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Stuck In Space: Mass Astronaut Faces Uncertain Return Date Amid Starliner Troubles Stuck In Space: Mass Astronaut Faces Uncertain Return Date Amid Starliner Troubles
Stuck In Space: Mass Astronaut Faces Uncertain Return Date Amid Starliner Troubles A Massachusetts native is among two American astronauts facing an uncertain return date to Earth amid ongoing problems with the Boeing-built Starliner spacecraft. Pilot and Needham native Suni Williams, along with commander Butch Wilmore, remains stuck on the International Space Station nearly a week after their expected departure date while NASA crews work to understand several issues that have arisen since the pair launched into orbit on Wednesday, June 5. Among the problems sparking concern are malfunctions of the vehicle’s thrusters and numerous helium leaks that sprang up during their…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Northern Lights From Rare Solar Storm Could Be Visible Through Weekend Northern Lights From Rare Solar Storm Could Be Visible Through Weekend
Northern Lights From Rare Solar Storm Could Be Visible Through Weekend The northern lights produced by one of the strongest geomagnetic storms to hit the Earth in two decades could be visible throughout the weekend, and scientists are warning that the storm could disrupt electrical and communication systems. Although there were clouds around on Friday night, May 10, there were numerous reports from the region of spectacular aurora displays (known as the northern lights). Those displays will continue on Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12, and possibly linger even longer. Severe Geomagnetic Storm conditions were first observed at Earth at 6:54 p.m. Eastern Ti…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
Rare Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Issued For First Time In Nearly 20 Years Rare Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Issued For First Time In Nearly 20 Years
Rare Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Issued For First Time In Nearly 20 Years You may soon get a view of a rare spectacle. According to the NOAA National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center, a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) began on Wednesday, May 8. CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. Space weather forecasters have issued a Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for the evening of Friday, May 10. It's the first time a G4 Watch has been issued since January 2005. The watch says CMEs may linger into Sunday, May 12. Geomagnetic storms can also trigger spectacular displays of aurora (…

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by Joe Lombardi
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Trailblazing Astronaut From Mass Will Be First Woman Aboard A Maiden Crewed Spacecraft Trailblazing Astronaut From Mass Will Be First Woman Aboard A Maiden Crewed Spacecraft
Trailblazing Astronaut From Mass Will Be First Woman Aboard A Maiden Crewed Spacecraft Sunita Williams has held plenty of titles in her life: Astronaut, US Navy officer, former record holder for most spacewalks by a woman (seven), to name a few. Now, the Needham native can add one more to her impressive resume: trailblazer. The 58-year-old Williams is set to become the first woman aboard the maiden flight of a manned spacecraft when NASA and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner launches for the first time from Florida’s Cape Canaveral for the 24-hour journey to the International Space Station. Originally scheduled for takeoff Monday night, May 6, the launch was scrapped “out of an abu…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Launch Of 3 NASA Rockets Could Be Visible During Total Solar Eclipse Launch Of 3 NASA Rockets Could Be Visible During Total Solar Eclipse
Launch Of 3 NASA Rockets Could Be Visible During Total Solar Eclipse What a day for outer space. NASA will be launching three sounding rockets during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, to study how Earth’s upper atmosphere is affected when sunlight momentarily dims over a portion of the planet. And they are expected to be visible for between 10 and 40 seconds along the East Coast. The Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP) sounding rockets will launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to study the disturbances in the ionosphere created when the Moon eclipses the Sun.  The sounding rockets will launch at three differe…

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by Cecilia Levine
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Total Eclipse 2024: NASA Wants To Know About Strange Behavior From Animals Total Eclipse 2024: NASA Wants To Know About Strange Behavior From Animals
Total Eclipse 2024: NASA Wants To Know About Strange Behavior From Animals When parts of the US are under total daytime darkness during a solar eclipse, scientists will be studying if animals act any differently — and they want your help. NASA has funded the "Eclipse Soundscapes Project" to collect the sights and sounds during the total solar eclipse in the afternoon on Monday, Apr. 8. Scientists are asking for the public's help recording how different ecosystems react to the sudden midday change. You can share your observations on social media using the hashtag #EclipseSoundscapes. Don't forget to tag the location where you experience the eclipse. Weird plant a…

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by Chris Spiker
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Total Solar Eclipse: Here's What To Expect To See By Minute, Zip Code Total Solar Eclipse: Here's What To Expect To See By Minute, Zip Code
Total Solar Eclipse: Here's What To Expect To See By Minute, Zip Code What's being called the most visible eclipse for the United States in 100 years is just a day away, but you won't have to wait until Monday afternoon, April 8. Click here for a new, updated story - Total Solar Eclipse: Here's Brand-New Cloud Cover Forecast, Timing By Zip Code A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. According to NASA, totality will start on Monday around 1:07 p.m. Eastern time in Mexico and leave Maine around 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. While mos…

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by Joe Lombardi
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Solar Eclipse: Viewers Can Suffer Severe Eye Injuries Without Proper Protection, NASA Warns Solar Eclipse: Viewers Can Suffer Severe Eye Injuries Without Proper Protection, NASA Warns
Solar Eclipse: Viewers Can Suffer Severe Eye Injuries Without Proper Protection, NASA Warns With a total solar eclipse now just a week away, officials are warning that eye safety will be crucial for the approximately 44 million Americans who reside in the path of totality and the millions more expected to travel to the path. "Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury," according to NASA. Known as the “Great North American Eclipse,” it will have a narrow path of totality from southwest to northeast across 13 states in the…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
'Most Visible Eclipse For US In 100 Years' Coming Soon: First Projected Cloud Cover Conditions 'Most Visible Eclipse For US In 100 Years' Coming Soon: First Projected Cloud Cover Conditions
'Most Visible Eclipse For US In 100 Years' Coming Soon: First Projected Cloud Cover Conditions In just over a month, what's being called the astronomy event of the decade will occur when a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun and the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. Many are planning road trips to places where the best viewing conditions are expected for what space.com says will be "the longest and most visible for the US in 100 years," with a four-minute totality duration beginning…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
These Places Will Be Best To View 'Most Visible Eclipse For US In 100 Years': Here's When These Places Will Be Best To View 'Most Visible Eclipse For US In 100 Years': Here's When
These Places Will Be Best To View 'Most Visible Eclipse For US In 100 Years': Here's When It won't be long now. In just over two months, what's being called the astronomy event of the decade will occur when a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Mark your calendar now for Monday, April 8 with four-minute totality duration beginning at 3:13 p.m. Eastern time. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun and the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. According to space.com, it will be "the longest and most visible for the US in 100 years," w…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Meteor Shower Dazzles Tonight: How to Catch 2024 Quadrantids Meteor Shower Dazzles Tonight: How to Catch 2024 Quadrantids
Meteor Shower Dazzles Tonight: How to Catch 2024 Quadrantids Keep an eye on the sky along the East Coast tonight. The first meteor shower of 2024, the Quadrantids, is expected to be visible overnight Wednesday, Jan. 3 and peak in the early in the morning hours on Thursday, Jan. 4. The American Meteor Society says the best time to catch a falling star in North America will be between 1 and 5 a.m. Astronomers consider the Quadrantids as one of the best annual meteor showers. NASA says between 60 and 200 meteors can be seen per hour under perfect conditions. Quadrantids are known for their bright fireball meteors and short peaks. While most …

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by Chris Spiker
News
Bright Fireball Above East Coast Was Meteor: NASA Bright Fireball Above East Coast Was Meteor: NASA
Bright Fireball Above East Coast Was Meteor: NASA Did you see it? A bright fireball that bolted across East Coast skies on Thursday, Nov. 2 was, in fact, a meteor, NASA confirmed. Bright fireball off the coast of Long Island last night just after 7 PM local last night (November 2) Numerous... Posted by NASA Meteor Watch on Friday, November 3, 2023 The meteor was spotted in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, around 7:10 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, NASA said. "An analysis of their accounts, combined with information from the World Trade Center and Onset EarthCams, indica…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
'Bright Fireball' Seen From Mass Confirmed To Be Meteor: NASA 'Bright Fireball' Seen From Mass Confirmed To Be Meteor: NASA
'Bright Fireball' Seen From Mass Confirmed To Be Meteor: NASA A fireball that appeared in the skies off the coast of Long Island has been confirmed to have been a meteor that was seen in several states, including New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.  The meteor was seen in several East Coast states on Thursday, Nov. 2 just after 7 p.m., according to an announcement by NASA.  According to the agency, the meteor first appeared 65 miles above a point in the Atlantic Ocean 81 miles off the coast of Smith Point County Park on Fire Island in Suffolk County, New York. Fire Island is part of the towns of Babylon, Islip, and Brookhaven.  The "bright fir…

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by Ben Crnic
News
NASA Rocket Will Be Visible Across East Coast This Weekend NASA Rocket Will Be Visible Across East Coast This Weekend
NASA Rocket Will Be Visible Across East Coast This Weekend It’s a bird. … It’s a plane. …  It’s a NASA rocket that should be visible up and down the East Coast this weekend. Dubbed “Stronger Together,” NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia will be launching a 59-foot-tall Electron rocket during a mission scheduled to lift off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, authorities announced. The rocket will take off from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island. There is expected to be a two-hour launch window. This mission represents the second to launch at the Wallops Island Spaceport, following “V…

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by Zak Failla
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Great Job If You Can Get It: Mass University Tops List Of Best Places To Work Great Job If You Can Get It: Mass University Tops List Of Best Places To Work
Great Job If You Can Get It: Mass University Tops List Of Best Places To Work One of the country's best employers is a Massachusetts institution and one of the most prestigious universities in the world.  The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was named "Best Large Employer" in a Forbes survey of more than 45,000 workers. The distinction is for companies with more than 5,000 workers. The Cambridge university employs 15,000 people.  MIT beat out Google, Microsoft, NASA, and Delta Airlines to claim the title. Fidelity Investments, a banking and investment firm with a Massachusetts headquarters, also made the top 10.   That list include…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Here's Where To Look: Green Comet Will Appear In Night Sky For First Time In 50,000 Years Here's Where To Look: Green Comet Will Appear In Night Sky For First Time In 50,000 Years
Here's Where To Look: Green Comet Will Appear In Night Sky For First Time In 50,000 Years A rare comet last seen 50,000 years ago during the Stone Age is set to make an appearance and NASA is providing new guidance on where in the night sky you should look -- and when. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), known as the "green comet," was discovered by astronomers in early March of 2022 inside the orbit of Jupiter. It will pass closest to Earth on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and Thursday, Feb. 2 "With binoculars and clear skies, you may spot C/2022 E3 (ZTF) near the Big Dipper," NASA said in a tweet on Wednesday. A #comet that hasn't been in our cosmic neighborhood in 50,000 years is making its cl…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Keep An Eye On The Sky: Rare Green Comet To Pass Near Earth This Week Keep An Eye On The Sky: Rare Green Comet To Pass Near Earth This Week
Keep An Eye On The Sky: Rare Green Comet To Pass Near Earth This Week A rare comet last seen more than 5,000 decades ago during the Stone Age is due to pass near earth this week. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), known as the "green comet," was discovered by astronomers in early March of 2022 inside the orbit of Jupiter. "Since then the new long-period comet has brightened substantially and is now sweeping across the northern constellation Corona Borealis in predawn skies," according to NASA. It will pass closest to Earth on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and Thursday, Feb. 2, says EarthSky.org. "Comets are notoriously unpredictable, but if this one continues its current tre…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
Here's When NASA Rocket Launch Will Be Visible Across East Coast Here's When NASA Rocket Launch Will Be Visible Across East Coast
Here's When NASA Rocket Launch Will Be Visible Across East Coast A mission dubbed "Virginia is for Launch Lovers" is coming soon, and the rocket itself, the first of its kind, will be visible across the East Coast. The 59-foot-tall Rocket Lab USA Electron rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 2 at Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island in Virginia on Monday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m.  The mission will deploy radio frequency monitoring satellites for HawkEye 360. The map above shows where the rocket will be visible. With this mission, NASA is helping foster a growing low-Earth space economy and continues Wallops' 35-year history…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Rocket Launching From NASA Flight Facility Will Be Visible Across East Coast Rocket Launching From NASA Flight Facility Will Be Visible Across East Coast
Rocket Launching From NASA Flight Facility Will Be Visible Across East Coast A NASA rocket launching from Virginia will be briefly visible across the East Coast (see map above or click here for times). Rocket Lab USA’s first Electron rocket is set to launch at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9. The mission, named “Virginia is for Launch Lovers,” will deploy radio frequency monitoring satellites for HawkEye 360. The 59-foot-tall Electron rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island. With this mission, NASA is helping foster a growing low-Earth space economy and continues Wallops' 35-year history of support to t…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
'Blood Moon' On Election Day: Here's Timing For Last Total Lunar Eclipse For Next 3 Years 'Blood Moon' On Election Day: Here's Timing For Last Total Lunar Eclipse For Next 3 Years
'Blood Moon' On Election Day: Here's Timing For Last Total Lunar Eclipse For Next 3 Years You won't want to miss the upcoming eclipse because it will be the last chance to view a total lunar eclipse for three years. The eclipse will take place in the early hours of Tuesday, Nov. 8, and will be the last total lunar eclipse until March 14, 2025, NASA reported. As the moon passes into the Earth's shadow, it will appear to turn a red hue, which is why these eclipses are sometimes referred to as "Blood Moons," NASA said.  NASA reported that the moon will begin to subtly dim at 3:02 a.m. EST. The partial eclipse will begin at 4:09 a.m., and the totality will begin at&…

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by Nicole Valinote
Lifestyle
Best Chance To See Jupiter In 59 Years Best Chance To See Jupiter In 59 Years
Best Chance To See Jupiter In 59 Years If you've never seen Jupiter, you'll get your best chance in 59 years Monday night, Sept. 26, officials say. With a good set of binoculars, the giant planet should be the second brightest image in the sky after the moon for several nights, NASA said on its blog. Stargazers can expect excellent views of Jupiter the entire night Monday when the giant planet reaches opposition, NASA said. From the viewpoint of Earth’s surface, opposition happens when an astronomical object rises in the east as the Sun sets in the west, placing the object and the Sun on opposite sides of Earth. Jupiter’s oppo…

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by Jon Craig