Phil Plait

Boulder

Freelance Science Writer at Bad Astronomy Newsletter

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Articles

Lluvia de meteoros Eta Acuáridas: cuándo es y cómo atraer abundancia

22 hours ago | glamour.mx | Phil Plait |Alejandra Rodríguez

¿Estás listo para la Lluvia de meteoros Eta Acuáridas? Si todavía no sabes cuándo observar este fenómeno astronómico ni tienes idea de qué se trate, ¡has llegado a la nota correcta! Aquí te contamos TODO lo que debes saber y sobre todo, cómo aprovechar al máximo su energía para abrirte los caminos del éxito y la abundancia. Aunque cada año son visibles desde la Tierra unas 30 lluvias de estrellas, las Eta Acuáridas son quizás las más famosas de todas: El cometa Halley.
What Is a Galaxy?

6 days ago | scientificamerican.com | Phil Plait

If you’ve been reading this column lately, you might have noticed a recent trend where I try to answer some deceptively simple questions: What is a planet? What is a moon? What is a star? A recurring theme here is that it’s hard to define such terms because definitions are, well, definite, while nature is seldom so. In keeping with both trend and theme, it’s time to take a step outward—a big step. What’s a galaxy?
Could the Sun Unleash Dangerous Superflares?

1 week ago | scientificamerican.com | Phil Plait

In our daily lives, the sun seems constant and quiet, sedately shining at a steady pace. But looks can be deceiving: our star can also blast out powerful solar storms, huge explosions of energy and subatomic particles. If these are directed toward us, they can trigger auroras and disrupt our power grids, as well as play havoc with Earth-orbiting satellites. These storms are magnetic in nature. A fundamental rule in physics is that charged particles create magnetic fields around them as they move.
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower will light up the night sky this week

2 weeks ago | cntravellerme.com | Phil Plait

In early May 2025 the annually recurring Eta Aquariid meteor shower will grace the night sky. The meter shower peaks on May 5 and May 6, but the best time to watch it is actually the week prior to avoid interference from the waxing moon. Depending on your location, you can expect to see anywhere from 10 to as many as 50 shooting stars per hour.
The Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower Will Light Up the Night Sky This Week

2 weeks ago | cntraveler.com | Phil Plait

In early May 2025 the annually recurring Eta Aquariid meteor shower will grace the night sky. The meter shower peaks on May 5 and May 6, but the best time to watch it is actually the week prior to avoid interference from the waxing moon. Depending on your location, you can expect to see anywhere from 10 to as many as 50 shooting stars per hour.
Space Isn’t as Silent as You Might Think

2 weeks ago | scientificamerican.com | Phil Plait

“In space no one can hear you scream.”That now classic tagline (from Alien, one of the greatest science-fiction horror movies ever made) hinges on a big assumption that most of us broadly make: space is empty. And it is—mostly. But there is stuff out there between the stars, and in some cases there’s enough of it to make a little noise over. So maybe we should amend that line. In space no one can hear you scream—unless, that is, you scream loudly enough and in the right place.
Astronomers Still Don’t Understand These Strange Circles in the Sky

3 weeks ago | scientificamerican.com | Phil Plait

It’s rare these days for astronomers to find a new class of object in the heavens. After all, we’ve been searching the skies for centuries, so all the easy stuff has already been found. Adding new capabilities to our searches does tend to result in new discoveries, however. Looking in different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, for example, is a good way to uncover novel things because different objects emit light in different ways.
An astronomer's guide to seeing the planetary cluster this April

4 weeks ago | cntravellerme.com | Phil Plait

From blood moons to partial solar eclipses, there's been no shortage of exciting astronomical events in 2025. Over the course of a couple of weeks in mid-April, early risers will get a treat looking to the east before sunrise: three naked-eye planets will be clustered low to the horizon, at times separated by just 8 degrees (less than the apparent size of your fist held at arm’s length).
An Astronomer's Guide to Seeing the Planetary Cluster This April

1 month ago | cntraveler.com | Phil Plait

From blood moons to partial solar eclipses, there's been no shortage of exciting astronomical events in 2025. Over the course of a couple of weeks in mid-April, early risers will get a treat looking to the east before sunrise: three naked-eye planets will be clustered low to the horizon, at times separated by just 8 degrees (less than the apparent size of your fist held at arm’s length).
An Astronomer's Guide to Seeing the Planetary Cluster This April

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Phil Plait

Getty ImagesFrom blood moons to partial solar eclipses, there's been no shortage of exciting astronomical events in 2025. Over the course of a couple of weeks in mid-April, early risers will get a treat looking to the east before sunrise: three naked-eye planets will be clustered low to the horizon, at times separated by just 8 degrees (less than the apparent size of your fist held at arm’s length).