The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured the sharpest view of Comet C/2019 Y4 ATLAS disintegrating into pieces. About 30 fragments were identified on April 20, but just three days later on April 23, the telescope spotted only 25. "Their appearance…
The Lyrid meteor shower will peak late Tuesday into Wednesday morning, April 21 to 22, 2020. The thin crescent Moon will allow observers to get a clear view of the event as there will be no obstruction. The shower comes after the so-called meteor drought that…
Although Comet Atlas (C/2019 Y4) continues fading and fragmenting, newly-found comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) has been found to be brightening firmly. Meanwhile, C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) is holding steady at 8th magnitude and a new Comet Atlas — C/2019 Y1 — discovered on…
Newly-discovered comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) has broken up before its much-anticipated show, with at least three fragments observed on Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12, 2020. ATLAS was discovered on December 28, 2019, in the constellation of Ursa Major. Over the…
April 1 – Moon at First Quarter – 10:21 UTC. The Moon will be prominent in the evening sky. At this time in its monthly cycle of phases, it appears almost exactly half illuminated. April 2 – M104 well placed for observation. The sombrero galaxy (M104, NGC 4594) will…
A newly-discovered comet named C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) is now crossing the orbit of Mars as it makes its way toward the Sun. The object has been brightening so rapidly since its discovery on December 28, 2019, that some astronomers believe it will be visible to the naked…
A new study commissioned by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) evaluated the effects of mega-constellations on astronomical observations and scientific research as astronomers recently expressed concerns over its impact. The research considered a total of 18…
March 2 – Moon at First Quarter – 19:58 UTC. The Moon will be prominent in the evening sky, setting around midnight. At this time in its monthly cycle of phases, it appears almost exactly half illuminated. Over the coming days, the Moon will set later each day,…
The Virtual Telescope Project will bring us live views of the first Supermoon of the year on February 8, 2020, as it rises above the unique skyline of Rome. The online, free session will start at 16:00 UTC. Supermoon is a popular term indicating a Full Moon or a New…
February 1 – IC2395 well placed for observation. Across much of the world, the open star cluster IC2395 in Vela will be well placed for observation. It will reach its highest point in the sky at around midnight local time. At a declination of -48°09', it is…
