What's Up? The Space Place

 Hey, Space Placers! ARTEMIS II UPDATE VIDEO YOUTUBE/SPACE.COM Send your name to the MOON with Artemis II! I DID..... Sky Guy in VA

 Hey, Space Placers! Comet 3I/ATLAS  streaks across a dense star field in this image captured by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph ( GMOS ) on the  Gemini South  telescope at Cerro Pachón in Chile. This image is composed of exposures taken through 4 filters: red, green, blue and  ultraviolet . As exposures are taken, the comet remains fixed in the center of the telescope’s field of view. However, the positions of the background stars change relative to the comet, causing them to appear as colorful streaks in the final image. Image via International Gemini Observatory/  NOIRLab / NSF/ AURA/ Shadow the Scientist. Image processing via J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab)/ T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab)/ M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab). Used with permission. Astronomers captured these images of the famous interstellar object 3I/ATLAS  live  from the Gemini South telescope control room in Chil...

Hey, Space Placers! Full Moon Rising WILL YOUR FULL CORN  MOON LOOK LIKE THIS OR THIS TOTALITY 7 BILLION people are in the visibility zone of tonight's Total Lunar Eclipse of the Full Corn Moon. There is also no "Harvest Moon" this month as usually happens in September. Get all the details here.  Sky Guy In VA

 Hey, Space Placers! Earth's orbit around the Sun (in blue) contrasts with that of one of its seven quasi-moons, 469219 Kamo'oalewa (shown in yellow and labeled with its provisional designation 2016 HO3). Now, the discovery of 2025 PN7 might have upped the number of Earth's quasi-companions to eight. These objects orbit the Sun but in a way that makes them appear to accompany Earth. The large yellow circle traces Kamo'oalewa's orbit around the Sun; over many orbits, though, the object also traces the series of loops around Earth shown to the right. NASA / JPL-Caltech Interesting story. But does this make Earth a non-planet since it has failed to fulfill item (c) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) of a planet: "A planet is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighborhood...

Gemini South Captures Growing Tail of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS During Educational Observing Program - New images of the famous interstellar visitor were captured live from the Gemini South telescope control room in Chile during Shadow the Scientists program : Astronomers and students working together through a unique educational initiative have obtained a striking new image of the growing tail of interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS. The observations reveal a prominent tail and glowing coma from this rare celestial visitor, while also providing new scientific measurements of its colors and composition. Sky Guy in Shenandoah National Park Big Meadows Lodge

 Hey, Space Placers! Dr. Alan Stern & I Showing the "Pluto is NINE" Signal Enjoy this Astronomy Magazine article    by Dr. Alan Stern Sky Guy in VA

 Hey, Space Placers! My Score Last night's Aurora favored the Northern latitudes. There were sporadic sightings in Virginia. Doesn't look promising for tonight . Sooooooo......... Have some fun taking a quiz about black holes. You will learn about them no matter your score :-) Sky Guy in VA