View larger at EarthSky Community Photos. | Helio C. Vital captured Mercury and Mars over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 9, when they were about 7 degrees apart. Beginning around now, they should fit in a single binocular field. They'll be much closer - 0.2 degrees apart - on June 18. Thank you, Helio! Read more.
They're not the brightest planets in the sky now, and they're visible only briefly after sunset. But - around June 18 - Mercury and Mars will have the closest conjunction of 2 planets for 2019. Read more.
Nearly 100 countries have already signed up to organize national campaigns, to provide the public with an opportunity to vote. The deadline is July 30 to express interest in organizing a national campaign. The IAU will announce results in December. Read more.
The search for life on Mars usually involves looking for past or present microbes, invisible to the eye. Scientists at University of Illinois suggest searching instead for a type of rock formation known on Earth to be created by microbes. Read more.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Wendy Jeffries captured rare lenticular clouds over a field in Clifden, Connemara, Ireland, earlier this month. See more photos of lenticular clouds - sometimes called UFO clouds - plus a word about how they form, here.
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