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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 9h

Did you catch the recent #darkmatter news? People are getting excited because a cutting-edge research institute has detected a potential dark matter signal. Is this the real deal? EarthSky's Will Triggs explains the finding in this video: buff.ly/SXiyqnq 📸 EarthSky.

A smiling man in glasses speaks in front of a deep-space background. The text at the bottom reads: "matter is hidden from us."

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 11h

Some #stars spin really fast! #AlphaCephei, also known as #Alderamin, is the brightest star in the constellation #Cepheus the King. Astronomers are intrigued by this star because it spins at such a fast rate. #astronomy 🌌🌟 Find out more about this fast-spinning star: buff.ly/lbkSnXb 📸 M. Zhao.

Glowing, fuzzy-edged flattened orange globe with latitude and longitude lines drawn on.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 13h

Hi stargazers! 🔭 Late tonight, the waning gibbous #moon will shine near the #Pleiades star cluster. #Aldebaran, the fiery eye of #Taurus the Bull, is nearby. Don't miss them! #astronomy 🌖🌌 For more sky events, visit EarthSky’s night sky guide: buff.ly/wO2IARe 📸 Image via Chicky Leclair.

A large area of electric blue nebulosity with bright white stars immersed within.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 16h

The brightest #planet, #Venus, has been dazzling us in the west after sunset all year. Now the brilliant evening “star” is disappearing. EarthSky's Deborah Byrd — with astronomer Dan Gaussen — explain how and WHY you can enjoy a last look. Join us today at noon CDT. 🌌 buff.ly/sFD9jK9 📸 EarthSky.

Smiling woman in the lower right corner, with people standing on a deck behind her. Bold white text says 'Goodbye, evening Venus'.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 18h

Happy Martian New Year! 🔴🥳 Just as for Earth, people have devised a system of human timekeeping for #Mars. The count began at Mars Year 1, at the northern spring equinox of April 11, 1955. One year on Mars equals 687 Earth days. So today marks the start of Year 39 on Mars. buff.ly/fn4iGov 📸 NASA.

A nearly full reddish Mars seen from orbit, with a giant dark slash covering near a whole hemisphere.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 19h

#Mars was once much wetter than it is today. But its ancient water story is more complicated than we thought. 🔴 The #Perseverance rover has found evidence of 3 episodes of water interaction in Jezero crater. Find out more: buff.ly/T5Nuiga 📸 NASA/ JPL-Caltech.

Round lake seen from above, with rivers running into it.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 20h

Success! On Monday, the #JUICE mission successfully completed a flyby of #Earth. This was a gravity assist, designed to increase the spacecraft’s speed and alter its trajectory as it makes a winding trip to #Jupiter. It will arrive in 2031. 🛰️🌎 More pics: buff.ly/uBlk87h 📸 ESA/ JUICE/ NavCam.

Earth at upper right with the dim outline of a spacecraft at lower left.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Hi stargazers! 🔭 Look up to see Equuleus the Little Horse! 🌌🐴 #Equuleus is a diminutive #constellation that lies south of the #SummerTriangle. It is the 2nd smallest constellation in the sky. Now is a great time to see it! Can you find it? Here's a little help: buff.ly/REFTcGo 📸 EarthSky.org.

Star chart showing 4 dots connected by blue lines and a background of a horse's head in faint gray.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Wow! Jelietta Walinski, an astrophotographer who captures incredible #nebulae, found a cosmic landscape much closer to home: #Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring. 🌈 From above, its vibrant colors looked like a nebula brought down to Earth. Thank you! Read more about this view: buff.ly/HEnBNLQ

Bright blue pool shaped like an eye with concentric rings of green, yellow and orange.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Bill Kozar captured this image of a soaring #eagle last Friday, in the farm area of Taylorsville, Indiana. He wrote: "I got lucky when I spotted this eagle ... The excitement never wears off when I see one of these majestic birds." Thank you! buff.ly/ZRWzWqf Submit your photos here: buff.ly/gNmP2ZK

Large bird with dark wings, white head and tail, and yellowish beak flying in partly cloudy blue sky.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Look up, skywatchers! Late tonight, the waning gibbous #moon will visit the #Pleiades star cluster. Orange star #Aldebaran - the fiery eye of #Taurus the Bull - will shine nearby, too. Don't miss them! 🌖🌌 For more sky events, visit EarthSky’s night sky guide: buff.ly/wO2IARe 📸 Chart via EarthSky.

The moon passes 5 small dots, the Pleiades, on September 29 and 30. They are above a red dot, the star Aldebaran.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Wow! The #sun took us by surprise… After a period of solar calm, a long filament erupted, launching plasma into #space. It could reach Earth on Friday and trigger #auroras. Stay tuned! ☀️ buff.ly/XFhwcGA 📸 NOAA/ NASA/ ESA.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Astronomers say they've found a new way to decode weather on #exoplanets, and that they've tested it on the unusual world #SIMP0136. Here's what they found: buff.ly/A7esKYM 📸 C. Carter/ Caltech/ NRAO/ AUI/ NSF/ Wikipedia.

Brownish planet with bands in its atmosphere and bluish auroras at the north pole. Many stars in the background.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

SpaceX reached a milestone yesterday, as its colossal #Starship spacecraft reached Earth’s orbit for the first time! It was a much-needed success because this is a vehicle intended to take humans to the lunar surface as soon as 2028. See the amazing images: buff.ly/z1dLjDz 📸 SpaceX.

Large, cylindrical spacecraft covered in black thermal tiles, in space, with Earth below.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The magnificent #MilkyWay view — sideways view into our home galaxy — caught by Iván Cárdenes Muñoz in Gran Canaria, Spain, earlier this month. Thank you, Iván! buff.ly/ejr2TTI Where's your best place for seeing the Milky Way? Tell us in the comments!

A breathtaking Milky Way stretches over a rugged mountain landscape.
Warm village lights glow below, contrasting beautifully with the dark, star-filled sky.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The #Komododragon is the largest #lizard in the world.🦎At this size, you might think you already know what makes it special. But its gigantic size is only the beginning ... Discover more about this fascinating animal here: buff.ly/6gELWPl 📸 EarthSky.org

A huge Komodo dragon crawls along a forest path, showing off its impressive size.
A woman points toward the giant reptile as the title calls it “the biggest lizard on Earth.”

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This evening, the bright waning gibbous #moon will float near the #Pleiades star cluster. Don't miss them! The Pleiades is a charming cluster known around the world. 🌕💫 buff.ly/WeXW3TA For more sky events, visit EarthSky's night sky guide: buff.ly/wO2IARe 📸 EarthSky.org.

A group of dots for the Pleiades near the horizon. The moon is at the top right.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Aurora outshines moon ... WOW! Our friend Meiying Lee was in Yellowknife, Yukon, Canada, when she captured this stunning aurora meeting the moon last week. Thank you, Meiying! 🌕📸 buff.ly/AEktuOf Want to see the aurora for yourself? Stay up to date with our sun news: buff.ly/XFhwcGA

Brilliant, greenish bands of light in the night sky. A bright, white object with protruding rays of light is in the lower left.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

JUICE spacecraft will get a gravity boost from Earth, half an hour from now. It's probably passing over Australia right about now. Closest pass will be over the Indian Ocean, 11:45 UTC (6:45 AM CDT). Just 8,640 km above Earth Hi JUICE! buff.ly/iiJREsn

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JUICE mission to fly by Earth Monday: Details here

A daily update by email. Science news, great photos, sky alerts.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The US Pentagon has made public its 6th batch of declassified UAP/UFO materials. There are 72 new files in the new batch, including 15 videos, 56 documents and 1 audio file. Check 'em out here: buff.ly/jqIXBa4 📸 DoD.

6 bright white dots, in 2 pairs o 3, forming 2 triangles.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Equinox sunset from the Oregon Coast from our friend Cecille Kennedy. Thank you, Cecille! buff.ly/x1cjPJi Have photos of your own? Share them with us here! buff.ly/gNmP2ZK

Large orange sun sets behind dark bands of clouds, filling the sky with fiery red and orange hues.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Could the hunt for dark matter finally be over? EarthSky's Will Triggs explains here: buff.ly/0R99oJr

Will Explains Space host beside a spacecraft instrument, with “Mystery Solver?” text over a purple space background.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Saturn is putting on its best show of the year this week. Earth will fly between Saturn and the sun! "Opposition" — when Saturn is most opposite the sun as seen from Earth — will fall on October 4. EarthSky's Marcy Curran wants to tell you how to find Saturn. buff.ly/wjhybhR

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

A black hole jet is aimed toward Earth! And the black hole is relatively nearby, in our own galaxy. Astronomers said this week this is the first time we've seen this. Read more here: buff.ly/OE00QcW 📸 B. Marcote (JIVE/ASTRON)/ NRF/ SARAO.

A jet of light pointed left and on the right is a bow of light, plus an inset.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The European Space Agency's #JUICE mission to #Jupiter will swing by Earth early tomorrow for a gravity assist. Closest approach 6:45 a.m. CDT (11:45 UTC) Monday, September 28. It'll pass just 5,369 miles (8,640 km) from Earth. More: buff.ly/dn9x8dx 📸 ESA.

Giant, banded planet (Jupiter) with moons nearby and a spacecraft flying nearby.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Historic image! It shows the solar wind racing outward from the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona. NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured it with its WISPR instrument during its record-breaking flyby of the sun on December 25, 2024. #Sun news here: buff.ly/XFhwcGA 📸 NASA

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The moon is up in the daytime half the time. But it's pale against the blue sky. Still, you can notice the moon this week! Look west in the hours after sunrise! Read more at EarthSky.com. 📸 Cecille Kennedy.

Bright moon hangs over a rough ocean beneath pink and purple twilight clouds along a windswept coast.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Fantastic shot of a rainbow over NYC last night! Our friend Alexander Krivenyshev of WorldTimeZone.com caught it, as the Nor’easter was approaching the Tri-State and New England regions. Thank you, Alexander! Have a photo of your own to share? Submit it to us at EarthSky.org.

Orange sunset illuminates dramatic clouds and crepuscular rays above a city skyline and river.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Can water ice on the #moon sustain future cities? How about one of a million people? Find out more: buff.ly/cTfD1Wh 📸 ESA.

Artist’s concept of a futuristic lunar base with dome-shaped habitats on the moon and Earth overhead.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Our friend Mandy Daniels captured the waxing gibbous #moon last night. Did it look full to you? It did to us! But it wasn't quite full. See Mandy's comment here: buff.ly/Prnp1QZ The Harvest Moon is tonight. Watch a video: buff.ly/nfDd9I4

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Tonight the bright full Harvest #Moon will float near Saturn in the eastern sky after sunset. The crest of the full moon will occur at 16:49 UTC on September 26. Read more about the full Harvest Moon at: buff.ly/2tkoCiB

A disk, the full moon, is above of a dot, Saturn. They are all above a wavy line, the southeastern horizon.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Enjoy an EarthSky Puzzler! And for more space news, visit EarthSky.org.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Cody Sandusky in Harrisburg, Illinois captured this image of NGC 6960, the Western Veil #Nebula, captured over five nights. Thank you, Cody! buff.ly/J2D5YmX Have a photo of your own to share? Submit it to us here! buff.ly/gNmP2ZK

Colorful Veil Nebula filaments glow turquoise and red across a dense star field in deep space.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Fast solar wind from a coronal hole started pounding Earth yesterday and is still going. So Earth's magnetic field is unsettled. Auroras overnight. Are you experiencing health effects? Watch a video: buff.ly/2r1Zxin Read the #sun news EarthSky.org. 📸 NASA.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The eagle has landed! See it at the lower left? Our friend Lorraine Boyd in Rensselaer, New York, photographed this eagle near the rising moon on Wednesday. Thank you, Lorraine! 🦅🌔 buff.ly/b5aOuOO The Harvest Moon arrives tomorrow. Find out more in this video: buff.ly/Ukc639T

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

What"s a Harvest #Moon? Bigger, brighter, yellower? 🤔 EarthSky's Deborah Byrd separates fact from myth: buff.ly/Ukc639T 📸 Mike Shaw Photography.

Composite shows the full moon rising in stages above a red barn, with a presenter inset at upper left.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

When people see #Saturn through a telescope, they nearly always say WOW! And NOW is the best time to see it in 2026. Opposition October 4! Here are tips for seeing Saturn’s rings: buff.ly/mOILL3H 📸 NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ Space Science Institute.

Cassini image of Saturn and its rings, with the planet half in shadow and its shadow cast across the rings.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Earth will sweep between the sun and #Neptune at 2 UTC on September 26, 2026 (9 p.m. CDT on September 25). Our motion will place Neptune opposite the sun in our sky, rising in the east at sunset. Astronomers called this "opposition." Read more at: buff.ly/9OAHi6Z 📸 NASA.

Voyager 2 image of Neptune showing the blue planet with faint white clouds and atmospheric bands.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

On Thursday this week, Côte d’Ivoire became the 75th country to sign the #Artemis Accords. What are they? And who HASN'T signed? 🤔 More here: buff.ly/xrbn4WQ 📸 NASA.

Silhouetted astronaut looks through a spacecraft window at the blue-and-white Earth in the distance.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

An all-sky camera at the 📸 Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks, Alaska, captured this cool auroral display this morning. Impressive, especially considering the bright moon washing out the sky. See it at the top? Expect #auroras at high latitudes through the weekend. Read #sun news at earthsky.org.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Who wants to hear some ghost stories? 👻 Rob Friesen in Mackenzie County, Alberta, Canada, sent us this photo from earlier this month of his illuminated #campsite under the dark starry #sky in the woods. Thank you, Rob! 🏕️🌲🌌📸 buff.ly/pBkKN5M See more great photos, and submit yours: buff.ly/pODJWu9

Tent illuminated by internal light surrounded by tall trees in a forest. A starry night sky is above.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Heads up! September’s full #moon, the #HarvestMoon, arrives on Saturday. Why is it known as the Harvest Moon? And what other names do we ascribe to the year’s full moons? #astronomy 🌕 Find out the full moon names by month and season: buff.ly/3sFquRO 📸 Image via Kevin O’Donnell.

Huge pale yellow moon, mostly above the horizon, in light purple sky beyond a dark hill with tall cactuses.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Muneka Stephens in Sierra Vista, Arizona, saw this beautiful double #rainbow last Saturday. Thank you, Muneka! 🌈📸 buff.ly/OFcSdqd See more great photos, and submit yours, at EarthSky Community Photos: buff.ly/pODJWu9

Double rainbow in sky filled with gray clouds.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Hi stargazers! The Big Dipper is a famous and favorite group of 7 bright #stars. It’s supposed to be easy to find. What if you can’t find it? In northern autumn, it rides low in the northern #sky during the evening hours. Look north shortly before dawn! #astronomy 🌌 buff.ly/OIY2WWe 📸 EarthSky.

Star chart showing Big Dipper, Little Dipper and Polaris with stars labeled.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This unusual purplish terrain lies near #Mars' south pole. ESA’s #MarsExpress orbiter captured this view of a ridge known as #ThylesRupes. At the center of the image is an ice-filled crater, while frost-covered sand dunes are at lower right. 🔴🟣 buff.ly/OASW8iC 📸 ESA/ DLR/ FU Berlin.

Purple and bluish ground with ridges and some craters.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#Yellowstone has undergone 3 massive super-eruptions in the past. If the Yellowstone #supervolcano erupted today, would humanity survive? 2 experts in #disasters and #volcanoes performed a thought experiment into what might happen in the worst case scenario. 🌋 buff.ly/p761txq 📸 Lucy Whitt.

A bright blue pool with steam and ringed in rainbow hues plus people on boardwalks around it.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Curiosity rover on Mars reaches 5,000 sols! 🔴 NASA’s #Curiosity #rover landed inside #Mars’ #GaleCrater on August 6, 2012. It reached the 5,000-sol (Martian day) milestone on August 29, 2026. The car-sized rover has traveled roughly 23 miles (37 km). buff.ly/jc3Q4jz 📸 NASA Photojournal.

Rover hardware occupies the foreground overlooking a rocky, frost-dusted Martian plain with scattered stones and low ridges under a low sun casting warm highlights and cool blue shadows.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

At 2.5 million light-years away, the #Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant thing you can easily see with the unaided eye. And right now is a great time to spot it! 🤩 Here's how: buff.ly/J3FL0im 📸 Andy Dungan.

A huge, glowing spiral with 2 small fuzzy patches nearby, among thousands of foreground stars.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

When we look at #Earth from #space, it is both familiar and strange. We recognize the continents and oceans from globes in our childhood classrooms. Borders and small landmarks disappear. The images reveal the beauty of our home #planet. 🌎 See the breathtaking images here: buff.ly/Bda5K88 📸 NASA.

Large spacecraft with the word NASA, a gibbous moon and small Earth in the back.

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EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Rick Williams in California captured the moment of the September equinox yesterday on this Woodland Polar Sundial. At an #equinox, the central rod – the gnomon – will cast its shadow perfectly along the west-east line, as you can see here. Beautiful, Rick – thank you! 🌎 ☀️

Tiles with numbers and loops with beads plus a shadow that is horizontal.

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