For your Sunday nature moment: an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (the Virginia State insect, for that matter) on a zinnia in my yard. image
That HUGE naked-eye (well, safely-protected-eye) sunspot is still easily visible using eclipse glasses. I just took this pic of it on my phone! And if you want to learn why they form and how to see them, read my new article in Scientific American! image
I got up shortly after 4:00 am to see Jupiter and Mars still as a tight pair (lower left). The Pleiades star cluster is at the upper right and the V of the Hyades cluster (the head of Taurus) to the lower right. Totally worth it. Beautiful. image
Saturn β€”Β the real Lord of the Rings β€”Β is about to become a thing again, rising early enough to see easily in the night sky. Here's a spectacular shot of it and an explanation of what's going on. image
The Sun is littered with spots today, including the giant one on the right (Active Region 3780) and the one on the left (AR 3784) which are both visible to the (protected) eye. TWO NAKED-EYE SUNSPOTS on the Sun AT THE SAME TIME. Wow! I shot this with my phone thru a filter. Always use good protection (like eclipse glasses) to look at the Sun! image
Sunspot 3780 is so big you can see it with your naked eye! If you still have your eclipse glasses give it a shot (only use proper equipment to view the Sun, please). I took this with the 5x setting on my phone through a solar filter for my telescope. Another spot, 3784, is visible to the upper left. image
I have TWO articles up today in Scientific American! 1) If you get up early on the morning of Aug 14 you can see Jupiter and Mars kissing in the eastern sky. Bonus: meteors! 1/2
The Moon is the pits! And that's hopeful news for future lunar explorers. image