Jan 16 - Milky Way as Melting Pot

January 16 Milky Way as Melting Pot by:

Our Milky Way as a "melting pot" Where do stars we see at night come from? Newly confirmed streams of stars - thought to be coming to our Milky Way from other galaxies - suggest not all Milky Way were born here. New moon is January 16-17 This new moon is most nearly between the Earth and sun for this month. It crosses the sky with the sun during the day. Lengths of lunar months in 2018   This new moon ends the longest lunar month of the 21st century and begins the longest lunar month of 2018. Tonight … Contemplate the apex of the sun's way Our sun moves around the center of the galaxy, toward the star Vega. Astronomers call this motion the apex of the sun's way. One circuit - about 230 million years - is called a cosmic year.

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Contemplate the apex of the sun's way We move toward this star, the blue-white star Vega, in our journey around the galaxy. Photo via Fred Espenak. Used with permission.

Farewell, old moon Juan Manuel Pérez Rayego in Mérida, Mexico wrote Monday morning: "Mercury down, moon and Saturn above, before a cold dawn." More photos of morning planets here. Submit your photo to EarthSky here!

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Jan 15 - 1st Black Hole Image

January 15 1st Black Hole Image by:

Scientists expect 1st direct black hole image soon In 2018, scientists hope to obtain the 1st-ever direct image of a black hole's event horizon. They're targeting the 4-million-solar-mass black hole at the heart of our Milky Way. Whirlpool movement seen in earliest galaxies Astronomers looked back to a time only 800 years after the Big Bang and found whirlpool shapes in small galaxies. Close and far moons in 2018    The moon swings farthest from Earth for the year today, just 2 weeks after coming closest to Earth for the year on January 1. Tonight … Find Achernar, the End of the River The bright, southerly star Achernar marks the end of the River in the constellation Eridanus.

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Find Achernar, the End of the River Many who live at northerly latitudes make a game of trying to catch a glimpse of Achernar, when they travel south.

Best photos: Morning planets David Rojas in Guatemala City, Guatemala caught all 4 planets – Jupiter and Mars above, Saturn and Mercury below – and the moon Saturday morning. Submit your photo to EarthSky here!

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