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WeÂ’ve got an interesting pass of a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) this upcoming U.S. Labor Day weekend, one that just slides over the +10th magnitude line into binocular range. 3122 Florence, which passes 4.4 million miles from our fair planet (thatÂ’s 7 million kilometers, about 18 times the distance from Earth to the Moon) this Friday on September 1st at 12:06 Universal Time (UT)/ 8:06 AM Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT). ... Ordinarily, a four million mile pass (...just under the criterion to make 3122 Florence a Near Earth Object) isnÂ’t enough to grab our attention. Lots of asteroids pass...

Asteroid Florence will pass by Earth on Sept. 1, 2017, at a distance of 4.4 million miles (7 million kilometers). Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech A large rock will fly past Earth on Sept. 1, 2017, at a distance of 4.4 million miles (7 million kilometers). Asteroid 3122 Florence, named after modern nursing founder Florence Nightingale, is the largest object to make a close-encounter since NASA began tracking near-Earth objects (NEO) in the 1990s. “While many known asteroids have passed by closer to Earth than Florence will on Sept. 1, all of those were estimated to be smaller,” said Paul...

One of the main focuses will be on the plumes of water that have been observed breaking through the icy surfaces of Enceladus and Europa. Since 2005, scientists have known that Enceladus has plumes that periodically erupt from its southern polar region, spewing water and organic chemicals that replenish Saturn’s E-Ring. It has since discovered that these plumes reach all the way into the interior ocean that exists beneath Enceladus’ surface. In 2012, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope detected similar plumes coming from Europa. These plumes were spotted coming from the moon’s southern hemisphere, and were estimated to reach...

For most of human history, the distant ‘celestial sphere’ was regarded as perfect and unchanging. Stars remained in place, planets moved predictably, and the few rogue comets were viewed as atmospheric phenomena. This began to change with the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe’s observation of the supernova of 1572 – apparently, a new star – and his studies of the Great Comet of 1577, which he proved was actually a distant object. Nonetheless, the impression of permanence is strong. There are very few astronomical objects that noticeably vary to the naked eye: only the brightest comets, novae and supernovae. For observers...

A gap filling space surveillance satellite that will track orbiting threats for the U.S. Air Force is set for an thrilling nighttime blastoff Friday, Aug. 25 on the maiden mission of the Minotaur IV rocket from Cape Canaveral that’s powered by a retired Cold War-era ICBM missile – once armed with nuclear warheads. The ORS-5 satellite will provide the US military with space-based surveillance and tracking of other satellites both friend and foe as well as space debris in geosynchronous orbit, 22,236 miles above the equator. The Orbital ATK Minotaur IV rocket carrying the ORS-5 tracking satellite for the USAF...

For a rapper whose debut single was called "Unorthodox," Joey Bada$$ isn't one to accept conventional wisdom. Defying widespread warnings, he proudly stared at the solar eclipse without protection. It didn't turn out to be a great idea. The rapper cancelled three shows starting Wednesday as he complained about his vision. The 22-year-old Brooklyn rapper on Monday shared on social media that he was gazing into the sky without special glasses as the United States witnessed its first coast-to-coast total eclipse in nearly a century. "This ain't the first solar eclipse and I'm pretty sure our ancestors ain't have no...

It is one of the most famous, bright stars in our galaxy, known for its strong red tint. And now scientists have used ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLTI) to capture the most detailed image of Antares yet. The stunning image reveals a mysterious process­­­­­­­­­­ occurring in Antares' extended atmosphere - which the researchers still cannot explain.

Parents Freedom and Paul Eubanks welcomed baby Eclipse to the world at 8:04 a.m. at Greenville Memorial Hospital in South Carolina. The healthy baby entered the world weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces and measuring 19 inches in length. The decision to legally name her Eclipse was done at the last minute, according to the hospital. ... “We’re probably going to call her Clipsey,” Freedom said.

President Donald Trump took in the solar eclipse from the Truman Balcony of the White House on Monday, even briefly glancing at the sun directly despite a shouted warning from an aide. Sporting eclipse glasses — for only part of the viewing — and standing alongside Melania Trump and their son, Barron, Trump viewed what was a partial eclipse in Washington, DC. It began at 1:17 p.m. ET, peaked at 2:42 p.m., and was set to end at 4:01 p.m., The Washington Post reported. The moon covered 81% of the sun at the eclipse's peak in Washington.

A cameraman once told me that clouds were God's scrim. They certainly were when I was videoing a partial solar eclipse in my backyard. This is from many years ago. The music is Helmut Wobisch.

The United States will see a total solar eclipse on August 21 for the first time in decades. Some people are traveling hundreds of miles to cities in the line of totality, like Nashville, Tennessee and Salem, Oregon. But there is one thing that could put a damper on the event: clouds. Esri, an international supplier of geographic information system (GIS) software, has created a cloud-cover prediction map for the time of the eclipse in every state. Michael Zeiler, a geographer at Esri, is producing new maps every day leading up to the eclipse. (the linked article, shows projected skies...

The date August 21 may ring a bell for some, especially for Hopkinsville. While covering the eclipse story I uncovered an interesting twist that not only raised my eyebrows, but even the ones of famed movie director Steven Spielberg. It seemed like a horror story for one Kentucky family, the Sutton family. All 11 of them gathered in their house on August 21, 1955. It was just after sunset less than a quarter of a mile down this road in Kelly Kentucky where Mr. Sutton went out to the well. Shortly after that a night of terror began for the...

OK! I am getting ready to drive the 200 miles or so south towards Salem/Eugene Oregon. I figured it's also a good time to test my survival skills, somewhat lightly. So far I have packed: three cans of Chef Boyardee, three cans of sardines, two cans of Dinty moore stew. Forks and knives and spoons as well. A garbage bag for the empty cans. My three cameras, well, two cell phones and an older Vivitar camera. I have an extra gallon of gas in my trunk, plus oil and ATF. Anything else? Any hints/tips?

A THREE MILE wide asteroid is set to graze past Earth on Sept. 1 - and NASA says it's the largest to come this close since they began keeping track ... [ full ] This is the closest an object this large has come ... since 1890. A massive asteroid estimated to be 2.7 miles wide is set to make a ‘relatively close encounter’ with Earth on September 1. ... The asteroid, named for Florence Nightingale, was first spotted in 1981, and the flyby in September will be the closest it’s come to Earth since 1890. ... According to NASA,...

Gravitational Lensing Provides Rare Glimpse Into Interiors of Black Holes Article written: 17 Aug , 2017 by Matt Williams The observable Universe is an extremely big place, measuring an estimated 91 billion light-years in diameter. As a result, astronomers are forced to rely on powerful instruments to see faraway objects. But even these are sometimes limited, and must be paired with a technique known as gravitational lensing. This involves relying on a large distribution of matter (a galaxy or star) to magnify the light coming from a distant object.Using this technique, an international team led by researchers from the California...

Perfect Eclipses: Coincidence or Conspiracy? Jay W. Richards | @FreemarketJay August 17, 2017 On August 21, we Americans get to see a total solar eclipse. As I mentioned in a previous piece, we can see solar eclipses only because our planet, our Moon, and our Sun sometimes come together in a straight line in space. When the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, those in the Moon’s shadow see an eclipse. But the story doesn’t end there. A rare alignment of events allows Earthlings to witness not just solar eclipses, but what we might call perfect solar eclipses. Our...

Total solar eclipse 2017: 6 bizarre things that will happen Things get a little weird during an eclipse. Here are six things to look for. While there are many superstitions about eclipses, there are also a lot of weird things that happen during an eclipse that are completely real -- and super cool. Here are six incredible things to look for during the eclipse on August 21.1. Animals getting confused "A totally eclipsed sun is 10,000 times fainter than one that is 99 percent covered by the moon," Meg Pickett, astrophysicist and a professor of physics at Lawrence University told...

You've planned your road trip, downloaded your science apps, and bought yourself a pair of shiny new spectacles: you're ready for the eclipse. But is your eyewear is up to the task? With the Great American Eclipse approaching, demand for eclipse glasses—with special lenses designed to keep the sun from harming your peepers—is surging. And counterfeit glasses are everywhere. In fact, Amazon is so swamped by reports of possibly unsafe glasses that the company is allegedly sending out recalls and refunds for products that are certified as eclipse-safe.

The Impact of Solar Eclipses for History Evolution News | @DiscoveryCSC August 16, 2017 When the sky goes dark at mid-day, people notice. Because some observers wrote down what they saw, and because the clockwork of the heavens is so precise, historians can nail down important dates for chronological research. Human responses to eclipses are interesting to think about. These cosmic events are rare enough for any spot on the earth to strike fear and wonder in the eyes of anyone unfamiliar with their causes. Joe Rao relates the story at Space.com about how Christopher Columbus, aware of an approaching...

Solar Eclipses and Life Evolution News | @DiscoveryCSC August 15, 2017, 1:53 AM In previous posts in our solar eclipse series (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) we touched on safe viewing methods, the mechanics of solar eclipses, and a couple of surprising coincidences. We also explained why the solar eclipses we enjoy from earth’s surface are the best in the solar system. The solar eclipse coincidences have been noted by astronomers, but most have treated them as mere coincidences. Some scientists are troubled by them. The popular British science writer and astronomer John Gribbin comments on...