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WEEKEND
SKY SHOW: Jupiter and the Moon are gathering
in Pisces for a beautiful weekend sky show. Look south at
sunrise to see the two heavenly beacons less than 10o
apart. They are so bright, you can see them even after the
sky turns twilight blue--indeed, that is the most beautiful
time to look. Morning sky maps: July
3, July
4.
PINWHEEL
SUNSPOT: The dark core of sunspot 1084 is
twice as wide as Earth itself. More impressive, however, is
the enormous swirl of hot gas and magnetic fields suspended
overhead. Today's extreme UV image from NASA's Solar Dynamics
Observatory reveals the sunspot's pinwheel canopy:
This magnetic architecture must be stable, because
sunspot 1084 is remarkably
quiet. There hasn't been the slightest hint of a flare
from this "active" region for the past two days.
It is, however, photogenic. Readers with solar
telescopes are encouraged to take a look.
more images: from
Rogerio Marcon of Campinas SP Brasil; from
Jo Dahlmans of the Netherlands; from
Roy McCullough of Youngstown, Ohio; from
Peter Desypris of Island of Syros, Greece;
COMET
McNAUGHT: Today, Comet McNaught (C/2009 R1)
is making its closest approach to the sun (0.4 AU). Solar
heating is furiously vaporizing the comet's icy core and undoubtedly
brightening the first-time visitor from the outer solar system.
Unfortunately, we can see very little of the action because
it is happening on the far side of the sun. Rudi Dobesberger
and Hermann Weixlbaum were lucky to catch the comet just after
sunset on June 29th:
Their photo shows Comet McNaught shining through
the waning glow of sunset and the city lights of Aschach,
Austria. If only it were high in the midnight sky! "We
took the picture using a Canon
40D and a 70mm (2 3/4 inch) refracting telescope,"
says Dobesberger. "After the comet set, a bank of noctilucent
clouds appeared. It was a very nice evening."
After today, the comet will recede from the
sun and begin to fade. Solar glare will continue to hinder
observations for the rest of July, so this could be our last
look at Comet McNaught. Don't worry though, it's only a matter
of time before prolific comet hunter Robert
McNaught finds another one to take its place. Stay tuned!
Lunar
Eclipse Photo Gallery
[Science@NASA: Big
Lunar Eclipse] [astronomy
alerts]
May
2010 Aurora Gallery
[previous Mays: 2008,
2005, 2004,
2003, 2002]
[aurora alerts]
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