Posts Tagged: ‘Night

Japan’s moon lander took this eerie photo before being enveloped by lunar night

Against all odds, Japan’s SLIM lander managed to turn back on more than a week after it plopped upside down onto the surface of the moon — but now, it’s gone dormant for the duration of the lunar night, and it may not be able to wake up again. The SLIM team from the Japanese space agency, JAXA, on Thursday shared the last image the lander captured at the moon’s Shioli crater before dusk, as night encroached. Lunar night lasts the equivalent of two Earth weeks and can get colder than -200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The team has confirmed that the solar powered lander is in a dormant state that will last at least the duration of the lunar night. Its chances of resuming operations afterward aren’t great, but then again, it’s already surprised us once. “Although SLIM was not designed for the harsh lunar nights, we plan to try to operate again from mid-February, when the Sun will shine again on SLIM’s solar cells,” the team wrote on X. If this truly is SLIM’s last photo, it sure is a spooky one.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/japans-moon-lander-took-this-eerie-photo-before-being-enveloped-by-lunar-night-221438290.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

One of the brightest objects in the night sky is a human-made satellite

A prototype satellite has become one of the brightest objects in the night sky, and it may soon be accompanied by dozens more. An observation campaign tracking the BlueWalker 3 satellite, launched in September 2022 by AST SpaceMobile, found that it is at times brighter than all but a handful of stars and planets that can be seen from Earth. The findings published in the journal Nature highlight a fast-escalating concern among astronomers, who have warned that the influx of private space ventures in low-Earth orbit could alter our view of the night sky and interfere with research.

Researchers with the International Astronomical Union’s Center for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (CPS) observed BlueWalker 3 over the course of 130 days. BlueWalker 3’s antenna array measures just shy of 700 square feet, making it the largest yet for a commercial satellite in low-Earth orbit. That huge array reflects sunlight and after it unfurled, its brightness spiked. The effect isn’t constant, but instead fluctuates depending on factors like the satellite’s position relative to the sun, and the viewing angle. The CPS team observed it from sites in Chile, the US, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Morocco.

“These results demonstrate a continuing trend towards larger, brighter commercial satellites, which is of particular concern given the plans to launch many more in the coming years,” said Siegfried Eggl, one of the co-authors of the study. “While these satellites can play a role in improving communications, it is imperative that their disruptions of scientific observations are minimized.” AST SpaceMobile eventually plans to deploy a fleet of roughly 100 cellular broadband satellites based on the BlueWalker 3 design.

SpaceX, whose thousands of Starlink satellites have repeatedly come under scrutiny for their potential impact on the night sky, has experimented with dark coatings to cut down on the amount of reflected light, to limited success. For astronomers, to whom it poses a growing headache, it’s not enough. Stations observing from the ground will need to develop satellite avoidance strategies to work around these artificial constellations, the researchers note in the paper.

And, visibility isn’t the only problem. Commercial satellites, including BlueWalker 3, flooding low-Earth orbit also threaten to interfere with radio astronomy. A separate study led by the CPS and published earlier this year found Starlink satellites are leaking “unintended electromagnetic radiation” that could disrupt radio telescope observations. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-the-brightest-objects-in-the-night-sky-is-a-human-made-satellite-212617952.html?src=rss

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

The best scary podcasts to keep you up all night

As the dark nights roll in, cozy up with our collection of the spookiest, scariest podcasts around — and some less-terrifying picks for younger listeners, too.
Digital Trends

[Review] Upgrade your game night with these smart GoDice

Sometimes cramming smart features into a regular old object can be a little excessive. But when we reviewed the GoCube, a smart-enabled Rubik’s cube, we actually found that some of those extra features actually make the overall gadget a cool spin on a classic toy. Today we’re trying out something similar in the GoDice, a […]

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Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball doubleheaders start April 8th

Apple’s first Friday Night Baseball doubleheader will stream on April 8th. Announced at its recent “Peek Performance” event, the program will see Apple stream two exclusive MLB games every Friday through the end of the regular season. The first doubleheader will feature the New York Mets taking on the Washington Nationals in DC at 7PM ET, with a match between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels to follow at 9:30PM ET. You can see the full schedule on Apple’s website. The company will share the second half of the slate at a later date.

The games will be available to watch for free for the time being. All you need is an internet connection and access to the Apple TV app. An Apple device isn’t necessary. You can download the software on smart TVs from manufacturers like Samsung, LG and Vizio, as well as consoles from Sony and Microsoft. You also don’t have to worry about local blackouts. All 24 games Apple announced today will be available to TV+ users in the eight countries and territories where the company has secured the rights for Friday Night Baseball. Here’s the complete list: the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the UK.


Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

The New Doogee S98 With Dual Screens And Night Vision Camera is Set to Launch On March 28th

The new S98 rugged phone was announced last month by DOOGEE. The company will launch the dual-screen rugged phone on March 28th on AliExpress and Doogeemall (the company’s official shopping platform). The Doogee S98 sports a unique dual-screen design. The display on the back is round like the one on the Huawei P50 pocket but […]

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Google’s latest Pixel Feature Drop is here with Night Sight in Snapchat, Custom Text Stickers and more

It’s three months since December which means that it’s time for the next Pixel Feature Drop to be announced by Google. This latest drop brings a bunch of new features such as Night Sight in Snapchat and Custom Text Sticks to eligible Pixel handsets from today onwards. Exciting news, yes? Well, there is one fly […]

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OPPO’s Find X5 Pro packs in enhanced night photography, speedier charging, and a svelte design to rival the Galaxy S22 Ultra

As we head towards the first in-person Mobile World Congress since 2020, OPPO has taken the wraps off of its follow-up device to last year’s Find X3 Pro. Dubbed the Find X5 Pro, the new flagship on the block packs in beefy night photography capabilities thanks to OPPO’s new MariSilicon X NPU, Qualcomm’s latest silicon, […]

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“Stay in and Sling” with free Sling TV channels every night

Sling is trying to convince people to stay home with some free Sling TV channels, and they’re calling it Happy Hour Across America. Let’s dive into some of the details. Free Sling TV This move is a part of the “Stay in and Sling” initiative, where Sling TV is letting users stream some free channels […]

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Samsung finally delivers on bringing Night Mode to the Galaxy S9’s camera

Samsung launched their new Night Mode on the Galaxy S10, which is something many considered part of the One UI update. But it really wasn’t, since the enhanced low light photography modes never made their way back to the Galaxy S9, even though One UI came with Android Pie to older devices. And sure, the […]

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The Morning After: Pixel ‘Night Mode’ sees in the dark

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. This morning, there's more bad news for Facebook, plus our joint investigation with Point is highlighting the way big tobacco markets smoking in the social-media era. Also, it's time to experience Night Mode on…
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Light up the night: the 6 best flashlight apps

The addition of a flashlight utility in smartphones may have been the kill shot for many third-party apps, but many of today’s flashlight apps come loaded with convenient features that push your smartphone’s functionality beyond its native capabilities.

The post Light up the night: the 6 best flashlight apps appeared first on Digital Trends.

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Google Play Books adds ‘Night Light’ mode to cut out that nasty blue light

Enjoy a good read before hitting the hay? If you’re using a mobile device, that blue light coming off your screen could be affecting the quality of your sleep. With that in mind, Google Play Books has introduced a new Night Light mode in its latest update.

The post Google Play Books adds ‘Night Light’ mode to cut out that nasty blue light appeared first on Digital Trends.

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