The night sky of 2023 yielded many astonishing sights, from bright, fiery comets to extraordinary aurorae, unexpected meteor impacts on the moon, newly discovered supernovae – and even an astronaut’s lost tool bag floating through space. Here are some of Space.com’s most memorable skywatching attractions from this year.
New year, new comet
2023 started with a close approach to comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). This newly discovered comet came closest Soil on February 1, passing within 26 million miles of our planet. This was the comet’s first approach in 50,000 years.
C/2022 E3 was first discovered in March 2022 and originates from the outer regions of the solar systemwithin the Oort cloud. The comet’s bright green glow was easily visible to viewers with binoculars or a small telescope. However, like the comet traveled through the inner solar system, his job was changed such that it is now on a trajectory outside the solar system, meaning this was its first and last visit to Earth. Stargazers and astrophotographers captured stunning images of the bright green comet during her visit between January and February. look here on Space.com.
New supernova in action
Astronomers saw one new supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy, also known as Messier 101 or M101, which is a face-on spiral galaxy 21 million located light years of earth. A bright burst of light was observed in one of the galaxy’s arms, indicating that a massive star has reached the end of its life and exploded in a stellar event called a supernova.
The supernovadesignated SN 2023ixf, was first seen in an image taken by veteran supernova hunter Koichi Itagaki, of Yamagata, Japan, on May 19, 2023. While the supernova itself occurred 21 million years ago, light from the stellar explosion traveled through room and only recently came into our view from Earth this year. SN 2023ixf represents one of the largest and brightest supernovae seen in a decade, and could noticed using a small telescope.
Supergiant star on the verge of a supernova
A noticeable brightening of the popular star Betelgeuse was observed this year, suggesting this could happen soon explode in a supernova. Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star located 650 light-years from Earth Orion constellationwhich marks the Hunter’s left shoulder.
Earlier this year, observers noted that the star – which is typically the tenth brightest star in the night sky – was exceptionally bright, at more than 140% of its usual brightness, earning it the ranking of seventh brightest star. Although Betelgeuse is known for its periodic brightening and dimming, this is the case unusual activity is a sign that the star can reach the stage of life when it runs out of hydrogen and begins to melt helium in its core before exploding in a bright burst known as a supernova.
Meteorite crashes into the moon
A meteorite crashed on the moon on February 23, a Japanese astronomer captured the bright flash of the impact on camera. The meteorite struck the night side of the moon, near the Ideler L crater, just northwest of the Pitiscus crater.
Traveling at an average speed of 30,000 mph (48,280 km/h), or 8.3 miles per second (13.4 km/s), meteor Impacts create large craters on the surface, which generate intense heat and produce a bright flash of light. Such an event is visible to sky watchers during the lunar night, when a meteor strikes an area the moon opposite the earth. The impact crater formed by this meteor crash – which you can view a video from on Space.com – is expected to be about a dozen meters (39 feet) in diameter.
Supercharged auroras surprised sky watchers
An extremely powerful geomagnetic storm developed beautiful auroras as far south as New Mexico and Arizona in March. Auroras occur when charged particles exit solar wind interact with molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere. In general, most aurora views are only visible at very high latitudes, as those of Earth magnetic field lines lead the solar particles to the poles. However, in some cases solar eruptions are called coronal mass ejections cause aurorae at lower latitudes.
On March 23, a powerful solar outburst caused a heavy G4 storm – classified based on the five-degree scale used by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – that not even space again forecasters saw coming. This storm illuminated the night sky in many states, allowing skywatchers to capture incredible aurora photos.
The rare Super Blue Moon of August
August brought skywatchers a rare “super blue moon‘ as the second – and closest – full moon of the month. The condition “Super moon‘ is used to describe a full moon at perigee, or the point closest to Earth in its orbit, which makes it appear larger and brighter in the night sky. The full moon on August 30 was only 222,043 miles (357,343 kilometers) away, compared to the average distance of 238,855 miles (384,399 km), making it the closest of all full supermoons this year. Moreover, it was the second full moon of the month (also called a blue Moon), which deserves the full moniker “super blue moon.”
This particular lunar event provided skywatchers with a viewing pleasure. While both a blue moon and a full supermoon are quite common on their own, a moon that is both blue and super is a bit rarer. The last such event occurred in December 2009, and the next one won’t happen again until August 2037. beautiful pictures of August’s super blue moon on Space.com.
The newly discovered comet moves close to the sun
The recently discovered Comet Nishimuraaka C/2023 P1, survived an encounter with the sunon September 17, when it was only 33 million km away.
The bright comet was captured on camera by one of the two Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft – STEREO-A – when images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere were taken on September 19. The images suggest the comet has remained intact, although longer-term effects may occur due to heating by the sun. The comet was only recently discovered on August 12 by Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura of Kakegawa City, Japan.
Annular solar eclipse “Ring of fire”.
An annular solar eclipse amazed viewers in North, Central and South America on October 14 with its “ring of fire” around the moon.
During a annular solar eclipse, the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun. However, the moon is at the furthest point in its orbit from Earth, so it doesn’t completely block the sun (that’s called a total solar eclipse). Instead, the sun’s fiery light surrounds the moon’s shadow, creating the so-called ring of fire.
The annular one solar eclipse started in Oregon, traveled through eight US states before passing through Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil. It was visible to millions of people, giving skywatchers the chance to photograph the rare event. You can check out Space.com’s roundup of the best Annular solar eclipse of 2023 photos here.
Lost tool bag floating in space
One November spacewalk by two astronauts performing maintenance on the International Space Station (ISS) resulted in a tool bag lost which is currently floating through space, approximately 258 miles (415 kilometers) above Earth. The bright white tool bag appeared in images captured by the Virtual Telescope Project on November 15.
The trajectory of the floating tool bagThe orbiting laboratory is not expected to collide like a sharp point of light when viewed through binoculars or a telescope. Instead, it will remain in space for a few months before safely burning up in Earth’s atmosphere, high above the Earth’s surface. This isn’t the first time spacewalkers have accidentally lost equipment, as bulky spacesuit gloves can make it challenging for astronauts to keep a firm grip on their tools while working in space.
‘Devil Comet’ approaches Earth
The icy volcanic comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, nicknamed the ‘Devil’s Comet’, is heading towards Earth and may become brighter to the naked eye in March 2024. Discovered in 1812, the Devil’s Comet is known for its violent eruptions, in which a powerful explosion of ice and gas creates an incandescent glow. halo that resembles devil horns. The fourth, and biggest eruption nevertheless occurred on November 14 and was photographed by amateur astronomer Eliot Herman, who witnessed a hundredfold increase in the comet’s brightness.
Traveling at 64,373 km/h, the cryovolcanic comet – which has a heart of ice, gas and dust in an icy outer shell – is expected to reach its closest approach to Earth on June 2, 2024. which time it will come within 232 million km of our planet.