by The night sky in 2023 brought many spectacular sights, from bright, fiery comets to unusual auroras, unexpected meteor lunar impacts, a newly discovered supernova – and even a lost astronaut’s tool bag floating through space. Here are some of Space.com’s most remarkable skywatching views from this year.
New year, new comet
2023 began with a close approach comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). This newly discovered comet made its closest approach World on February 1, passing within 28 million miles (42 million kilometers) of our planet. This was the first approach of the comet in 50,000 years.
First discovered in March 2022, C/2022 E3 came from the outer reaches of the Solar systemwithin the Oort cloud. The bright green glow of the comet was easily seen by observers using binoculars or a small telescope. However, as the comet traveled through the inner solar system, a orbit changed so that it is now on a trajectory out of the solar system, meaning that this was its first and last visit near Earth. Stargazers and astrophotographers captured stunning images of the bright green comet during its visit between January and February, which you can see here on Space.com.
A new supernova caught in action
Astronomers took a look at a new supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy, also known as Messier 101 or M101, which is face-on spiral galaxy located 21 million light year from the Earth. A bright burst of light was observed in one of the arms of the galaxy, suggesting that a massive star had reached the end of its life and exploded in a stellar event known as a supernova.
The IS supernovanamed SN 2023ixf, appeared for the first time in an image taken by experienced supernova hunter Koichi Itagaki, of Yamagata, Japan, on 19 May 2023. Although the supernova itself occurred 21 million years ago, the light from the stellar explosion was travel through space and only recently entered our view from Earth this year. SN 2023ixf represents one of the largest and brightest supernovas seen in the decade, and can be observed using a small telescope.
A massive star on the verge of a supernova
Significant brightness of the popular star Betelgeuse It was seen this year, with an understanding that it could soon explode in a supernova. Betelgeuse is a red super star located 650 light years from Earth Orion constellationmarking the Hunter’s left shoulder.
Earlier this year, observers noticed that the star – which is normally ranked as the tenth brightest star in the night sky – was extremely bright, shining at more than 140% of its normal brightness and earning the seventh star is brighter. Although Betelgeuse is known for its periodic brightening and dimming, this unusual activity It is a sign that the star may be achieving a stage of life when it runs out of hydrogen and begins fusing helium in its core before exploding in a bright explosion known as a supernova.
caught meteorite crashing into the moon
A meteorite crash into the moon on February 23 and a Japanese astronomer caught the bright flash of the impact on camera. The meteorite impacted the night side of the moon, near the Ideler L crater, which is slightly northwest of the Pitiscus crater.
Traveling at an average speed of 30,000 mph (48,280 kph), or 8.3 miles per second (13.4 km/s), meteor impacts create large surface craters, which generate intense heat and produce a bright flash of light. Such an event is seen by sky watchers during a moonlit night when a meteor hits an area of it the moon facing the Universe. The impact crater made by the meteor crash – which you can see video of on Space.com – is expected to be about a dozen meters (39 feet) in diameter.
Auroras supercharged skywatchers surprised
Triggered an extremely powerful geomagnetic storm beautiful auroras as far south as New Mexico and Arizona in March. Auroras occurs when particles are cut from solar wind interact with molecules i The Earth’s Atmosphere. In general, most aurora displays are only visible at very high latitudes due to the Earth’s latitude magnetic field A funnel lines the solar particles towards the poles. However, in some cases, called solar burst coronal mass ejections stimulate auroras in lower latitudes.
On March 23, a powerful solar eruption caused a G4 major storm — classified on the 5-grade scale used by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — not even space weather forecasters saw it coming. This storm illuminated the the night sky across many states, giving sky watchers the opportunity to take incredible aurora photos.
August’s rare Super Blue Moon
August brought something rare to sky watchers “a wonderful blue moon” as the second — and closest — Full Moon of the month. The term “supermoon” used to describe a full moon at perigee, or the closest point to Earth in its orbit, which makes it appear larger and brighter in the night sky. The full moon on August 30 was only 222,043 miles (357,343 kilometers) away, compared to the average distance of 238,855 miles (384,399 km), making it the closest of all the full moons this year. In addition, it was the second full moon of the month (also known as a blue moon), earning the full moniker of “a brilliant blue moon.”
This particular lunar event gave sky watchers a chance. While both a blue moon and a supermoon are quite common on their own, a moon that is blue and a supermoon is slightly more rare. The last such event happened in December 2009, and the next one won’t happen again until August 2037. You can check out beautiful photos of August’s amazing blue moon on Space.com.
A new comet travels close to the sun
Did he find out recently Comet Nishimuraalso known as C/2023 P1, safe from close contact with the sunon September 17, when it only passed within 20.5 million miles (33 million km) of it.
The comet was bright caught on camera at one of two Solar Earth Relation Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft — Stereo-A – as he took images of the sun’s outer atmosphere on 19 September. The images suggest the comet remains intact, although there may be longer-term effects from solar heating. The comet was only recently discovered by Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura of Kakegawa City, Japan, on August 12.
“Ring of fire” solar eclipse annular
Annular solar eclipse audience wowed in North, Central and South America on October 14 with its “ring of fire” around the moon.
During the annular solar eclipse, the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun. However, the moon is at its furthest point in its orbit from Earth, so it does not completely block the sun (called a total solar eclipse). Instead, the blazing sunlight surrounds the moon’s shadow, creating the so-called ring of fire.
The annular solar eclipse He started in Oregon, traveling across eight US states before passing through Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil. It was seen by millions of people, giving sky watchers the opportunity to photograph the rare event. You can check out Space.com’s roundup of the best 2023 annular solar eclipse photograph here.
A lost tool bag floating in space
A Samhain spacewalk by two astronauts doing maintenance on the International Space Station (ISS) as a result of a lost tool bag that so far floats through space, about 258 miles (415 kilometers) above Earth. The bright tool bag was shown in footage captured by the Virtual Telescope Project on November 15.
Trajectory of the floating tool bag, seen as a sharp point of light when viewed through binoculars or a telescope, is not expected to collide with the orbiting laboratory. Instead, it will remain in space for a few months before burning up safely in Earth’s atmosphere, high above the planet’s surface. This is not the first time astronauts have accidentally lost equipment, as bulky spacesuit gloves can make it challenging for astronauts to keep a firm grip on their tools while working in space.
‘Devil’s Comet’ approaching Earth
The icy volcano Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, known as the “Devil’s Comet,” is heading towards Earth and may reach the naked eye by March 2024. Discovered in 1812, the Devil’s Comet is famous for its violent eruptions , when powerful blasts of ice and gases create a glow. halo like devil horns. The fourth, and biggest outburst yet, it happened on November 14, and was photographed by amateur astronomer Eliot Herman, who saw a 100-fold increase in the comet’s brightness.
Traveling at a speed of 40,000 mph (64,373 km/h), the cryovolcanic comet – which has a core of ice, gas and dust within an icy outer shell – is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on June 2, 2024 , at time it will come within 144 million miles (232 million km) of our planet.
