Category: The Moon

Our moon

Rare ‘solar horns’ will appear during partial solar eclipse on March 29 — Here are 6 of the best places in the US and Canada to see the unusual phenomenon

NeRD

There’s something special about the partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025. For North Americans in the right place at the right time — and who get clear skies — there’s a chance to see the unique spectacle of “solar horns,” a phenomenon where the cusps of an eclipsed crescent sun appear as two distinct points above the horizon during sunrise. For observers in the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada aiming to witness this rare event, selecting the optimal location is crucial. Selecting a location for ‘solar horns’ “Solar horns”…

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NASA says removal of ‘first woman, person of color’ language from Artemis websites ‘does not indicate’ moon mission crew change

NeRD

NASA websites no longer state that the Artemis 3 lunar mission will aim to land the first person of color and the first woman on the moon — a longstanding goal of the Artemis program that the agency has consistently called upon when discussing lunar plans. The change appeared this weekend as NASA continues to cancel programs dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) as well as purge its websites of any language related to these efforts. These decisions are guided by the Trump administration’s push to end programs…

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Ouch! Carlo Rambaldi’s original screen-used ‘E.T.’ model might reach $1 million at Sotheby’s auction

NeRD

Why is it so wet-looking? He looks like a professional wrestler covered in baby oil. We can’t answer that question, but if you’re willing to stump up a million dollars, you can own this incredibly glossy piece of sci-fi history. It might be slightly scary, but this rare remnant of Hollywood’s illustrious past was actually used in the filming of director Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi fantasy, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” and could fetch nearly one million dollars when Sotheby’s auction bidding finally closes on the historic lot next month. An authentic shooting…

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Preserving astronomy history: The fight is on to save an iconic Royal Observatory Greenwich site

NeRD

Near the small town of Herstmonceux in the English county of East Sussex sits the former home of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. The Royal Observatory Greenwich was first built in Greenwich, London, in 1675. At this original location, the observatory was set up with the goal of producing star charts and accurate time-keeping devices, to allow the British military and commercial fleets to more effectively navigate during their global travels. Over two centuries later, in 1884, the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s extensive star charts made the site a prime choice for…

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What will the partial solar eclipse of March 2025 look like from space?

NeRD

A partial solar eclipse will come to Earth on Saturday, March 29, 2025, as the moon passes in front of the sun. From Earth, photographers will capture images of a bite being taken out of the sun. From space, a fleet of satellites will image a shadow being cast across Earth. The moon projects two kinds of shadows at all times. There’s a large fuzzy outer shadow, called the penumbra, and a much smaller, darker central shadow, the umbra. The latter causes a total solar eclipse, which is seen across…

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Aurora alert: Giant ‘hole’ in sun and strong geomagnetic storm converge to supercharge northern lights this weekend

NeRD

A massive eruption on the sun that flung solar plasma toward Earth on Friday may trigger a strong geomagnetic storm this weekend that could supercharge auroras across the northern United States. The solar eruption, called a coronal mass ejection (or CME), exploded on Friday (March 21) even as a so-called “coronal hole” opened on the sun to unleash a separate high-speed stream of solar particles toward Earth. The result: A tag-team of solar material that should reach Earth this weekend to amplify northern lights displays late Saturday and early Sunday…

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‘Star Trek’ icon lives on with new Nichelle Nichols Space Camp to inspire young women to aim for the stars

NeRD

“Star Trek” royalty Nichelle Nichols passed away in 2022 but her legacy endures. Most well-known for her her memorable portrayal of Communications Officer Lt. Nyota Uhura in “Star Trek: The Original Series” and six final frontier feature films, Nichelle Nichols has now inspired a new educational endeavor fueled to blast off next year via the Nichelle Nichols Foundation. The Nichelle Nichols Space Camp launches from January 17-19, 2026 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, with its upcoming class of students ready to take that brave step…

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Dark skies and epic Winter Star Party — why the Florida Keys are more than just a Spring Break destination

NeRD

If you’re looking for the best locations for astrophotography and skywatching, look no further than the Florida Keys. A 125-mile string of tropical coral islands linked by bridges that stretches into the shallow waters of the Florida Straits and the Gulf of Mexico, it’s home to fishing, boating and snorkeling, but also stargazing. Related: Night sky for tonight: Visible planets, stars and more in this evening’s sky As well as some of the darkest skies on the U.S. East Coast, it’s also the nation’s southernmost point. At 24.5 degrees north,…

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Is Netflix’s ‘The Electric State’ a sci-fi retelling of ‘The Wizard of Oz’?

NeRD

The Russo Brothers, those money-making MCU maestros and their mega-budgeted sci-fi adventure, “The Electric State,” are receiving much unkind criticism from fans and pundits, some of it possibly deserved and some unfairly served up in a complicated miasma of vitriolic opinion. Ah, such is the state of modern Hollywood these days as it seems there’s always misdirected anger afoot aimed at most popular entertainment. Whatever your opinion is of Netflix’s loose $320 million adaptation of visionary Swedish artist and author Simon Stålenhag’s 2018 illustrated novel of a war-torn America in…

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China now has a ‘kill mesh’ in orbit, Space Force vice chief says

NeRD

The United States is approaching a turning point in space security, and needs to step up its game before Russia and China close the gap in capabilities, a U.S. Space Force general said. Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein spoke at the 16th annual McAleese “Defense Programs” Conference in Arlington, Virginia on Tuesday (March 18), warning the Space Force needs to rethink how it defends the country’s satellites. Space Force should shift its focus from managing spacecraft in support of defense infrastructure on the ground, to growing its…

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