Widener University Observatory

https://www.delcotimes.com/2026/08/05/astronomers-notebook-vera-rubin-and-the-hunt-for-dark-matter/?utm_email=A4E8842A84F12555341744D514&lctg=A4E8842A84F12555341744D514&active=no&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.delcotimes.com%2f2026%2f08%2f05%2fastronomers-notebook-vera-rubin-and-the-hunt-for-dark-matter%2f&utm_campaign=phil-delaware_county_daily_times_morning_briefing-nl&utm_content=curated

Astronomer’s Notebook: Vera Rubin and the hunt for dark matter Vera Rubin blazed a 20th century trail for woman interested in astronomy to follow. Among her accomplishments were furthering the understanding of dark matter.

The year's biggest meteor shower is getting closer.

Every August, Earth passes through a stream of tiny particles left behind by Comet Swift–Tuttle. As these grains of dust race into our atmosphere at incredible speeds, they burn up in flashes of light that we call the Perseid meteor shower.

The peak is still a few nights away, but now is the perfect time to plan. Find a location away from city lights, check the weather forecast, and make a note of the best viewing nights.

The Perseids are famous for their bright, fast meteors, and patient observers can often spot dozens during the peak under dark skies. No telescope is needed, just a comfortable chair, warm clothes, and a clear view of the sky.

Sometimes, the most memorable evenings begin with nothing more than stepping outside and looking up.

Save this, your best nights for the Perseids are August 12–13.

The universe is far stranger than science fiction.

Thousands of exoplanets have been discovered—and some are so extreme they redefine what a planet can be.

🖤 TrES-2b – The darkest known exoplanet, reflecting less than 1% of the light that reaches it. It’s almost as black as charcoal.

💎 55 Cancri e – A super-Earth that may contain vast amounts of carbon under immense pressure, making it a candidate for a diamond-rich interior.

🌪️ HD 189733 b – A deep-blue gas giant where scorching temperatures and supersonic winds may create sideways rain of molten silicate particles.

🔥 WASP-76b – An ultra-hot Jupiter where temperatures are so extreme that iron can vaporize on the day side and condense into liquid iron droplets on the cooler night side.

These alien worlds remind us that our Solar System is just one tiny chapter in a universe full of unimaginable possibilities.

💬 Which of these exoplanets would you want to learn more about?

Today is Lammas Day or Lughnasadh, one of the four traditional "cross-quarter" days midway between the solstices and the equinoxes. Sort of. In the many centuries after this tradition arose in Europe and the British Isles, the calendar drifted with respect to Earth's position in orbit. So in 2026, the midpoint between the June solstice and the September equinox actually falls on the night of August 6-7: at 12:13 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
https://buff.ly/rH6Y2ZO

The planet Mercury is in the dawn twilight the next few mornings.
Look for it quite low in the eastern sky.
It'll shine a little brighter each day over the next few mornings, but also drop lower in the sky, so you will need a clear horizon to spot it.

Several prominent stars highlight summer’s evening skies. Arcturus is high in the west at nightfall, with slightly fainter Vega overhead. The Big Dipper is in the northwest, and Antares, the heart of the scorpion, hunkers low in the south.