Sky Anomalies

nivek

As Above So Below
When the Moon came up over the Netherlands on Nov. 12th, Peter Paul Hattinga Verschure saw a luminous double-V form in the sky:



These are ice halos. The lower 'V' is a upper tangent arc created by moonlight shining through pencil-shaped ice crystals. The upper 'V' is a rare Parry arc created by similar kinds of ice crystals, but...

To make the Parry arc, the crystals had to be horizontal, not rotate, and have two faces horizontal, too. It sounds improbable, and it is. Parry arcs are rare even during the day when sunlight improves their visibility. They're almost unheard of at night…Maybe a sign of weather manipulation?

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nivek

As Above So Below
A mysterious black line in the sky over Garland, Texas.

 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
How to see the 2023 green comet from wherever you are

How to see the 2023 green comet from wherever you are​

By
Emily Lefroy and Hannah Sparks
January 31, 2023 7:03pm

It’s been a while since we last laid eyes on this rare green comet — about 50,000 years, to be exact.

Comet C/2022 E3, more commonly known as the green comet, was last seen by humans — as well as Neanderthals — during the Stone Age. Now, it returns to Earth’s orbit for a once-in-a-lifetime event, 50 millennia in the making.
Skywatchers may be able to spot the flying rock already, but C/2022 E3 has the greatest potential for visibility with the naked eye starting Feb. 1.
By Feb. 2, it will be at its closest to Earth (in perigee) at about 26 million miles away, which puts it at about 28% of the distance between Earth and the sun, per Space.com.
The comet’s moniker is a reference to its glowing green tail, colored as such thanks to a chemical reaction between its diatomic carbon molecules (C2) and ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It was first detected less than a year ago by astronomers at the National Science Foundation’s Zwicky Transient Facility in California.
According to the astronomy blog In the Sky, the comet will be highest in the sky at around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 2, above the northern horizon. It first becomes visible just after dusk, then disappears at dawn, just before 6 a.m.
Some viewers may be able to see it with the naked eye. Some viewers may be able to see it with the naked eye.AP
Light and clouds naturally obscure visibility. Local forecasts will determine which viewers are in the best position for stargazing. Viewfinders should be pointed toward the constellation Camelopardalis.
However, some in the Northern Hemisphere have already had a sneak peek of the green flash, according to NASA. And space enthusiasts on social media have already captured some stunning images of the comet’s vibrant green glow.
Comets are made of ancient cosmic dust and ice that coalesce to orbit the sun, though it can take some time to make the complete journey. C/2022 E3, for example, hails from the Oort cloud — a theoretical region of predominantly icy formation at the edge of our solar system.
The rare object recently surprised scientists again when it appeared to grow a third “anti-tail,” which seemed to defy physics by emanating in the wrong direction, LiveScience wrote last week.
What do you think? Be the first to comment.
Comets are usually described as having two tails, one made of dust and one of gas. But on Jan. 31, it seemed to have grown a third streak that was stretching toward the sun rather than trailing behind.
Astronomers explained that the phenomenon isn’t actually part of the comet, though it once was. As Earth crosses the comet’s orbital path, dust left in its wake becomes illuminated by the sun, which can create the appearance of an additional tail depending on the comet’s trajectory.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
How to see the 2023 green comet from wherever you are

How to see the 2023 green comet from wherever you are​

By
Emily Lefroy and Hannah Sparks
January 31, 2023 7:03pm

It’s been a while since we last laid eyes on this rare green comet — about 50,000 years, to be exact.

Comet C/2022 E3, more commonly known as the green comet, was last seen by humans — as well as Neanderthals — during the Stone Age. Now, it returns to Earth’s orbit for a once-in-a-lifetime event, 50 millennia in the making.
Skywatchers may be able to spot the flying rock already, but C/2022 E3 has the greatest potential for visibility with the naked eye starting Feb. 1.
By Feb. 2, it will be at its closest to Earth (in perigee) at about 26 million miles away, which puts it at about 28% of the distance between Earth and the sun, per Space.com.
The comet’s moniker is a reference to its glowing green tail, colored as such thanks to a chemical reaction between its diatomic carbon molecules (C2) and ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It was first detected less than a year ago by astronomers at the National Science Foundation’s Zwicky Transient Facility in California.
According to the astronomy blog In the Sky, the comet will be highest in the sky at around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 2, above the northern horizon. It first becomes visible just after dusk, then disappears at dawn, just before 6 a.m.
Some viewers may be able to see it with the naked eye. Some viewers may be able to see it with the naked eye.AP
Light and clouds naturally obscure visibility. Local forecasts will determine which viewers are in the best position for stargazing. Viewfinders should be pointed toward the constellation Camelopardalis.
However, some in the Northern Hemisphere have already had a sneak peek of the green flash, according to NASA. And space enthusiasts on social media have already captured some stunning images of the comet’s vibrant green glow.
Comets are made of ancient cosmic dust and ice that coalesce to orbit the sun, though it can take some time to make the complete journey. C/2022 E3, for example, hails from the Oort cloud — a theoretical region of predominantly icy formation at the edge of our solar system.
The rare object recently surprised scientists again when it appeared to grow a third “anti-tail,” which seemed to defy physics by emanating in the wrong direction, LiveScience wrote last week.
What do you think? Be the first to comment.
Comets are usually described as having two tails, one made of dust and one of gas. But on Jan. 31, it seemed to have grown a third streak that was stretching toward the sun rather than trailing behind.
Astronomers explained that the phenomenon isn’t actually part of the comet, though it once was. As Earth crosses the comet’s orbital path, dust left in its wake becomes illuminated by the sun, which can create the appearance of an additional tail depending on the comet’s trajectory.

We have a lot of rain today and tonight in my area, I doubt I'll be able to see this one, too much cloud cover sadly...

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