Scorpion Stars, Spiral Galaxies & Aurora Alerts — This Week's Skywatching Wonders

From a magnificent daytime moon to a possible geomagnetic storm, here's what's lighting up the sky. Created for znamenski.spacecom@blogger.com | Web Version April 14, 2025 CONNECT WITH NIGHT SKY THIS WEEK      Just Look Up! SIGN UP ⋅   SHARE What's Up This Week? Hello Skywatchers! This week's skies serve up a celestial mix of moon magic, galaxy hunting, and a potentially dazzling aurora show. The waning gibbous moon dives into Scorpius, briefly hiding the bright stars Pi Scorpii and Antares. Dark evening skies provide prime conditions to track down deep-sky treasures like the Whirlpool and Pinwheel galaxies near the Big Dipper. And if that's not enough to get you outside, how about northern lights? A rare solar double-blast could spark auroras visible well into mid-latitudes. Here's what to watch for and how to make the most of it! Clear skies, Daisy Reference Editor, Space.com (Starry Night) Tuesday, April 15 — Moon Sweeps Through the Scorpion's Claws Look southeast late tonight to find the waning gibbous moon near the claw stars of Scorpius. In the early morning hours, it will briefly occult Pi Scorpii for some viewers. More Highlights (Starry Night) Friday, April 18 — Hunt the Whirlpool and Pinwheel Galaxies With the moon out of the way, use binoculars or a small telescope to track down the stunning Whirlpool (M51) and Pinwheel (M101) galaxies near the Big Dipper's handle. More Highlights (Starry Night) Saturday, April 19 — Ursa Major's Galaxy Duo Ursa Major rides high tonight! Use Dubhe and Phecda to find the bright Bode's Galaxy (M81) and the cigar-shaped M82—visible together in wide-field telescopes.   More Highlights (Starry Night) Sunday, April 20 — Third Quarter Moon Rises Late The moon reaches its third quarter phase at 9:35 p.m. EDT. It rises around midnight and lingers into the morning sky, kicking off a week of dark evening skies for deep-sky viewing. More Highlights (Starry Night) Monday, April 21 — Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation Mercury reaches its farthest point from the sun in the morning sky. Best seen before dawn from the Southern Hemisphere, but a challenge for Northern observers. More Highlights Moon Calendar Don't miss the last quarter moon this week!  My favorite moon phase this week will be the striking last quarter moon, also known as the third quarter moon on April 20. The last quarter moon usually rises around midnight and sets around noon local time, making it an interesting skywatching target both at night and in the day!  Feeling inspired to take a more in-depth moonlit tour of our rocky companion? Our ultimate guide to observing the moon will help you plan your next skywatching venture, whether it be exploring the lunar seas, mountainous terrain, or the many craters that blanket the landscape. You can also see where astronauts, rovers and landers have ventured with our Apollo landing sites observing guide. Read More In The News April's Full Pink Moon captivates skywatchers worldwide with dazzling 'micromoon' show (photos) Skywatchers around the world turned their heads — and lenses to the skies to capture the beauty of April's full Pink Moon — 2025's only micromoon. Read More Northern Lights Forecast Rare double solar blast unleashes 2 CMEs towards Earth — auroras possible April 16 Heads up, aurora chasers! Earth's magnetic field is about to get a one-two punch from the sun — and the result could be an impressive show of northern lights stretching into mid-latitudes. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a geomagnetic storm watch on April 16 as not one but two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are expected to hit Earth's magnetic field in quick succession! Keep up to date with the latest northern lights developments with our aurora forecast live blog.    Read More Your Amazing Astrophotos (Robbie Pesiwarissa (Robbiesydney Photography)) Full moon over Hyde Park, Sydney, Australia Photographer Robbie Pesiwarissa (Robbiesydney Photography) captured the beauty of the Pink Moon from a park in Sydney, Australia. "The tranquil ambiance of Archibald Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park Sydney, coupled with the majestic presence of Saint Mary's Cathedral, created a perfect backdrop for capturing the beauty of the micromoon," Pesiwarissa told Space.com in an email. "The blend of nature, architecture, and celestial wonder made it a moment to remember, a serene pause in the bustling life of Sydney." Telescopes & Binoculars Best small telescopes 2025: Portable, lightweight models to travel with These are the best small telescopes you can buy in every category. Read More What should I look for in a monocular for stargazing? From magnification to letting in enough light at night, here's how to choose the perfect monocular for stargazing and astronomy. Read More Sign Up  |    Update Profile  |    Unsubscribe Privacy Policy  |    Cookies Policy  |    Terms and Conditions CONTACT US: FEEDBACK  |    ADVERTISE Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036.

How to watch Blue Origin launch Katy Perry and crew to space on a historic all-female spaceflight on April 14

Watch Blue Origin launch Katy Perry and crew to space | Space Quiz! Who was the first woman in space? | This Week In Space podcast: Episode 156 - Rocket Blast Created for znamenski.spacecom@blogger.com | Web Version April 14, 2025 CONNECT WITH SPACE.COM       Something amazing every day. SIGN UP ⋅   WEBSITE   The Launchpad (Blue Origin) Watch Blue Origin launch Katy Perry and crew to space Blue Origin will launch an all-female spaceflight with Katy Perry on Monday morning (April 14), and you can watch the historic action live. Perry and her crewmates are set to launch to suborbital space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle from the company's West Texas site on Monday. The launch window opens at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT; 8:30 a.m. local Texas time). You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of Blue Origin, or directly via the company. Coverage will begin 90 minutes before liftoff. Watch the Launch! Space Quiz! Who was the first woman in space? Learn the answer here! Sally Ride Condoleezza Rice Molly Cobb Valentina Tereshkova (TWiS) This Week In Space podcast: Episode 156 - Rocket Blast On Episode 156 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik welcome Dr. Phil Metzger from the University of Central Florida to discuss the dangerous realities of rocket plumes when landing spacecraft on the Moon and Mars. Before diving into the main topic, the hosts talk about Jared Isaacman's NASA administrator confirmation hearing, Katy Perry's upcoming Blue Origin spaceflight, and a newly discovered comet. Watch now Skywatching (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images) April's Full Pink Moon captivates skywatchers worldwide April's full moon lit up skies around the world this weekend, delighting skywatchers with a dramatic show. Known as the Pink Moon, or the Paschal Moon, this month's full moon was the smallest full moon of 2025. This is because it reached peak illumination at apogee, the farthest point in its orbit from Earth, earning its title of a "micromoon". Though the difference in size can be hard to spot with the naked eye, the moon's striking glow created a stunning backdrop for photographers and moon lovers alike. Despite its name, the Pink Moon isn't actually pink - it's named after the moss pink, one of spring's first wildflowers to bloom. Read More Spaceflight (Blue Origin) Here are the celebrities Blue Origin has launched to space It's not just Katy Perry. Here's a look at the other well-known people that Blue Origin has launched to suborbital space aboard its New Shepard suborbital vehicle, on brief missions that have all added to the evolving nature of space tourism. Read More SpaceX (SpaceX) SpaceX Starlinks launch on record-breaking booster flight A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 27 of the company's Starlink internet satellites lifted off at midnight (0400 GMT) on Monday (April 14) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It was the 27th launch for the rocket's first stage, breaking a reflight record that this same booster set two months ago. Sixteen of its liftoffs have been Starlink flights, SpaceX wrote in a mission description. Read More Technology (Kepler) Axiom Space to launch 1st orbiting data centers this year Axiom Space will launch two orbiting data center nodes into low Earth orbit by the end of this year, as the first step in the development of off-planet computing infrastructure. The two satellites will be part of the upcoming optical relay constellation by Canada-headquartered Kepler Communications, which is expected to begin launching in late 2025. Read More Entertainment (BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/James Pardon) Watch 'Doctor Who' season 2 online and from anywhere As the TARDIS gets set to materialize on planet Earth's viewscreens once again, here's everything you need to know to watch "Doctor Who" season 2 online, wherever you are in the world. Read More   Sign Up  |    Update Profile  |    Unsubscribe Privacy Policy  |    Cookies Policy  |    Terms and Conditions CONTACT US: FEEDBACK  |    ADVERTISE Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036