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Rochester Democrat and ChronicleRochester Democrat and Chronicle
Harvest Moon 2026: When to see September's full moon

Harvest Moon 2026: When to see September's full moon

September's Harvest Moon reaches peak illumination Sept. 26. Here's why it's called the Harvest Moon and what to know about viewing it.
Palm Springs Desert SunPalm Springs Desert Sun
Harvest Moon arrives this week. Here's when to look up in California

Harvest Moon arrives this week. Here's when to look up in California

The Harvest Moon returns this week, bringing bright moonlit nights. Here's when to see it and where to watch in California.
1Weather1Weather
Harvest Moon Peaks Over Northern California Saturday

Harvest Moon Peaks Over Northern California Saturday

The first full moon of autumn, known as the Harvest Moon, will rise over Northern California on Saturday, September 26, 2026. According to NASA, the Harvest Moon is defined by its proximity to the fall equinox, which occurred on September 22 this year. The moon will peak at 9:49 a.m. PDT, though it will appear bright and full the night before and after its peak. This celestial event has historical significance, as farmers relied on its light during harvest seasons before the advent of electricity. Additionally, six meteor showers are expected to grace the autumn skies, including the Draconids, Orionids, and Geminids, offering stargazers multiple opportunities to enjoy the night sky.
Rapid ReadRapid Read
Astronomers Detect Radio Signals from Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b, Indicating Strong Magnetic Field

Astronomers Detect Radio Signals from Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b, Indicating Strong Magnetic Field

An international team of astronomers, utilizing South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope array, has successfully detected direct radio wave emissions originating from Beta Pictoris b, a massive gas giant exoplanet located approximately 63 light-years from Earth. This marks the first time a radio signal has been confirmed as coming from a single exoplanet, rather than from an entire star system. The discovery allows researchers to calculate the strength of Beta Pictoris b's magnetic field, which is thousands of times stronger than Earth's. The physics behind these signals is similar to the mechanisms that create auroral displays on planets within our Solar System, where energetic, charged particles spiral along magnetic field lines towards a planet's polar regions, exciting atmospheric particles.
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Astronomers Discover First Confirmed Microblazar in Milky Way, Offering Clues to Cosmic Ray Origins

Astronomers Discover First Confirmed Microblazar in Milky Way, Offering Clues to Cosmic Ray Origins

Astronomers have identified IRAS 18293−0941 as the Milky Way's first confirmed microblazar, a miniature version of the powerful cosmic objects found at the centers of distant galaxies. This system consists of a black hole, estimated to be about ten times the mass of the sun, actively siphoning material from a massive companion star. As this material forms a swirling disk around the black hole, powerful magnetic fields launch two opposing jets into space. One of these jets is pointed almost directly towards Earth, carrying matter at approximately 75% the speed of light, while the other impacts an enormous cloud of interstellar gas in the opposite direction. The object, initially detected in 1983 by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), remained largely unstudied due to obscuring interstellar dust. An international team, led by Josep Martí of the University of Jaén in Spain, used the European VLBI Network and data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft to confirm the jet's origin within the s...
Bucks County Courier TimesBucks County Courier Times
Here are 11 Bucks County farms to visit for fall crops and festivities

Here are 11 Bucks County farms to visit for fall crops and festivities

Farms throughout Bucks County are offering hayrides, corn mazes and pick-your-own harvest experiences this autumn. Check out some of the options.
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Astronomers May Have Discovered First Exosatellite Orbiting a Brown Dwarf

Astronomers May Have Discovered First Exosatellite Orbiting a Brown Dwarf

Astronomers have observed what could be the first exosatellite, a natural object orbiting a world beyond our solar system, in a three-tiered system approximately 73 light-years from Earth. The study, published in Nature, details observations of the brown dwarf CD-35 2722 b, which is orbited by a massive, gaseous body. This brown dwarf, in turn, orbits the host star CD-35 2722. Kevin Hoy, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and Universidad Diego Portales, and his team used ESO’s Very Large Telescope to track subtle shifts in the brown dwarf's spectrum over two years. These shifts indicate the gravitational effects of an unseen companion orbiting the brown dwarf roughly every 170 days. The exosatellite has a minimum mass of about 0.9 Jupiter mass and orbits at a distance of approximately 0.2 astronomical units. This discovery presents a challenge to current astronomical definitions, as the International Astronomical Union's criteria would classify this object as a planet due to its orbit...
AP NewsAP News
Day and night get equal billing on Tuesday. A guide to the fall equinox

Day and night get equal billing on Tuesday. A guide to the fall equinox

The fall equinox is Tuesday, when light and darkness split the day evenly
Rapid ReadRapid Read
Astronomers Detect Radio Signals from Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b, Advancing Search for Habitable Worlds

Astronomers Detect Radio Signals from Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b, Advancing Search for Habitable Worlds

An international team of astronomers, utilizing South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope array, has successfully detected variable radio bursts originating directly from Beta Pictoris b, a massive gas giant exoplanet located approximately 63 light-years away. This marks the first time a radio signal has been confirmed as coming from a single exoplanet, rather than from an entire star system. The discovery is significant because it allows scientists to study the magnetic fields of exoplanets, similar to how Jupiter is the strongest auroral radio source in our Solar System. The team targeted Beta Pictoris b because its orbiting star, Beta Pictoris, is magnetically quiet, which enabled them to isolate the planet's specific radio signal. The physics behind these signals is believed to be the same mechanism that powers aurora displays on planets within our own Solar System, where energetic, charged particles interact with a planet's magnetic field.
1Weather1Weather
Understanding the Autumnal Equinox: When Day and Night Align

Understanding the Autumnal Equinox: When Day and Night Align

The autumnal equinox marks the transition from summer to fall in the Northern Hemisphere, with day and night nearly equal in length. Learn the science behind this astronomical event.
Bucks County Courier TimesBucks County Courier Times
A Feasterville teen's 2022 death led to making Brownsville Road safer

A Feasterville teen's 2022 death led to making Brownsville Road safer

Nearly three years after Isabella Shinn was killed crossing Brownsville Road, her family hopes the road improvement they sought prevents another tragedy.
The Knoxville News-SentinelThe Knoxville News-Sentinel
Counting the years until Our Favorite Planet goes kaput | Sam Venable

Counting the years until Our Favorite Planet goes kaput | Sam Venable

Sam Venable writes: The problem is with an asteroid named Bennu that is racing through outer space at bazillions of miles per hour.