The cosmos continues to confound and amaze. Fortunately, we have astronomer Astro Bob King to guide us through it.
Tonight, we have clear skies, and if you face westward at twilight, you may see a smiley crescent moon. To the right of the moon, you will be able to see Jupiter. And while it's not the biggest planet in the universe, as Astro Bob King puts it, it's certainly the "bad boy" of the solar system.
In recent news, there's evidence that we may not be alone in the universe. Using images from the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have discovered biomolecules on a planet over 124 lightyears from Earth. K218B orbits a star in the Leo constellation, and it is twice the size of Earth. Readings from the Webb show possible signs of dimethyl sulfide, the first case of that compound showing up on another celestial body. On Earth, dimethyl sulfide is commonly found in plankton and is partially responsible for giving the ocean its distinct smell.
In other news, a meteor shower, will soon be in our horizon and Amazon has begun launching a series of satellites to help produce broadband internet. The first launch saw the first 27 of 3200 satellites begin their orbit around Earth.
You can hear Astro Bob's Backyard Astronomy every other Tuesday at 8:20am on Northland Morning.
