Update From Dr. Becky

Phosphine on Venus, Mars nearing opposition, comet NEOWISE from Hubble, exploring a twin Sun, there’s so much happening right now that we’ll defer to Dr. Becky Smethurst and her incredible YouTube channel to bring us up to speed on this month’s news!

Now that scientists have a strong incentive to learn more about Venus, how will we learn more? There’s an entire arsenal of tools available to astronomers to gather new information ranging from flying telescopes to space probes, and lots of clever imaging techniques. Read Sky & Telescope’s article here:

Race to Venus: How We'll Verify Phosphine - Sky & Telescope

The detection of phosphine on Venus demands confirmation on two levels. Chemistry labs across the globe are already investigating possible inorganic production routes, to see if anything besides life could account for the molecule's presence in the atmosphere. The observation itself also requires independent verification.

Plan to join us next Wednesday 9/23 @ 6:00 PM for our virtual program “Equinox” where we’ll cover why the seasons change and how the Earth moves in some strange ways! Email LBmartin@cityofwestminster.us to register for this free virtual program.

Check back each weekday @ 5:00 pm for more observing guides and science news!

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Stay well, and clear skies!