Solar Eclipse Preview: 2011 - 2020 Diamond Ring Effect The diamond ring effect is seen during the Total Solar Eclipse of 1991 July 11.(click to see more photos) Fred Espenak (c) 2012 Introduction An eclipse of the Sun (or solar eclipse) can only occur at New Moon when the Moon passes between Earth and Sun. The Moon's shadow has three parts two of which are nested inside the third. There are four types of solar eclipses: Partial - Moon's penumbral shadow traverses Earth (umbral and antumbral shadows completely miss Earth)Annular - Moon's antumbral shadow traverses Earth (Moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the Sun)Total - Moon's umbral shadow traverses Earth (Moon is close enough to Earth to completely cover the Sun)Hybrid - Moon's umbral and antumbral shadows traverse Earth (eclipse appears annular and total along different sections of its path). The number of solar eclipses in a single year can range from 2 to 5. For a complete introduction to this subject, see: Solar Eclipses For Beginners. Copyright Notice
2012 Meteor Showers NOTES These are approximate times for the Lower 48 states; actual shower times can vary. Bright moonlight makes it difficult to see all but the brightest meteors. What is a meteor shower? A meteor shower is a spike in the number of meteors or "shooting stars" that streak through the night sky. Most meteor showers are spawned by comets. Meteor showers are named for the constellation that coincides with this region in the sky, a spot known as the radiant. What are shooting stars? "Shooting stars" and "falling stars" are both names that describe meteors -- streaks of light across the night sky caused by small bits of interplanetary rock and debris called meteoroids vaporizing high in Earth's upper atmosphere. When a meteor appears, it seems to "shoot" quickly across the sky, and its small size and intense brightness might make you think it is a star. How can I best view a meteor shower? For example, drive north to view the Leonids. How do I know the sky is dark enough to see meteors?
National Security Agency (NSA) Releases UFO Files It’s November 2012, many people on the planet are aware that dozens of governments have been releasing their UFO files. Thousands of UFO files are now available in the public domain. These files indicate that governments have departments within them that monitor and study the UFO phenomenon. We or at least some of us interpreted their visits as threat, and decided to shoot first and ask questions after. Many people on the planet are going through their own awakening and transformations. National Security Agency UFO document (click here) National Security Agency UFO document (click here) Verified UFO quotes (click here) Paul Hellyer (click here)
Meteor Showers If you look up into a dark sky on any clear night you are bound to see a streak of light shoot across the sky. With all the space junk humankind has sent into Earth orbit, that streak could be the disintegration of a man-made object re-entering our atmosphere. However, in most cases the incoming object has a more natural origin. These sky streaks, which most folks call shooting stars, are leftover material from the creation of our solar system. It not only includes the remnants of comets and their dusty tails, but also includes small asteroid fragments. The Earth encounters this dust and debris as it revolves around the sun. While some of the meteors are just random particles that intercept the Earth’s orbit, meteor showers are the debris left behind by comets. In addition, the solar wind begins to impact the comet’s surface. As the Earth orbits the Sun it encounters some of these dusty comet tail remnants. Therefore, average peak hourly rates are always given. Moon phases for 2014
Amazing Hubble Pictures Photograph courtesy John Spencer (Lowell Observatory) and NASA In 1999, to commemorate the ninth anniversary since its launch, the Hubble Space Telescope took this dramatic snapshot of Jupiter’s moon Io and its shadow sweeping across the gas giant’s turbulent atmosphere. About the size of Earth’s moon, Io is the most volcanic body in the solar system and orbits 500,000 kilometers above the planet’s cloud tops. Rovio takes its popular game to the final frontier with Angry Birds Space, launching March 22, in partnership with National Geographic Books and NASA. Purchase the official companion book National Geographic Angry Birds Space.