AstroRick

Good morning!

Reminder: All of my photography can be found here: https://ift.tt/4bWpfd9 #Photography - https://ift.tt/7SqvhJx

The Sky Today on Saturday, February 28: Orion stands tall The constellation Orion the Hunter is visible in the south after sunset this evening, with bright Betelgeuse shining at his shoulder.

The Sky Today on Saturday, February 28: Orion stands tall - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/observing/th...

Webb’s Infrared Vision Reveals Planetary Nebula that Looks Strikingly Like Celestial Brain | Sci.News The unmatched sensitivity of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope in both near- and mid-infrared light sheds new light on PMR 1, a little-studied nebula in the constellation of Vela.

Webb’s Infrared Vision Reveals Planetary Nebula that Looks Strikingly Like Celestial Brain - #Astronomy - ift.tt/E91pZVI

NASA overhauls Artemis, adds second mission before first lunar landing NASA is adding a new test flight, scrapping a planned rocket upgrade, and committing to annual lunar landings — all in an attempt to get Americans back on the Moon.

NASA overhauls Artemis, adds second mission before first lunar landing - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/space-explor...

Come celebrate 35 years of NEAF Join the Astronomy staff on April 11-12, for the Northeast Astronomy Forum! Explore the 90,000 sq ft vendor hall, hear from NASA experts, and take a peek at the Sun.

Come celebrate 35 years of NEAF - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/observing/co...

Why does the Moon turn red during a lunar eclipse? Earth’s atmosphere is what provides the orange or red color we see on the Moon during a total lunar eclipse.

Why does the Moon turn red during a lunar eclipse? - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/science/why-...

Image: First glimpse of comet 3I/ATLAS from Juice science camera This striking image from the science camera on ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) shows interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS spewing dust and gas. The tiny nucleus of the comet (not visible) is surrounde...

Image: First glimpse of comet 3I/ATLAS from Juice science camera - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-02...

A many-tailed comet | Astronomy Magazine José J. Chambó, taken from Río Hurtado, Chile Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) glides by the spiral galaxy NGC 300 (sometimes called the Sculptor Pinwheel Galaxy) in this image captured Feb. 13, with sever...

A many-tailed comet - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/picture-of-t...

A study in stardust: Massive binary stars emit tiny carbon particles Yale junior Donglin Wu leads a new study showing that some of the biggest stars in the universe shed some of the smallest dust particles. It's fitting that Wu's first major scientific journal article ...

A study in stardust: Massive binary stars emit tiny carbon particles - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-02...

Meteor Activity Outlook for February 28 – March 6, 2026 The American Meteor Society, Ltd. is established to inform, encourage, and support the research activities of people who are interested in the field of Meteor Astronomy

Meteor Activity Outlook for February 28 – March 6, 2026 - #Astronomy - ift.tt/AD4R52P

Harnessing the Sun to Extract Oxygen on the Moon - NASA The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project aims to demonstrate the carbothermal reduction of lunar regolith to produce oxygen on the Lunar South Pole. For this test, the team integrated t...

Harnessing the Sun to Extract Oxygen on the Moon - #Astronomy - ift.tt/TCmZYz6

Elon Musk outlines plan for first Starship tower catch attempt Musk confirmed that Starship V3 Ship 1 (SN1) is headed for ground tests and expressed strong confidence in the updated vehicle design.

#SpareX outlines plan for first Starship tower catch attempt - #Astronomy - ift.tt/Z1zJY02

Flight 12: Ship 39 rolls out to Masseys to begin testing - #Astronomy - https://ift.tt/1V4AE7C

Flight 12: Ship 39 rolls out to Masseys to begin testing - #Astronomy - ift.tt/1V4AE7C

Sharpless 249 and the Jellyfish Nebula - #Astronomy - https://ift.tt/IJeHRt0

Sharpless 249 and the Jellyfish Nebula - #Astronomy - ift.tt/IJeHRt0

#Stargazing #Forecast for #FranklinCountyPA issued Sat 02/28 - Overall Outlook: Very Poor Imaging / Viewing: Poor to Good, depending on the subject, clouds, and the moon. Weather tonight: Increasing clouds with a low around 37 and calm winds. Air Quality: 16.1 - Fair/Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups Moon phase: Waxing Gibbous / Illumination: 91% 🌔 Moon Alt° Dir: 6pm: 31° E ↑ | 7pm: 42° E ↑ | 8pm: 53° ESE ↑ | 9pm: 62° SE ↑ | 10pm: 69° SSE ↑ | 11pm: 69° SSW ↓ | 12am: 62° SW ↓ | 1am: 53° WSW ↓ | 2am: 42° W ↓ | 3am: 30° W ↓ | 4am: 19° W ↓ | 5am: 8° WNW ↓ Average Darkness Rating: 4.28 (Illuminated/bright moon). There will be good darkness from 5am to 5:30am. Viewing Impacts: During the 10 hour, 40 minute viewing hours (7:00pm to 5:40am), cloud cover will be 10% to 70% (28% average) with average transparency and poor seeing. Viewing Temp: Good Bright moonlight will impact viewing and especially imaging from sunset to 4am. Expectations: During somewhat frequent breaks in the clouds, you can expect poor observations of planets, galaxies, nebulae, open clusters and planetary nebulae, and poor to good observations of large globulars. Stars will be very diffused. The best directions for imaging/viewing opportunities will be to the N, NNE, NE, ENE, NW, and NNW. Capture Time Rating: Very Good. 71.7% of the viewing hours, or 7 hours and 38 minutes are available for capture/viewing. #Astronomy #Space #NASA #Weather #WaynesboroPA #PAwx

#Stargazing #Forecast for #FranklinCountyPA for Sat 02/28 - Overall Outlook: Very Poor

Imaging / Viewing: Poor to Good, depending on the subject, clouds, and the moon.

Moon phase: Waxing Gibbous / Illumination: 91% 🌔

#Astronomy #Space #Weather

#Aurora #Forecast for #WaynesboroPA issued Sat 02/28 - KP Index: 4 / Outlook: Very Poor Active aurora activity forecasted. If skies are clear, active auroral displays may be visible overhead from locations such as Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit, Canada; to Juneau, Alaska, and Edmonton, Winnipeg and Sept-Iles, Canada; and may be visible low on the horizon from Vancouver, Canada; Great Falls, Pierre, Madison, Lansing, Portland (Maine), U.S.A.; and Ottawa and St. John’s, Canada. Moon phase: Waxing Gibbous / Illumination: 91% 🌔 Waynesboro weather tonight: Increasing clouds with a low around 37 and calm winds. Viewing Impacts: During the 10 hour, 40 minute viewing hours (7:00pm to 5:40am), cloud cover will be 10% to 70% (28% average) with good darkness from 5am to 5:30am. Viewing Temp: Good Forecast courtesy of the UAF Geophysical Institute: https://www.gi.alaska.edu/modules/custom/aurora-forecast/images/idl_graphics/north_america/NorthAmerica_4.png #FranklinCountyPA #Pennsylvania #UnitedStates #Canada #NorthAmerica #Astronomy #Space

#Aurora Forecast for #WaynesboroPA for Sat 02/28 - KPI: 4 / Outlook: Very Poor

During the 10 hour, 40 minute viewing hours (7:00pm to 5:40am), cloud cover will be 10% to 70% (28% average) with good darkness from 5am to 5:30am. Viewing Temp: Good

tinyurl.com/AuroraPAWX

You can find your local #Astronomy forecast at The Clear Sky Chart Home Page: https://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/

You can find your local #Astronomy forecast at The Clear Sky Chart Home Page: https://ift.tt/7fIj3Mu

You can find your local #Astronomy forecast at The Clear Sky Chart Home Page: https://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/

You can find your local #Astronomy forecast at The Clear Sky Chart Home Page: https://ift.tt/7fIj3Mu

The Sky Today on Friday, February 27: The Moon and Jupiter meet up in Gemini Earth’s satellite passes a few degrees north of Jupiter while both are in Gemini. Additionally, Io disappears in an occultation.

The Sky Today on Friday, February 27: The Moon and Jupiter meet up in Gemini - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/observing/th...

The Sky This Week from Feb. 27 to March 6: A total lunar eclipse The Moon turns to blood, Jupiter’s moons transit its disk as their shadows tag along, and Comet Wierzchoś glows in the sky this week.

The Sky This Week from February 27 to March 6: A total lunar eclipse - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/the-sky-this...

How To Build Your Own Quantum Computer A group of physicists are developing a quantum computer that’s entirely open source, from hardware to software

How To Build Your Own Quantum Computer - #QuantumComputing - physics.aps.org/articles/v19...

A cosmic explosion with the force of a billion suns went unseen—until we caught its echo Some of the universe's most extreme explosions leave behind almost no trace. The original explosion is unseen, but our observations can capture the long-lived echo it leaves behind as the shock front ...

A cosmic explosion with the force of a billion suns went unseen—until we caught its echo - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-02...

Dawn Delight: Total Lunar Eclipse on March 3rd March opens with a spectacular total lunar eclipse. Our guide will help you make the most of it.

Dawn Delight: Total Lunar Eclipse on March 3rd - #Astronomy - skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...

Image: Intermediate spiral galaxy NGC 941 NGC 941 is located approximately 55 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus. This faint galaxy is classified as an intermediate spiral, exhibiting characteristics between a barred spiral w...

Image: Intermediate spiral galaxy NGC 941 - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-02...

20 billion galaxies: New survey of the sky will reveal the universe in unprecedented detail When you look up at the night sky, it appears unchanging. But if you look deep enough you will find that the sky is in fact constantly shifting. Satellites, asteroids and interstellar objects pass by....

20 billion galaxies: New survey of the sky will reveal the universe in unprecedented detail - #Astronomy - phys.org/news/2026-02...

Getting into a dust-up | Astronomy Magazine Vikas Chander, taken from Río Hurtado, Chile The galaxy NGC 2427 lies around 30 million light-years away in the constellation Puppis amid a crowded galactic scene filled with dusty cometary globules a...

Getting into a dust-up - #Astronomy - www.astronomy.com/picture-of-t...

First glimpse of comet 3I/ATLAS from Juice science camera First glimpse of comet 3I/ATLAS from Juice science camera

First glimpse of comet 3I/ATLAS from Juice science camera - #Astronomy - ift.tt/WYLf6Tq

JPL 3D-Printed Part Springs Forward - NASA Science With a simple motion, a jack-in-the-box-like spring designed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory showed the potential of additive manufacturing, also known as

JPL 3D-Printed Part Springs Forward - #Astronomy - ift.tt/y5I91oK

Inside Project Hail Mary - NASA NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren takes a selfie with the people behind "Project Hail Mary" and the audience during a panel about the movie at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Feb. 25, 2026.

Inside Project Hail Mary - #Astronomy - ift.tt/oiv3WHU

Webb and Hubble: IC 5332 - #Astronomy - https://ift.tt/PYKQf9U

Webb and Hubble: IC 5332 - #Astronomy - ift.tt/PYKQf9U