vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Skywatching - NASA Science
Wide open areas without lots of tall trees or mountains nearby make for good viewing spots, since you can see more of the sky. Examples include places like a large field, a wide valley, and the shore of a lake or the ocean. Any location you select should be a place where you can feel safe at night.> More about finding a good skywatching locationQ: What can I see in the night sky?The whole universe is accessible to skywatchers. Your own eyes will show you stars, a handful of bright planets, the Moon, comets and meteors (shooting stars), to name a few sights. Binoculars or a small telescope enable you to see finer details than your eyes can detect, making visible things like the large moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn, as well as star clusters and double stars. A larger telescope enables you to see fainter objects, like nebulas and other galaxies.Q: How does light pollution affect skywatching?Light pollution is stray light from parking lots, sport complexes, street lights, and other human activity, scattered into the night sky. It's a combined effect of scattered light from these things that manifests as a glow in the night sky that makes it difficult to observe fainter stars and the Milky Way. The larger and more developed a city is, the more light pollution it tends to produce. The effect decreases the farther away you travel from a city. Heading out to less developed areas, away from town, will enable you to see more stars.> More about finding a good skywatching locationQ: How can I involve my children in skywatching?Parents can prepare to involve their children in skywatching by learning some of the basics, like the phases of the Moon, the names of a few easy to recognize constellations, and knowing how to identify bright stars and planets using a favorite astronomy app. Staying up to date with the month's skywatching highlights, with resources like NASA's What's Up video series, makes it easy to know what there is to observe, and provides some fun facts to share when out under the stars.
Skywatching FAQ
It's a combined effect of scattered light from these things that manifests as a glow in the night sky that makes it difficult to observe fainter stars and the Milky Way. The larger and more developed a city is, the more light pollution it tends to produce. The effect decreases the farther away you travel from a city. Heading out to less developed areas, away from town, will enable you to see more stars.> More about how light pollution impacts locations for stargazingCan I see ____ from my location on Earth? How do I know if objects and events described here are visible where I live? Most skywatching phenomena featured on these webpages and in our What's Up videos are visible for observers across the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (that is, from about 25° to 50° north latitude). Plenty of these highlights are also visible from other locations farther north and south.If an object like a star or planet appears high overhead for the U.S. mainland, then it will also appear high overhead across much of Europe, the Mediterranean and Middle East, and Eastern Asia. These regions share the same range of latitudes, so their view of the night sky is similar.We recommend using skywatching apps for mobile devices and computers for determining if something can be seen from your location, and when to look for it. They enable you to enter your location on Earth and see the sky as it will look on a particular date and time.How big is a "degree" when describing how close objects appear in the sky? A degree is about the with of your little finger held at arm's length. Most of us are familiar with the idea that there are 360 degrees in a circle, and that making a 180-degree turn is to face the opposite direction. If you imagine the sky as a sphere with the stars fixed onto it and pick any point, and draw a circle all the way around the sky until you return to that point, you will have rotated through 360 degrees. To approximate 5 degrees, hold up your three middle fingers on one hand.
Skywatching - NASA Science
And we hope that gazing at the stars above leads you to a more personal connection with our scientific quest to understand our place in the cosmos.Skywatching FAQQ: What is skywatching?Skywatching refers to observing the ever-changing variety of sights in the sky, at night in particular, but also in the day. Skywatching can be as casual as enjoying a couple of minutes of stargazing, and as serious as using a telescope to take images of deep sky objects. When you notice the changing position and phases of the Moon over a few days, or you search for Jupiter or Venus in the twilight sky, or you notice a constellation like Orion is visible for the first time in a few months, you're skywatching. At its heart, skywatching is an activity anyone can engage in to feel more connected to the larger world beyond planet Earth.Q: What tools do I need to start skywatching?You don't need any special equipment to get started skywatching. Online resources like this page are a great place to learn about what you can see. An app on your smartphone or computer can be a great help to discover what sights are visible tonight, and where to find them in the sky once you're outside under the stars. If you have access to binoculars or a telescope, they will extend your vision and enhance the experience – but they are by no means necessary to get started. Q: How do I find a good location for skywatching or stargazing?The number one priority when seeking an excellent location for skywatching is to get away from bright city lights. Scattered light from urban areas creates light pollution that washes out the fainter stars and the Milky Way. Wide open areas without lots of tall trees or mountains nearby make for good viewing spots, since you can see more of the sky. Examples include places like a large field, a wide valley, and the shore of a lake or the ocean. Any location you select should be a place where you can feel safe at night.> More about finding a good skywatching locationQ: What can I see in the night sky?The whole universe is accessible to skywatchers.
Skywatching - NASA Science
Observing the slow, continuous movement of the stars above from night to night, and month to month, is a powerful way to experience the cycle of the seasons, as the same stars and constellations reappear each year at the same time. Meanwhile, the five bright planets visible to the unaided eye – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn – are constantly on the move. Sometimes they appear in the morning, before dawn, and at other times they are visible in the evening sky following sunset. Occasionally they group together to form pairs, trios, or lineups across the sky. Add to that the occasional meteor shower, eclipse, or comet, and there are many thrills to seek out in your skywatching adventures. These cosmic sights have fascinating stories to tell about our solar system and the universe beyond. There are tales of heroes and mythical creatures from cultures around the globe. Skywatching is also a great way to connect NASA's exploration of space with what you can see in the skies directly above.NASA has lots of online resources to support your stargazing. Our Night Sky Network connects you to local and regional astronomy clubs and events. Our Eclipses hub has everything you need to know about the next big solar eclipses – including the 2024 total eclipse in the U.S. These, along with a host of articles, blogs, and FAQs, are provided to fuel your curiosity about the cosmos. Here's wishing you clear skies!The constellation Orion is seen in this night sky photo, along with the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, at bottom.NASA / Bill DunfordThe Moon’s phase changes continually throughout the month, but it also rises and sets later each day. Just noticing this monthly cycle connects you to the orbit of another world around our own home planet.NASA / Bill DunfordGet involvedWhat's Up May 2024See Mars, Saturn, and Mercury in the May morning sky. Antares slips behind the Moon for East Coast U.S. skywatchers. And the eta Aquariid meteors peak May 6th.Learn MoreSkywatching ActivityHow to Make a Pinhole CameraYou don't need fancy glasses or equipment to enjoy one of the sky's most awesome shows: a solar eclipse.
Skywatching - NASA Science
Alternately, they can appear from nothing, brightening as they head into day, experiencing an orbital sunrise.Auroras – Usually a treat enjoyed by those who live at higher latitudes toward the north or south, auroras are dancing curtains of light and color in the sky. They are the result of our planet's magnetic field and atmosphere interacting with those of the Sun. A wind of particles from our local star washes continuously over our planet, and sometimes becomes more intense. Some of those electrically charged particles become trapped in Earth's magnetic force field and get funneled into our upper atmosphere, where they produce glowing light displays as they crash into molecules of gases like oxygen and nitrogen.NASA's Eyes: Telescope ModeUnable to render the provided sourceCheck out the NASA's Eyes on the Solar System Telescope mode! Click anywhere on Earth and then click "GO" in order to land at that location. Click the Big Dipper icon at bottom to turn the constellations on and off, and see what's in the sky right now above that location. Tools for SkywatchingAlthough telescopes are the most powerful tool for peering deeply into the night sky, a telescope might not necessarily be the best choice for everyone. There are a variety of options for how to observe, and what's right for you depends on such factors as what you want to observe, how much effort you want to put into skywatching, and your budget. Here are some different tools to choose from for observing the skies.Your own eyes – You don't truly need any special gear to do skywatching. For the majority of people, our own eyes are often the best way to enjoy observing. Your eyes can take in panoramic views of the sky spanning 180 degrees, whereas a telescope shows only a tiny patch of the sky. Some sights are only visible when seen with the naked eye – star patterns like the constellations, lineups of the planets, and the arc of the Milky Way to name a few examples. And meteor showers are best experienced by simply lying down and looking up!Telescopes – As Galileo found over 400 years ago when he was the first to point one at Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon, telescopes allow you to observe objects in smaller areas of the sky than your eyes alone can resolve.
Skywatching FAQ
Skywatching FAQ

ExploreSearchSubmitNews & EventsMultimediaNASA+…SkywatchingSkywatching FAQSkywatching HomeEclipsesWhat’s UpDaily GuideNight Sky NetworkTips and GuidesFAQExplore This SectionSkywatching HomeEclipsesWhat’s UpDaily GuideNight Sky NetworkTips and GuidesFAQSkywatching FAQContentsGeneral QuestionsStars and ConstellationsThe Moon and PlanetsSkywatching ResourcesFrequently asked questions about skywatching, answered by NASA.General QuestionsWhat is skywatching? Skywatching refers to observing the ever-changing variety of sights in the sky, at night in particular, but also in the day. Skywatching can be as casual as enjoying a couple of minutes of stargazing, and as serious as using a telescope to take images of deep sky objects. When you notice the changing position and phases of the Moon over a few days, or you search for Jupiter or Venus in the twilight sky, or you notice a constellation like Orion is visible for the first time in a few months, you're skywatching. At its heart, skywatching is an activity anyone can engage in to feel more connected to the larger world beyond planet Earth.What tools do I need to start skywatching?You don't need any special equipment to get started skywatching. Online resources like this page are a great place to learn about what you can see. An app on your smartphone or computer can be a great help to discover what sights are visible tonight, and where to find them in the sky once you're outside under the stars. If you have access to binoculars or a telescope, they will extend your vision and enhance the experience – but they are by no means necessary to get started. How do I find a good location for skywatching or stargazing?The number one priority when seeking an excellent location for skywatching is to get away from bright city lights. Scattered light from urban areas creates light pollution that washes out the fainter stars and the Milky Way. Wide open areas without lots of tall trees or mountains nearby make for good viewing spots, since you can see more of the sky.
Skywatching - NASA Science
The planets appear to move across the sky, against the background of the much more distant stars. Planets appear as bright or brighter than most stars, and unlike stars, they tend to glow with a steady light, where stars often flicker.Stars – Most of the brightest stars are relatively nearby in space – that is, within a few hundred light years of the solar system. While there are a couple hundred billion stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, we only see a few thousand of the nearer ones when we look into the night sky with our eyes. Stars are spread all across the canvas of the sky, but they appear denser in places. For example, there are clusters of stars, like the Pleiades, and the region of the sky where the band of the Milky Way appears is much more densely packed. And because our brains are especially good at finding patterns, we also observe groupings of stars that form constellations and asterisms. > What are asterisms? What's the difference between asterisms and constellations?The Moon – Earth's Moon is a constantly changing celestial sight, from night to night. It goes through phases each month, waxing as it becomes full, and waning as the full moon shrinks back to a crescent. The Moon's changing illumination causes different features on its surface, like craters and mountain ranges, to appear more prominently as they become highlighted along the day-night dividing line, called the terminator. > More about the Moon's phasesMeteor showers – Meteors are tiny bits of rock and dust shed by comets and asteroids in debris trails as they orbit our Sun. Every year, at about the same time, our planet passes through the same debris trails, causing the annual named meteor showers. Some of the best known showers, like the Perseids and Geminids, and can wow spectators with dozens of meteors per hour at their peak. Other showers are more tame, and you may only observe a few shooting stars in a couple of hours of staring up at the sky.
Skywatching - NASA Science
If you don't have easy access to a safe place for the family to stargaze, most local astronomy clubs host public viewing nights, where children can enjoy telescope views of the sky's wonders.> Look for astronomy clubs and events in your areas with NASA's Night Sky NetworkNASA's Space Place also offers skywatching resources for kids, including these articles:> What are Constellations?> What is a Solar Eclipse?> What is a Meteor Shower?Q: Where can I find more NASA resources about skywatching?NASA provides a variety of skywatching resources to help you make a personal connection with the amazing place we study and explore. These include: > "What's Up" monthly skywatching highlights video> Night Sky Network (astronomy clubs & events)> Eclipses (NASA's hub for solar and lunar eclipse info)> Watch the Skies blog (meteors & meteor showers)> Spot the Station (see the International Space Station pass overhead)See all Frequently Asked Questions about skywatching >Keep ExploringDiscover More Topics From NASAEclipsesUniverseStarsSolar System ExplorationReturn to topThe National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.About NASA's MissionJoin UsHomeNews & EventsMultimediaNASA+MissionsHumans in SpaceEarth & ClimateThe Solar SystemThe UniverseScienceAeronauticsTechnologyLearning ResourcesAbout NASANASA en EspañolFollow NASAMore NASA Social AccountsNASA NewslettersSitemapFor MediaPrivacy PolicyFOIANo FEAR ActOffice of the IGBudget & Annual ReportsAgency Financial ReportsContact NASAAccessibilityPage Last Updated:3 weeks agoPage Editor:SMD Content EditorsResponsible NASA Official for Science:Dana Bolles
Watch the Skies -
Bill Cooke, lead for the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, shares why the Geminids particularly excite him: “Most meteors appear to be colorless or white, however the Geminids appear with a greenish hue. They’re pretty meteors!”
Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, haunted skies over the island of Kvaløya, near Tromsø Norway on December 13. This 30 second long exposure records their shimmering glow gently lighting the wintery coastal scene. A study in contrasts, it also captures the sudden flash of a fireball meteor from December’s excellent Geminid meteor shower. Streaking past familiar stars in the handle of the Big Dipper, the trail points back toward the constellation Gemini, off the top of the view. Both aurora and meteors occur in Earth’s upper atmosphere at altitudes of 100 kilometers or so, but aurora are caused by energetic charged particles from the magnetosphere, while meteors are trails of cosmic dust.Credit & Copyright: Bjørnar G. Hansen
Depending on the meteor’s chemical composition, the meteor will emit different colors when burned in the Earth’s atmosphere. Oxygen, magnesium, and nickel usually produce green.
As with all meteor showers, all you need is a clear sky, darkness, a bit of patience, and perhaps warm outer wear and blankets for this one. You don’t need to look in any particular direction; meteors can generally be seen all over the sky.

By Lauren Perkins
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
 

Author Beth RidgewayPosted on December 5, 2023December 6, 2023Categories UncategorizedTags Geminids, Geminids meteor shower, meteor showerLeave a comment on Gorgeously Green: Geminids Peak Next Week 

Spooky Season of the Skies 

The NASA All-sky Fireball Network is a network of cameras set up by the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) with the goal of observing the brightest meteors called fireballs.
However, sometimes creepy, crawly, spooky, strange, and mysterious images also get picked up by their cameras.

Do you see the jack-o-lantern in the clouds?

Long-legged creepy crawler.

Hooded visitor of the night?
Skywatching - NASA Science
Others have orbits that take many thousands of years to circle the Sun. Comets are special, occasional visitors, that don't stick around. They start out faint and distant, requiring a telescope to be seen. But as they come closer to the Sun, they can brighten and form a fuzzy head, called a coma. The most spectacular comets also form long, streamer-like tails.Galaxies – Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, appears as a band of faint light across the night sky in dark locations away from bright city lights. Our solar system lies within the disk of the spiral-shaped Milky Way, so we are looking at it edge on. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere are able to observe the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds – two dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way. Observers sometimes describe their appearance as being like faint clouds in the night sky. Our nearest large neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, appears as a faint, fuzzy patch of light in Northern Hemisphere skies. It appears tiny because it's about 3 million light years away, but it's actually about the same size as the Milky Way.Satellites – Satellites orbiting Earth are easiest to spot around dawn and dusk. From their perspective a couple of hundred miles or more above Earth's surface, they are still bathed in sunlight, while you are sitting in twilight below. Satellites in the night sky can often be distinguished from aircraft as they tend to be fainter than passing airplanes, and unlike aircraft, they don't have beacon lights that blink regularly (though some can brighten suddenly in what's called a flare). Satellites often can be seen to fade in brightness as their orbits carry them into darkness above the planet's night side. Alternately, they can appear from nothing, brightening as they head into day, experiencing an orbital sunrise.Auroras – Usually a treat enjoyed by those who live at higher latitudes toward the north or south, auroras are dancing curtains of light and color in the sky. They are the result of our planet's magnetic field and atmosphere interacting with those of the Sun. A wind of particles from our local star washes continuously over our planet, and sometimes becomes more intense.
Skywatching | Tips & Guides - NASA Science
Here are some suggestions for making the most of a moonlit night with your camera.Learn MoreAn aircraft taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport is seen passing in front of the Moon as it rises, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017 in Washington. Today's full Moon is the first of three consecutive supermoons. The two will occur on Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2018. A supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time it is full.NASA/Bill IngallsHow NASA Tracked the Most Intense Solar Storm in Decades5 min readMay 2024 has already proven to be a particularly stormy month for our Sun. During the first full week of May, a barrage of large solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launched clouds of charged particles and magnetic fields…Article1 week agoThe Next Full Moon is the Flower, Corn, or Corn Planting Moon19 min readThe Next Full Moon is the Flower, Corn, or Corn Planting Moon; the Milk Moon; the Hare’s Moon; and Vesak, Buddha Jayanti, or Buddha Purnima. The next full Moon will be on Thursday morning, May 23, 2024, at 9:53 AM…Article1 week agoBinoculars: A Great First Telescope3 min readDo you want to peer deeper into the night sky? Are you feeling the urge to buy a telescope? There are so many options for budding astronomers that choosing one can be overwhelming. A first telescope should be easy to…Article2 weeks agoWhat’s Up: May 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA5 min readWhat to look for: Morning Meteors and May Planets See Mars, Saturn, and Mercury in the May morning sky. Antares slips behind the Moon for East Coast U.S. skywatchers. And the eta Aquariid meteors peak May 6th. Transcript What’s Up…Article3 weeks agoMay’s Night Sky Notes: Stargazing for Beginners3 min readWere you inspired by the solar eclipse to become an amateur astronomer?