Starwatch: the red heart of the scorpion appears next to the moon

As the twilight gives way to night, the waxing gibbous moon and Antares will be shownThe silver light of the moon meets the blood red starlight of Antares this week. The chart shows the view looking due south at 22.00 BST on 28 July.As the twilight dims into the darkness of the night, the waxing gibbous moon and Antares will be revealed. To the eye, they will appear to be just one or two finger widths apart, when holding your hand at arm ’s length. In reality of course they are at vastly different distances. The moon is literally next door on the cosmic scale while Antares is way beyond our entire solar system, at a distance of about 550 light years from Earth.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - July 24, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Stuart Clark Tags: Astronomy Science Source Type: news