Richard Talcott

1 month ago | astronomy.com | Richard Talcott

You could forgive M17 for having an identity crisis. Observers refer to this emission region as the Omega, the Swan, and even the Checkmark Nebula. M17 doesn’t even know what constellation to call home — most of it lies in Sagittarius, but its northern edge crosses into Serpens. Yet no one can deny the stellar nursery’s good looks. This infrared view penetrates much of the dust that obscures the budding star cluster emerging within M17.

Dec 17, 2024 | astronomy.com | Richard Talcott

Winter does not officially arrive until the solstice. The 2024 winter solstice — the precise moment when the Sun appears farthest south in the sky — is at 4:21 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, the day of the solstice has the fewest hours of possible sunlight and the night has the most hours of darkness.

Sep 26, 2024 | astronomy.com | Richard Talcott

The cosmos may not be broken after all. Soon after the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) started its science mission in 2022, astronomers discovered a half-dozen galaxies near the edge of the universe that appeared far more massive than anyone expected (see “Too big, too soon” in the September 2023 Astronomy).

Feb 19, 2024 | astronomy.com | Richard Talcott

It’s been seven long years since the last total solar eclipse to grace the skies above North America occurred Aug. 21, 2017. Now, the Moon once again passes directly in front of the Sun from this continent. April 8 brings totality to viewers along a narrow path that begins on Mexico’s Pacific Coast and then heads north and east, cutting across the U.S. from Texas to the eastern Great Lakes and northern New England.

Dec 23, 2023 | astronomy.com | Richard Talcott

The ground in French Guiana literally shook as the rockets on the Ariane 5 launch vehicle ignited the morning of Dec. 25, 2021. The roar signaled the start of the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) month-long journey to its current home some 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth. Although it took scientists and engineers an additional five months to get the 6.5-meter telescope ready for action, the wait was worth it.