Frosty Drew Clear Sky Chart

Current seeing conditions at Frosty Drew Observatory

The Sun and Moon Today

  • The Sun as seen today from NASA SDO.
  • Waxing Gibbous 74% phase

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Astronomy Picture of the DayELT and the Milky Way

Satellite Events for Tonight

Planetary Geophysics: What is it? What can it teach us about finding life beyond Earth?

Reported by Universe Today

Universe Today has examined the importance of studying impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, and planetary atmospheres, and how these intriguing scientific disciplines can help scientists and the public better...
  • By: Universe Today
  • On: Tue, 19 Mar 2024 01:25 +0000

This New Map of 1.3 Million Quasars Is A Powerful Tool

Reported by Universe Today

Quasars are the brightest objects in the Universe. The most powerful ones are thousands of times more luminous than entire galaxies. They’re the visible part of a supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of a galaxy. The intense light comes from ...
  • By: Universe Today
  • On: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 20:15 +0000

Webb Finds Hints of a Third Planet at PDS 70

Reported by Universe Today

The exoplanet census now stands at 5,599 confirmed discoveries in 4,163 star systems, with another 10,157 candidates awaiting confirmation. So far, the vast majority of these have been detected using indirect methods, including Transit Photometry (74.4%) a...
  • By: Universe Today
  • On: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:57 +0000

Improving a 1960s Plan to Explore the Giant Planets

Reported by Universe Today

In the 1960s, NASA engineers developed a series of small lifting-body aircraft that could be dropped into the atmosphere of a giant planet, measuring the environment as they glided down. Although it would be a one-way trip to destruction, the form factor w...
  • By: Universe Today
  • On: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:15 +0000

Finally, an Explanation for the “String of Pearls” in Supernova 1987A

Reported by Universe Today

Not long after the explosion of Supernova 1987a, astronomers were abuzz with predictions about how it might look in a few years. They suggested a pulsar would show up soon and many said that the expanding gas cloud would encounter earlier material ejected ...
  • By: Universe Today
  • On: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:41 +0000

NASA is Working on Zero-Boil Off Tanks for Space Exploration

Reported by Universe Today

No matter what mode of transportation you take for a long trip, at some point, you’ll have to refuel. For cars, this could be a simple trip to a gas station, while planes, trains, and ships have more specialized refueling services at their depots or ...
  • By: Universe Today
  • On: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:10 +0000