Skies in the Northern Hemisphere have been graced by a rare, green comet. Now, it’s our turn to look for it in Australia – but the view will be dimming rapidly.
Trail from BlueWalker 3 above Kitt Peak telescope in Arizona.
KPNO/NOIRLab/IAU/SKAO/NSF/AURA/R. Sparks
The stars, planets and Milky Way we see at night are part of a wilderness shared across the globe and across centuries. But does BlueWalker 3 herald a night sky polluted with bright satellites?
Starlink satellites are quite visible in the night sky.
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Megaconstellations of satellites will visually clutter the night sky, disrupting astronomical research. And the environmental damage caused by these satellites is still unknown.
Megaconstellations threaten to affect the quality of stargazing.
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As thousands of new satellites enter Low Earth Orbit, it’s important to consider their potential impact, including possible environmental damage in addition to hindering the work of astronomers.
Fireflies light up a June night in central Maine.
Mike Lewinski/Flickr
Fireflies’ summer evening light shows are a delight for humans, but for the insects they are a crucial mating ritual – and human-caused light pollution is a buzz kill.
The Southern African Large Telescope has been a key part of South Africa’s astronomical contributions.
SAAO
Cape astronomers were responsible for, among other things, the first measurement of the distance to a star; the first photographic sky survey and the accurate measurement of the distance to the sun.
Dark sky sites can inspire new generations of stargazers, but a better long-term solution would be connecting people with the night sky where they live.
A comet-gazing opportunity to close out the year.
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