Month: June 2025

Amateur astronomer captures ghostly outer shell of the Cat’s Eye Nebula (photo)

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The Cat’s Eye Nebula, photographed by Emil Andronic. (Image credit: Emil Andronic.) Amateur astrophotographer Emil Andronic has captured a striking image of the Cat’s Eye Nebula from his home in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, showcasing the tenuous outer structure of the famous deep-sky object. The Cat’s Eye Nebula, also known as NGC6543, formed when an aging sun-like star cast its outer layers into space, forming a dense central cocoon of dust surrounded by a diffuse veil of stellar material. In Andronic‘s portrait of the iconic nebula, the gaseous outer layers look…

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Don’t miss the half-lit first quarter moon rise tonight: Here’s what to look for

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The half-lit disk of the first quarter moon will grace the night sky on Monday (June 2), presenting a wealth of lunar features to explore before Earth’s natural satellite sets below the horizon in the early morning hours. The moon hits its first quarter phase at 11:41 p.m. EDT on June 2 (0341 GMT on June 3) for viewers in New York, who will find its semi-shadowed disk high above the southwestern horizon immediately after sunset, according to stargazing website In-the-sky.org. At this time, the moon is positioned at a…

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Turning the Red Planet green? It’s time to take terraforming Mars seriously, scientists say

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The concept of terraforming Mars — transforming the planet’s climate to support life as we know it — has long belonged to the realm of science fiction. But a new study argues that it’s time to take the idea seriously. “Thirty years ago, terraforming Mars wasn’t just hard — it was impossible,” said Erika DeBenedictis, CEO of Pioneer Labs and lead author of the new paper. “But new technology like [SpaceX’s] Starship and synthetic biology have now made it a real possibility.” The paper debates the complex ethical questions that…

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Northern lights may be visible in these 23 US States tonight

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Northern lights could put on an impressive show tonight (June 1) as ongoing geomagnetic storm conditions may push auroras farther south than usual, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Earth is currently reverberating from a speedy coronal mass ejection (CME) impact that struck in the early hours of June 1, wreaking havoc on our planet’s magnetic field — great news for anyone hoping to see the northern lights. Space weather forecasters from the U.K. Met Office predict frequent G1 to G2 level storming and occasional G3 and even…

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‘Doctor Who’ finale sees Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor regenerate into a very familiar face, but what does it mean for the show?

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The Doctor is dead. Long live the Doctor! The era of Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor came to a surprise end on Saturday night, as the Time Lord regenerated at the end of “Doctor Who” season 2 finale “The Reality War”. Massive spoilers ahead if you’re yet to watch “The Reality War”. You have been warned!!! You may like With Time Lord supervillain Omega dispatched without hassle, both Ranis out of the picture, and reality on the way to being restored, the Doctor gradually realises that not everything is back to…

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Aurora alert: Ongoing powerful geomagnetic storm could spark more northern lights across the US tonight

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Good news, aurora chasers — round two could be on the way tonight! If you missed last night’s severe G4 geomagnetic storm last night or just can’t get enough of the northern lights, stay alert: geomagnetic storm conditions are expected to continue, so keep your eyes on the skies and your aurora alerts switched on. Active geomagnetic storm conditions may persist into early June 2, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, as Earth’s magnetic field reverberates from the coronal mass ejection (CME) impact in the early hours of June…

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