How closely packed are Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids compared to the density of the main belt? Doug KaupaCouncil Bluffs, Iowa Jupiter’s Trojans are asteroids that share the gas giant’s orbit around the Sun, clustering at one of two Lagrange points in the Jupiter-Sun system (L4 or L5, 60° ahead of or behind Jupiter in its orbit, The post How closely packed are Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more

Antarctica has long been loved by astronomers for hosting rocks from outer space — more than 48,000 meteorites cataloged were found here, and about 1,000 new ones are recovered each year, thanks to their dark profiles that are easy to spot on the icy white plains of the frozen continent. However, as human-driven climate change The post A ‘shocking’ number of meteorites — and their secrets — are sinking into Antarctic ice due to global warming appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more

NASA is scheduled to launch its first Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test on Monday night. The launch is scheduled for 10:34 pm EDT aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral, Fla. Coverage of the launch begins at 6:30 pm EDT. It will stream live across NASA’s platforms. The craft will carry NASA The post NASA’s Boeing Starliner launches soon. Here’s what to know. appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more

Friday, May 3The Moon passes 0.8° south of Saturn at 7 P.M. EDT. Because the pair appears in the early-morning sky, stay tuned to catch them tomorrow morning, along with several other planets. Dwarf planet Pluto reaches its stationary point in Capricornus at 11 P.M. EDT. The region won’t rise until early tomorrow morning, and The post The Sky This Week from May 3 to 10: The Eta Aquariids’ time to shine appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more

Simon Todd from Haywards Heath, U.K. The Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443) in Gemini is a supernova remnant roughly 5,000 light-years distant. This Hubble-palette image was acquired over the course of four months and a total of nearly 24 hours of exposure with an 8-inch scope. The post Capturing the Jellyfish appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more

If all goes well late on May 6, 2024, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will blast off into space on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Launching from the Kennedy Space Center, this last crucial test for Starliner will test out the new spacecraft and take the pair to the International Space Station for about a week. Part The post The Boeing Starliner launches soon, with a crew, and its success would be a big deal appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more

When Halley’s Comet flies through the inner solar system every 75 years, it leaves behind a trail of dust and debris. Every year, Earth passes through that trail — once in May and again in October. Each time it does, we see a stunning meteor shower: the Orionids in October, and the Eta Aquariids in The post Tomorrow is your chance to see meteors from 3,000 years ago appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more

In a universe full of fascinating and exotic phenomena, few objects challenge the imagination quite like black holes. Discovering new black holes, however, is no easy feat — where do you even begin to look for them? Recent research has found a new category that includes the closest black holes we know of. As an The post How do you find a black hole? An astronomer explains the thrilling hunt appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more

One of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars explorers, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), studies the martian atmosphere and, apparently, “spiders” too. Recently, ESA’s TGO released an image of strange spider-like topographical features found on the southern polar region of Mars, along with an explanation behind their formation. Another strange, photographed feature was named The post The science behind the ‘spiders’ on Mars and the Inca City appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more

This week sees the return of Mercury, joining Mars and Saturn in the predawn sky. And on May 4, you’ll find a thin crescent moon below and to the left of Saturn, in between Mars and Saturn. Over the next couple of days, the Moon will move down the parade, appearing on May 6 just The post Planets on parade: This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher appeared first on Astronomy Magazine ..read more