| | August 9
Spacecraft to Touch the Sun | | | |
|
|
| |
| | A spacecraft to touch the sun | | | Set to launch on Saturday, the daredevil Parker Solar Probe will get closer to the sun than any spacecraft in human history. | | | | Partial solar eclipse on August 11 | | | Saturday's eclipse will be the 3rd eclipse in this lunar month. It'll be visible from the Arctic, far-northeastern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, and much of Asia (north and east). | | | | | | Plate tectonics not needed for alien life? | | | New research shows that plate tectonics might not be needed for life to evolve, after all. If not, the chances are now better that more distant worlds could support life. | | | | | |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|  | | | Partial solar eclipse on August 11 | | Saturday's partial eclipse is a far-northern event, lasting about 3 1/2 hours, starting at sunrise in northeastern North America and ending at sunset along the Asian Pacific Coast. If you’re in a position to witness it, be sure to use proper eye protection. | | | | | |
|
| |
 | | | Sky-wide rays | | Familiar crepuscular rays and less well known anti-crepuscular rays are really one and the same. Ken Christison in North Carolina caught this photo on August 5 with a moderate fisheye lens. | | |
