Latest Observing the Moon Stories

[ Video 1 ] | [ Video 2 ] An international team of astronomers has found evidence of life in the Universe – right here on Earth – after pointing one of the world’s largest telescope at the Moon.  While the observation might seem trivial, it has helped perfect a technique that could lead to future discoveries of life outside our solar system. The researchers used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) to look at Earthshine reflected from the moon....

T'was the Night after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring ... ...because everyone was outside watching the planets align? It's true. On Dec. 26th, the night after Christmas, Venus and the slender crescent Moon will gather for a jaw-dropping conjunction in the western sky. The action begins shortly before sunset. Around 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm local time, just as the sky is assuming its evening hue, Venus will pop into view, glistening bright in the deepening...

Earthshine "“ sunlight reflected from the Earth toward the Moon "“ may provide a way for researchers to seek out oceans on other planets, according to researchers.Last week, researchers from the University of Melbourne and Princeton University reported finding that the difference in reflection of light from the Earth's landmasses and oceans can be seen on the dark side of the moon.Sally Langford, from the University of Melbourne's School of Physics, said the brightness being reflected...

An Australian-led study shows, for the first time, differences in light reflection from Earth's land masses and oceans can be seen on the moon's far side. The researchers, led by Sally Langford of the University of Melbourne and including scientists from Princeton University, said the phenomenon, known as earthshine, might be used to view the physical makeup of planets too small to allow an image to be made of their surface. Langford said the brightness of the reflected earthshine varied as...

Researchers from the University of Melbourne and Princeton University have shown for the first time that the difference in reflection of light from the Earth's land masses and oceans can be seen on the dark side of the moon, a phenomenon known as earthshine.The paper is published in this week's edition of the international journal Astrobiology.Sally Langford from the University of Melbourne's School of Physics who conducted the study as part of her PhD, says that the brightness of the...

The date was March 8th, less than a month ago. In a remote corner of Kansas, the sun was going down and the deepening twilight beckoned to photographer Doug Zubenel driving through the countryside. Something photogenic, he knew, was about to happen. He turned his car onto an unfamiliar dirt road and proceeded into the sunset. "The brilliant sun did not allow me to see the cement railings on a bridge over a small creek. The next thing I knew, I had totaled my car!" Zubenel emerged...

New Jersey -- Less sunlight reaching the Earth's surface has not translated into cooler temperatures, according to a team of solar physicists at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). The scientists, who monitor the Earth's reflectance by measuring what is known as the moon's earthshine, have observed that the amount of light reflected by Earth -- its albedo -- has increased since 2000. The result has been less sunlight reaching the Earth's surface. "Our findings have significant...

Five hundred years ago, Leonardo Da Vinci solved an ancient astronomical riddle: the mystery of Earthshine.NASA -- When you think of Leonardo Da Vinci, you probably think of the Mona Lisa or 16th-century submarines or, maybe, a certain suspenseful novel. That's old school. From now on, think of the Moon.Little-known to most, one of Leonardo's finest works is not a painting or an invention, but rather something from astronomy: He solved the ancient riddle of Earthshine.You can see Earthshine...