Halley's Comet Is About to Return From the Outer Solar System
Video Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories - Duration: 01:30s - Published
Halley's Comet Is About to Return From the Outer Solar System
Halley's Comet Is, About to Return From , the Outer Solar System.
After nearly 40 years, Halley's comet will once
again reach its furthest point from the Sun
and begin its return journey back toward Earth.
.
'The Byte' reports that the comet will reach its "aphelion"
on December 9, which represents the middle point of
Halley's elliptical orbit through the solar system.
The comet was named for 18th century
English astronomer Edmond Halley.
After hitting its aphelion near Jupiter,
its long journey through space will next
bring the comet past Earth in the year 2061.
'The Byte' reports that the debris from the tail
of Halley's comet is still visible from Earth
in the form of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower.
.
Between late April and early May, Earth passes through
remnants of the comet, with those in the Northern
hemisphere able to see 10 to 20 meteors per hour.
.
Before the end of 2023, Earth will also see the peak of
the Geminids meteor shower on December 13 and 14.
.
NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com
that this year's viewing conditions for the
meteor display are supposed to be exceptional.
NASA Reestablishes , Connection With Distant , Voyager 1 Space Probe.
The news comes after engineers at
the agency worked for months
attempting to fix the 46-year-old probe.
In December, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
said that the probe, now a staggering 15 billion miles
away from Earth, was transmitting gibberish code. .
On April 23, the JPL announced that
the team was once again receiving
usable data from the spacecraft.
Currently, the probe is only
transmitting data regarding the status
of the ship's engineering systems.
The next step is to enable
the spacecraft to begin
returning science data again, JPL statement, via 'The Guardian'.
'The Guardian' reports that Voyager 1 has been in
operation for nearly half a century after launching
in 1977 with the goal of studying Jupiter and Saturn.
In August of 2012, Voyager crossed into
interstellar space, becoming the first
human-made object to leave the solar system.
The probe is currently traveling at a staggering
36,800 miles per hour through space.
NASA plans to collect data from the two
Voyager spacecraft for a few more years,
but the space agency expects to lose
contact with the probes within the next decade
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Upcoming , Lyrid Meteor Shower , May Be Hard to See.
'The Independent' reports that skywatchers
looking to catch the Lyrid meteor shower
may be foiled by the moon. .
This year's peak activity occurs
on April 21 and 22, with up to
20 meteors expected per hour. .
Potential viewing should
last through April 29. .
However, the American Meteor Society
warns that strong moonlight
may interfere with viewing. .
Every year, multiple meteor showers
occur and don't require special
equipment to see them. .
For the most part, meteor showers originate
from debris left behind by comets, like the Lyrids,
which come from the comet Thatcher. .
As these space rocks enter the Earth's atmosphere,
air resistance makes them extremely hot,
which causes the air around them to glow.
This glow leaves a fiery trail behind
the meteor, which can be observed
from the ground as a "shooting star.".
Look to the northeast and just
keep staring at the same spot
in the sky. It's always impressive
when you see these things, Don Pollacco, University of Warwick
astronomer, via 'The Independent'.
The Lyrids are best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere,
while the upcoming Eta Aquarids meteor shower
can best be seen from the Southern Hemisphere.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
'Devil Comet', May Join Solar Eclipse in , Rare Synchronized Celestial Event.
'Devil Comet', May Join Solar Eclipse in , Rare Synchronized Celestial Event.
NBC reports that a "devil comet" may
be visible during next month's highly
anticipated North American solar eclipse.
So-called "devil comets" are known for
occasional explosive outbursts, which give
the celestial objects their unique appearance.
Last year, an eruption on Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
left it with two trails of gas and ice, which
give the appearance of devil horns. .
The unique comet is currently
visible in the early evenings from the
Northern Hemisphere on the west-northwest
horizon with the aid of binoculars or telescopes.
The comet is expected to brighten throughout the
month, until it becomes visible to the naked eye as it
reaches its closest point to the sun around mid-April.
NBC reports that the "devil comet" could be visible
during the upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse
if the comet flares significantly in the coming weeks. .
Those in the eclipse's path of totality,
from Texas to Maine, could be treated
to a rare synchronized celestial event. .
The comet was first observed by French
astronomer Jean-Louis Pons in 1812. .
In 1883, British-American astronomer
William Brooks became the second
to spot the rare celestial object.
NBC reports that Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
orbit around the sun takes 71 years, making
sightings of the comet a truly rare occurrence.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Boeing called off its first astronaut launch, ferrying two NASA test pilots to the International Space Station, because of a valve problem on its Starliner capsule. But if engineers find a solution quickly, another countdown could be expected in the next 24-hours.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 00:37Published
China's Chang'e-6 robotic spacecraft is due to blast off on Friday, hoping to become the first mission to collect rock and soil samples from the far side of the.. Sky News
China's Chang'e-6 robotic spacecraft is due to blast off on Friday, hoping to become the first mission to collect rock and soil samples from the far side of the.. Sky News
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