Tag Archives: Visible

Patience Unveils the Aurora at Visible Wavelengths on Mars

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Mars exhibits various aurora processes despite its thin atmosphere and absence of global magnetic fields. Previously, all aurora observations have been conducted in ultraviolet wavelengths from orbit. In a recent study, planetary scientists reported the observation of a green visible wavelength aurora, generated from the atomic oxygen line at 557.7 nanometers (nm), detected by NASA’s Perseverance rover using the Supercam and Mastcam-Z instruments.

The first visible image of the green aurora on Mars (left) taken by the NASA Perseverance rover’s Mastcam-Z instrument. On the right is a comparison image of the night sky on Mars without aurora, featuring the Moon Deimos on Mars. The moonlit Mars night sky, primarily illuminated by the larger moon Phobos (outside the frame), has a reddish-brown tint due to atmospheric dust. Consequently, the addition of green aurora light results in a green-yellow tone in the left image. Image credits: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/ASU/MSSS/SSI.

On Earth, auroras occur when solar particles interact with the magnetic field, colliding with atmospheric gases at the poles and emitting light.

Green, the most frequently observed color, results from excited oxygen atoms emitting light at a wavelength of 557.7 nm.

Researchers have theorized for years that green auroras could also manifest on Mars, but noted they would likely be more diffuse and harder to capture than those on Earth.

Due to the absence of a global magnetic field, Mars experiences a distinct type of aurora compared to Earth.

One such type is the Solar Energy Particle (SEP) Aurorae, identified by NASA’s Maven mission in 2014.

These auroras occur when high-energy particles from the sun impact the Martian atmosphere, leading to a luminous display in the night sky.

“Our findings open up new avenues for aurora research and affirm that future astronauts on Mars could witness these phenomena,” stated Dr. Ellis Knutsen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oslo.

On March 15, 2024, the Sun’s solar flare production and the accompanying coronal mass ejection prompted auroras across the solar system, including Mars, with Perseverance capturing them for the first time from another planet’s surface.

Dr. Knutsen and his team utilized data from SEP instruments on NASA’s Maven spacecraft and ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft to verify the detection.

“They’re actively tracking this,” remarked Dr. Shannon Curry, a researcher at Maven and at the Institute of Atmospheric Astronomy at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

“We are thrilled to rapidly advance this observation and look forward to revealing what astronauts might see there.”

By correlating Perseverance’s observations with data from Maven’s SEP instrument, researchers can better analyze the detected 557.7 nm radiation from solar energy particles.

This emission line is identical to the green aurora on Earth, implying that future Mars astronauts may witness this type of aurora.

“The visibility of auroras from Perseverance enables new methods to study these phenomena, complementing orbital observations of Mars,” noted Dr. Katie Stack Morgan, the project scientist for Perseverance at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“A deeper understanding of auroras and the conditions on Mars that facilitate their formation is crucial for preparing to send human explorers there safely.”

The team’s study was published in the journal Advances in Science.

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Elise W. Knutsen et al. 2025. Detection of the visible wavelength aurora on Mars. Advances in Science 11 (20); doi:10.1126/sciadv.ads1563

Source: www.sci.news

Tonight, a total lunar eclipse will be visible across the United States.

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A total lunar eclipse will be visible across the United States on Thursday night or early Friday morning.

The lunar eclipse will begin around midnight ET – when the Earth’s shadow completely covers the moon – and will last for over an hour from 2:26 am to 3:32 am. According to Earth Sky. The complete process will continue until around 6 am ET.

The lunar eclipse will be visible in most of North and South America, as well as in Africa, Europe, eastern Australia, Russia, and half of Japan.

During a total lunar eclipse, the sun, earth, and moon align, creating shadows on the moon. As a result, the moon appears to have a reddish tint, earning it the nickname “Blood Moon.”

This reddish tint is caused by the way sunlight passes through the Earth’s atmosphere. Shorter wavelengths of blue light are easily scattered, while longer wavelengths of red light are more likely to pass through, giving the moon its distinctive color.

Unlike solar eclipses, all stages of a lunar eclipse can be safely viewed with the naked eye, although binoculars and telescopes can enhance the experience.

Unfortunately, cloudy conditions are predicted for many skywatchers tonight. Those who miss this event can look forward to the next lunar eclipse on September 7th, followed by another on March 3rd, 2026.

Overall, total lunar eclipses are less common than partial solar eclipses, which can occur up to three times a year. Neither of the two lunar eclipses in 2024 were total, with the last total lunar eclipse occurring in 2022.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Earth becomes visible to the naked eye, shining as bright as Venus

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Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) captured on December 31, 2024 using the telescope at Rio Hurtado, Chile

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A comet that has surprised astronomers could shine as brightly as Venus in the night sky as it passes Earth in the coming days.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was discovered by NASA’s Asteroid Earth Impact Last Alert System more than 600 million kilometers from Earth in April last year. Astronomers initially thought that the comet would not be able to survive in an orbit so close to the Sun, but subsequent observations showed that the comet was following a different path that would allow it to survive, possibly reaching Earth. It has been suggested that it may even be possible to remain unharmed until the approach of

This new orbit, which takes 160,000 years to complete, will mean the comet will snake its way through the solar system, making it visible to stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere. But for the last part of its journey around the sun, people in the northern hemisphere should also be mostly visible through binoculars.

Observations since the new orbit was proposed have shown the comet to be brighter than expected, which could mean it is breaking up as it approaches the sun. However, the latest observations show that the brightness persists and even increases, which would not be the case if the comet disintegrated.

If C/2024 G3 survives, it could appear very bright in the night sky, with some astronomers predicting its brightness could rival that of Venus, making it one of the brightest comets in decades. I’m doing it.

However, the comet’s exact brightness is unknown. It may be far enough away that it reflects the sunlight and is clearly visible, or it may be washed away by the sunlight and become invisible.

Astronomers have also suggested a phenomenon called forward scatter, where dust from the comet makes it appear brighter than normal, but meteorologist Joe Rao said that’s unlikely. space dot com.

If a comet shines brightly, it will probably reach its maximum level around the time of its closest approach to the Sun. The Central Astronomical Telegraph Office, which aggregates observations from astronomers around the world, predicts that this will occur on January 13 at 10:17 a.m. GMT, with the comet’s closest approach to Earth occurring several hours later. are.

This equates to an approximately three-day viewing period from January 12 to 14 for people in the Northern Hemisphere hoping to catch a glimpse of the comet if it’s bright enough. For people in areas such as the United States and Europe, the best time to see the comet is about 30 minutes before sunrise on January 12, when it should be visible through binoculars about 5 degrees from the sun or directly above the horizon. You should get a second chance around 30 minutes after sunset on January 14th.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Next week, the JUICE spacecraft might be visible during a close flyby of Earth.

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JUICE spacecraft may be visible from Southeast Asia during unprecedented operation

European Space Agency

The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will land on Earth in what the European Space Agency (ESA) calls a “double world first.” It is scheduled to fly past Earth and the Moon on August 19 and 20, the first of several complex maneuvers along a looping path to Jupiter. You may be able to see the spacecraft in the sky as it speeds past.

JUICE was launched on April 14, 2023, and has been orbiting the Sun almost parallel to Earth ever since. But on August 19, its journey will start to get interesting: it will pass within 700 km of the Moon's surface, slowing down slightly using a method called gravity assist. The next day, it will drop to less than 7,000 km above Earth's surface, curving its orbit even further. That's when eagle-eyed astronomy fans in Southeast Asia may get a glimpse of the spacecraft.

All of this is necessary because if JUICE were to fly in a straight line to Jupiter, it would need more than 60,000 kilograms of fuel to get there, and even more to slow down and enter orbit once there. With the entire spacecraft's mass unfueled at 2,420 kilograms, this just isn't feasible. Instead, upcoming Earth-Moon flybys will send the spacecraft to Venus, where it will begin to accelerate, then fly past Earth twice to get it just fast enough to reach Jupiter in 2031.

The first maneuver may be the most complex of the entire mission, as JUICE must pass precise points relative to both the Earth and the Moon to en route to Venus. “It's like going through a very narrow corridor very fast, with the accelerator at full speed with only millimeters of clearance on the side of the road,” said ESA's Ignacio Tanco in statementA dual Earth-Moon flyby has never been attempted before, nor has a dual gravity assist been performed.

If all goes well, JUICE will not only head to Venus and then Jupiter, but it will also perform the first major tests of its scientific instruments. For some of the probes, this will be their only chance to observe the planet's surface and iron out any kinks before they reach orbit around Jupiter and begin their mission to search for hints of possible life on the planet's giant moons.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

‘Devil’s Comet’ makes close approach to the sun, possibly visible during solar eclipse

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The Devil’s Comet, known for its occasional explosions, is currently visible in the night sky, and fortunate observers may catch a glimpse of it during the eagerly awaited solar eclipse next month.

Comet 12P/Ponsbrooks earned the nickname “Devil’s Comet” after an eruption last year left behind two distinctive trails of gas and ice resembling devil’s horns.

From the Northern Hemisphere, the comet is currently visible with binoculars or telescopes. As it moves through the inner solar system and approaches its closest point to the sun in mid-April, it may become visible to the naked eye by the end of the month.

Comets typically consist of a core of dust, gas, and ice surrounded by a bright gas cloud called a coma. These objects are remnants from the formation of the solar system and can be several miles wide, according to NASA.

The core of a comet can heat up due to sunlight and solar radiation, sometimes leading to explosive events, as seen with Comet 12P/Ponsbrooks. Observers in the Northern Hemisphere can currently see the comet in the western-northwestern sky in the evening.

The comet is expected to brighten towards the end of the month and, under clear and dark conditions, may remain visible until early May. If the comet experiences significant flares in the coming weeks, it could be visible during the total solar eclipse on April 8 along the path stretching from northeast Texas to Maine.

Despite uncertainties surrounding rare synchronistic events, there is a good chance of spotting the comet on its own in the evening sky. Comet 12P/Pons-Brookes was first discovered in 1812 by French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons and later observed in 1883 by British-American astronomer William Brooks. Due to its 71-year orbit around the sun, sightings of this comet are infrequent.

Source: www.nbcnews.com