Sunday, November 24, 2019

Nov 24 - Epic Explosion Detected via Faster-Than-Light Particles

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Specialized telescopes - like H.E.S.S. in Namibia and MAGIC in the Canary Islands - detect the bluish Cherenkov light in Earth's atmosphere, generated by faster-than-light particles, caused by cosmic gamma rays. Image via DESY Science Communication Lab. Read more.

Epic explosion detected via faster-than-light particles

Earlier this year, space-based observatories detected a violent explosion in a galaxy billions of light-years away. It became the brightest source of high-energy cosmic light seen so far. Specialized telescopes on the ground were also able to detect it via faster-than-light particles cascading through Earth's atmosphere. The result was a culmination of years of effort by astronomers. Read more.
Spectacular! Don't miss Venus and Jupiter
The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter - the 2 brightest planets - is today. Venus is passing just 1.4 degrees south of Jupiter, or about the width of your index finger held at arm's length. Don't miss them in the west after sunset. Read more
Bizarre Tully Monster fossil is still a mystery
Is the Tully Monster - one of the strangest fossils ever discovered - a vertebrate or invertebrate? The mystery continues. Read more.
What we’re reading

From NASA Earth Observatory ... Aussie smoke plume crossing oceans
As fires continue to rage in southern and eastern Australia, the smoke has risen high and traveled far across the atmosphere. Read more.
EarthSky lunar calendars are back in stock. Order now!

We're guaranteed to sell out. They make awesome holiday gifts. Your support means the world to us and helps us keep going. Purchase here.
Old moon to pass Spica, Mars, Mercury
By Monday morning, it'll be a very slim crescent moon indeed in the east before dawn. Will you see it? Maybe! You'll need a clear sky all the way to the eastern horizon. If you spot the moon - or if you don't - look for Mercury and Mars, too. Read more.
Photos of Venus and Jupiter after sunset

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Elizabeth Bettenhausen - west of Cambria, California, along the Pacific coast - caught Venus (brighter) and Jupiter last night. She wrote it was: "... quite the post-sunset conclusion to a high-tide, high-surf gorgeous day." Read more about tonight's Venus-Jupiter conjunction.

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