Sky watchers be ready for meteor shower from Halley’s Comet on May 6th

Sky watchers be ready for meteor shower from Halley’s Comet on May 6th

Get up in the wee hours of the morning May 6th and head out into the country, far from the city lights so you can observe eta Aquarid meteor shower. The eta Aquarids are best viewed from the southern hemisphere, but there's something special about them no matter…

Envisat view of Earth pt.1 (Video)

Envisat view of Earth pt.1 (Video)

Recently lost ENVISAT still shows no signs of “life”. While satellite observing community wait for some news lets take a look at breathtaking imagery of land and oceans by Envisat’s optical and radar instruments. The satellite is orbiting 497 miles above the

Sky watchers – The Lyrid meteors passing by Earth!

Sky watchers – The Lyrid meteors passing by Earth!

 Every year in late April Earth passes through the dusty tail of Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1), and the encounter causes a meteor shower–the Lyrids. This year the shower peaks on Friday morning, April 22nd. The best time to look, no matter where you live, is

February solar flare was sparked by five spinning sunspots

February solar flare was sparked by five spinning sunspots

The giant solar flare unleashed in February was caused by five rotating sunspots working in concert, the UK’s National Astronomy Meeting has heard.Images released from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) clearly show the sunspots, which are centres of magnetic

2011 Skywatching Guide: Planets in the Solar System

2011 Skywatching Guide: Planets in the Solar System

The planets of our solar system are at tomes some of the most rewarding and simplest skywatching targets to spot, if you know when and where to look. Here's a look at how to observe the planets of the solar system in 2011: Tip: Astronomers measure distances in…

Milky Way through a Saharan sandstorm

Milky Way through a Saharan sandstorm

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.This was filmed between 4th and 11th April 2011 by Terje Sorgjerd. He has the pleasure of visiting El Teide.Spain´s highest mountain (@3715m@Canary Island) is one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars and

Rare sight: Mercury to meet Mars at dawn on Tuesday

Rare sight: Mercury to meet Mars at dawn on Tuesday

Skywatchers set your alarm clocks: On Tuesday morning (April 19), Mercury will appear to have a close encounter with Mars. In reality, the two planets will actually be separated by about 161 million miles (259 million kilometers), but in Earth’s sky they will…

Heating up of solar storms season

Heating up of solar storms season

Sun woke up after three years of sleep. Several powerful solar flares occurred in recent months, with a February 14 blast as the strongest and  the most powerful outburst in more than four years. Considering surface of Sun dotted with sunspots and recent activity,

Lyrids meteor shower

Lyrids meteor shower

After 3,5 months of weak meteor activity, the Earth enters the drawn-out dusty tail of Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1). Most years in April there are no more than 5 to 20 meteors per hour during the shower’s peak. But sometimes, when Earth glides through an unusually dense

Watch the Moon LIVE!

Watch the Moon LIVE!

LIVE FROM THE MOON As the Moon waxes full this weekend, AstronomyLive.com is broadcasting live views of lunar terrain from telescopes in Europe and North America. Tune in for a lunar tour, or become a broadcaster yourself!AstronomyLive!Dutch Observatory E-Cosmos