Nature Hub

    From :- Sky & Telescope   By :-  Bob King   Edited by :- Amal Udawatta Three fragments in Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) are seen in this image made on Nov. 18th. Instead of the typical rounded appearance, K1's coma exhibits a V-shape that's obvious even at lower magnifications in amateur telescopes. The comet's nuclear region is a very dynamic environment right now as each piece fluctuates in brightness, density, and position from night to night. P. Clay Sherrod Look while you can — a comet is breaking to pieces right before our eyes.  C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) , not to be confused with the interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS, was discovered in May this year. Originating in the relative solitude of the  Oort Cloud , it's now fighting for its life in the inner solar system. At least three fragments have broken away from the comet, all of which are currently visible in 8-inch and larger telescopes. Whether or not it will carry on or fully disintegrate is uncertain, bu...

From :- Sky & Telescope By:  J. Kelly Beatty   Edited by: Amal Udawatta     During the last months of 2025, Saturn and the star Fomalhaut are the only two easy-to-spot objects in a southern sky full of faint constellations (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). Sky & Telescope Bottom of Form In this month’s Sky Tour astronomy podcast, we’ll watch two sets of shooting stars, spot some bright planets, point out a few late-autumn constellations, and put a spotlight on five interesting stars. November is the month when those of us in the U.S. and Canada adjust our clocks to “fall back” an hour to standard time. That takes place before dawn on November 2nd in the U.S. and Canada, a week later than it does for our friends in Europe. Mexico and tropical countries don’t make the change at all, nor do China or Russia. The return to standard time means that most of us are still heading home from work as evening’s twilight sets in. That’s just fine, though, ...

  From - Space.com By -    Anthony Wood Edited by - Amal Udawatta Ron Brecher captured a breathtaking view of the Andromeda Galaxy shining in the skies over Canada.   (Image credit: Ronald Brecher) Astrophotographer Ronald Brecher has captured a stunning image of our neighboring spiral galaxy, Andromeda, shining in deep space some 2.5 million light-years from Earth. Brecher's image captured spectacular detail in the sweeping spiral arms of the 260,000  light-year -wide galaxy gleaming with the intense light of star formation. Dense dust lanes can be seen coiling around  Andromeda's glowing galactic center , which is thought to house a supermassive black hole  140 million times  more massive than our sun. The nearby satellite galaxy M32 can also be seen as a bright ball on the upper edge of Andromeda's disk while the milky splash of light below is in fact the elliptical galaxy  Messier 110 , which plays host to around 10 billion stars of its o...

    From :- Astronomy.com    By :-    Brooks Mendenhall     Edited by :- Amal Udawatta NASA's Perseverance Mars rover captured this image on July 18, 2024, of a rock that would be nicknamed Cheyava Falls. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA  announced Wednesday  that its Perseverance rover discovered what scientists are calling a “potential biosignature” in a rock on Mars last year. This signature, which may have a biological origin but requires further study, represents the most compelling evidence to date for ancient microbial life on Mars, scientists and agency officials said in a press conference. The findings, detailed in a peer-reviewed  paper  published in the journal  Nature , center on a unique, leopard-spotted rock named Cheyava Falls, found within the ancient Jezero Crater that Perseverance has been exploring since 2021. The rock contains a cocktail of organic molecules and minerals strongly associated with biological...

                                                                             "blood moon." Amal Udawatta The final lunar eclipse of 2025 is scheduled to take place on the night of September 7. This lunar eclipse is significant because over seventy-seven percent (77%) of the world's population will be able to see it. If you are in Asia, Australia, Africa, or Europe, you will have the opportunity to witness this eclipse. According to the provided map, the countries highlighted in red and black will experience a total lunar eclipse. Residents in these areas will be able to view every phase of the eclipse from beginning to end. Since Sri Lanka is located within this range, it will also have a clear view of the total lunar eclipse. The Saros number for this total lunar eclipse is 128, and its total d...