyX3

NASA’s Galileo spacecraft obtained this image of Jupiter’s moon Io on June 28, 1997. Here, an active volcano erupts on the moon’s horizon at the top. Now, the Juno orbiter has measured Io’s subsurface temperature for the 1st time. Image via NASA/ JPL/ University of Arizona.

• Io, a moon of Jupiter, is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. So it is hot on the inside, despite being freezing cold on the near-airless surface.
• NASA’s Juno spacecraft, orbiting Jupiter, has now measured the temperature of Io just below the surface.
• Juno found that the temperature rose by more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit every few feet going deeper into the crust.

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

Measuring Io’s subsurface temperature

Jupiter’s moon Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. The gravity of Jupiter squeezing Io generates massive amounts of heat within the moon, powering the volcanoes that burst through its crust. And finally, scientists have obtained the first temperature measurements from below Io’s surface.

NASA said on July 22, 2026, that the Juno spacecraft found significant heating in the shallow subsurface of Io during two flybys of the moon.

Io sometimes is referred to as the “pizza moon” because its surface resembles a pizza, with its colorful surface pockmarked by its volcanoes and other volcanic features. The Voyager, Galileo and Juno probes have all taken images of some of Io’s volcanoes actually erupting, too.

The researchers published their peer-reviewed findings in the journal JGR Planets on July 22, 2026.

Io’s temperature below the surface

We know Io is naturally hot inside. This comes from tidal heating, which powers the moon’s many volcanoes. As Io orbits Jupiter, the giant planets pulls and squeezes Io, creating heat inside the moon.

But scientists hadn’t been able to determine the temperature of Io’s subsurface until this new study. The new measurement comes courtesy of the Microwave Radiometer instrument on the Juno spacecraft.

Co-author Scott Bolton, at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, said:

The Juno Microwave Radiometer directly observed Io’s heat output by looking below the surface. The surprising discovery that we could see below a rocky moon’s surface has important implications for studying Earth’s volcanoes. Juno has taught us that if we look with a Microwave Radiometer-type instrument near a volcano on Earth, we might see a similar signature in the subsurface temperature gradient, providing new information on how terrestrial volcanoes work.

View larger. | This map from Juno‘s Microwave Radiometer instrument shows the areas with the most heat below the surface (hottest is in red). Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ USGS.

View larger. | The areas sampled by Juno‘s Microwave Radiometer instrument on Io. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ USGS.

A hot new technique

Scientists originally designed the Microwave Radiometer to examine the deep atmosphere of Jupiter itself. It has six microwave antennas, which work together to detect microwave radiation. But in Juno’s extended mission phase, it has also looked at the moons Ganymede, Europa and Io. As Bolton explained:

The technique is novel in that each wavelength explores different depths, providing a new way to characterize the deep atmosphere of giant planets and the subsurface crusts of icy and rocky moons. At Ganymede and Europa, we explored tens of miles below the surface, assuming their ice shells were mostly pure water, but the ability to probe into the volcanic rock at Io was an unexpected discovery.

The Microwave Radiometer measured Io’s thermal emission: the process where an object with a temperature above absolute zero gives off energy as thermal radiation, mainly in the form of infrared waves. The measurements ranged from a few inches to 10s of feet below the surface. Shannon Brown, lead author of the new paper at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and Caltech, said:

Everywhere we looked, we found the temperature rising by more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit just several feet into the surface; a gradient far steeper than solar heating alone can explain.

View larger. | NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this view of Io on December 30, 2023. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ SwRI/ MSSS/ Gerald Eichstädt.

Where is the excess heat coming from?

The researchers found that Io has an unexpected extra background flow of heat in its interior. The background heat flow itself is small, 1 to 3 watts per square meter. But when measured across the entire moon, the amount is much greater, about 30 time that of Earth on average.

Where is the excess heat coming from? The researchers present two possibilities. The first is that the heat is steadily rising upward through a conductive crust. The other possibility is that the heat is coming from cooling lava flows. These lava flows are about 30 to 35 feet (9 to 11 meters) below a layer of solidified crust.

Overall, Io provides valuable values as to how tidal heating works on different bodies in the solar system and beyond. Bolton explained:

Io provides a unique window into learning how tidal heating works throughout the cosmos, a fundamental process that provides energy and heat to worlds that are far from their parent star. This process can not only create the most volcanic body in the solar system, in the case of Io, but also fuels the subsurface oceans on the moons of giant planets, such as Europa and Ganymede. Up until this point we could only observe the heat escaping at the surface or through eruptions. Now we can characterize how the heat is moving from the interior toward the surface.

Shannon Brown at JPL and Caltech is the lead author of the new paper about Io. Image via IEEE Explore.

A smooth world

Juno also found that Io is quite smooth, overall. It does have mountains and volcanoes, but there are also vast smooth patches that extend 60 miles (100 km) or more. The surface material is also of surprisingly low density. Brown said:

Away from its mountains, the surface is more like the Great Plains of North America, and even though Io is a rocky body, the surface material has a very low density, more like pumice or a fluffy volcanic ash than solid rock.

What would it be like to walk on that surface?

Bottom line: NASA’s Juno spacecraft has measured Jupiter’s moon Io’s subsurface temperature for the 1st time, providing new clues about the tidally-heated volcanic world.

Source: Io Sub-Surface Temperature Profile Observed by the Juno Microwave Radiometer

Via NASA

Read more: Jupiter’s moon Io has a new volcano! See pics here

Read more: Jupiter’s moon Io as you’ve never seen it

The post Juno measures fiery Io’s subsurface temperature for 1st time first appeared on EarthSky.

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Jimothy the raccoon is a survivor! Here’s why

• Jimothy the raccoon, a viral sensation from Seattle, likely has a rare spinal condition. He has defied the odds by surviving and thriving despite significant physical challenges.
• His survival highlights the remarkable adaptability of raccoons. Their highly developed brains, dense neurons and dexterous forepaws help them solve problems and navigate complex environments.
• Jimothy’s devoted mother also deserves a lot of credit. She likely provided extended care and hands-on teaching to help him develop the skills needed to survive independently.

By Kelly Lambert, University of Richmond

Science matters. Wonder matters. You matter. Join our 2026 Donation Campaign today.

The extraordinary story of Jimothy the raccoon

As a neuroscientist who studies raccoons and rats, I see the viral story of Jimothy the raccoon as a compelling tale of an animal overcoming disability and surviving in the wild.

Jimothy, the unique-looking raccoon living in Seattle, became an internet celebrity over the course of a week in July 2026. That was thanks to a viral Instagram post that has amassed millions of views and thousands of comments cheering for the proverbial underdog. Jimothy has even been honored with a city proclamation.

Something about him was obviously different. His body and tail were unusually short and his back was curved. Although Jimothy hasn’t been officially examined by a veterinarian, he’s thought to have a rare congenital spinal malformation known as short spine syndrome. A handful of cases have been seen in dogs. These animals are born with a condition that prevents their vertebrae from fully developing. With less physical space in the body, organs are crowded into a smaller space than usual and can lead to mobility issues.

Adaptations are essential for these animals to navigate their environments and obtain the resources they need to thrive. How did Jimothy beat the odds and emerge as a survivor?

Challenges of survival

It’s easy to imagine a pet dog that’s under the close care of human pet parents surviving a challenging condition such as short spine syndrome. But the probability of a disabled or injured wild animal successfully living in the uncertain outdoors is a different story.

Even for a healthy raccoon, it’s a challenge to survive the harrowing time of being a helpless newborn. Up to half of young kits die without emerging from the natal den. If an individual raccoon is among the fortunate to leave the den as a juvenile or young adult, life’s challenges don’t stop there. Typically there are no safe zones that are reliably protected from predators.

To survive, a raccoon has to be vigilant, persistent and physically agile. It has to navigate the physical and mental challenges of life in the wild. In fact, it’s so dangerous out in the wild that many raccoons only live two to five years. That’s despite the capacity to live for around 12 years in captivity.

It’s difficult to imagine how Jimothy has navigated life’s challenging terrain to survive in the wild. However, if any mammal can transcend the limitations of a disability, a raccoon would be at the top of my list.

The sophisticated raccoon brain

Very few studies have been conducted on the raccoon brain. But my lab’s limited research has revealed the neuroarchitecture of a complex and sophisticated brain. Raccoons have exceptionally high neuron densities. They resemble those of small primates. More neurons lead to greater flexibility in behavior, a characteristic that is likely facilitating Jimothy’s survival.

My team also identified the presence of specialized and fast-conducting brain cells called von Economo neurons. These are typically located in the areas of the brain involved in emotional, social and internal processing in people.

And perhaps the neuroevolutionary pièce de résistance of the raccoon: their hands. The forepaws of raccoon are extremely dexterous and sensitive. They occupy a large portion of their brain’s motor cortex, like that of people. This investment in hand movement takes raccoon learning abilities to the next level. It explains why Toronto paid roughly US$24 million to develop raccoon-proof trash bins.

These brain capabilities likely give Jimothy some neural backup as he navigates narrow fences, climbs trees, searches for food and scopes out places for rest and refuge.

If you look on Amazon, you can find lots of Jimothy the raccoon tees. This one is available for sale here.

Jimothy the raccoon and his mom, the hero

Equally impressive as Jimothy’s own adaptations is the continuous care provided by his mother.

As challenging as the raccoon mother’s role is while raising her young, raising a kit with special needs likely requires extra energy and patience. For raccoon families, the mother is very much a single parent. Not only does she not have help from the father, but she often moves the litter to different dens to escape the threat of males potentially harming the kits. She also needs to be an efficient forager to prevent excessive time away from her vulnerable offspring.

Unlike many mammals whose young become independent soon after weaning, raccoon mothers continue taking care of their kits for much longer. Although nursing typically ends around 16 weeks, raccoon youngsters often remain with their moms for up to nine months. From weaning to leaving the natal den, maternal raccoons take their family through something like homeschooling.

One of my favorite examples appears in the PBS documentary Raccoon Nation. In it, a raccoon mom takes her kits on a field trip to teach them how to collapse their spines to slide past a wooden garage door. For hours, she models the behavior for her young. Then she observes their attempts, catching them when they fall and nudging them to try again.

It’s apparent that Jimothy’s mother was no exception to the prototypical raccoon mother, serving as nurturer, protector and teacher. Based on the videos of older Jimothy running across a field, navigating fences and exploring his world, it appears that his mom’s hard work resulted in a remarkable return on her investment.

Jimothy the raccoon may be the one who captured attention, but his mother is the quiet hero behind his journey. Her care and guidance helped him overcome challenges and thrive in the wild. Image via Kiana Hall/ The Conversation.

Evolutionary perseverance

Even though the odds were stacked against Jimothy from the day of his birth, he persevered.

Jimothy is being celebrated for being different. But, in my opinion, the most interesting aspects of his story are two remarkable evolutionary achievements that all mammals share: a brain capable of adapting to an imperfect body and other life challenges, and a patient and caring mother or guardian who translates her offspring’s capabilities into abilities.

Jimothy’s mom celebrated his value long before his video debut and viral following.

Jimothy’s survival is a testament not only to the adaptability of the raccoon brain, but also to the power of maternal care in shaping an animal’s ability to survive and thrive. Image via Nika Elashvili/ Pexels.

Kelly Lambert, Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Richmond

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

Bottom line: Jimothy the raccoon has an inspiring story. It showcases how an animal can adapt – especially with the help of his mother – to overcome extraordinary challenges.

Read more: The red panda looks like a cross between a bear and a raccoon, but it’s neither!

Read more: Meerkats are our adorable and sociable lifeform of the week

The post Jimothy the raccoon is a survivor! Here’s why first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/vZrlAoX

• Jimothy the raccoon, a viral sensation from Seattle, likely has a rare spinal condition. He has defied the odds by surviving and thriving despite significant physical challenges.
• His survival highlights the remarkable adaptability of raccoons. Their highly developed brains, dense neurons and dexterous forepaws help them solve problems and navigate complex environments.
• Jimothy’s devoted mother also deserves a lot of credit. She likely provided extended care and hands-on teaching to help him develop the skills needed to survive independently.

By Kelly Lambert, University of Richmond

Science matters. Wonder matters. You matter. Join our 2026 Donation Campaign today.

The extraordinary story of Jimothy the raccoon

As a neuroscientist who studies raccoons and rats, I see the viral story of Jimothy the raccoon as a compelling tale of an animal overcoming disability and surviving in the wild.

Jimothy, the unique-looking raccoon living in Seattle, became an internet celebrity over the course of a week in July 2026. That was thanks to a viral Instagram post that has amassed millions of views and thousands of comments cheering for the proverbial underdog. Jimothy has even been honored with a city proclamation.

Something about him was obviously different. His body and tail were unusually short and his back was curved. Although Jimothy hasn’t been officially examined by a veterinarian, he’s thought to have a rare congenital spinal malformation known as short spine syndrome. A handful of cases have been seen in dogs. These animals are born with a condition that prevents their vertebrae from fully developing. With less physical space in the body, organs are crowded into a smaller space than usual and can lead to mobility issues.

Adaptations are essential for these animals to navigate their environments and obtain the resources they need to thrive. How did Jimothy beat the odds and emerge as a survivor?

Challenges of survival

It’s easy to imagine a pet dog that’s under the close care of human pet parents surviving a challenging condition such as short spine syndrome. But the probability of a disabled or injured wild animal successfully living in the uncertain outdoors is a different story.

Even for a healthy raccoon, it’s a challenge to survive the harrowing time of being a helpless newborn. Up to half of young kits die without emerging from the natal den. If an individual raccoon is among the fortunate to leave the den as a juvenile or young adult, life’s challenges don’t stop there. Typically there are no safe zones that are reliably protected from predators.

To survive, a raccoon has to be vigilant, persistent and physically agile. It has to navigate the physical and mental challenges of life in the wild. In fact, it’s so dangerous out in the wild that many raccoons only live two to five years. That’s despite the capacity to live for around 12 years in captivity.

It’s difficult to imagine how Jimothy has navigated life’s challenging terrain to survive in the wild. However, if any mammal can transcend the limitations of a disability, a raccoon would be at the top of my list.

The sophisticated raccoon brain

Very few studies have been conducted on the raccoon brain. But my lab’s limited research has revealed the neuroarchitecture of a complex and sophisticated brain. Raccoons have exceptionally high neuron densities. They resemble those of small primates. More neurons lead to greater flexibility in behavior, a characteristic that is likely facilitating Jimothy’s survival.

My team also identified the presence of specialized and fast-conducting brain cells called von Economo neurons. These are typically located in the areas of the brain involved in emotional, social and internal processing in people.

And perhaps the neuroevolutionary pièce de résistance of the raccoon: their hands. The forepaws of raccoon are extremely dexterous and sensitive. They occupy a large portion of their brain’s motor cortex, like that of people. This investment in hand movement takes raccoon learning abilities to the next level. It explains why Toronto paid roughly US$24 million to develop raccoon-proof trash bins.

These brain capabilities likely give Jimothy some neural backup as he navigates narrow fences, climbs trees, searches for food and scopes out places for rest and refuge.

If you look on Amazon, you can find lots of Jimothy the raccoon tees. This one is available for sale here.

Jimothy the raccoon and his mom, the hero

Equally impressive as Jimothy’s own adaptations is the continuous care provided by his mother.

As challenging as the raccoon mother’s role is while raising her young, raising a kit with special needs likely requires extra energy and patience. For raccoon families, the mother is very much a single parent. Not only does she not have help from the father, but she often moves the litter to different dens to escape the threat of males potentially harming the kits. She also needs to be an efficient forager to prevent excessive time away from her vulnerable offspring.

Unlike many mammals whose young become independent soon after weaning, raccoon mothers continue taking care of their kits for much longer. Although nursing typically ends around 16 weeks, raccoon youngsters often remain with their moms for up to nine months. From weaning to leaving the natal den, maternal raccoons take their family through something like homeschooling.

One of my favorite examples appears in the PBS documentary Raccoon Nation. In it, a raccoon mom takes her kits on a field trip to teach them how to collapse their spines to slide past a wooden garage door. For hours, she models the behavior for her young. Then she observes their attempts, catching them when they fall and nudging them to try again.

It’s apparent that Jimothy’s mother was no exception to the prototypical raccoon mother, serving as nurturer, protector and teacher. Based on the videos of older Jimothy running across a field, navigating fences and exploring his world, it appears that his mom’s hard work resulted in a remarkable return on her investment.

Jimothy the raccoon may be the one who captured attention, but his mother is the quiet hero behind his journey. Her care and guidance helped him overcome challenges and thrive in the wild. Image via Kiana Hall/ The Conversation.

Evolutionary perseverance

Even though the odds were stacked against Jimothy from the day of his birth, he persevered.

Jimothy is being celebrated for being different. But, in my opinion, the most interesting aspects of his story are two remarkable evolutionary achievements that all mammals share: a brain capable of adapting to an imperfect body and other life challenges, and a patient and caring mother or guardian who translates her offspring’s capabilities into abilities.

Jimothy’s mom celebrated his value long before his video debut and viral following.

Jimothy’s survival is a testament not only to the adaptability of the raccoon brain, but also to the power of maternal care in shaping an animal’s ability to survive and thrive. Image via Nika Elashvili/ Pexels.

Kelly Lambert, Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Richmond

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

Bottom line: Jimothy the raccoon has an inspiring story. It showcases how an animal can adapt – especially with the help of his mother – to overcome extraordinary challenges.

Read more: The red panda looks like a cross between a bear and a raccoon, but it’s neither!

Read more: Meerkats are our adorable and sociable lifeform of the week

The post Jimothy the raccoon is a survivor! Here’s why first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/vZrlAoX

The July full moon is the beautiful Buck Moon

The July full moon will lie low above the horizon in the late evening on July 28, 2026, for observers in North America. It will look full this evening, even though the exact moment of the full moon occurs at 9:36 CDT (14:36 UTC) on July 29, 2026. Chart via EarthSky.

When to watch in 2026: The moment of full moon comes on July 29 for the Americas, Europe and Africa. And it falls on July 30 for Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Same full moon for all of Earth … but different time zones.
Crest of the full moon: will fall at 9:36 a.m. CDT (14:36 UTC) on July 29, 2026. That’s 2:36 a.m. New Zealand Standard Time on July 30. So, if you live in either North or South America, your fullest moon hangs low above the western horizon at sunrise on July 29. But it will also look full as it rises on the evenings of July 28 and 29.
Where to look: Full moons are always opposite the sun. They must be, in order to look full. For all of us on Earth, the full moon will rise in the east just after sunset on those evenings. And it will appear highest in the sky in the middle of the night and set in the west at dawn.

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At full moon, the sun, Earth and moon are aligned with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. Chart via EarthSky.

July’s full moon is the Buck Moon

All the full moons have names. Popular nicknames for the July full moon include the Thunder Moon and Hay Moon … and there are lots more.

But the Buck Moon is the most common name for us in North America for the July full moon. Male deer start growing their antlers when they are about a year old. The antlers take about 120 days, or about 4 months, to mature.

By July, for us in the Northern Hemisphere, the antlers of male deer are growing fast. Sometimes they grow as fast as several inches per day. They are fully mature in fall. So, to honor the deer and the July full moon, the July full moon is the Buck Moon.

This July full moon mimics the late January sun

All full moons throughout the year have their own unique characteristics, often related to their paths across the sky. The full moon’s nighttime path mimics the sun’s daytime path from six months ago, or in six months from now. So, for all of us on Earth, the July full moon will follow the path the sun took in January. And, for us in the Northern Hemisphere, the January sun arched low, so we see the July full moon riding low in the sky.

In fact, in most years, again for us in the Northern Hemisphere, the path across the sky of July’s full moon is lower than any other, except the path of the full moon of June. Because it is lower, it also spends less time in the sky.

Even north of the Arctic Circle, the July full moon follows the path of the low Arctic January sun. As seen from the Arctic, the July full moon appears above the horizon only briefly. In regions closer to the North Pole, it never rises at all.

For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, the low arc across the sky of the July full moon nearly matches that of the January sun. The arc of the July sun is always much higher than the arc of the July full moon. Chart via EarthSky.

Arc of the July full moon in the Southern Hemisphere

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, the July full moon’s arc across the sky matches the path of the January sun.

For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, the high arc across the sky of the July full moon nearly matches that of the January sun. The arc of the July sun is always much lower than the arc of the July full moon. Chart via EarthSky.

July full moon lies in Capricornus in 2026

And what of our whole-Earth perspective on the moon?

The orderliness of the heavens is such that in July the full moon always lies in front of one of two constellations of the zodiac. In most years, the July full moon appears in front of Sagittarius the Archer. This year, though, the July full moon is in front of the neighboring constellation to the east, Capricornus the Sea Goat. It is found in a dark sky in the shape of an arrowhead.

The 2026 July full moon lies in the constellation Capricornus. Chart via EarthSky.

Will you recognize the arrowhead shape among the stars near the full moon? Probably not, because the full moon’s bright light will wash fainter stars from view. But you don’t need to see Capricornus’ arrowhead to know it’s there … or to know that the stars lie beyond the moon in space. As Earth orbits the sun, our planet’s night side points out on a shifting panorama of stars. And so the moon returns year after year to this quiet corner of the heavens. This is not by chance, but by the rhythms of Earth and sky.

July’s full Buck Moon near the stars of Capricornus. Chart via EarthSky.

Bottom line: July’s full moon – the Buck Moon – falls on the morning of July 29, but will also appear full when it rises in the evening on July 28 and 29.

Read more: Full moon names of the month and by the season

Read more: Why do female caribou have antlers unlike other female deer?

The post The July full moon is the beautiful Buck Moon first appeared on EarthSky.

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The July full moon will lie low above the horizon in the late evening on July 28, 2026, for observers in North America. It will look full this evening, even though the exact moment of the full moon occurs at 9:36 CDT (14:36 UTC) on July 29, 2026. Chart via EarthSky.

When to watch in 2026: The moment of full moon comes on July 29 for the Americas, Europe and Africa. And it falls on July 30 for Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Same full moon for all of Earth … but different time zones.
Crest of the full moon: will fall at 9:36 a.m. CDT (14:36 UTC) on July 29, 2026. That’s 2:36 a.m. New Zealand Standard Time on July 30. So, if you live in either North or South America, your fullest moon hangs low above the western horizon at sunrise on July 29. But it will also look full as it rises on the evenings of July 28 and 29.
Where to look: Full moons are always opposite the sun. They must be, in order to look full. For all of us on Earth, the full moon will rise in the east just after sunset on those evenings. And it will appear highest in the sky in the middle of the night and set in the west at dawn.

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At full moon, the sun, Earth and moon are aligned with Earth in the middle. The moon’s day side – its fully lighted hemisphere – directly faces us. Chart via EarthSky.

July’s full moon is the Buck Moon

All the full moons have names. Popular nicknames for the July full moon include the Thunder Moon and Hay Moon … and there are lots more.

But the Buck Moon is the most common name for us in North America for the July full moon. Male deer start growing their antlers when they are about a year old. The antlers take about 120 days, or about 4 months, to mature.

By July, for us in the Northern Hemisphere, the antlers of male deer are growing fast. Sometimes they grow as fast as several inches per day. They are fully mature in fall. So, to honor the deer and the July full moon, the July full moon is the Buck Moon.

This July full moon mimics the late January sun

All full moons throughout the year have their own unique characteristics, often related to their paths across the sky. The full moon’s nighttime path mimics the sun’s daytime path from six months ago, or in six months from now. So, for all of us on Earth, the July full moon will follow the path the sun took in January. And, for us in the Northern Hemisphere, the January sun arched low, so we see the July full moon riding low in the sky.

In fact, in most years, again for us in the Northern Hemisphere, the path across the sky of July’s full moon is lower than any other, except the path of the full moon of June. Because it is lower, it also spends less time in the sky.

Even north of the Arctic Circle, the July full moon follows the path of the low Arctic January sun. As seen from the Arctic, the July full moon appears above the horizon only briefly. In regions closer to the North Pole, it never rises at all.

For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, the low arc across the sky of the July full moon nearly matches that of the January sun. The arc of the July sun is always much higher than the arc of the July full moon. Chart via EarthSky.

Arc of the July full moon in the Southern Hemisphere

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, the July full moon’s arc across the sky matches the path of the January sun.

For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, the high arc across the sky of the July full moon nearly matches that of the January sun. The arc of the July sun is always much lower than the arc of the July full moon. Chart via EarthSky.

July full moon lies in Capricornus in 2026

And what of our whole-Earth perspective on the moon?

The orderliness of the heavens is such that in July the full moon always lies in front of one of two constellations of the zodiac. In most years, the July full moon appears in front of Sagittarius the Archer. This year, though, the July full moon is in front of the neighboring constellation to the east, Capricornus the Sea Goat. It is found in a dark sky in the shape of an arrowhead.

The 2026 July full moon lies in the constellation Capricornus. Chart via EarthSky.

Will you recognize the arrowhead shape among the stars near the full moon? Probably not, because the full moon’s bright light will wash fainter stars from view. But you don’t need to see Capricornus’ arrowhead to know it’s there … or to know that the stars lie beyond the moon in space. As Earth orbits the sun, our planet’s night side points out on a shifting panorama of stars. And so the moon returns year after year to this quiet corner of the heavens. This is not by chance, but by the rhythms of Earth and sky.

July’s full Buck Moon near the stars of Capricornus. Chart via EarthSky.

Bottom line: July’s full moon – the Buck Moon – falls on the morning of July 29, but will also appear full when it rises in the evening on July 28 and 29.

Read more: Full moon names of the month and by the season

Read more: Why do female caribou have antlers unlike other female deer?

The post The July full moon is the beautiful Buck Moon first appeared on EarthSky.

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Meet Shaula and Lesath, the Scorpion’s Stinger stars

View larger. | The constellation Scorpius by Daniel McVey. The bright red star Antares represents the Scorpion’s Heart. The Scorpion’s Stinger stars – Shaula and Lesath – can be found at the end of the Scorpius’s curved tail. Used with permission.

Scorpius and the Scorpion’s Stinger stars

The zodiacal constellation Scorpius the Scorpion is one of the few constellations that truly looks like its name.

That’s because it has a graceful, J-shaped pattern of stars resembling a real scorpion’s curved tail. And at the end of this line of stars are two stars noticeable for their nearness to each other. They are Shaula and Lesath. Together, these stars represent the Scorpion’s Stinger.

Although Shaula and Lesath appear close together, they’re only close along our line of sight. In reality, these two stars are separated by about 5 light-years.

Shaula, the second brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, is a triple star system that shines at magnitude +1.62.

Lesath, the fainter star of the Stinger pair, doesn’t have any known companions. Its magnitude is +2.7.

In addition to being known as the Scorpion’s Stinger, these two noticeable stars are sometimes called the Cat’s Eyes. That’s because if you look at them through binoculars, they resemble the eyes of a cat in the dark.

A map of Scorpius showing the location of the Stinger stars, Shaula and Lesath, at the tip of the Scorpion’s curved Tail. Image via IAU/ Sky & Telescope/ Wikimedia Commons.

How to see Shaula and Lesath

Scorpius is thought of as a summer constellation in the Northern Hemisphere, as that’s when it’s highest in the sky. And in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s considered a winter constellation. But it’s also visible in early northern autumn, or early southern spring.

For both hemispheres, Scorpius and its Stinger stars are highest in the sky around midnight local time in mid-June. Then by mid-July, Lesath and Shaula are at their highest in the sky around 10 p.m. When mid-August arrives, they are highest in the sky around 8 p.m. And by mid-September, at 6 p.m. The time will vary by up to an hour, depending on how far east or west you are in your time zone.

At mid-northern latitudes, Lesath and Shaula never climb very high in the sky. They are highest in the sky when they’re due south. Even then, from the northern U.S., Scorpius’ Stinger stars are barely a fist-width above your horizon if you hold your fist an arm’s length away. They are higher in the sky as seen from the southern U.S., where Scorpius becomes a glorious sight. And from the Southern Hemisphere, all of Scorpius arcs prominently high overhead.

Shaula is the 2nd-brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, after Antares. Shaula is also the 24th-brightest star in the sky. But it’s hard to think of Shaula without its partner Lesath. These two stars are very noticeable on the sky’s dome, glittering brighter than most other stars.

From the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpius will be in your southern sky. In that case, Shaula – the brighter of the two – will be the star on the left of the pair.

The red arrows point to Shaula and Lesath – the Stinger Stars – that mark the 2 stars at the end of the curved tail of Scorpius. Chart via EarthSky.

Science of Shaula and Lesath

Although these two stars look like a close-knit pair, they’re far apart in space. Shaula is about 571 light-years distant, whereas Lesath lies some 576 light-years away. Like all individual stars we see in our night sky, these two are members of our Milky Way galaxy.

Shaula, also known as Lambda Scorpii, is a triple system. The largest star, which has a blue-white color, is about nine times the sun’s diameter in size and has 14 times the sun’s mass. It is a Beta Cephei variable star, a class of stars characterized by rapid but small variations in brightness. There’s another blue-white star in that system. Its diameter is almost five times that of the sun and it has over 10 times the sun’s mass.

The third object in the system is what’s known as a pre-main sequence star. That’s an object that has enough mass from the surrounding dust and gas to become a star, but has not yet started nuclear fusion at its core, which would make it as a star.

Lesath’s other name is Upsilon Scorpii. It is also a hot blue-white star, with about six times the sun’s diameter and 11 times the sun’s mass.

The Milky Way runs through the stinger

On a dark, moonless night, you can see a glowing band of stars running from Scorpius’ Tail and upward through the Summer Triangle. It’s the Earth-viewed Milky Way, a roadway of stars arcing across the sky from horizon to horizon in the northern summer. What you are seeing is the edgewise view of our galaxy’s flat disk. The “haze” is really the combined light of millions upon millions of stars.

The Milky Way galaxy has an equator, just like Earth does. The galactic equator runs through Scorpius and also its neighboring constellation to the east, Sagittarius the Archer.

View larger. | A whole-sky map of the Milky Way overlaid on the constellations. Image via Tfr000/ Wikimedia Commons.

The ecliptic is nearby

And now shift your perspective from our great galaxy to our own local solar system, our sun’s family in space. The ecliptic is our sun’s annual path in front of the background stars. It also runs through Scorpius and Sagittarius. Check out the star chart below to see the whereabouts of the ecliptic with respect to this constellation.

A map of the constellation Scorpius with a red dashed line showing the position of the ecliptic. The areas shaded in blue represent the Milky Way. Image via Torsten Bronger/ Wikimedia Commons.

History of the names Shaula and Lesath

Shaula is an Arabic name meaning the Scorpion’s Stinger. Lesath’s name is less straightforward. According to Paul Kunitach and Tim Smart, authors of A Dictionary of Modern Star Names, the name Lesath is the final result of a long and convoluted history, initially derived from a Greek word meaning a foggy conglomeration.

Shaula and Lesath, the stinger stars in Scorpius, are prominent in the lower right. In a dark sky, you’ll see 2 famous star clusters – M6 and M7 – in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. In this photo, Messier 7 – aka Ptolemy’s Cluster – is above the tree on the left. Messier 6, the Butterfly Cluster, is a bit smaller, positioned near the center top of the image. Image via Tom and Jane Wildoner/ The Dark Side Observatory. Used with permission.

Bottom line: Shaula and Lesath, known as the Stinger of the Scorpion, are easy to see at the end of Scorpius’s tail.

The post Meet Shaula and Lesath, the Scorpion’s Stinger stars first appeared on EarthSky.

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View larger. | The constellation Scorpius by Daniel McVey. The bright red star Antares represents the Scorpion’s Heart. The Scorpion’s Stinger stars – Shaula and Lesath – can be found at the end of the Scorpius’s curved tail. Used with permission.

Scorpius and the Scorpion’s Stinger stars

The zodiacal constellation Scorpius the Scorpion is one of the few constellations that truly looks like its name.

That’s because it has a graceful, J-shaped pattern of stars resembling a real scorpion’s curved tail. And at the end of this line of stars are two stars noticeable for their nearness to each other. They are Shaula and Lesath. Together, these stars represent the Scorpion’s Stinger.

Although Shaula and Lesath appear close together, they’re only close along our line of sight. In reality, these two stars are separated by about 5 light-years.

Shaula, the second brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, is a triple star system that shines at magnitude +1.62.

Lesath, the fainter star of the Stinger pair, doesn’t have any known companions. Its magnitude is +2.7.

In addition to being known as the Scorpion’s Stinger, these two noticeable stars are sometimes called the Cat’s Eyes. That’s because if you look at them through binoculars, they resemble the eyes of a cat in the dark.

A map of Scorpius showing the location of the Stinger stars, Shaula and Lesath, at the tip of the Scorpion’s curved Tail. Image via IAU/ Sky & Telescope/ Wikimedia Commons.

How to see Shaula and Lesath

Scorpius is thought of as a summer constellation in the Northern Hemisphere, as that’s when it’s highest in the sky. And in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s considered a winter constellation. But it’s also visible in early northern autumn, or early southern spring.

For both hemispheres, Scorpius and its Stinger stars are highest in the sky around midnight local time in mid-June. Then by mid-July, Lesath and Shaula are at their highest in the sky around 10 p.m. When mid-August arrives, they are highest in the sky around 8 p.m. And by mid-September, at 6 p.m. The time will vary by up to an hour, depending on how far east or west you are in your time zone.

At mid-northern latitudes, Lesath and Shaula never climb very high in the sky. They are highest in the sky when they’re due south. Even then, from the northern U.S., Scorpius’ Stinger stars are barely a fist-width above your horizon if you hold your fist an arm’s length away. They are higher in the sky as seen from the southern U.S., where Scorpius becomes a glorious sight. And from the Southern Hemisphere, all of Scorpius arcs prominently high overhead.

Shaula is the 2nd-brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, after Antares. Shaula is also the 24th-brightest star in the sky. But it’s hard to think of Shaula without its partner Lesath. These two stars are very noticeable on the sky’s dome, glittering brighter than most other stars.

From the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpius will be in your southern sky. In that case, Shaula – the brighter of the two – will be the star on the left of the pair.

The red arrows point to Shaula and Lesath – the Stinger Stars – that mark the 2 stars at the end of the curved tail of Scorpius. Chart via EarthSky.

Science of Shaula and Lesath

Although these two stars look like a close-knit pair, they’re far apart in space. Shaula is about 571 light-years distant, whereas Lesath lies some 576 light-years away. Like all individual stars we see in our night sky, these two are members of our Milky Way galaxy.

Shaula, also known as Lambda Scorpii, is a triple system. The largest star, which has a blue-white color, is about nine times the sun’s diameter in size and has 14 times the sun’s mass. It is a Beta Cephei variable star, a class of stars characterized by rapid but small variations in brightness. There’s another blue-white star in that system. Its diameter is almost five times that of the sun and it has over 10 times the sun’s mass.

The third object in the system is what’s known as a pre-main sequence star. That’s an object that has enough mass from the surrounding dust and gas to become a star, but has not yet started nuclear fusion at its core, which would make it as a star.

Lesath’s other name is Upsilon Scorpii. It is also a hot blue-white star, with about six times the sun’s diameter and 11 times the sun’s mass.

The Milky Way runs through the stinger

On a dark, moonless night, you can see a glowing band of stars running from Scorpius’ Tail and upward through the Summer Triangle. It’s the Earth-viewed Milky Way, a roadway of stars arcing across the sky from horizon to horizon in the northern summer. What you are seeing is the edgewise view of our galaxy’s flat disk. The “haze” is really the combined light of millions upon millions of stars.

The Milky Way galaxy has an equator, just like Earth does. The galactic equator runs through Scorpius and also its neighboring constellation to the east, Sagittarius the Archer.

View larger. | A whole-sky map of the Milky Way overlaid on the constellations. Image via Tfr000/ Wikimedia Commons.

The ecliptic is nearby

And now shift your perspective from our great galaxy to our own local solar system, our sun’s family in space. The ecliptic is our sun’s annual path in front of the background stars. It also runs through Scorpius and Sagittarius. Check out the star chart below to see the whereabouts of the ecliptic with respect to this constellation.

A map of the constellation Scorpius with a red dashed line showing the position of the ecliptic. The areas shaded in blue represent the Milky Way. Image via Torsten Bronger/ Wikimedia Commons.

History of the names Shaula and Lesath

Shaula is an Arabic name meaning the Scorpion’s Stinger. Lesath’s name is less straightforward. According to Paul Kunitach and Tim Smart, authors of A Dictionary of Modern Star Names, the name Lesath is the final result of a long and convoluted history, initially derived from a Greek word meaning a foggy conglomeration.

Shaula and Lesath, the stinger stars in Scorpius, are prominent in the lower right. In a dark sky, you’ll see 2 famous star clusters – M6 and M7 – in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. In this photo, Messier 7 – aka Ptolemy’s Cluster – is above the tree on the left. Messier 6, the Butterfly Cluster, is a bit smaller, positioned near the center top of the image. Image via Tom and Jane Wildoner/ The Dark Side Observatory. Used with permission.

Bottom line: Shaula and Lesath, known as the Stinger of the Scorpion, are easy to see at the end of Scorpius’s tail.

The post Meet Shaula and Lesath, the Scorpion’s Stinger stars first appeared on EarthSky.

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What’s an airplane glory? Here’s how to spot one

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eliot Herman caught this wonderful airplane glory on June 29, 2022, while flying over Bristol Bay, Alaska. Thank you, Eliot!

Have you seen an airplane glory?

I was looking out the window of an airplane recently, and I saw the airplane’s shadow on a cloud. A rainbow seemed to surround it. What was it?

It sounds like the beautiful optical phenomenon known as the glory, also called an anti-corona or pilot’s bow.

Glories are surprisingly common. People traveling in airplanes see them all the time. You need the sun to be directly behind your head. In front, you need an ordinary cloud. As you look toward the cloud, look for the shadow of the airplane. A multi-colored circle of light will surround the plane’s shadow. That light is the glory.

The plane’s shadow doesn’t have anything to do with making the glory. The glory and the shadow both simply come from the same source: the sun behind you.

A glory is made of sunlight scattered back toward you. It’s much smaller than a rainbow. It’s made by light scattered from the droplets of a cloud, rather than falling raindrops. Image via Wikipedia.

Here’s what makes a glory

Like a rainbow, a glory is centered on the antisolar point – the point opposite the sun – which coincides with your head’s shadow. And it coincides with the larger shadow of an airplane, if you’re looking out of an airplane window. So this point – the point where you’ll see the glory – must be opposite the sun’s position in the sky.

You might see that, when the sun is high in the sky and you’re on the ground, the antisolar point always lies below your horizon. That’s why, in order to see a glory, the clouds or fog causing it have to be located below the observer, in a straight line with the sun and the observer’s eye.

Want to know more about what makes a glory? Try this page from Les Cowley of the great website Atmospheric Optics.

Just before landing in #Vienna, we hit the clouds and the sun behind us cast a perfect halo around the plane’s shadow! One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen from a plane! ????

— Dr Catherine Russell (@seddyrocks.bsky.social) 2025-05-20T11:36:36.367Z

Where else you might see a glory?

Nowadays, most people see glories from airplanes. But they’re also commonly observed from very tall buildings. And, before the days of air travel, people spoke of glories they’d seen while mountain climbing. The same conditions – the sun behind and a cloud ahead – can also cast your shadow onto a mist while you’re scaling a tall peak. Then it’s possible to see a glory around the shadow of your own head. That type of glory is called a brocken spectre.

The glory is round, like the halo you sometimes see around the sun or moon. And it comes in muted rainbow colors.

Some glory photos from our EarthSky Community

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Michael Sell of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, captured this image on January 8, 2023, and wrote: “I was able to capture this on my flight from Florida to Wisconsin. After doing some research, I found that this is sometimes referred to as Pilot’s Glory or Pilot’s Halo. If you look close enough, you can even see that there are two rainbows surrounding the shadow.” Thank you, Michael!

Karthik Easvur took this image of an airplane glory on May 7, 2019, over India. Karthik wrote: “The most interesting thing about this phenomenon is that one can find the position of the person on the airplane who took the photo. The point where the center of the glory is on the airplane shadow corresponds to the position of the person who took the photo. I took this photo sitting on the 5th-row seat from the cockpit.” Thank you, Karthik!

Bottom line: An airplane glory is easy to see if you watch for it while traveling by air. The sun has to be behind your head. You’ll see the plane’s shadow cast on a cloud. And a halo of light will surround the shadow.

The post What’s an airplane glory? Here’s how to spot one first appeared on EarthSky.

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View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eliot Herman caught this wonderful airplane glory on June 29, 2022, while flying over Bristol Bay, Alaska. Thank you, Eliot!

Have you seen an airplane glory?

I was looking out the window of an airplane recently, and I saw the airplane’s shadow on a cloud. A rainbow seemed to surround it. What was it?

It sounds like the beautiful optical phenomenon known as the glory, also called an anti-corona or pilot’s bow.

Glories are surprisingly common. People traveling in airplanes see them all the time. You need the sun to be directly behind your head. In front, you need an ordinary cloud. As you look toward the cloud, look for the shadow of the airplane. A multi-colored circle of light will surround the plane’s shadow. That light is the glory.

The plane’s shadow doesn’t have anything to do with making the glory. The glory and the shadow both simply come from the same source: the sun behind you.

A glory is made of sunlight scattered back toward you. It’s much smaller than a rainbow. It’s made by light scattered from the droplets of a cloud, rather than falling raindrops. Image via Wikipedia.

Here’s what makes a glory

Like a rainbow, a glory is centered on the antisolar point – the point opposite the sun – which coincides with your head’s shadow. And it coincides with the larger shadow of an airplane, if you’re looking out of an airplane window. So this point – the point where you’ll see the glory – must be opposite the sun’s position in the sky.

You might see that, when the sun is high in the sky and you’re on the ground, the antisolar point always lies below your horizon. That’s why, in order to see a glory, the clouds or fog causing it have to be located below the observer, in a straight line with the sun and the observer’s eye.

Want to know more about what makes a glory? Try this page from Les Cowley of the great website Atmospheric Optics.

Just before landing in #Vienna, we hit the clouds and the sun behind us cast a perfect halo around the plane’s shadow! One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen from a plane! ????

— Dr Catherine Russell (@seddyrocks.bsky.social) 2025-05-20T11:36:36.367Z

Where else you might see a glory?

Nowadays, most people see glories from airplanes. But they’re also commonly observed from very tall buildings. And, before the days of air travel, people spoke of glories they’d seen while mountain climbing. The same conditions – the sun behind and a cloud ahead – can also cast your shadow onto a mist while you’re scaling a tall peak. Then it’s possible to see a glory around the shadow of your own head. That type of glory is called a brocken spectre.

The glory is round, like the halo you sometimes see around the sun or moon. And it comes in muted rainbow colors.

Some glory photos from our EarthSky Community

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Michael Sell of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, captured this image on January 8, 2023, and wrote: “I was able to capture this on my flight from Florida to Wisconsin. After doing some research, I found that this is sometimes referred to as Pilot’s Glory or Pilot’s Halo. If you look close enough, you can even see that there are two rainbows surrounding the shadow.” Thank you, Michael!

Karthik Easvur took this image of an airplane glory on May 7, 2019, over India. Karthik wrote: “The most interesting thing about this phenomenon is that one can find the position of the person on the airplane who took the photo. The point where the center of the glory is on the airplane shadow corresponds to the position of the person who took the photo. I took this photo sitting on the 5th-row seat from the cockpit.” Thank you, Karthik!

Bottom line: An airplane glory is easy to see if you watch for it while traveling by air. The sun has to be behind your head. You’ll see the plane’s shadow cast on a cloud. And a halo of light will surround the shadow.

The post What’s an airplane glory? Here’s how to spot one first appeared on EarthSky.

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Meet Delta Scorpii, aka Dschubba. It’s a variable star

Delta Scorpii, also known as Dschubba, is in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. It’s the middle star in the little arc of 3 stars above the bright red star Antares, the Scorpion’s Heart. These 3 stars are called the Crown of the Scorpion. Chart via Wikimedia.

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Finding (and pronouncing) Dschubba

Delta Scorpii – aka Dschubba – is easy to spot as the middle star in the “forehead” or Crown of Scorpius the Scorpion. And it’s an extremely interesting star – well worth watching – unpredictably variable in a way that you can watch with your eyes alone.

On these northern summer evenings, we in the Northern Hemisphere see Scorpius and Delta Scorpii (Dschubba) in our southern sky. For Southern Hemisphere viewers, they are closer to overhead. Scorpius is an easy constellation to find, because of its curved “tail” of stars. And the brightest star in Scorpius, Antares, will catch your eyes.

To the west of Antares, you’ll find a little arc of three stars. They are tiny, but noticeable. Dschubba, the middle star, is usually the brightest of the three.

How do you pronounce Dschubba? The “D” is silent. So now we are left with “schubba”. It is two syllables, emphasizing the first: SCHUB ba. Something like “shoe ba”. Hear some pronunciations of Dschubba here.

You can also simply call the star Delta Scorpii.

A closer look at the Scorpion’s Crown. It consists of Acrab, Delta Scorpii or Dschubba, and Fang. Also notice Antares. Image via Stellarium. Used with permission.

Delta Scorpii: Forehead, Claw or Crown?

Delta Scorpii derives its name from the Arabic phrase meaning “the forehead” of the Scorpion. This part of the constellation is also sometimes called “the claws” of the Scorpion.

But most stargazers know that the Scorpion’s true claws once extended well beyond the boundaries of Scorpius and into the constellation of Libra the Scales. At some point, far back in the history of our sky, they clipped Scorpion’s claws to make room for Libra. Thus, we now have 12 constellations of the zodiac.

The little arc of 3 stars above Antares is also called the Crown of the Scorpion.

How big and bright?

Dschubba is a moderately bright star in our sky. But it’s relatively distant at 491 light-years away. The light you see beaming from Dschubba tonight left the star in the year 1533. A lot has happened here on Earth since 1533. What has the starlight been doing? Some of it has been kidnapped. There is so much dust and gas between us and the star that half of the light has been reflected and absorbed in the past 491 years. So, what we see is only half as bright as it would be if we had a clear view.

Dschubba is a type B0 star, meaning it is hot, about 22,000 Kelvin (40,000 degrees Fahrenheit or 21,700 degrees C). That’s 4 times hotter than our sun. It’s a massive star too, with 13 times more mass than our sun. It’s about 7 times larger than our sun. And it’s about 14,000 times brighter than the sun.

The Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, a plot of stars’ luminosities (true brightness) against their color. You’ll see the high-temperature blue-white stars on the left side of the diagram, and the low-temperature red stars on the right side. Near the top of the heap, Delta Scorpii, identified in the chart with an “X,” is larger, hotter, more massive and shines far brighter than our sun. It lives among the giants. H-R diagram via Wikimedia Commons.

2 types of variability

Dschubba has not one but two types of variability. First, it shows irregular, small brightness variations. Those variations happen every few days and are probably due to bright spots or clouds of gas between us and the star.

The second type of variability is eruptive and unpredictable.

Dschubba is a Gamma Cassiopeiae variable star. That means it behaves like the star Gamma Cassiopeiae, the poster child for a star with these eruptive brightness changes.

Gamma Cassiopeiae – the middle star in the “W” of constellation Cassiopeia – is what’s known as an eruptive variable star. Its magnitude, or brightness, has in the past varied between a bright magnitude 1.6 and a fainter magnitude 3.0. And it spins so rapidly that it occasionally flings off material. This material forms a disk of hot gas surrounding the star near its equator.

And thus, Gamma Cass brightens, not quickly, but slowly, over a few weeks to a few months. In 1937, Gamma Cassiopeiae brightened from magnitude 2.2 to 1.6 (the smaller the number, the brighter the star), then dimmed to magnitude 3.4. In the decades since, the star has slowly brightened to magnitude 2.3 again. But it has not repeated its behavior of 1937.

Only a few other such stars are known to exist, one being the star Dschubba.

An eruption disruption for Dschubba

Like Gamma Cass, Dschubba rotates quickly. At the equator, it reaches a rotational speed of 112 miles per second (180 km/s). This is 90 times faster than our sun.

Astronomers believe that, occasionally, the star throws off material that forms a disk around its equator. This would be a big disk, 150 times larger than our sun. It’s this disk that causes changes in the brightness of Delta Scorpii.

At one time, Dschubba was a spectroscopic standard for the B0 IV star classification. But this variability in brightness got it removed from being a standard. You see, even stars misbehave and get kicked out of the class.

It has a companion

Dschubba is also part of a multiple-star system. It has a companion that is 10 times fainter, orbiting it every 20 days. And there is another star in this system, which might also trigger the brightness outbursts.

The 2nd star gets as far away from the main star as our planet Saturn is from our sun. And it takes 10.8 years to orbit the main star. Every 10.8 years, the second star passes very close to Dschubba, and this passage might stir up the atmosphere of the main star, causing the main star to brighten. Or maybe not. Scientists are not sure about this; the star had an outburst that began in 2000 which may have been related to the close passage of the star. However, its passage in 2011 and 2022 didn’t have a significant outburst.

See for yourself

With the unaided eye, and within minutes, you can estimate the brightness of Delta Scorpii.

Simply compare its brightness to other stars nearby. The non-variable stars are marked on the map below. While it might be tempting to use the star Antares in your estimations, avoid it because it also varies in brightness. Typically, Delta Scorpii is about magnitude 2.3, but it has been known to brighten up to magnitude 1.6. Remember, the higher the number, the fainter the object. So how bright is it tonight?

Map showing Delta Scorpii and the surrounding stars, with the magnitudes indicated. Map via Don Machholz.

A few tips

Take your time. Compare the subject star (Delta Scorpii) to each of the labeled stars on the map. Is it brighter or fainter? Keep doing that, comparing the subject star to the other stars on the map. Avoid using stars near your horizon as extinction will make them appear fainter than they are.

When you have arrived at a number, write it down, along with the date and time. Then go out again tomorrow night and do it again. After four or five nights, you will feel comfortable making magnitude estimates. You can even send in your results to the clearinghouse for star magnitude estimates: the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). You can submit data for free or pay a fee, join the organization, and receive a cartload of benefits. Plus, you have the satisfaction of contributing to the science of Delta Scorpii.

Bottom Line: Delta Scorpii, also known as Dschubba, is a variable star in the constellation Scorpius. With your eyes alone, you can check its brightness for yourself, and for science.

The post Meet Delta Scorpii, aka Dschubba. It’s a variable star first appeared on EarthSky.

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Delta Scorpii, also known as Dschubba, is in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. It’s the middle star in the little arc of 3 stars above the bright red star Antares, the Scorpion’s Heart. These 3 stars are called the Crown of the Scorpion. Chart via Wikimedia.

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Finding (and pronouncing) Dschubba

Delta Scorpii – aka Dschubba – is easy to spot as the middle star in the “forehead” or Crown of Scorpius the Scorpion. And it’s an extremely interesting star – well worth watching – unpredictably variable in a way that you can watch with your eyes alone.

On these northern summer evenings, we in the Northern Hemisphere see Scorpius and Delta Scorpii (Dschubba) in our southern sky. For Southern Hemisphere viewers, they are closer to overhead. Scorpius is an easy constellation to find, because of its curved “tail” of stars. And the brightest star in Scorpius, Antares, will catch your eyes.

To the west of Antares, you’ll find a little arc of three stars. They are tiny, but noticeable. Dschubba, the middle star, is usually the brightest of the three.

How do you pronounce Dschubba? The “D” is silent. So now we are left with “schubba”. It is two syllables, emphasizing the first: SCHUB ba. Something like “shoe ba”. Hear some pronunciations of Dschubba here.

You can also simply call the star Delta Scorpii.

A closer look at the Scorpion’s Crown. It consists of Acrab, Delta Scorpii or Dschubba, and Fang. Also notice Antares. Image via Stellarium. Used with permission.

Delta Scorpii: Forehead, Claw or Crown?

Delta Scorpii derives its name from the Arabic phrase meaning “the forehead” of the Scorpion. This part of the constellation is also sometimes called “the claws” of the Scorpion.

But most stargazers know that the Scorpion’s true claws once extended well beyond the boundaries of Scorpius and into the constellation of Libra the Scales. At some point, far back in the history of our sky, they clipped Scorpion’s claws to make room for Libra. Thus, we now have 12 constellations of the zodiac.

The little arc of 3 stars above Antares is also called the Crown of the Scorpion.

How big and bright?

Dschubba is a moderately bright star in our sky. But it’s relatively distant at 491 light-years away. The light you see beaming from Dschubba tonight left the star in the year 1533. A lot has happened here on Earth since 1533. What has the starlight been doing? Some of it has been kidnapped. There is so much dust and gas between us and the star that half of the light has been reflected and absorbed in the past 491 years. So, what we see is only half as bright as it would be if we had a clear view.

Dschubba is a type B0 star, meaning it is hot, about 22,000 Kelvin (40,000 degrees Fahrenheit or 21,700 degrees C). That’s 4 times hotter than our sun. It’s a massive star too, with 13 times more mass than our sun. It’s about 7 times larger than our sun. And it’s about 14,000 times brighter than the sun.

The Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, a plot of stars’ luminosities (true brightness) against their color. You’ll see the high-temperature blue-white stars on the left side of the diagram, and the low-temperature red stars on the right side. Near the top of the heap, Delta Scorpii, identified in the chart with an “X,” is larger, hotter, more massive and shines far brighter than our sun. It lives among the giants. H-R diagram via Wikimedia Commons.

2 types of variability

Dschubba has not one but two types of variability. First, it shows irregular, small brightness variations. Those variations happen every few days and are probably due to bright spots or clouds of gas between us and the star.

The second type of variability is eruptive and unpredictable.

Dschubba is a Gamma Cassiopeiae variable star. That means it behaves like the star Gamma Cassiopeiae, the poster child for a star with these eruptive brightness changes.

Gamma Cassiopeiae – the middle star in the “W” of constellation Cassiopeia – is what’s known as an eruptive variable star. Its magnitude, or brightness, has in the past varied between a bright magnitude 1.6 and a fainter magnitude 3.0. And it spins so rapidly that it occasionally flings off material. This material forms a disk of hot gas surrounding the star near its equator.

And thus, Gamma Cass brightens, not quickly, but slowly, over a few weeks to a few months. In 1937, Gamma Cassiopeiae brightened from magnitude 2.2 to 1.6 (the smaller the number, the brighter the star), then dimmed to magnitude 3.4. In the decades since, the star has slowly brightened to magnitude 2.3 again. But it has not repeated its behavior of 1937.

Only a few other such stars are known to exist, one being the star Dschubba.

An eruption disruption for Dschubba

Like Gamma Cass, Dschubba rotates quickly. At the equator, it reaches a rotational speed of 112 miles per second (180 km/s). This is 90 times faster than our sun.

Astronomers believe that, occasionally, the star throws off material that forms a disk around its equator. This would be a big disk, 150 times larger than our sun. It’s this disk that causes changes in the brightness of Delta Scorpii.

At one time, Dschubba was a spectroscopic standard for the B0 IV star classification. But this variability in brightness got it removed from being a standard. You see, even stars misbehave and get kicked out of the class.

It has a companion

Dschubba is also part of a multiple-star system. It has a companion that is 10 times fainter, orbiting it every 20 days. And there is another star in this system, which might also trigger the brightness outbursts.

The 2nd star gets as far away from the main star as our planet Saturn is from our sun. And it takes 10.8 years to orbit the main star. Every 10.8 years, the second star passes very close to Dschubba, and this passage might stir up the atmosphere of the main star, causing the main star to brighten. Or maybe not. Scientists are not sure about this; the star had an outburst that began in 2000 which may have been related to the close passage of the star. However, its passage in 2011 and 2022 didn’t have a significant outburst.

See for yourself

With the unaided eye, and within minutes, you can estimate the brightness of Delta Scorpii.

Simply compare its brightness to other stars nearby. The non-variable stars are marked on the map below. While it might be tempting to use the star Antares in your estimations, avoid it because it also varies in brightness. Typically, Delta Scorpii is about magnitude 2.3, but it has been known to brighten up to magnitude 1.6. Remember, the higher the number, the fainter the object. So how bright is it tonight?

Map showing Delta Scorpii and the surrounding stars, with the magnitudes indicated. Map via Don Machholz.

A few tips

Take your time. Compare the subject star (Delta Scorpii) to each of the labeled stars on the map. Is it brighter or fainter? Keep doing that, comparing the subject star to the other stars on the map. Avoid using stars near your horizon as extinction will make them appear fainter than they are.

When you have arrived at a number, write it down, along with the date and time. Then go out again tomorrow night and do it again. After four or five nights, you will feel comfortable making magnitude estimates. You can even send in your results to the clearinghouse for star magnitude estimates: the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). You can submit data for free or pay a fee, join the organization, and receive a cartload of benefits. Plus, you have the satisfaction of contributing to the science of Delta Scorpii.

Bottom Line: Delta Scorpii, also known as Dschubba, is a variable star in the constellation Scorpius. With your eyes alone, you can check its brightness for yourself, and for science.

The post Meet Delta Scorpii, aka Dschubba. It’s a variable star first appeared on EarthSky.

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Can sharks smile? It’s Shark Week! Enjoy these shark videos

Photo by Brian Skerry

A great white shark seems to be smiling as he swims with a school of jacks in the waters of South Australia.#photography #underwater #whiteshark #australia pic.twitter.com/Ibvrolx8Ec

— Henry Söderlund (@henrysoderlund) July 3, 2023

It’s shark week on the Discovery Channel! It will run from July 66 and will end on August 1, 2026. We have some shark videos for you to celebrate it:

Wrangling A Predator: Science and Community Protecting Tiger Sharks

What Happened When 2 Shark Species Shared a Feast?

Can sharks smile?

Many animals show feelings. We’ve all seen examples of animals showing happiness, anger or fear. And dogs, monkeys and dolphins, for example, all show expressions akin to human smiles. But sharks? Sharks do sometimes look as if they’re smiling. They’re often portrayed in books and movies as smiling. But scientists say it’s not likely sharks can or do smile. Unlike dogs, monkeys and dolphins, sharks are fish. And, in sharks and other fish, the parts of the brain related to feelings aren’t developed enough to produce a smile, according to scientists.

JAW-SOME! Shark cracks a smile and looks hilariously like Bruce from Finding Nemo – https://t.co/MBBMCw4GVq pic.twitter.com/G5N2xHs21U

— Caters Media Group (@catersmediagrp) March 22, 2016

Yet sharks do communicate, by twisting their bodies into certain positions. And they act differently from day to day, depending on how much food they’ve eaten or how cold the water is. Scientists call those things behaviors, not emotions.

And even though a shark’s body is made of flexible cartilage, its jaws are rigid and calcified. A strong jaw lets a shark pulverize its food. But the same rigidity makes a true shark smile impossible.

Did you see the Disney film Finding Nemo? Then you know Bruce, who is almost always smiling and whose refrain is: “I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food.” Cute, but not science!

In Finding Nemo (2003) the Great White shark, Bruce, is a reference to the mechanical shark(s) used to make Jaws (1975) whom Spielberg called Bruce. The Jaws score is played during his scenes as well.#Movies #MovieDetails pic.twitter.com/G2JDp959We

— KSP Movies (@KSPMovies) February 15, 2022

Smiles are a form of communication

Smiling seems to be instinctual in people as a basic form of communication. When someone smiles, we usually read the smile as happiness. Likewise, in humans, a frown signals sadness or possibly anger.

And scientists can’t possibly know everything. Maybe we just don’t understand how to read the emotions of a fish. Marine biologist Steven Webster, now retired from Monterey Bay Aquarium and currently head of Sea Studios Foundation, once told EarthSky:

We don’t know if fish or turtles have emotions. And we’ll never know. It could be that sharks are out there chuckling and writing poetry every day, and they just don’t share it with us.

But for now, as far as scientists understand it, sharks and other fish aren’t capable of smiling. That’s despite the fact that some really look as if they’re smiling.

Dolphins always look happy. Can they smile? Maybe they can, as they are mammals. But according to scientists, sharks, as they are fish, they probably don’t have that capability. Yet they can communicate in their own ways. Image via Pexels/ Hamid Elbaz.

What do scientists say?

So, according to scientists, it’s not likely that sharks can smile. And scientists warn against reading too much into animal faces and behaviors. That sort of anthropomorphizing – attributing human form or behavior to animals – can get in the way of scientific objectivity.

Still, future scientists are sure to discover more about sharks’ relationship with their world, giving us all a better glimpse into the lives of the creatures who co-inhabit planet Earth with us.

Of course many other animals – including our beloved pets – appear to smile.

Congratulations to the winners of our Best Smile Photo Contest – Thank you to all who participated! Wow – beautiful pets, beautiful smiles. Enjoy and share in the happiness of the smiling pets of Las Vegas. https://t.co/WIPW3yF6Fj pic.twitter.com/5WF5DID7Wn

— Las Vegas Pet Scene (@LVPetScene) July 12, 2023

Bottom line: Can sharks smile? Not likely. But dogs, monkeys and dolphins all show expressions akin to human smiles. Learn more about sharks during Shark Week.

Shark Week on the Discovery channel starts on July 26, 2026. Click in for info

Read more: Bull sharks choose companions and form lasting bonds

Read more: Sharkcano, an undersea volcano where sharks live

The post Can sharks smile? It’s Shark Week! Enjoy these shark videos first appeared on EarthSky.

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Photo by Brian Skerry

A great white shark seems to be smiling as he swims with a school of jacks in the waters of South Australia.#photography #underwater #whiteshark #australia pic.twitter.com/Ibvrolx8Ec

— Henry Söderlund (@henrysoderlund) July 3, 2023

It’s shark week on the Discovery Channel! It will run from July 66 and will end on August 1, 2026. We have some shark videos for you to celebrate it:

Wrangling A Predator: Science and Community Protecting Tiger Sharks

What Happened When 2 Shark Species Shared a Feast?

Can sharks smile?

Many animals show feelings. We’ve all seen examples of animals showing happiness, anger or fear. And dogs, monkeys and dolphins, for example, all show expressions akin to human smiles. But sharks? Sharks do sometimes look as if they’re smiling. They’re often portrayed in books and movies as smiling. But scientists say it’s not likely sharks can or do smile. Unlike dogs, monkeys and dolphins, sharks are fish. And, in sharks and other fish, the parts of the brain related to feelings aren’t developed enough to produce a smile, according to scientists.

JAW-SOME! Shark cracks a smile and looks hilariously like Bruce from Finding Nemo – https://t.co/MBBMCw4GVq pic.twitter.com/G5N2xHs21U

— Caters Media Group (@catersmediagrp) March 22, 2016

Yet sharks do communicate, by twisting their bodies into certain positions. And they act differently from day to day, depending on how much food they’ve eaten or how cold the water is. Scientists call those things behaviors, not emotions.

And even though a shark’s body is made of flexible cartilage, its jaws are rigid and calcified. A strong jaw lets a shark pulverize its food. But the same rigidity makes a true shark smile impossible.

Did you see the Disney film Finding Nemo? Then you know Bruce, who is almost always smiling and whose refrain is: “I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food.” Cute, but not science!

In Finding Nemo (2003) the Great White shark, Bruce, is a reference to the mechanical shark(s) used to make Jaws (1975) whom Spielberg called Bruce. The Jaws score is played during his scenes as well.#Movies #MovieDetails pic.twitter.com/G2JDp959We

— KSP Movies (@KSPMovies) February 15, 2022

Smiles are a form of communication

Smiling seems to be instinctual in people as a basic form of communication. When someone smiles, we usually read the smile as happiness. Likewise, in humans, a frown signals sadness or possibly anger.

And scientists can’t possibly know everything. Maybe we just don’t understand how to read the emotions of a fish. Marine biologist Steven Webster, now retired from Monterey Bay Aquarium and currently head of Sea Studios Foundation, once told EarthSky:

We don’t know if fish or turtles have emotions. And we’ll never know. It could be that sharks are out there chuckling and writing poetry every day, and they just don’t share it with us.

But for now, as far as scientists understand it, sharks and other fish aren’t capable of smiling. That’s despite the fact that some really look as if they’re smiling.

Dolphins always look happy. Can they smile? Maybe they can, as they are mammals. But according to scientists, sharks, as they are fish, they probably don’t have that capability. Yet they can communicate in their own ways. Image via Pexels/ Hamid Elbaz.

What do scientists say?

So, according to scientists, it’s not likely that sharks can smile. And scientists warn against reading too much into animal faces and behaviors. That sort of anthropomorphizing – attributing human form or behavior to animals – can get in the way of scientific objectivity.

Still, future scientists are sure to discover more about sharks’ relationship with their world, giving us all a better glimpse into the lives of the creatures who co-inhabit planet Earth with us.

Of course many other animals – including our beloved pets – appear to smile.

Congratulations to the winners of our Best Smile Photo Contest – Thank you to all who participated! Wow – beautiful pets, beautiful smiles. Enjoy and share in the happiness of the smiling pets of Las Vegas. https://t.co/WIPW3yF6Fj pic.twitter.com/5WF5DID7Wn

— Las Vegas Pet Scene (@LVPetScene) July 12, 2023

Bottom line: Can sharks smile? Not likely. But dogs, monkeys and dolphins all show expressions akin to human smiles. Learn more about sharks during Shark Week.

Shark Week on the Discovery channel starts on July 26, 2026. Click in for info

Read more: Bull sharks choose companions and form lasting bonds

Read more: Sharkcano, an undersea volcano where sharks live

The post Can sharks smile? It’s Shark Week! Enjoy these shark videos first appeared on EarthSky.

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