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Michael’s Miscellany: Take a Look at the Sun

Michael E. Bakich — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 14:32:54 +0000

Every 11 years, activity on the Sun peaks. More sunspots, prominences, flares, and other phenomena are seen on our star’s face, plus, there’s an uptick in visible aurorae here on Earth. This time period is called the solar cycle, and we’re in the middle of the peak of the current one, solar cycle 25. TheseContinue reading "Michael’s Miscellany: Take a Look at the Sun"

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Farewell, Mr. Eclipse: Fred Espenak dies at 71

Michael E. Bakich — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 17:34:32 +0000

On April 15, many of us in the eclipse community received this message from Fred Espenak, the man who for years was affectionately referred to as Mr. Eclipse: Dear Friends. I want to share some sad news. I was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) five years ago. I did not have any significant symptomsContinue reading "Farewell, Mr. Eclipse: Fred Espenak dies at 71"

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World’s biggest solar telescope captures sunspots as never seen before

Daniela Mata — Thu, 01 May 2025 20:36:05 +0000

A brand-new instrument has captured a cluster of sunspots — dark surface spots caused by strong magnetic fields — on our glorious Sun in an unprecedented amount of detail. This image was taken during the first-light observation of the new Visible Tunable Filter (VTF), which was recently installed on the U.S. National Science Foundation’s DanielContinue reading "World’s biggest solar telescope captures sunspots as never seen before"

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Come with Astronomy associate editor Michael Bakich to Egypt

Michael E. Bakich — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:36:45 +0000

I’m leading another eclipse trip. No surprise there. I’ve traveled to observe 16 total solar eclipses, and on all but two of them I was the official astronomer. But this one’s special, even for me. First, it boasts the longest totality — 6 minutes 23 seconds — that anyone alive will be able to witness.Continue reading "Come with Astronomy associate editor Michael Bakich to Egypt"

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This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: A Solar Eclipse

David J. Eicher — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 13:57:46 +0000

In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher invites you to view an unusual event: a partial eclipse of the Sun. Depending on where you are, you might see the Moon cover up to 90 percent of the bright solar disk. Remember, however, even 10 percent of the Sun is dangerous to look at, so wear approvedContinue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: A Solar Eclipse"

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The Sun has reached solar maximum, NASA and NOAA scientists say

Korey Haynes — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:11:37 +0000

In a teleconference Oct. 15, representatives from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the Sun has reached the peak level in its current cycle of activity, the 25th for which humans have kept detailed records. The 25th cycle has been far more active than the previous one, especially this year,Continue reading "The Sun has reached solar maximum, NASA and NOAA scientists say"

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Eclipse success on Easter Island

David J. Eicher — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 02:57:48 +0000

Your editor is in the midst of a weeklong trip to a very remote place. A few days ago I departed Tucson and traveled to Santiago, Chile, where I met about 20 enthusiastic people who were charged up to see the annular eclipse that occurred today. We spent two days touring the marvels of Santiago,Continue reading "Eclipse success on Easter Island"

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An annular solar eclipse: This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher

David J. Eicher — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 17:00:31 +0000

In this episode, Dave Eicher invites you to observe the annular eclipse that will occur Oct. 2. Annular eclipses occur when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth line up, in that order. But in this case, the Moon is either too far from Earth (so it appears smaller) or Earth is too close to theContinue reading "An annular solar eclipse: This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher"

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Get set for an eclipse on Easter Island

David J. Eicher — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 18:00:53 +0000

You may not know it, but we’re on the cusp of another solar eclipse. Next Wednesday, October 2, an annular eclipse will take place. Of course, 71 percent of our planet’s surface consists of oceans, and this eclipse will be one that barely touches land. It will be visible entirely from the Pacific Ocean withContinue reading "Get set for an eclipse on Easter Island"

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The Moon meets Venus: This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher

David J. Eicher — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:45:20 +0000

In this episode, Dave Eicher describes the upcoming conjunction of two bright objects in the evening sky. On October 5th, you’ll see a great pairing of the crescent Moon and Venus very close together in the west. Make sure to get out there right after sunset and look from a location with a clear westernContinue reading "The Moon meets Venus: This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher"

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