Posts

Meteor Shower

A Meteor Shower And Supermoon Will Peak This Week

/in , /by

Tonight, Monday May 4th, stargazers around the world can bear witness to an immaculate meteor shower that will lead into a supermoon  this week. The shower is referred to as “The Eta Aquarids” and it happens every year in the beginning of May. It reaches its climax tonight and in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday – May 5th- but you should still be able to see meteors throughout the whole week. 

“This shower happens to be one of if not the best in the Southern Hemisphere. It is a moderate shower for the Northern Hemisphere,” AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said.

Embed from Getty Images

Samuhel reports that if you’re living in the southern hemisphere of the planet, south of the equator, you could see as many as 40 shooting stars every hour when the shower is at its peak tonight. The American Meteor Society (AMS) is claiming that the meteors will be most visible in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and South America, however, it will still be viewable in the northern hemisphere. 

In the northern hemisphere, every individual living above the equator can expect to see around 10-30 shooting stars every hour tonight. Normally, this annual May meteor shower peaks after one night, however, this year the shooting stars will be peaking for two – tonight and tomorrow – which just happen to be the last two nights before May’s supermoon; this meteor shower always occurs in May in line with the full moon. 

Since this year the shower will be occurring during a supermoon, as opposed to a full moon, it may be difficult to see some of the meteors that are further away due to the brighter nature of a supermoon. However, you should still be able to see a decent amount of shooting stars. 

Embed from Getty Images

Like with any astrological event, depending on where you live, weather and cloud coverage could be a major factor when it comes to meteor visibility. In the US specifically, it’s looking like those living on the West Coast and the South will have the most optimal and clear skies for viewing the shower tonight; based off of data from previous years relating to this specific shower, and predicted weather conditions for the week. 

States in the north/that are bordering Canada should also have relatively clear skies when compared to the middle of the country or East Coast for tonight, however, as previously stated, everyone should still be able to make a wish on at least one shooting star tonight as long as the skies remain cloud-free. Unfortunately for certain areas in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, tonight’s forecast calls for heavy rain and thunderstorms, so be sure to check your local listings if you’re unsure what your town’s weather will look like for the next few days. 

The meteor shower peaks before the supermoon itself, but remains active for a few days after its peak as well. So if it’s raining in your part of the world tonight, you still have everyday this week to possibly witness part of the shower. After Friday, however, it’s much less likely that any meteors will be in the sky. 

You don’t need a telescope to view the meteors either, just some patience and a good view of the night sky. Scientists recommend avoiding staring at the moon and look more closely at the darker parts of the sky. The moon is like the sun in the sense that it’s so bright that when you look at it for too long, it becomes pretty much impossible to see anything else in the sky. Scientists predict after midnight will be when the most meteors are in the sky, and the shower will continue to peak until dawn on Tuesday morning. 

If you miss this meteor shower, have no fear, another one of equal beauty will be occurring in late July of this year, according to the AMS. 

Pink Moon

April’s Super ‘Pink’ Moon Will Be The Brightest Full Moon Of 2020

/in , /by

This April, avid stargazers and night sky enthusiasts everywhere will be mesmerized by a rare lunar event that will illuminate the sky with the brightest supermoon of 2020. A supermoon occurs when a full moon happens on the same exact night that the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its orbit. 

This month, a super “pink” moon will light up the sky on April 7th, and peak in the sky around 10:30 p.m Eastern Standard Time. Although this year’s spring supermoon is called a pink supermoon, the color of the moon itself won’t actually be pink. The event originally got that name because of the pink wildflowers, known as the creeping phlox, that bloom in the early spring, typically in coordination with the seasons full moon patterns. 

The moon itself will reflect a golden orange hue when it’s lowest in the sky, and progressively brighten to white as it rises. On average, supermoons are about 7% bigger and 15% brighter than the average full moon, so sometimes the difference is not immediately apparent to any other full moon. 

Embed from Getty Images

This change in size, although slight, occurs because of the moon’s specific orbit around the Earth. The “eccentric orbit,” as referred to by most scientists, isn’t perfectly circular, so there are moments when it’s significantly closer to Earth than we even realize, like it will be this month. 

“The term ‘supermoon’ was introduced by astrologer Richard Noelle in 1979. It didn’t have much science behind it, except that he coined a term for when the moon was full, when it was 90 percent of the closest distance it could be to Earth. And a couple of years ago, it just caught on. I think it’s just because someone took the word ‘super’ and put it in front of the word ‘moon,’” said Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History.

Other whimsical nicknames for April’s own super pink moon includes the Sprouting Grass, Egg, and Fish moon. All of the names obviously were originally coined from things that remind us of spring. This year, the super pink moon is also known as a paschal moon because of how close it is to Easter. 

Embed from Getty Images

Thanks to social distancing policies brought on by the recent covid-19 pandemic, most astrology lovers have plenty of time to go outside in their yard and view a multitude of cosmic events this month. Thanks to technology, there are also plenty of apps that can be downloaded onto your smartphone that allow you to point your camera at the night sky and show you, live-action, what constellations, planets, and other astrological events are occuring on any given night. 

Some other moon and stargazing events that will be occurring in April of this year include the Lyrids meteor shower, which will be peaking on April 22nd and 23rd. The planet Venus will also be visible during this month, however, it typically just looks like a brighter star when compared to other average stars; another great reason to look into some sort of sky application. 

“People can easily stargaze near their home, even in a city. Both light pollution and air pollution can impact how stars appear in the sky, but lately, air pollution has fallen as there are fewer cars on the road and fewer factories at work. The best place to observe the sky is wherever you currently are. So you don’t have to find that perfect location — it doesn’t exist,” said Michelle Nichols, director of public observing at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium.

As previously stated these astrological events will be occurring all month and into the summer, so while you may be stuck in the confines of your property lines indefinitely, at least you can step outside every night, take in the fresh air, and observe some truly historical stargazing.

Astrology Signs

Mercury Retrograde Wrecks Havoc on February Plans

/in , /by

In astrology, Mercury will enter retrograde once again on February 17th until March 10th, and its effects will be felt across the world.

For anyone with an interest in astrology, Mercury in retrograde is a regularly occurring phenomenon which is faced with more than a little apprehension. It is believed that during this passing phase, Earth is heavily influenced by its forces, and this subsequently leads to a number of challenges across all areas of life, including communication, travel and general decision making.

Mercury in retrograde occurs three to four times a year and happens when the Earth passes Mercury during its orbit around the sun. At this point, Mercury is moving slower than Earth and this gives the illusion Mercury is in fact, going backwards. This process of passing by at speed is thought to create a gust of wind which in turn creates turbulence here on Earth.

Embed from Getty Images

It has been suggested that during retrograde, people may experience a range of problems, such as miscommunications, delays in travel, loss of emails, missing paperwork, and much more. Mercury is understood to oversee all types of communication, alongside all kinds of formal contracts and agreements. In addition, it controls all types of code including computers, satellites and a vast array of electronic devices. It is believed that all of these areas are adversely impacted when Mercury is in retrograde, as astrologers abide by the saying “as above, so too below.” This means that whatever is happening up in space will be reflected down on Earth.

So what might be affected during Retrograde specifically? Well, astrologers advise you to avoid entering into any new contracts during this time, be that buying a new home, starting a new job or signing a new mobile phone contract. They advise you to avoid making any unnecessary journeys, as travel is likely to be hampered by delays. It is also recommended to avoid entering into any important discussions, such as discussing your role at work with your boss, or talking through issues in your relationship with your partner, as there is a much higher chance of misinterpretation and conflict arising during this period.

The limitations on communications extends to avoiding the launch of publicity, advertising or marketing campaigns, and it is also recommended to hold back on launching a new website or business. Even if your business or activities are not communications-related, the advice is to hold off completely until retrograde has ended.

It is thought that during this period, decisions are more likely to be reversed, agreed projects cancelled and there is an increased chance that clients could make a complete u-turn on plans that were previously approved. Therefore, it is also recommended to avoid arranging any important client review meetings during a period of retrograde, as there is a high chance that these will not go as expected if you do do. Additionally, electronic devices could randomly start to malfunction or break completely and it is strongly advised to back up any devices just before a retrograde to prepare for any unexpected issues.

Embed from Getty Images

During retrograde, it is believed that mistakes are more likely to happen, and so astrologers recommend avoiding any kind of elective surgery during this time. Of course essential surgery should be proceeded with as planned, but there is the suggestion that they may not go as smoothly as they would if conducted at another time. Forgetfulness is also a common occurrence during retrograde, so it is advisable to set plenty of reminders, both electronically and physically on a calendar or in your diary.

Celebrities appear to be pretty concerned about retrograde too, with singer LeAnn Rimes tweeting “Mercury is in retrograde and I feel like I’m on Punked.”

Lisa Rinna also said “Now it all makes sense, Mercury is in retrograde till February. Ugh.”

Kyle Richards tweeted about its effects saying “I need to ask @BravoAndy to please never again shoot the Reunion when Mercury is in retrograde #RHOBH.”

And Katy Perry decided to face the challenge head on by saying “I see you Mercury in retrograde, come at me bruh.”

This list of things to avoid during retrograde appears to be pretty exhaustive and with this event taking place 3-4 times a year, it could prove problematic putting all the areas mentioned above on hold every time retrograde occurs. I imagine that the vast majority of people will take the advice above with a pinch of salt and continue on with their everyday lives in the hope that retrograde doesn’t mess things up too monumentally. Although, it might be interesting in hindsight to consider all of those times where things haven’t gone quite to plan, and look back to see if they occurred during a period of retrograde? Perhaps it might be time to alter your plans after all?