It's a busy day as we get underway to bring you all things space news and science. Mark your calendars as tomorrow is the second shortest day in history, thanks to the Earth spinning slightly faster. It'll only be faster by 1.34 milliseconds less than the standard 24 hours — not something you'll notice — but it's part of a puzzling trend in Earth's rotational behavior that has been unfolding in recent years.
Other stories for today include South Korea planning to build a moon base by 2045, two NASA Mars probes preparing for launch on Blue Origin's huge New Glenn rocket, and a new "This Week in Space" podcast episode all about the 60th anniversary of Mariner 4.
"Whether you want to explore dark energy, dying stars, galactic powerhouses, or probably even entirely new things we've never seen before, this survey will be a gold mine."
This week offers a serene mix of moon phases, planetary pairings, and a distant milestone. It begins with a razor-thin crescent moon pairing with Jupiter before sunrise on Wednesday, and ends with the young moon shining next to Regulus after sunset on Saturday. In between, Thursday brings the new moon, the darkest skies of the month, and on Friday, distant Pluto reaches opposition, marking its brightest (if still incredibly faint) appearance of the year. From pre-dawn photo ops to deep-sky challenges, the cosmos offers something for every skywatcher this week.
Look east before sunrise to see a delicate crescent moon just 2.5% illuminated, shining about 5 degrees to the left of brilliant Jupiter. The pair will fit together in binoculars, making for a lovely early morning view.
The moon reaches its new phase at 3:11 p.m. EDT (19:11 GMT), disappearing from view as it aligns between Earth and the sun. Enjoy moonless skies in the evening, perfect for stargazing or hunting faint galaxies.
Tiny Pluto reaches opposition, sitting directly opposite the sun as viewed from Earth. It's at its closest and brightest for the year, but still incredibly faint at magnitude +14.4, visible only with large telescopes. It's currently in Capricornus, near Psi Capricorni and Messier 75.
After sunset, a slender crescent moon appears low in the western sky. Look closely to spot Regulus, Leo's brightest star, just to its lower right. Binoculars offer the best view, especially from tropical latitudes.
The new moon arrives on Thursday, July 24, marking the start of a fresh lunar cycle. With the moon completely hidden in the sun's glare, this is the best time of the month for deep-sky observing. After the new moon, a young crescent will return to the evening sky, ideal for early-evening viewing and astrophotography.
Each summer, skywatchers around the world look forward to the famous Perseid meteor shower, but often overlook four lesser showers that peak between July 29 and Aug. 16.
Here are the best star projectors to enjoy a night-sky experience from the comfort of your couch. The prices are often reduced on special occasions, such as Amazon Prime Day, so keep your eyes open.
