A recently discovered green comet, named Nishimura, has survived its close encounter with the sun and begun its journey back into the outer reaches of the solar system. Once gone, it won’t return for around 430 years. But it could be visible over the next few weeks, depending on where you live.
Comet Nishimura, also known as C/2023 P1, was first spotted falling rapidly toward the sun on Aug. 12 by amateur Japanese astronomer Hideo Nishimura. The icy object has a green glow caused by high levels of dicarbon in its coma — the cloud of gas and dust that surrounds its solid core.
The comet’s trajectory initially suggested that it may have been a potential interstellar object, like ‘Oumuamua or Comet 2I/Borisov, that was making its first and final trip through the solar system. However, further observation revealed that it actually has an extremely elliptical orbit, which only brings it into the inner solar system every 430 years before slingshotting around the sun and returning to the Oort Cloud — a reservoir of comets and other icy objects beyond the orbit of Neptune.
On Sept. 12, Comet Nishimura made its closest approach to Earth, passing within 78 million miles (125 million kilometers) of the planet, or roughly 500 times the average distance between Earth and the moon. And on Sept. 17, the comet reached perihelion, or the closest point to the sun, when it dipped within 20.5 million miles (33 million km) of our home star.
A black diagram with colored lines showing the orbits of planets and Comet Nishimura around the sun
Getting so close to the sun can be deadly for comets. The increased heat and radiation can cause them to shatter into many smaller pieces. However, Nishimura appears to have emerged mostly unscathed, according to Spaceweather.com.
As Comet Nishimura moves away from the sun and slightly toward Earth it will become fractionally brighter as more light reflects off its coma, which will have grown slightly from its brush with the sun. But this doesn’t necessarily mean we will be able to see it any better.
The comet’s trajectory and close proximity to the sun only make it visible near the horizon shortly before sunrise or shortly after sunset. It’s also much dimmer than it was on its approach to Earth, when it became clearly visible to the naked eye. As a result, you need a strong telescope or specialized astrophotography equipment to catch a decent sight of the comet.
Astrophotographer Petr Horalek captured a blurry shot of the comet (shown below) on Sept. 17 above Slovakia’s Mount Lysa, shortly after the sun reached its closest point to the sun. However, he could not see the comet without his equipment, he told Live Science in an email.
A sunset image with a faint comet in the sky surrounded by a white ring
However, if you live in Australia, your chances of being able to catch a glimpse of Nishimura with your own eyes are slightly better over the next week. Between Sept. 20 and Sept. 27, the comet will set around one hour after the sun, the furthest distance away from our home star over the next few weeks. And the increased separation will make it appear brighter to observers in this part of the world, Live Science’s sister site Space.com reported.
related stories
—Optical illusion gives rare green comet an ‘anti-tail’ that seemingly defies physics
—In a 1st, scientists predicted that volcanic comet was due to pop ‘like a Champagne bottle’ — and it did
—Blazing comet tail is whipped by solar winds in astonishing astronomy photo
However, the rest of us may still get another chance to spot the comet later in the year — or perhaps some scattered bits of it.
Some experts believe Nishimura could potentially be the source of the annual Sigma-Hydrids meteor shower, a minor shower that peaks annually in early December, according to the astronomy news site EarthSky. If this is the case, then Nishimura’s passing could cause this year’s shower to be much more active and visually stunning than normal. Further observations in December could help confirm or disprove this theory.
Quizá hayas oído algo acerca del eclipse de luna del 28 de octubre de 2023. Este eclipse lunar de tipo parcial será visible desde España y aunque no tendrá una gran magnitud puede ofrecer un bonito espectáculo para los amantes de estos fenómenos celestes.
Los eclipses lunares se producen cuando la sombra de la Tierra se proyecta sobre la superficie de la Luna y pueden ser totales, cuando la Luna queda totalmente tapada por la sombra o parciales, como en este caso en el que la sombra solo oculta una parte de nuestro satélite.
Este eclipse tendrá una magnitud bastante pequeña (0,12 lo que significa que se oscurecerá menos del 7% del disco lunar) y aquí en España podremos comenzar a verlo poco después de la salida de la Luna por el horizonte. Tendrá una duración total de 04h 24m 39.1s. mientras que la parcialidad tendrá una duración de 1h 17m.
¿Dónde se podrá ver el eclipse de luna?
El eclipse lunar del próximo 28 de octubre será visible en toda Europa, África y la mayor parte de Asia. Desde estos lugares podremos ver tanto la parcialidad como las fases de penumbra.
En algunos países de América como Brasil, Venezuela, parte de Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina y Uruguay se podrá ver un poco la penumbra.
¿Cuándo se verá el eclipse?
El horario del eclipse para la ciudad de Madrid será el siguiente:
Horario UTC
Horario Local
Comienzo del eclipse penumbral
28 de oct, 18:01:48
28 de oct, 20:01:48
Comienzo del eclipse parcial
28 de oct, 19:35:25
28 de oct, 21:35:25
Máximo del eclipse
28 de oct, 20:14:05
28 de oct, 22:14:05
Fin del eclipse parcial
28 de oct, 20:52:40
28 de oct, 22:52:40
Fin del eclipse penumbral
28 de oct, 22:26:25
29 de oct, 0:26:25
Puedes consultar las horas exactas para tu localización en esta página.
Durante el inicio de la fase de penumbra (P1) la Luna comenzará a oscurecerse lentamente. En esta fase el oscurecimiento es difícil de percibir a simple vista. Poco a poco la parte de la Luna más internada en la penumbra comenzará a cambiar de color hacia tonalidades más oscuras. Con el inicio de la parcialidad (U1) comenzaremos a apreciar una banda oscura, la sombra, que poco a poco va creciendo de tamaño.
La fase de máximo se producirá cuando la Luna está a unos 34º de altura sobre el horizonte.
Poco a poco la sombra irá reduciendo su tamaño y finalmente retornaremos a la fase penumbral.
Fases del eclipse lunar
P1 (Primer contacto): Comienzo del eclipse penumbral. La Luna toca el límite exterior de la penumbra terrestre.
U1 (Segundo contacto): Comienzo del eclipse parcial. La Luna toca el límite exterior de la umbra terrestre.
Máximo del eclipse: Etapa de mayor ocultación del eclipse. La Luna está en su punto más cercano al centro de la umbra terrestre.
U4 (Quinto contacto): Fin del eclipse parcial. La umbra terrestre abandona la superficie lunar.
P2 o P4 (Sexto contacto): Fin del eclipse penumbral. La Luna escapa completamente de la sombra terrestre.
Consejos para ver el eclipse lunar
Los eclipses lunares pueden verse desde cualquier parte, incluso desde ciudad a pesar de la contaminación lumínica, pero se disfrutan y se aprecian mejor desde lugares oscuros ya que entonces notaremos mejor los sutiles matices de oscurecimiento de las fases, sobre todo en este caso que es un eclipse de tan poca magnitud.
Te recomendamos por tanto que salgas al campo a verlo, eso si, bien abrigado y con algo de comida y bebida caliente para poder aguantar durante todo el fenómeno que tiene una duración de más de 4 horas.
El fenómeno es apreciable a simple vista pero si dispones de prismáticos o telescopio (de focal corta) podrás apreciar algunos detalles sutiles mejor.
Hoy hablaremos sobre el próximo eclipse solar del 14 de octubre de 2023 que será visible en el continente americano y será de tipo anular. Desgraciadamente aquí en Europa (excepto en Canarias que se verá mínimamente como parcial) no será visible pero como se que muchos de vosotros me leéis desde el otro lado del charco he querido escribir este artículo con los mejores consejos de observación para vosotros.
El eclipse del 14 de octubre sera un eclipse solar anular. Esto se produce cuando la Luna se interpone entre el Sol y la Tierra pero no está a una distancia lo suficientemente cercana a nosotros como para que el cono de la sombra de la Luna nos alcance, solo nos llega la penumbra. Por este motivo el Sol no se tapa totalmente, quedan los bordes visibles con forma de anillo y por ese motivo se llama eclipse anular.
Si deseas saber más sobre los eclipses solares aquí tienes una completa guía.
Esto será un buen aperitivo para el eclipse solar, ahora si total, que se producirá el 8 de abril de 2024 y que será visible también en buena parte de América.
¿Dónde se podrá ver este eclipse solar?
El eclipse anular comenzará en la parte noroccidental de Estados Unidos, en el estado de Oregón. Irá descendiendo hacia el sureste pasando por California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nuevo México y Texas. En México cruzará la península del Yucatán y será visible desde ciudades como Campeche Oxkutzcab y Chetumal.
Otros países de Centroamérica que disfrutarán de este fenómeno de anularidad son Belice, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Panamá.
Desde sudamérica el eclipse será visible en Colombia, Brasil.
El eclipse será visible solo parcialmente en el resto de países de América. Cuanto más lejos estemos de la franja de anularidad (visible en el siguiente mapa como más oscura) menos porcentaje del Sol será ocultado por la Luna.
¿Cuándo se podrá ver el eclipse?
El eclipse se producirá el 14 de octubre pero dependiendo de dónde estés comenzará a una hora diferente. Por ejemplo, en la zona oeste de Estados unidos comenzará a verse antes que en Brasil.
Puedes consultar algunos de los horarios en diferentes países en la siguiente tabla.
País
Tipo
Hora de inicio
Hora de fin
Duración
Belize
Annular Solar Eclipse
9:50 CST
13:22 CST
9m
Brazil
Annular Solar Eclipse
12:05 COT
17:55 BRT
55m, 30s
Colombia
Annular Solar Eclipse
11:12 COT
15:35 PET
38m, 18s
Costa Rica
Annular Solar Eclipse
10:09 CST
13:52 CST
8m, 20s
Guatemala
Annular Solar Eclipse
9:48 CST
13:24 CST
3m, 22s
Honduras
Annular Solar Eclipse
9:56 CST
13:35 CST
13m, 5s
Mexico
Annular Solar Eclipse
8:09 PDT
14:19 EST
14m, 42s
Nicaragua
Annular Solar Eclipse
10:02 CST
13:44 CST
15m, 50s
Panama
Annular Solar Eclipse
10:18 CST
15:03 EST
14m, 35s
United States
Annular Solar Eclipse
8:04 PDT
15:13 EDT
45m, 33s
Aquí en España tendremos que esperar al año 2028 para poder ver un eclipse anular, aunque en 2026 y 2027 podremos ver dos eclipses totales, mucho más espectaculares.
¿Cómo ver el eclipse con seguridad?
Recuerda que la observación del Sol conlleva algunos riesgos por lo que debemos extremar las precauciones y seguir todas las medidas de seguridad para evitar dañar nuestros ojos. Un uso incorrecto de filtros solares o intentar la observación solar sin las medidas adecuadas puede suponer daños irreversibles en la vista o incluso ceguera permanente.
Puedes usar gafas para eclipses homologadas de venta en tiendas de óptica, filtros solares para telescopios, telescopios solares o también métodos de proyección. No uses métodos caseros como cristales ahumados o radiografías ya que no detienen la radiación ultravioleta que daña los ojos.
Las gafas de eclipses son la forma más sencilla de ver el fenómeno pero es importante usarlas bien ¡No debes nunca poner un instrumento óptico delante de ellas!
Los telescopios o los prismáticos deben llevar filtros en la parte del objetivo, es decir, en la parte delantera. Estos filtros deben estar bien asegurados y no deben manipularse si hay alguien observando en ese momento. Los filtros situados en la zona de oculares que venden algunas marcas son extremadamente peligrosos, no los uses.
Para ver bien el eclipse busca una zona abierta y despejada. Si el horario es próximo al amanecer o atardecer busca un lugar elevado con vistas despejadas al horizonte.
Los que estéis dentro de la banda de anularidad podréis ir viendo como la Luna se va adentrando poco a poco dentro del disco solar hasta llegar al máximo de ocultación, momento en que que solo es visible un anillo solar alrededor de nuestro satélite. Aunque hay un leve oscurecimiento de la luz ambiental no será tan drástica como la que se produce durante un eclipse total.
Un fenómeno muy curioso que podéis contemplar es a la sombra de los árboles, donde entre los rayos solares que se cuelan entre las hojas podréis ver múltiples eclipses proyectados.
It’s not surprising that Ireland’s wild landscapes are beloved by outdoor enthusiasts the world over. Postcards of the emerald isle are adorned with rugged coastlines, lush green fields, and magnificent mountains. An escape to these landscapes is good for the soul – a chance to leave behind the straight lines, concrete, and uniformity of urban life, and to reconnect with the land that provides us with a home.
Finding that sense of place can be an especially moving experience. That feeling is something the night sky can offer on a cosmic scale – but only if you can see it. Sadly, many of us have never experienced a true night sky because of a very modern affliction – light pollution.
What is light pollution?
Light pollution occurs when excessive artificial light disrupts a natural environment. Artificial lights are of course a necessity of modern life, but all too frequently we use them more than we need to. On a day-to-day basis this problem can manifest as lights disrupting your ability to sleep, or bright streetlights actually impeding your night vision, but for stargazers light pollution means skyglow.
Skyglow drastically reduces the number of stars we can see by effectively ‘washing out’ the dimmest stars in the sky. This is particularly problematic in urban and suburban environments, but the effects of skyglow are so profound, even those of us living well beyond the boundaries of urban areas can experience their deleterious effects.
Dark skies in Ireland
Thankfully, the news is not all bad. There are still refugia where you can escape the overbearing effects of artificial light: beautiful, untouched landscapes where the night sky reveals its timeless beauty and we can even see the delicate, smoky, stream of stars that comprises our home galaxy – the Milky Way.
The news gets even better — the darkest of Irish skies are regarded as some of the best in the world. Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve and Mayo Dark Sky Park are both considered gold tier by Dark Sky International. And recently OM Dark Sky Park in Northern Ireland became the island’s newest internationally recognised dark sky place.
Georgia MacMillan of Dark Sky Ireland says Ireland is the perfect place for outdoor enthusiasts to start engaging with stargazing “I feel very lucky that I get to pair my love of hiking in beautiful landscapes with some of the most pristine dark skies in the world. It’s no secret that places like Killarney and Mayo are incredible by day, but by night they take on a whole other kind of magic.”
How to prep for a visit to a Dark Sky location
Prepare for a visit to a Dark Sky Place as you would for any hike, but with a few extra considerations. First and foremost is safety. Consider the unique challenges posed by a night hike and plan ahead.
Light: Bring a torch and batteries to ensure you can safely get to your intended destination. Using a torch will affect your night vision, so once you’ve reached your destination, turn it off and allow your eyes 20 minutes to fully adjust. Alternatively, you can purchase specialist torches that use only red light to guide your path without significantly impacting your night vision. Looking at your phone will impact your night vision too so keep it in your pocket unless it’s an emergency! Don’t forget to bring reflective clothing to ensure you can be seen safely.
Partner up: As with any hike, you want someone with you who can call for help if needed. It’s also very rewarding to share a stargazing experience with other people so plan ahead and call a friend.
Navigation: Stick to marked paths and take your time. It’s harder to navigate at night, so make your intended route a realistic one. Remote areas often have poor phone reception, so consider this before relying on an online map. That said, ensure your phone is charged, travel with a partner, and tell someone at home where you are planning on going. Scout your location by day so you can be more confident of your surroundings when you visit at night.
Location: Try to find a location where your view of the horizon is not obscured. An open field, or a coastal view are both great candidates. Avoid locations overlooking towns, cities, or other sources of artificial light. Finally, if you can’t find an area with panoramic views, prioritise a southern view. This gives you the best chance of taking in the planets and the Milky Way.
A truly dark night sky can be overwhelming the first time you see it. There are so many stars it can be difficult to find a frame of reference such as a familiar constellation. My recommendation on your first visit is to just take it all in. Try to appreciate the scale of what you are seeing, and the truly humbling fact that some of those stars no longer exist — they are just so far away the last of their light has yet to reach us.
If you do want to look for a particular target, I recommend the Milky Way. While it isn’t the best time of the year to see it, you should be able to see a ‘smoky’ trail of stars starting at the southwest horizon and moving almost directly overhead from 8.30pm throughout Space Week (October 4-10) Space Week is an ideal time to start exploring Ireland’s wonderful dark sky heritage.
Dark Sky Hiking, Kerry Picture: Davy Patton / Astrophotography Club Ireland
Dark Sky Hiking, Kerry Picture: Davy Patton / Astrophotography Club Ireland
Dark Sky Hiking, Kerry Picture: Davy Patton / Astrophotography Club Ireland
To learn more, and to find Dark Sky events near you, visit spaceweek.ie.
Space Week is when students, families, community groups and members of the public will come together with the space community, professional astrophysicists, the broader educational community, artists, hobby astronomers and space scientists to use the powers of creativity, critical thinking, science, technology, engineering and maths to focus on the wonders and realities of the Universe around us.
Rob O’Sullivan is a science communicator and outreach coordinator at MTU’s Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork.
An unexpected and astonishing find located more than 2.5 million light-years from Earth took top honors at the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards this week. Amateur astronomers Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty captured an image of a massive plasma arc near the Andromeda Galaxy, a discovery that has resulted in scientists looking closer into the giant gas cloud.
“This astrophoto is as spectacular as [it is] valuable,” judge and astrophotographer László Francsics said in a press release. “It not only presents Andromeda in a new way, but also raises the quality of astrophotography to a higher level.”
[Related: How to get a great nightsky shot]
While “Andromeda, Unexpected” captured the prestigious overall winner title, other category winners also dazzled with photos of dancing auroras, neon sprites raining down from the night’s sky, and stunning far-off nebulas that might make you feel like a tiny earthling floating through space.
Sit back and scroll in awe at all the category winners, runners-up, and highly commended images from the 2023 Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year honorees.
Galaxy
Overall winner: Andromeda, Unexpected
A team of amateur astronomers led by Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty made a surprising discovery−a huge plasma arc next to the Andromeda Galaxy. Scientists are now investigating the newly discovered giant in a transnational collaboration. It could be the largest such structure in the nearby environment in the Universe. The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. It is undoubtedly one of the most photographed deep-sky objects ever. The new discovery of such a large structure in the immediate vicinity of the galaxy was all the more surprising.Photo: Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty
Runner-Up: The Eyes Galaxies
The Eyes Galaxies (NGC 4438) are the famous interacting galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. They’re small and require a large telescope to reveal their many components, such as the dust in the middle and the tiny flares on the left and right. Those tiny details have rarely been revealed on other amateur images. Photo: Weitang Liang
Highly Commended: Neighbors
A deep-space photograph showing galaxies NGC 5078 and IC879, to the left, and NGC 5101 on the right. The detailed image captures the hazy dust of the galaxies clearly. Photo: Paul Montague
Aurora
Winner: Brushstroke
An abstract aurora in the shape of a brushstroke. Unusually, the photographer decided to photograph the aurora in isolation. Photo: Monika Deviat
Runner-up: Circle of Light
A stunning photograph of a vivid aurora over Skagsanden beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway. The mountain in the background is Hustinden, which the aurora appears to encircle. Photo: Andreas Ettl
Highly Commended: Fire on the Horizon
New Zealand regularly has auroras, but due to its distance from the magnetic pole they are often not particularly vibrant for observers. With to the increased solar activity the region saw this year, the photographer was able to capture a highly colorful aurora over Birdlings Flat, New Zealand. Photo:Chester Hall-Fernandez
Our Moon
Winner: Mars-Set
An occultation of Mars that took place on December 8, 2022. During the occultation, the moon passes in front of the planet Mars, allowing the astrophotographer to capture both objects together. The image shows Mars behind the moon’s southern side in impressive detail. Photo: Ethan Chappel
Runner-Up: Sundown on the Terminator
The Plato Crater is an almost perfectly circular crater that measures 109 kilometes in diameter. This photograph was taken during a local lunar sunset in the last quarter, when approximately half of the moon’s face is visible from Earth. The image captures dramatic shadows moving across the moon. Photo: Tom Williams
Highly Commended: Last Full Moon of the Year Featuring a Colourful Corona During a Close Encounter with Mars
A photograph of the last full moon of 2022 immersed in clouds. The colourful ring surrounding the moon is a lunar corona, which occurs when moonlight is diffracted though water droplets in the Earth’s atmosphere. Mars can just be seen to the right of the moon, appearing as a small orange dot. Photo: Miguel Claro
Our Sun
Winner: A Sun Question
A photograph of the sun with a huge filament in the shape of a question mark. Solar filaments are arcs of plasma in the sun’s atmosphere given shape by magnetic fields. The photo is a mosaic of two panels. Photo: Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau
Runner-Up:Dark Star
A photograph of the sun turned ‘inside-out’. The photographer inverted the rectangular image onto polar coordinates to highlight the smaller prominences that occur on the edge of the sun. Photo: Peter Ward
Highly Commended: The Great Solar Flare
The sun photographed moving towards its maximum cycle. A large solar flare around 700,000 kilometers long erupts to the left of the image. Photo: Mehmet Ergün
People & Space
Winner: Zeila
The most northerly part of Namibia’s Atlantic facing coast is one of the most treacherous coastlines in the world and has gained the name the Skeleton Coast. The ship in this photo, Zeila, was stranded on August 25, 2008 and is still in a well-preserved state. The image shows the delicate colors of different star types.Photo: Vikas Chander
Runner-Up: A Visit to Tycho
In this photo, the International Space Station has been captured in alignment with the Tycho Crater. While actually 1,000 times closer to Earth than the moon, this perspective makes it seem like the station is in fact orbiting our natural satellite. McCarthy travelled to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona to find the perfect position. Photo: Andrew McCarthy
Highly Commended: Close Encounters of The Haslingden Kind
Haslingden’s Halo is an 18-meter diameter sculpture located in the hills of Lancashire. McGuinness took inspiration from the Close Encounters of The Third Kind film poster to create her image. More than 150 images, taken over an hour and with exposures of 25 seconds each, were combined to show the apparent rotation of stars around Polaris. Photo: Katie McGuinness
Planets, Comets & Asteroids
Winner: Suspended in a Sunbeam
A unique view of Venus using infrared or ultraviolet false colour. By going beyond the visible part of the spectrum, a myriad of fine detail within the upper atmosphere of the planet is revealed. Photo: Tom Williams
Runner-Up: Jupiter Close to Opposition
An image of Jupiter 30 minutes after it crossed the meridian. The Great Red Spot and many details of the turbulent atmosphere, primarily composed of hydrogen and helium gas, are clearly visible, including several smaller storms. Photo: Marco Lorenzi
Highly Commended: Uranus with Umbriel, Ariel, Miranda, Oberon and Titania
Uranus is so distant that light from the sun takes nearly three hours to reach it and makes it very hard to photograph. This photo was taken in optimum conditions, on a still night with no cloud cover, so the photographer was able to capture Uranus and its five brightest moons, from top to bottom, Titania, Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, and Oberon. Photo: Martin Lewis
Skyscapes
Winner: Grand Cosmic Fireworks
Sprites are an extremely rare phenomenon of atmospheric luminescence that appear like fireworks. An took this photograph from the highest ridge of the Himalaya mountains. Photo: Angel An
Runner-Up: Celestial Equator Above First World War Trench Memorial
Star trails above the preserved First World War trenches in Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park in northern France. Taken over five hours, the camera captured the rotation of the sky, revealing the colorful stars. Photo: Louis Leroux-Gere
Highly Commended: Noctilucent Night
Noctilucent clouds are rarely seen around the summer solstice in Hungary, when this photograph was taken. The reflection on the pond below creates a perfect symmetry. Photo: Peter Hoszang
Stars & Nebulae
Winner: New Class of Galactic Nebulae Around the Star YY Hya
A team of amateur astronomers, led by Marcel Drechsler from Germany and Xavier Strottner from France, were able to make an important contribution to the study of the evolution of binary star systems: on old images of sky surveys, they discovered a previously unknown galactic nebula. At its center, a pair of stars surrounded by a common envelope was found. On more than 100 nights, more than 360 hours of exposure time were collected. The result shows an ultra-deep stellar remnant that the team has baptized “the heart of the Hydra.” Photo: Marcel Drechsler
Runner-Up: LDN 1448 et al.
A photograph of LDN 1448, which is close to the more spectacular and more often photographed NGC 1333. Quintile chose to photograph the lesser-known molecular cloud to explore the fascinating dust in this part of the sky. Photo: Anthony Quintile
Highly Commended: The Dark Wolf – Fenrir
This image shows a dark, thick molecular cloud in the form of a wolf, known as the Wolf Nebula or Fenrir Nebula. Baguley chose a starless image to emphasise the beautiful red background, which is a dense backdrop of hydrogen gas. Photo: James Baguley
The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer
Winner: Sh2-132: Blinded by the Light
The Sh2-132 complex lies near the border of the Cepheus and Lacerta constellations and contains multiple deep sky structures. The photograph includes 70 hours of data, the rich interplay of all the gasses reveals something different each time you look at it. Photo: Aaron Wilhelm
Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Winner: The Running Chicken Nebula
The Running Chicken Nebula, IC2944, is located in the constellation of Centaurus, 6,000 light years away from the Earth. Embedded in the nebula’s glowing gas the star cluster Collinder 249 is visible. Photo: Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang
Runner-Up: Blue Spirit Drifting in the Clouds
Pleiades is an open star cluster lit by the brightest stars, which illuminate the surrounding nebula giving it an attractive blue hue. The cluster is also known as the Seven Sisters, because many people can see seven stars. But as astrophotography reveals, there are actually over 1,000. Photo: Haocheng Li and Runwei Xu
Highly Commended: Lunar Occultation of Mars
The lunar occultation of Mars was one of the most interesting celestial events of 2022. Here, an iPhone was used with a Celestron Astromaster 102az Refractor Telescope to capture the moment just before the moon blocked our view of Mars. Photo: Joshua Harwood-White
Highly Commended: Roses Blooming in the Dark: NGC 2337
The Rosette Nebula, NGC 2337, is a large nebula and has a diameter of about 130 light-years. This image has been achieved using narrowband-filter processing. For the star point LRGB filters have been used. Photo: Yanhao Mo
Highly Commended: Moon at Nightfall
A photograph of a moonrise over the Xinghai Bay Bridge in Dalian. Atmospheric extinction alters the hue and brightness of the moon when it is low on the horizon. In this photo, you can see the moon appears brighter and less red as it rises in the sky. Photo: Haohan Sun
Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation
Winner: Black Echo
Taking audio source material from NASA’s Chandra Sonification Project, White visually captured the sound of the black hole at the centre of the Perseus Galaxy. Photo: John White
A teal-colored plasma arc next to the iconic Andromeda Galaxy stole the show in this year’s Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition announced this week. The dazzling image and overall winner of the competition, Andromeda, Unexpected, was taken by Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty.
“It’s an enormous honor for our team to receive this important award and we are grateful for all the support, friendship and encouragement we have received along our journey. It encourages us to continue to pursue our passion for astrophotography and, of course, research with dedication,” the winners say Royal Observatory Greenwich press release.
Within one of the most observed and photographed areas in the night sky, the amateur astronomers captured a blue arc of ionized oxygen gas that was only discovered earlier this year. Scientists are now investigating the arc, dubbed Strottner-Drechsler-Sainty Object 1 (SDSO-1), as it could be the largest type of structure near to Earth. The winning image will be on display alongside other winners from other categories at the National Maritime Museum in London starting September 16.
In its 15th year, the competition features over 100 photographs of shimmering skies, brilliant moons, and vibrant stars. In total there are 11 categories including, Best Newcomer, Young Astronomy Photographer of the year, and the subject categories: Galaxies, Aurorae, Our Moon, Our Sun, People and Space, Planet, Comets and Asteroids, Skyscapes, and Stars and Nebulae.
Andromeda, Unexpected was named appropriately as the team did not expect to capture the plasma arc. “It was an absolute accident. No one expected to see it and that’s why it’s called Andromeda, Unexpected, because we wanted to take a beautiful image of the Andromeda Galaxy. And we looked at the first data and we spotted this hazy smudge on the edge of the image,” says Drechsler in a statement. Initially, the team thought the smudge was distortion or an anomaly from scattered light.
The award-winning image took over 22 nights, 110 hours of data and various filters and exposure times to capture. “This astrophoto is as spectacular as [it is] valuable. It not only presents Andromeda in a new way, but also raises the quality of astrophotography to a higher level,” says László Francsics judge and astrophotographer, in the release.
The overall winner shared also gained the top spot in the Galaxies category. Here are a list of winners in the other fields.
An occultation of Mars that took place on 8 December 2022. During the occultation, the Moon passes in front of the planet Mars, allowing the astrophotographer to capture both objects together. The image shows Mars behind the Moon’s southern side in impressive detail.
Taken with a Celestron EdgeHD 14 telescope, iOptron CEM70 mount, Astro-Physics BARADV lens, ZWO ASI462MC camera, 7,120 mm f/20, multiple 15-millisecond exposures.
A photograph of the Sun with a huge filament in the shape of a question mark. Solar filaments are arcs of plasma in the Sun’s atmosphere given shape by magnetic fields. The photo is a mosaic of two panels.
Taken with a Sky-Watcher Evostar 150ED DX Doublet APO refractor telescope, Daystar Quark Chromosphere filter, Baader ERF frontal filter, iOptron CEM70G mount, Player One Apollo-M Max camera, Gain 100, 840 mm focal length 120 mm aperture, 2 panels of 115 x 3.47-millisecond exposures.
The most northerly part of Namibia’s Atlantic facing coast is one of the most treacherous coastlines in the world and has gained the name the Skeleton Coast.
The ship in this photo, Zeila, was stranded on 25 August 2008 and is still in a well-preserved state. The image shows the delicate colours of different star types.
Taken with a Nikon D850 camera, 135 mm f/2.8, ISO 200, 30-minute exposure.
Sprites are an extremely rare phenomenon of atmospheric luminescence that appear like fireworks. An took this photograph from the highest ridge of the Himalaya mountains.
Taken with a Sony ILCE-7S3 camera, 135 mm f/1.8, ISO 12800, 4-second exposure
A team of amateur astronomers, led by Marcel Drechsler from Germany and Xavier Strottner from France, were able to make an important contribution to the study of the evolution of binary star systems: on old images of sky surveys, they discovered a previously unknown galactic nebula. At its centre, a pair of stars surrounded by a common envelope was found. On over 100 nights, more than 360 hours of exposure time were collected. The result shows an ultra-deep stellar remnant that the team has baptised ‘the heart of the Hydra’.
Taken with an ASA Newtonian 500 mm telescope, ASA DDM85 mount, FLI ProLine 16803 camera, 1,900 mm f/3.8, 890 x 1,200-second exposures, 672 x 300-second exposures and 15 x 1,800-second exposures
The Sh2-132 complex lies near the border of the Cepheus and Lacerta constellations and contains multiple deep sky structures. The photograph includes 70 hours of data, the rich interplay of all the gasses reveals something different each time you look at it.
Taken with a William Optics Fluorostar132 mm telescope, Chroma 3 nm/50 mm SII/H-alpha/OIII filters, Astro-Physics Mach2GTO mount, ZWO ASI6200MM Pro camera, 910 mm f/6.9, SII: 87 x 900-second exposures; H-alpha: 92 x 900-second exposures; OIII: 87 x 900-second exposures, 66 hours and 30 minutes total exposure
The Running Chicken Nebula, IC2944, is located in the constellation of Centaurus, 6,000 light years away from the Earth. Embedded in the nebula’s glowing gas the star cluster Collinder 249 is visible.
Taken with an ASA N20 f/3.8 Newtonian telescope, ASA DDM85 mount, FLI Proline 16803 camera, 1,900 mm f/3.8, 5.5 hours total exposure
Location: El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile
Taking audio source material from NASA’s Chandra Sonification Project, White visually captured the sound of the black hole at the center of the Perseus Galaxy.
The audio was played through a speaker onto which White attached a petri dish, blacked out at the bottom and then filled with about 3 mm of water. Using a macro lens and halo light in a dark room, White experimented with the audio and volumes to explore the various patterns made in the liquid.
Original data from the NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory, May 2022.
“Over 100 years, nobody has seen the arc because it’s so faint and it’s only visible in Oxygen 3 (OIII),” Marcel explains.
When gases like hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen are superheated they glow in various colours, with oxygen giving off a blue colour.
Telescope narrowband filters allow astronomers to look at the light from certain gases, with the most common filters being Hydrogen Alpha, Hydrogen Beta, Sulfur 2 and Oxygen 3.
As three quarters of gas in the Universe is hydrogen, astrophotographers tend to take photos using a Hydrogen Alpha (Hα) filter in order to see this type of light.
Oxygen, by contrast, makes up just 1% of gas in the Universe and is extremely faint, making it difficult to see.
Photographs taken with an Oxygen 3 filter are also subject to distortions from factors such as light pollution, meaning fewer astrophotographers choose to use it.
However, for those willing to put in the long exposure times required to take photographs in Oxygen 3, many discoveries await.
“The arc is not very easy to capture. You have to be an ambitious astrophotographer to catch this arc,” Marcel says.
Bright oxygen clouds have already been discovered in other nebulae such as the Veil Nebula, where oxygen gas is heated, ionises and glows blue.
Bat in Eastern Veil – or is it an Owl? by Brendan Kinch, shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023 Stars & Nebulae category. This is a small section of the Veil Nebula – a cloud of heated and ionised gas and dust in the constellation Cygnus, taken using Sulfur 2, Hydrogen Alpha and Oxygen 3 filters.
An unexpected discovery
So how did the team find it? Marcel explains: “It was an absolute accident. No one expected to see it and that’s why it’s called Andromeda, Unexpected, because we wanted to take a beautiful image of the Andromeda Galaxy. And we looked at the first data and we spotted this hazy smudge on the edge of the image.”
The astrophotographers originally thought the smudge could be an ‘artifact’, an anomaly or distortion which shows up on images due to interference from things like light pollution, satellite trails and scattered light.
After much discussion, however, “we came to the conclusion no, it’s not an artifact. It’s real. It’s a new discovery,” Marcel says.
But why haven’t any of the extremely sophisticated cameras up in space spotted this? Essentially, while space telescopes take extremely valuable photographs, they have limitations in their scope.
“We amateur astronomers can capture what Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope can’t because they only capture a teeny tiny fraction of the sky,” Marcel explains. “With our small and not-so-expensive telescopes, we are able to capture a wide field image of the night sky.”
“We are faster than Hubble, we have a wider field than Hubble, and we can do more exposure times than Hubble. When you have a very tiny, bright nebula, you call Hubble, but when you have a very faint big object in the Milky Way, you call us amateur astronomers.”
He explains that thanks to increasingly sophisticated equipment available, amateurs can act as the eyes and ears of professional astronomers due to their passion, dedication and time.
A composite image of the Andromeda Galaxy taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, one of the largest Hubble images ever assembled. Even with many images assembled the image only shows a portion of the full spiral galaxy | NASA, ESA, J. Dalcanton, B.F. Williams, and L.C. Johnson (U. of Washington), the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) team, and R. Gendler
BRIGHTON, MICH. — Stargazers will get the chance to see outer space up close this month at Michigan’s biggest night-sky event of 2023.
“Astronomy at the Beach,” the state’s largest public astronomy and space science gathering, is coming to Island Lake State Recreation Area in Brighton on Friday, Sept. 22 and Saturday, Sept. 23 from 7 p.m. to midnight.
The event will be held rain or shine, is open to all ages, and is free with a state park Recreation Passport for park entry.
Visitors will be able to peer through more than 40 giant telescopes to see close-up views of the moon, the rings of Saturn, and other celestial wonders.
Other highlights include a NASA Artemis exhibition, a space object scavenger hunt for kids, laser-guided constellation tours, an astrophotography exhibit, and presentations on next year’s total solar eclipse.
Interactive demonstrations will showcase meteorites and reveal how comets are made. Local astromony clubs and vendors will be on hand as well.
The event will take place at Island Lake State Recreation Area’s Kent Lake Beach (marked “Island Lake Picnic Grounds” on Google Maps). Event organizers said more than 3,000 people are expected to attend over the weekend.
Astronomy at the Beach is hosted by the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs (GLAAC), Michigan DNR, Michigan Science Center, UM-Dearborn Observatory, planetariums, and other organizations.
For more info, visit the event’s website and Facebook event page.
MORE ON MLIVE:
September stargazing: When to see the Super Harvest Moon, eerie ‘zodiacal light’
The current monarch butterfly ‘super generation’ is different from others, here’s why
Take a scenic fall color chairlift ride in the Porcupine Mountains
Como astrónomo aficionado, los eclipses solares son fenómenos que me apasionan. Es difícil no emocionarse ante la contemplación de uno. Estos eventos nos brindan una oportunidad única de observar y aprender más sobre nuestro sistema solar. Pero ¿Qué es un eclipse solar? ¿Qué tipos de eclipses solares hay?
Tipos de Eclipses solares
Un eclipse solar se produce cuando la Luna se alinea entre la Tierra y el Sol, proyectando una sombra sobre nuestro planeta. La Luna orbita alrededor de la Tierra en un plano ligeramente inclinado, por lo que no todos los meses se producen eclipses solares. Solo cuando la Luna cruza la línea imaginaria que conecta la Tierra y el Sol (nodo) en el momento adecuado ocurre este fenómeno.
Se da la circunstancia de que la Luna es 400 veces más pequeña que el Sol pero está 400 veces más cerca de nosotros y esto da como resultado que en una pequeña franja de terreno nuestro satélite oculta totalmente el Sol, a esto lo denominamos eclipse solar total. Fuera de esa franja de terreno o franja de totalidad también se produce un eclipse pero en ese caso será parcial, que es menos impresionante.
Hay 4 tipos de eclipses solares: Total, parcial, anular e híbrido.
Durante un eclipse solar total, la Luna bloquea completamente la luz del Sol, creando un fascinante anillo de fuego y permitiendo observar la corona solar a simple vista durante la fase de totalidad. También es posible observar el fenómeno llamado «perlas de Baily» que se produce por la orografía irregular de la Luna y el paso de la luz solar a través de los cráteres del limbo solar. Éste es el tipo de eclipse solar más espectacular ya que el cielo se oscurece, se puede apreciar un descenso de la temperatura, los animales se empiezan a comportar como si fuera de noche y podemos apreciar la sombra de la Luna proyectada en el horizonte.
En ocasiones la Luna no está lo suficientemente cerca de la Tierra (su distancia a nosotros varía ya que su órbita no es completamente circular) y en ese caso la sombra no llega a proyectarse sobre la Tierra, pero si lo hace la penumbra. En este caso decimos que se ha producido un eclipse anular y es que aunque la Luna puede pasar por el centro del disco solar no es capaz de eclipsarlo por completo y éste se muestra como un anillo, de ahí el nombre.
Eclipse parcial de Sol fotografiado con lámina Baader
Cuando en diferentes zonas del planeta un mismo eclipse se ve como total en unos sitios y anular en otros decimos que se trata de un «eclipse híbrido».
Finalmente los eclipses parciales se producen cuando la Luna no tapa completamente al Sol porque no pasa justo por el centro del disco solar, quedando expuesta una porción de éste.
Por otro lado, los eclipses solares parciales se producen cuando la Luna solo cubre parcialmente la cara del Sol, creando una fracción de oscuridad en el cielo.
¿Cómo observar un eclipse solar?
Si deseas observar un eclipse solar, aquí tienes algunos consejos importantes. En primer lugar, nunca mires directamente al Sol durante un eclipse solar sin protección, ya que podría dañar tus ojos de forma irreversible. Utiliza filtros solares adecuados para garantizar una observación segura.
Asegúrate de estar en un lugar con un cielo despejado y horizontes sin obstáculos. Si tienes la oportunidad, puedes utilizar binoculares o prismáticos (siempre con filtros) para apreciar aún más los detalles de los eclipses aunque no es obligatorio, el fenómeno se puede disfrutar a simple vista con gafas especiales para eclipses o mediante proyección. Insistimos en la necesidad de usar filtros homologados.
La lámina Baader es uno de los elementos más utilizados para la observación del Sol, si bien se recomienda hacer uso conjunto de filtros de bloqueo IR/UV ya que en una nota publicada por el propio fabricante se informaba de que si bien no se había detectado ningún caso durante todos los años en los que se lleva comercializando este producto si hay indicios de que una observación prolongada tiene riesgos de producir fotocoagulación en los ojos.
Las gafas de eclipse también ofrecen la posibilidad de realizar una observación segura del Sol a simple vista (no deben usarse para mirar a través de un telescopio).
Por último la observación con telescopios solares en la banda del hidrógeno alfa también es una solución segura y mucho más espectacular durante las fases de parcialidad. El famoso telescopio Coronado PST, los modelos de Lunt o el uso de filtros Daystar Quark son elementos muy utilizados entre los aficionados a la observación solar.
Lleva algo de comida y bebida. En el caso de los eclipses solares no te olvides la crema solar, pasarás bastante tiempo bajo el Sol y puedes quemarte. Una sombrilla o un toldo para la espera vendrán muy bien si no tienes otra sombra cercana.
Hay que tener en cuenta que la fase de totalidad dura unos pocos minutos y durante la misma el cielo se oscurece totalmente, la temperatura baja considerablemente y se puede llegar a observar la corona solar. Será durante esta fase de totalidad en la que podremos prescindir de los filtros solares, obligatorios durante el resto del fenómeno para proteger nuestra vista de los dañinos rayos del Sol.
También unos segundos antes y después de la fase de totalidad se podrán observar las famosas «perlas de Baily» producto de la aparición de rayos solares entre el irregular limbo lunar salpicado de cráteres y montañas.
Intenta disfrutar de estos eventos en buena compañía ¡Es mucho más divertido!
¿Cuándo se producirá el próximo eclipse?
Los eclipses se repiten con regularidad y gracias a los cálculos astronómicos podemos saber con precisión cuando se producirá el próximo eclipse.
Próximos eclipse solares
Fecha y Hora (UTC)
Visible desde España
Visible desde Mexico
Tipo
Magnitud
14/10/2023 17:59:27 TU
No
Parcialmente
Anular
0.375
08/04/2024 18:17:16 TU
No
Parcialmente
Total
0.343
02/10/2024 18:44:59 TU
No
No
Anular
0.351
29/03/2025 10:47:22 TU
Parcialmente
No
Parcial
1.041
21/09/2025 19:41:50 TU
No
No
Parcial
1.065
17/02/2026 12:11:52 TU
No
No
Anular
0.974
12/08/2026 17:45:52 TU
Si
No
Total
0.898
06/02/2027 15:59:32 TU
No
No
Anular
0.295
02/08/2027 10:06:34 TU
Si
No
Total
0.142
26/01/2028 15:07:42 TU
Parcialmente
Parcialmente
Anular
0.390
22/07/2028 02:55:22 TU
No
No
Total
0.606
Los eclipses son eventos asombrosos que nos permiten comprender mejor los movimientos y las interacciones en nuestro sistema solar. Ya sea un eclipse solar o lunar, estos fenómenos nos recuerdan cuán vasto y misterioso es el universo que habitamos. Disfruta de la maravilla de la naturaleza y la ciencia mientras te sumerges en la contemplación de un eclipse. ¡Feliz observación!
“Over 100 years, nobody has seen the arc because it’s so faint and it’s only visible in Oxygen 3 (OIII),” Marcel explains.
When gases like hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen are superheated they glow in various colours, with oxygen giving off a blue colour.
Telescope narrowband filters allow astronomers to look at the light from certain gases, with the most common filters being Hydrogen Alpha, Hydrogen Beta, Sulfur 2 and Oxygen 3.
As three quarters of gas in the Universe is hydrogen, astrophotographers tend to take photos using a Hydrogen Alpha (Hα) filter in order to see this type of light.
Oxygen, by contrast, makes up just 1% of gas in the Universe and is extremely faint, making it difficult to see.
Photographs taken with an Oxygen 3 filter are also subject to distortions from factors such as light pollution, meaning fewer astrophotographers choose to use it.
However, for those willing to put in the long exposure times required to take photographs in Oxygen 3, many discoveries await.
“The arc is not very easy to capture. You have to be an ambitious astrophotographer to catch this arc,” Marcel says.
Bright oxygen clouds have already been discovered in other nebulae such as the Veil Nebula, where oxygen gas is heated, ionises and glows blue.
Bat in Eastern Veil – or is it an Owl? by Brendan Kinch, shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023 Stars & Nebulae category. This is a small section of the Veil Nebula – a cloud of heated and ionised gas and dust in the constellation Cygnus, taken using Sulfur 2, Hydrogen Alpha and Oxygen 3 filters.
An unexpected discovery
So how did the team find it? Marcel explains: “It was an absolute accident. No one expected to see it and that’s why it’s called Andromeda, Unexpected, because we wanted to take a beautiful image of the Andromeda Galaxy. And we looked at the first data and we spotted this hazy smudge on the edge of the image.”
The astrophotographers originally thought the smudge could be an ‘artifact’, an anomaly or distortion which shows up on images due to interference from things like light pollution, satellite trails and scattered light.
After much discussion, however, “we came to the conclusion no, it’s not an artifact. It’s real. It’s a new discovery,” Marcel says.
But why haven’t any of the extremely sophisticated cameras up in space spotted this? Essentially, while space telescopes take extremely valuable photographs, they have limitations in their scope.
“We amateur astronomers can capture what Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope can’t because they only capture a teeny tiny fraction of the sky,” Marcel explains. “With our small and not-so-expensive telescopes, we are able to capture a wide field image of the night sky.”
“We are faster than Hubble, we have a wider field than Hubble, and we can do more exposure times than Hubble. When you have a very tiny, bright nebula, you call Hubble, but when you have a very faint big object in the Milky Way, you call us amateur astronomers.”
He explains that thanks to increasingly sophisticated equipment available, amateurs can act as the eyes and ears of professional astronomers due to their passion, dedication and time.
A composite image of the Andromeda Galaxy taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, one of the largest Hubble images ever assembled. Even with many images assembled the image only shows a portion of the full spiral galaxy | NASA, ESA, J. Dalcanton, B.F. Williams, and L.C. Johnson (U. of Washington), the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) team, and R. Gendler
