astronomy

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of Apollo 17’s launch to the moon. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, it was the last lunar mission and carried an astronaut with close ties to Flagstaff.

A total lunar eclipse will be visible very early tomorrow morning. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, skywatchers in Arizona have prime viewing of the event from start to end.

NASA announced yesterday that a spacecraft which slammed into an asteroid in September successfully shifted its orbit. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, Flagstaff astronomers are among those involved in the first-ever planetary defense test.

Scientists celebrated the destruction of NASA’s DART spacecraft yesterday when it crashed—deliberately—into the surface of an asteroid. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny was on hand at Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory to capture the excitement of Earth’s first-ever planetary defense test.

NASA will attempt to strike an asteroid with a heavy spacecraft today. It’s an unprecedented test to see if it’s possible to deflect dangerous asteroids away from Earth. Astronomers on the ground in Flagstaff are standing by to help determine if the experiment is a success. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with two of them, Cristina Thomas of Northern Arizona University and Nick Moskovitz of Lowell Observatory.

A rare meteorite known as “Black Beauty” was blasted off the surface of Mars by an asteroid impact and landed in the Sahara Desert of North Africa. It’s the oldest known Martian meteorite, and also the first to be linked to the crater that created it. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with a member of the science team that traced Black Beauty’s origins. Valerie Payré is a former postdoctoral scholar at Northern Arizona University, now at the University of Iowa.

Two different meteor showers will mingle in the skies tonight and through the weekend. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports on why it’s the best chance to see shooting stars this summer.

Astronomers say a regular meteor shower tonight may turn into a spectacular “meteor storm” with a thousand of shooting stars per hour or more. That’s due to a dense cloud of dust left by the breakup of a comet decades ago. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with Lowell Observatory astronomer Nick Moskovitz about why the event could be a downpour of meteors…. or just a drizzle.

Nature photographer Imma Barrera specializes in starry skies. Born in Barcelona, she lives in New Jersey and has traveled to national parks all over the country to capture the beauty of the night. Her most recent stop is the Grand Canyon, where she’s serving as the Astronomer in Residence for the Grand Canyon Conservancy. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with her about her plans to photograph Sunday’s total lunar eclipse and raise awareness about the need for dark skies.

Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory has announced the inaugural Percival Lowell Postdoctoral Fellowship for early-career scientists. It’s a four-year appointment for those pursuing independent research in astronomy, planetary sciences, instrumentation, and related fields.