Dec 18 - New Pulsar Map

December 18 New Pulsar Map by:

View larger. | The new pulsar map suggests that pulsar magnetic fields are more complicated than anyone had assumed. Image via Goddard Space Flight Center/ NASA. Read more.

Scientists map a pulsar for the 1st time Pulsars - the extremely dense but tiny remnants of exploded stars - have been known for decades, but remain one of the most enigmatic phenomena in the known universe. They're not easy to study, in part due to their immense distances. Now, using a special X-ray telescope launched to the International Space Station in 2017, scientists have been able to map a pulsar and take precise measurements of its size and mass, for the 1st time. These momentous findings also include odd hot spots on the pulsar's surface. Read more and see a video.  Why are whales big, but not bigger? How did whales that feed on tiny prey evolve into the largest creatures on Earth? And why don't they get even bigger? Read more. New names for 112 exoplanets and their stars The exoplanet formerly known as HAT-P-36b - about 1,000 light-years away - now also carries the name Bran from an Irish legend. It's one of the new names - selected by a vote of some 420,000 people in 112 countries - for distant exoplanets and their stars. Read more.  Tonight … Last quarter moon The moon reaches its last quarter phase on December 19 at 04:57 UTC. In the coming week, watch for it to rise in the east in the hours after midnight, waning thinner each morning. Read more.

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2019's farthest perigee on December 18 The moon’s orbit around Earth isn’t a perfect circle. But it’s very nearly circular, as the diagram above - by Brian Koberlein - shows. On December 18, the moon sweeps to perigee, its closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. This December perigee counts as the most distant of this year's 13 perigees. So you might say today's moon is the farthest close moon. Notice ... this most distant perigee comes when the moon is near last quarter phase. That is not an accident. More in this post.

Time passes View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Glyn Cassidy said, “Having recently returned to astrophotography after illness, I am now practicing many techniques for different types of astro images. This one I hope shows the passage of time whilst enjoying the night sky.” Glyn captured this image on December 10 in Hampshire, UK. Submit your photo to EarthSky here! Did a friend forward EarthSkyNews to you? Click here to get your own subscription!

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