Supermoons affect earthly tides. A day or so after every new moon and full moon – when the sun, Earth, and moon are located more or less on a line in space – the whole Earth has its highest and lowest tides. These are called spring tides. A supermoon – close moon at the new or full phase – will accentuate the range between high and low tides even more. Image via physicalgeography.net.
Don't listen to curmudgeon-y astronomers telling you supermoons are "hype." They aren't hype; the name supermoon has arisen from folklore, like Blue Moon or Black Moon or the beloved Harvest Moon. And supermoons have real physical effects, which people living along coastlines may notice. Read more.
Standing under a dark sky in late July or August? Look up! You’ll notice a long, dark lane dividing the bright Milky Way. This Dark Rift is a place where new stars are forming. Read more.
Astronomers didn't expect to see a thin disk around the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy NGC 3147, some 130 million light-years away. They're using Einstein’s theories of relativity to understand the velocities involved, and the intensity of black hole's pull. Read more.
When you see it with your naked eye, Omega Centauri looks like a fuzzy, faint star. But this blue orb is, in fact, a collection of stars – 10 million of them. Read more.
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