Unfortunately, the live connection wasn't the best for our recent live streaming of the Sun. Instead, here is a short video we took using our white light telescope where you can see sunspots larger than Earth!
This activity on the Sun affects space weather, which you can learn about at our public programs. We may even have the telescopes set out during them for you to see the sky safely. Seeing stellar objects through a telescope in real life is definitely something you don't want to miss.
Join us this weekend for public programs and for International Observe the Moon night on 9/14. Learn more at www.bsu.edu/planetarium
Our show schedule is up for August - December and we are excited to be offering some great new shows! We are also testing out a special early Friday 5pm showtime for select dates in August and September! If it is successful, we will add more 5pm showings on Fridays in October - December! Visit www.bsu.edu/planetarium for more information.
Can't wait to come out and see a show? Watch this 360° short we created about the Summer Triangle and try to spot this grouping of stars in your sky on the next clear night. Watch here or on our YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/m7Os0KPEQ9g
Live view of Sun on June 21, 2024
Live view of the Sun on June 21, 2024. Can you see any sunspots?
💥Magnetic fields around sunspots can become unstable, creating sudden releases of energy much brighter than the area around them. This is called a solar flare. Sometimes these powerful flares release solar material out into space.
Last Monday, May 27, 2024, the Sun emitted a strong solar flare as seen by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shown in the video here. Learn more about it at go.nasa.gov/3KhHShN
Earth can be affected by this activity, which is why NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center keeps an eye on the Sun for us: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
📽️ NASA/SDO #sun #space #astronomy
Asteroids in 360°
These tiny points of light—the ones that aren’t stars and planets—are asteroids. They’re shown much larger in this model so we can spot them. Recently, asteroid 2 Pallas, the third-largest asteroid in the Solar System by mass, was at opposition or was opposite the Sun in our sky. Why is that important? It means it was closest to Earth in its orbit and the best time to try and view it with binoculars. That’s a pretty difficult task, however, so we’re putting an image of it in the comments for you.
There are *millions* of asteroids in our Solar System. Have you ever tried counting to a million? It’s such a large number that if you counted a number every second, it would take you over 11 and a half days to count that far!
Many asteroids are located in the main asteroid belt—the area between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. But if you look closely, you can see asteroids much closer to Earth and asteroids in clusters around Jupiter—Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.
Jupiter’s Trojan #asteroids settle in two special areas around Jupiter called the L4 and L5 Lagrangian Points. At these spots, the gravitational effects from the Sun and Jupiter are nicely balanced out, making it a great place for asteroids to settle down.
There are asteroids in the Lagrangian Points for Mars and Neptune too. Scientists even found an asteroid in Earth’s L4 point in 2011. And the awesome #JWST is orbiting in Earth's L2 point!
Learn more about what’s up in the night sky at www.skymaps.com and come to one of our planetarium shows this summer. #Astronomy #Space
🎞️ Produced by Ball State University using RSA Cosmos SkyExplorer
🌞🌑 👀 Check out this awesome video by Ball State University on how to watch a total solar eclipse safely!
👓 Don’t have certified eclipse glasses yet? Swing by the Brown Planetarium lobby today from 11:30am - 6:30pm for a free pair for a suggested cash donation of $1. Limit 10 pairs per person. Eclipse glasses will also be available during our weekend public events, while supplies last.
📽️ Watch and share the Ball State safety video here: https://www.bsu.edu/web/planetarium/2024-solar-eclipse/how-to-watch-solar-eclipse
Learn more about the upcoming eclipse and planetarium public events at www.bsu.edu/solareclipse2024
#TotalSolarEclipse #safetyfirst #BallState #solareclipse
Live View of Sun on March 30, 2024
We are setup viewing the Sun this Saturday, March 30, during planetarium shows nine days before it is eclipsed by the Moon!
Come enjoy 30-minute shows and hands-on activities today from 2:30-7pm (last planetarium show at 6:30pm): www.bsu.edu/planetarium
Waxing Gibbous Moon - March 20, 2024
The Moon from the Brown Planetarium as it gets ready to eclipse the Sun during the total solar eclipse on April 8. Learn more at www.bsu.edu/solareclipse2024
Live View of the Sun - March 20, 2024
Check out this live view of the Sun from the Brown Planetarium leading up to the April 8 total solar eclipse! More information about the eclipse is at www.bsu.edu/solareclipse2024
