<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/559c2f1069bedd5e62fc8f86-1041-723/nh-pluto-color-7-6-2015_0-1.png" border="0" alt="pluto"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/feature/latest-images-of-pluto-from-new-horizons">NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI</a></span></p><p class="caption">The latest images of Pluto taken by the New Horizons spacecraft and released on July 7.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>This week is the best time of year to spot Pluto in the night sky with your telescope.</p><p>That's because On Monday, July 6, Pluto reached opposition, meaning it appears opposite the sun in our sky. So, just as the sun sets in the west, Pluto rises in the east.</p><p>This trend will continue over the next few days, which will make Pluto easier to track down. Moreover, opposition is also the time when Pluto is brightest, giving observers the best opportunity to see it.</p><p>The timing for this opportune viewing of Pluto couldn't be better: One week from today, NASA will fly its <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/">New Horizons spacecraft</a> closer to Pluto than any spacecraft has ever been before.</p><p>So, while New Horizons approaches Pluto, you can join in the excitement by spotting the tiny, icy world yourself.</p><p>But beware: Locating Pluto is no easy feat and is often referred to as the <a href="http://astronomynow.com/2015/07/05/how-to-find-pluto-around-the-time-of-newhorizons-historic-encounter/">Pluto Challenge</a>. If you manage, however, you'll have succeeded in observing the most distant object in our solar system that you can see with amateur astronomy instruments!</p><p>As shown in the image below, Pluto looks similar to the background stars. The only exception is that it moves faster across the sky, covering more area in a shorter amount of time because it's closer to Earth and moving relatively fast as it orbits the sun. Pluto is just above center, indicated by the four red lines below:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/559c384e6bb3f7a16d5ff6d7-1200-706/pluto-13.jpg" border="0" alt="pluto"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.stellarium.org">Made by Business Insider with Stellarium.</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>To catch a glimpse of the dwarf planet, you'll need a telescope with at least an 8-inch diameter mirror, <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/see-pluto-in-201506102015/">according to Sky and Telescope</a>, in order to see Pluto.</p><p>Even at its brightest, Pluto is not visible to the naked eye and is about 27 million times fainter than Venus. This also means that you'll need very clear, dark skies to see this faint object. So, if you live in the city, you'll have to get out of town.</p><p>Right now Pluto is located in the constellation <a href="http://earthsky.org/constellations/sagittarius-heres-your-constellation">Sagittarius</a>, which is visible at mid-northern latitudes - this includes observers in the US. And after it rises in the east following sunset, it will travel south staying low to the horizon. Therefore, make sure you have a clear, unobstructed view of the eastern and, especially, southern horizons.</p><p>To help you spot Pluto, you can use astronomy apps like Stellarium, which allow you to coordinate exactly when and where objects in the night sky will be anywhere on Earth.</p><p>Here, we made a map with Stellarium to determine where Pluto will be in New York night skies at around 10 pm this evening (July 7). It should be about halfway between the eastern and southern horizons:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/559c394e69bedde428da23c8-1200-706/pluto2-2.jpg" border="0" alt="pluto2"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.stellarium.org">Made by Business Insider using Stellarium</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>For more information on where Pluto will be in the night sky throughout the year, <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/wp-content/uploads/WEB_2015_Pluto.pdf">check out this chart</a> made by the experts at Sky and Telescope.</p><p>It's a challenge to see Pluto, but it's an even greater challenge to get there. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has spent the last nine years in space on its way there.</p><p>Now, that epic journey is quickly approaching its exciting goal of flying by the planet on July 14 and collecting information about the dwarf planet's geology, chemical composition, atmospheric composition, and much more. Stay tuned for more details about the exciting event!</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-pluto-2014-4">Neil deGrasse Tyson: Pluto Is Not A Planet So 'Get Over It'</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VsM2NwbDrj-sGoukzImFnPUDe5mXjchB" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'VsM2NwbDrj-sGoukzImFnPUDe5mXjchB',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Pluto is brighter this week than any other time of the year- here's how to spot it

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/540f431ceab8ea0f4665a628-1331-677/screen shot 2014-09-09 at 2.11.38 pm.png" alt="apple watch" data-mce-source="Apple/Screenshot " data-mce-caption="" data-link="" /><p class="source"><span>Apple/Screenshot </span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Apple Watch owners will spend a majority of time looking at the watch face, which can be customized to display important information like the weather and upcoming events. But as fun as it is to customize watch faces and switch them up on the fly, it's disappointing when you consider there are only 10 watch face styles to choose from, and only eight of those are customizable.</p><p>The obvious solution: Apple needs to let third-party developers build watch faces.</p><p>Right now, the Apple Watch's limited faces are reminiscent of the original iPhone, where owners couldn't even change their phone's background - it was black, and only black. It's surprising that you can't choose photos to be the background of your Apple Watch, but honestly, Apple needs to go a step further than that.</p><p>Third-party watch faces could be a big opportunity for developers to exercise their creativity - and Apple can, in turn, showcase said creativity for advertising purposes, on billboards or TV commercials. Apple has previously advertised third-party apps on the <a href="https://youtu.be/PQBTd4xF6tU">iPhone</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/SgxsmJollqA">iPad</a> to great effect.</p><p>And if you've ever owned a <a href="http://www.swatch.com/en/">Swatch</a> or a <a href="http://www.mypebblefaces.com/?pebble_sdk%5B%5D=2&amp;">Pebble</a>, you know watch faces can be extraordinarily creative.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/557074bb71ca1b27008b4866-1571-772/screen shot 2015-06-04 at 11.51.49 am.png" alt="pebble watch faces" data-mce-source="MyPebbleFaces.com" data-mce-caption="" data-link="" /><p class="source"><span>MyPebbleFaces.com</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5570a428f7b1051d008b48fe-1570-775/screen shot 2015-06-04 at 3.15.26 pm.png" alt="pebble watch faces" data-mce-source="MyPebbleFaces.com" data-mce-caption="" data-link="" /><p class="source"><span>MyPebbleFaces.com</span></p><p class="caption">The sheer variety of watch faces is a great reason to own a Pebble.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>I understand Apple's desire to have tight control over the hardware and software experiences. But right now, the closed-off approach to watch faces feels like the iPhone before the App Store: a missed opportunity. </p><p>These digital watch faces are more than just telling the time - like one's iPhone wallpaper or home screen, the Apple Watch face is an expression of oneself. I actually change my watch face several times throughout the day: I keep the "simple" style during work hours, then switch it to the "motion" and "astronomy" styles at night. Problem is, I want more.</p><p>Hopefully one of Apple's big announcements at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is giving developers the ability to make Apple Watch faces. In the same way Apple is allowing third parties to build their own Apple Watch bands, the company must embrace true personalization and set the home screen free.</p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/batman-arkham-knight-gameplay-video-2015-5">Here's the best look yet at the next big game starring Batman</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="h0MTJkdTrJr4RUNkugPMay1bP53ZZ1Gw" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'h0MTJkdTrJr4RUNkugPMay1bP53ZZ1Gw',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Apple needs to let developers design their own watch faces

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5640da8e9dd7cc25008c8672-800-432/google-translate.png" alt="google translate" data-mce-source="Google/YouTube screenshot" data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZikw5k_2FM&amp;feature=youtu.be"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZikw5k_2FM&amp;feature=youtu.be">Google/YouTube screenshot</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Google has long been ahead of the curve on artificial intelligence (AI), and things&#xa0;just got a lot more interesting.<p>Today, the tech giant released <a href="https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/tensorflow-smarter-machine-learning-for.html">TensorFlow</a>, a new AI&#xa0;system&#xa0;that's used in everything from recognizing speech on a noisy sidewalk to finding photos of your pet dog Fluffy.</p><p>And in a rare move&#xa0;for Google, it's making its software open source, meaning anyone can access and edit the code.</p><p>The software passes complex data structures, or&#xa0;tensors, through a neural network, or artificial brain, hence the name Tensor Flow. This process is a core part of deep learning, a powerful&#xa0;<span>AI</span>&#xa0;tool that is used in many of Google's products.&#xa0;</p><p>Google says&#xa0;the new program is five times faster than its first-generation system, and can be run on thousands of computers or a single smartphone. Google uses it in everything from Search to Photos to Inbox.&#xa0;For example,&#xa0;it's what lets Google Translate detect foreign words on a street sign and translate them in real-time, as shown above.</p><p>The reason for making TensorFlow open source is to spur innovation and make it easier for researchers to share their ideas and code, a Google spokesperson&#xa0;told Business Insider.</p><p>Currently, Google has only released a version of the new technology that runs&#xa0;on a single machine, but it plans to release a multiple-machine version in the future,&#xa0;<span>the spokesman said</span>.</p><p>But Google is not making everything open source. "It's sharing only some of the algorithms that run atop the engine. And it's not sharing access to the remarkably advanced hardware infrastructure that drives this engine," <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/11/google-open-sources-its-artificial-intelligence-engine/">Wired's Cade Metz reported</a>.</p><p>According to Google, TensorFlow can also be used for other types of machine learning, or for things you might use a supercomputer for - from protein folding to analyzing astronomy data.</p><p>"We've seen firsthand what TensorFlow can do, and we think it could make an even bigger impact outside Google," the company wrote on its blog. "We hope this will let the machine learning community - everyone from academic researchers, to engineers, to hobbyists - exchange ideas much more quickly, through working code rather than just research papers."</p><p>Google made this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZikw5k_2FM&amp;feature=youtu.be">YouTube video</a> describing what TensorFlow is:</p><p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oZikw5k_2FM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-translate-live-change-text-iphone-display-2015-9">Google's translate app will redefine the way we travel</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="dndzdxdzqAV4uh6NxKyz4HjcZyrKij2f" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'dndzdxdzqAV4uh6NxKyz4HjcZyrKij2f',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Google just made released powerful new artifical intelligence software - and it's open source

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59dd268c6d80ad1e008b58a9-800/susan fowler.jpg" alt="Susan Fowler" data-mce-source="Susan Fowler" data-mce-caption="Susan Fowler" /><p class="source"><span>Susan Fowler</span></p><p class="caption">Susan Fowler</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong> Susan Fowler has already found a buyer to make a movie about her time at Uber, reports Deadline. </strong></li><li><strong>And Fowler's book on her life is being shopped to publishers now and has multiple bidders.</strong></li><li><strong>Her life story is extraordinary, too: She's gone from home schooled and largely self-taught to a famous software engineer who has filed a petition with the Supreme Court.</strong></li></ul><p>If Susan Fowler's <a href="https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/2/19/reflecting-on-one-very-strange-year-at-uber">infamous "very, very strange year at Uber"</a> was the stuff of lemons, then Fowler is making lemonade.</p><p>It seems she has already sold a movie about her life, just a few weeks after word leaked that she was shopping the script around.</p><p>The film production company Good Universe beat out three other bidders to land the rights to the film, <a href="http://deadline.com/2017/10/uber-movie-susan-fowler-sexual-harassment-whistleblower-allison-schroeder-screenplay-1202192899/">Deadline reports. </a>The film is named "Disrupters," says Deadline, and it's supposed to be an "Erin Brockovich" meets "The Social Network." Oscar-nominated screenwriter of "Hidden Figures" Allison Schroeder has also reportedly been tapped to write it.</p><p>Good Universe is an interesting fit for the story. It's best known for its silly comedies like 2014's Neighbors (Seth Rogen, Zac Efron) or 2017's The House (Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler). But it does dabble in other genres like the forthcoming horror thriller "Extinction" and the 2016 crime thriller "Don't Breathe."</p><p>And this is on top of two well received technical books that Fowler had previously published, based on the lessons she learned working at Uber building an app that rarely goes down. </p><h2>From home-schooled to harassed </h2><p>The 26-year-old Fowler has already given the world a taste of her life story in an interview she gave to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/21/style/susan-fowler-uber.html?_r=0">New York Times Maureen Dowd</a>. She was raised one of seven kids, daughter of an Evangelical preacher, in a small Arizona town where she was home schooled, Dowd reported. Instead of attending high school, she mostly studied on her own, reading the classics.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59ee7e44909924f2268b6369-2116/ap17222793013565.jpg" alt="travis kalanick uber ceo founder" data-mce-source="Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File" data-mce-caption="Feb. 26, 2017: then-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif." /><p class="source"><span>Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File</span></p><p class="caption">Feb. 26, 2017: then-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif.</p></div><p></p></div></div>She figured out how to get into college on her own and landed a full-ride scholarship to ASU. When the school wouldn't put her on a track to study astronomy, given her lack of formal math training, she transferred to the University of Pennsylvania and did some brutal catching up in math to study physics there.</p><p>She came crashing into the public eye when, back in February, she wrote about the sexism and sexual harassment she said she faced at Uber. Her post told of HR looking the other way as managers allegedly hit on employees and bought just the male members of her team leather jackets. </p><p>The blog post went viral and shook the company to its core, eventually leading to the firing of over 20 people and an investor uprising that forced CEO Travis Kalanick out.</p><p>But Fowler didn't stop there. She has filed a petition <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/23/susan-fowlers-lawyers-just-told-the-supreme-court-why-tech-cos-should-eliminate-arbitration-agreements/">with the Supreme Court </a>challenging the forced arbitration clauses that tech companies routinely make employees sign as a condition of their employment. This not only keeps employees from suing, but it often means that disputes happen in private, hidden from view.</p><p>Fowler told the Times that, like most women, she feared the repercussions of her blog post before she published it. She also didn't want her name to be forever associated with sexual harassment drama at Uber.</p><p>But then she decided, "If what people know you for is bringing light to an issue about bad behavior, about bad stuff going on and laws not being followed and people being treated inappropriately, why wouldn't I want that? That's a badge of honor," she told the Times.</p><h2>Voices of discontent</h2><p>Fowler is certainly not the first woman to come forward. Women have been<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sexual-harassment-scandals-tech-industry-2017-7"> speaking out more and more frequently</a> in the tech industry for years. </p><p>Still, Fowler's voice had power and influence in the wake of President Trump's election. Her blog post was a spark that lit an enormous fire. In 2017, more women came forward. They revealed stories of harassment by VCs that led to investigations, resignations and dismissals.</p><p>The women of Hollywood are now speaking out. And <a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Women-in-California-Capitol-describe-sexual-12296564.php">women lawmakers have begun</a> to speak out, too.</p><p>Meanwhile, Fowler has a movie deal, is expected to have a book deal soon. She's written a couple of technical books, filed a Supreme Court petition and, with her first child on the way (a daughter, she told the Times), she can proudly say that change is in the air.</p><p>Fowler could not be immediately reached for comment.</p>        <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-pixel-buds-wireless-headphones-translate-live-2017-10">Google built wireless headphones that can also translate languages</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/Dc43wVWr-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Uber whistleblower Susan Fowler already sold her movie ... and she's working on a book

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/598d350bd9a6a01c008b493d-1500/total-solar-eclipse-moon-sun-illustration-nasa-svs.jpg" alt="total solar eclipse moon sun illustration nasa svs" data-mce-source="NASA/GSFC/CI Lab" data-mce-caption="An illustration of a total solar eclipse." data-link="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12170"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12170">NASA/GSFC/CI Lab</a></span></p><p class="caption">An illustration of a total solar eclipse.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>The great American total solar eclipse of 2017 is almost upon us.<p>On Monday, August 21, the moon will slip in front of the sun and cast a dark shadow that will travel across the contiguous United States. A partial solar eclipse will be visible around the entire country, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-total-solar-eclipses-will-end-2017-6">totality</a> - when the moon fully blocks the sun and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/total-solar-eclipse-chasing-airplane-experience-2017-8">eerie-looking effects occur</a> - can only be seen within a 60- to 70-mile-wide sliver.</p><p>The path of totality will touch 12 US states, but hotels in those regions began selling out <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hotel-bookings-for-total-solar-eclipse-in-the-us-occurring-on-august-17-2017-2016-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a year ago</a>. If you're not planning to travel and brave the traffic, though, <strong>there will be plenty of ways to watch livestreaming video of the eclipse</strong>.</p><p>Below, Business Insider has compiled a collection of what should be the best feeds. As new ones go live, we'll embed or link to them.</p><p>NASA is pulling out all of the stops with <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">two live feeds</a> of the solar eclipse, via NASA TV and NASA EDGE, across multiple popular streaming-video services. We recommend watching those. NASA's first stream goes on air at 8:45 a.m. PDT/11:45 a.m. EDT, which is about an hour before the darkest shadow of the moon, called the umbra, first touches Oregon.</p><p>From there the umbra will zoom southeast at speeds of 1,440 mph to 2,370 mph, ending its American journey 93 minutes later in South Carolina. This map shows where and when the umbra - and totality - will arrive across the US:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5978a266552be5b3008b6958-2000/united-states-us-total-solar-eclipse-map-august-21-2017-nasa-gsfc-svs.jpg" alt="united states us total solar eclipse map august 21 2017 nasa gsfc svs" data-mce-source="NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio" data-mce-caption="A US map of the total solar eclipse's shadow on August 21, 2017." data-link="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4518"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4518">NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio</a></span></p><p class="caption">A US map of the total solar eclipse's shadow on August 21, 2017.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>(<a href="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5978a266552be5b3008b6958" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Click here for a larger version</a> of the map, or figure out the exact time for your viewing location with NASA's interactive <a href="https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/interactive_map/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eclipse map</a>.)</p><p>When a feed will broadcast totality depends on where its cameras are located. The longest totality will last at any one location is less than three minutes, but some feeds will have dozens of cameras sprinkled across the country.</p><p><em>Note: You may need to disable Flash and ad blockers for the feeds to work. We've also included links directly to the streaming sites in case you're having trouble watching.</em></p><hr><h2>1. NASA TV</h2><p>On solar eclipse day, the space agency's <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">main feed</a> is going to be epic.</p><p>NASA TV has mapped out live video coverage for its "Eclipse Across America" segment from 12 different locations on the ground, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/total-solar-eclipse-nasa-research-jets-2017-7">jets in the sky</a>, telescopes, and dozens of high-altitude balloons. (Yes, we said "epic" for a reason.) These feeds should run from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. EDT.</p><h3><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwMDvPCGeE0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube</a></h3><h3><a href="http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ustream</a></h3><h3><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NASA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook Live</a></h3><p>When NASA TV's feed from its Facebook page goes live, we'll embed it here.</p><h3>Other services</h3><p>In addition to desktop video feeds, NASA will also host live video on <a href="https://www.pscp.tv/NASA">Periscope.tv</a>, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/nasa">Twitch</a>, and its family of <a href="https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/apps">mobile apps</a>.</p><hr><h2>2. NASA EDGE</h2><p>NASA EDGE is the space agency's edgier video production, and is typically unscripted. Their feed will be a "megacast" of the solar eclipse from Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois, and is slated to run from 11:45 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT.</p><h3><a href="http://www.ustream.tv/nasaedge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ustream</a></h3><p>In addition to NASA EDGE's main live feed, you can watch direct feeds of the eclipse from the <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-public-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">H-Alpha Telescope</a>, the <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-public-4">Ca-K Telescope</a>, and the <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-public-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">White Light Telescope</a>. They'll also have a channel to show off <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/v4xWGqcNahv" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">freshly processed photos</a> of the event.</p><h3><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nasaedgefan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook Live</a></h3><p>When NASA EDGE's feed from its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nasaedgefan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook page</a> goes live, we'll embed it here.</p><hr><h2>3. Slooh</h2><p>This company has partnerships with observatories all over the world, allowing them to stream almost any astronomical event. We like Slooh because they fill their broadcasts with commentary from a rotating cast of experts who speak in conversational language.</p><p>On eclipse day they'll base <a href="https://live.slooh.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">their broadcast</a> out of Stanley, Idaho. The feed should go live at 12 p.m. EDT, and when it does we'll embed it here.</p><hr><h2>4. Stream.live</h2><p>Stream is a newer, interactive video feed service that we don't plan to&#xa0;embed here, but you can access it for free at <a href="http://eclipse.stream.live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">at eclipse.stream.live</a> on the day of the total solar eclipse.</p><p>Stream has partnered with NASA to string together an interactive feed that will feature footage from 52 high-altitude balloons launched from&#xa0;schools, universities, astronomy clubs, and others within the path of totality. The balloons will fly 100,000 feet up into the air.&#xa0;</p><p>"The viewer will be able to pick which balloon they want to watch via the interactive map on the site," Will Jamieson, Stream's CEO, told Business Insider in an email.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/598dc4c1d9a6a0aa2d8b463b-1614/eclipse-stream-live-map-balloon-launches.jpg" alt="eclipse stream live map balloon launches" data-mce-source="Stream.live" data-link="http://eclipse.stream.live/"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://eclipse.stream.live/">Stream.live</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>Stream's balloon cameras "will be aiming horizontal" to capture "both the earth as well as space," Jamieson said.</p><p>This means there's a very good chance the feeds will show the oval-shaped umbra speeding across the ground as it races east.</p><div><iframe width="800" height="450" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wwMDvPCGeE0?rel=0&amp;showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><iframe width="800" height="450" src="http://www.ustream.tv/embed/6540154?html5ui" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" style="border: 0 none transparent;"></iframe></div><div><iframe width="800" height="450" src="http://www.ustream.tv/embed/8720472?html5ui" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" style="border: 0 none transparent;"></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/where-you-can-see-america-rare-solar-eclipse-2017-7">NASA's most accurate map of where Americans can witness the rare total solar eclipse this year</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/D8lx6VCa-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div></hr></hr></hr></hr>

The best live video feeds streaming the 2017 total solar eclipse

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55803a0771ca1b28008b5445-936-714/screen shot 2015-06-16 at 10.59.36 am.png" alt="Screen Shot 2015 06 16 at 10.59.36 AM" data-mce-source="APOD" data-link="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html">APOD</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Twenty years ago, two astrophysicists - Jerry Bonnell and Robert Nemiroff<span> </span><span>- </span>created <a href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html">Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)</a>. The website is simple and harkens back to the days of the early web: Every post is just one image and a bit of text describing the photo, with links out to sources of information.</p><p>During its first year, in 1995, the site received about 12 visits a day. Today they're way past a million daily visitors, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/15/8779599/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-oral-history">according to The Verge</a>.</p><p>The two are active researchers at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. How did they become guardians of the treasured website?</p><p>"So we were getting these emails that had these image attachments, sometimes about the Hubble Space Telescope, sometimes from something else, and the people sending these emails had no idea what that was. It would say, 'Look at this, it's colorful and something astronomical. Isn't that cool?' So we thought maybe something we could do was take these images and explain them one after the next," Nemiroff told <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/15/8779599/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-oral-history">The Verge's Sean O'Kane.</a></p><p>How do they chose what to feature on the site? Well, it's a bit of personal preference:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Robert Nemiroff: I just like the stuff where you look at it and say "Wow, what's that!" I'm somewhat jaded after 20 years. It has to work for me before I try to make it work for other people.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Jerry Bonnell: I seem to be a sucker for the big, beautiful spiral galaxy images.</p><p>Back in those days cameras with high-enough quality to take great space pictures weren't as plentiful. They were genuinely worried that they'd run out of images to post.</p><p>As Nemiroff said:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Before we posted our first image we debated this, Jerry and I, as to whether we were going to run out of images in a few days and then say, "Well that was stupid." But actually there were many images around even back then. And NASA's <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/missions/ranger/" target="new">Ranger series</a> took tens of thousands of images of the lunar surface, so if we had to we could just start putting up other pictures of the lunar surface. "Here's another crater that's a little bit different than yesterday's crater." But we never ran out of images.</p><p>And Bonnell:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">I used to have to be more proactive. I would explore what was online and available in the NASA archives online, and I would also make occasional trips to photo libraries that I could find at Goddard and NASA headquarters and look at the prints.</p><p>Now, the two-person team gets hundreds of submissions of images from their millions of fans. They still do all the work just the two of them, though:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">I usually do the beginnings of the weeks and Jerry does the ends of the weeks, and Wednesday can go either way.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">I will do several in a row. I'll do most of my week maybe on Thursday or Friday, sometimes on Saturday or Sunday. Sometimes I'll leave Wednesday to the night before in case there's some kind of breaking news. Jerry will do the ends of the weeks, he usually waits until the night before, and works on it during the afternoon.</p><p>To celebrate the anniversary, the two re-created Johannes Vermeer's paintings <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Astronomer_(Vermeer)">The Astronomer</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geographer">The Geographer</a> using more than <a href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/1006/thumbnails.zip">5,000 APOD images</a> that have <a href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html">appeared</a> during the last 20 years.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55803a0771ca1bc84f8b4b17-935-834/screen shot 2015-06-16 at 10.59.12 am.png" alt="Screen Shot 2015 06 16 at 10.59.12 AM" data-mce-source="APOD" data-link="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html">APOD</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>If you like space you can follow the APOD stream in many ways: <a href="https://twitter.com/apod" target="new">Twitter account</a>; <a href="https://plus.google.com/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay" target="new">Google+ page</a>; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay" target="new">on Facebook</a>; on <a href="https://instagram.com/astronomypicturesdaily/" target="new">Instagram</a>, in <a href="http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/astronomy-picture-of-the-day/f72b49cb-ed6c-4ebf-96fd-67c846dcafd5" target="new">apps</a>, and a <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/apod" target="new">subreddit</a>.</p><h3>Read the <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/15/8779599/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-oral-history">entire interview over at The Verge</a> &gt;</h3>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-flying-saucer-spacecraft-parachute-launch-failure-video-2015-6">Watch NASA scientists react to the parachute deployment of their 'flying saucer' spacecraft</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="RmbTRrdTo6zZsGrLa92P_WSGL7oynUt5" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'RmbTRrdTo6zZsGrLa92P_WSGL7oynUt5',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

This 20-year-old website hosts just one image a day - and has millions of fans

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5208f15b6bb3f72433000076-4004-2701/ap224590196645.jpg" alt="Perseid" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Paul White"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Paul White</span></p><p class="caption">A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky. Next month we will see one of the best Perseid meteor showers in years.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>There's a very strange space rock flying through our solar neighborhood that scientists think could be a rogue, alien comet from a completely different solar system.<p>It's called <a href="http://sungrazer.nrl.navy.mil/index.php?p=news/family_ties">Comet 69P/Machholz</a>, and it's the <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/southern_delta_aquarids.cfm">most-likely suspect</a> responsible for the annual meteor shower happening this week.</p><p>If that's the case, then right now Earth is flying through this alien comet's tail, which consists of dust and debris the comet has shed in its path around the sun.</p><p>As these comet guts get swept up by Earth's gravity, they fall toward us, burning up in the atmosphere on their way down in the form of what we call shooting stars - or a meteor shower. This week's show of falling stars is called the Delta Aquarid meteor shower.</p><p>The shower takes place from July 12 through August 23, but the best time to catch a glimpse - when the most meteors are streaking across the sky - will be early Wednesday morning, after moon-set and before sunrise centered around 2 a.m. (for all time zones), according to <a href="http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-delta-aquarid-meteor-shower">EarthSky</a>.</p><p>The Delta Aquarid meteor shower is not as spectacular as next month's Perseid meteor shower, but it's still worth checking out. You'll need to have dark skies, far from city lights. At peak viewing time you should see between 10 to 20 meteors an hour.</p><p>To glimpse the meteors all you have to do is lie on your back and keep your eyes peeled in the direction of the constellation Aquarius - each meteor shower is named for the constellation where the meteors seem to appear from, hence the name "Delta Aquarid." You can determine where Aquarius will be in your night sky at 2 a.m. with an astronomy app like <a href="http://www.stellarium.org/">Stellarium</a>.</p><p>But don't worry if you can't get out of the city or aren't willing to stay up until 2 a.m., you can still watch the meteor shower live. <a href="http://main.slooh.com/">Slooh</a>, an online observatory, will be broadcasting the meteor shower live starting on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.</p><p>During the two-hour broadcast, host Will Gater and Slooh astronomer Bob Berman will discuss what we can learn from meteor showers and take questions from the public. Just send then a tweet with #SloohDeltaAquarids followed by your question. See the broadcast stream below.</p><h2>Origins of Comet 67P/Machholz</h2><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b68bfd2acae710008ba69c-800-600/96p_20070403_000500_hi1a.jpg" alt="comet 67P/Machholz" data-mce-source="Public Domain on Wikipedia" data-link="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/96P/Machholz#/media/File:96P_20070403_000500_HI1A.png"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/96P/Machholz#/media/File:96P_20070403_000500_HI1A.png">Public Domain on Wikipedia</a></span></p><p class="caption">Comet 96P/Machholz from HI-2 camera of STEREO-A spacecraft.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>While Comet 67P/Machholz is one of the main comets thought to generate the Delta Aquarid meteor shower, that point is still debatable.<p>What is known is how strange this comet is compared to most other comets in our solar system. And its bizarre qualities are what have led scientists to think this comet was somehow flung far from its home somewhere in interstellar space only to later be caught up in our sun's gravity.</p><p>"First its orbit is about as unround as possible. This alone suggests a capture-origin, but doesn't prove it," Berman told Business Insider in an email. "But stranger still is its composition, measured spectroscopically during its close 2007 visit. This shows an almost total lack of carbon and cyanogen, very un-cometlike."</p><p>Comet 67P/Machholz also travels extremely close to the sun during its orbital path. In fact, it gets even closer than the inner-most planet Mercury.</p><p>For this reason, Berman says that this comet's odd chemical composition might be from "its repeated closer approaches to the sun [which] could have broiled away its carbon."</p><p>Check out the live <a href="http://main.slooh.com/">Slooh</a> broadcast beginning on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET:</p><p><div><iframe src="http://livestream.com/accounts/8724297/events/4102830/player?width=560&amp;height=315&amp;autoPlay=true&amp;mute=false" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"> </iframe></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/eruption-nasa-sun-space-2015-7">NASA captured this stunning time-lapse of a massive eruption on the sun</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VxNGEydjpMt5kPmkxrXP19ThxLCfAWQG" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'VxNGEydjpMt5kPmkxrXP19ThxLCfAWQG',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

How to watch tomorrow's meteor shower created by a rogue comet that could be from another solar system

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/563254539dd7cc03308ba820-4864-3648/asteroid%20earth%20drawing.jpg" alt="Asteroid Earth Drawing" data-mce-source="Shutterstock"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>'Tis the season for fear and fright.<p>And you won't want to miss this Halloween's rare sight!</p><p>On Saturday at 1:05 pm ET, an asteroid that could be up to 2.5 times taller than Trump World Tower in New York City will zip past Earth at a blazing speed of 78,000 miles per hour.</p><p>Upon its closest approach to Earth, the space rock - dubbed asteroid 2015 TB145 - will pass by at 1.3 times the distance between Earth and the moon, or about 300,000 miles from Earth.</p><p>Therefore, the asteroid poses no threat to life on Earth.</p><p>It is worth noting, however, that the event will mark the closest any object this size has flown by Earth in recorded history, <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4745">NASA reported</a>.</p><p>And we won't see anything like it again until the year 2027, when a different asteroid twice as large will fly even closer at just one lunar distance, or approximately 238,000 miles, from Earth.</p><p>Unfortunately, the asteroid is too small and far away to see with the naked eye - especially during its closest approach on Halloween in the middle of the afternoon. However, if you have a set of binoculars or a telescope, you could spot it that night.</p><p>The asteroid will be above the western horizon on Halloween night between 9 pm ET and midnight. After that, it will sink below the horizon an no longer be visible.</p><p>Here, we used thee free app <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0CB4QFjAAahUKEwiDosjYpujIAhVBFz4KHVzwA7E&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stellarium.org%2F&amp;usg=AFQjCNGMAQf6JSzwrDn4__eAFcaFtWVotA">Stellarium</a> to figure out where it would be in New York City at exactly 10 pm ET on Halloween night. To help identify it, look for the bright star Vega. (<a href="http://www.universetoday.com/122924/how-to-see-the-spooktacular-halloween-flyby-of-asteroid-2015-tb145/">Universe Today</a> has excellent instructions on how to use Stellarium to figure out where the asteroid will be in your night sky on Halloween.)</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/563263419dd7cc1b008c5da3-1475-993/asteroid.jpg" alt="asteroid" data-mce-source="Stellarium"><p class="source"><span>Stellarium</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Another option is to tune in to the live broadcast that the <a href="http://live.slooh.com/">online observatory Slooh</a> will be hosting starting at 12:30 pm ET.<p>The broadcast (provided below) will offer expert commentary by Slooh host Paul Cox, Slooh astronomer Bob Berman, and Slooh friend, Dr. Mark Boslough. The broadcast will also show time-lapse images of the asteroid.</p><p><div><iframe src="http://livestream.com/accounts/8724297/events/4441508/player?width=560&amp;height=315&amp;autoPlay=true&amp;mute=false" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"> </iframe></div></p><h2 class="embed-spacer">An asteroid named "Spooky"</h2><p>This asteroid's size, speed, and distance from Earth are not what have earned it the nickname "Spooky."</p><p>The GIF below reveals the asteroid's movement across the sky in a series of images taken over the last week by one of Slooh's observatories in the Canary Islands:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/563256f7bd86ef185c8baa34-1324-888/2015-10-22_pha_2015-tb145_aka_spooky_hires.gif" alt="2015 10 22_PHA_2015 TB145_aka_Spooky_HiRes" data-mce-source="Slooh" data-link="http://www.slooh.com"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.slooh.com">Slooh</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Yet the most disturbing thing about this space rock is not its movement but how long it eluded our detection.<p>"It's frightening to think an asteroid this size, approaching so close to Earth, was discovered only 21-days before its closest approach, which just happens to be on Halloween," Cox said in a statement. "If that doesn't give you chills, nothing will."</p><p>On Oct. 10, observers at the University of Hawaii's Panoramic Survey Telescope first discovered Spooky. Their observations were quickly confirmed by astronomers at the European Space Agency's observatory in Tenerife, Spain, shown below:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5632564ebd86ef10008c5a23-800-534/tenerife_observatory_node_full_image_2.jpg" alt="Tenerife_observatory_node_full_image_2" data-mce-source="StarryEarth via Flickr" data-link="http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2013/12/Tenerife_observatory"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2013/12/Tenerife_observatory">StarryEarth via Flickr</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Since then, astronomers at other observatories around the world have studied the object to determine its density, size, and orbit around the sun - all of which are extremely important for measuring the asteroid's threat to Earth in the future.<p>As it turns out, the asteroid is between 951 and 2,130 feet wide and is relatively light. This graphic by Slooh shows how that compares in size to the Trump Tower in New York city, which is 861 feet tall:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/563256099dd7ccfc418baa6c-1280-1200/pha2015tb145-sloohsizecomparison%20(1).jpg" alt="PHA2015TB145 SloohSizeComparison (1)" data-mce-source="Slooh" data-link="http://www.slooh.com"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.slooh.com">Slooh</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>So, regardless of its large size, the space rock's light weight means it won't exert any noticeable gravitational influences on the moon or Earth as it passes.<p>Moreover, "Spooky" has a bizarre orbit that's very oblong in shape and takes it well below the plane of the solar system, where all of the planets or located (as shown in the diagram below).</p><p>The <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Situational_Awareness/Halloween_asteroid_gives_us_a_miss_confirms_ESA">European Space Agency said</a> that Earth needn't worry about a collision from this particular object within the next 100 years.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56325b9b9dd7cc22008c5db9-1920-1440/halloween_asteroid.jpg" alt="Halloween_asteroid" data-mce-source="ESA" data-link="http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2015/10/Halloween_asteroid2"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2015/10/Halloween_asteroid2">ESA</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>That's certainly reassuring, because if an object that size impacted one of Earth's oceans, it would generate a tsunami 31 miles high, astronomy lecturer Daniel Brown estimated over at <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-brown-159342">The Conversation</a>.<p>Such an impact wouldn't cause a global extinction, but it could do significant damage depending on where it hit, Brown wrote.</p><p>During its close pass, astronomers plan to study the object further using radar technology that shoots electromagnetic waves at the space rock. How long those signals take to reflect off the surface and return to Earth will give astronomers a better idea of the chemical composition of the object.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-scale-universe-atom-human-earth-galaxy-2015-9">This 3-minute animation will change the way you see the universe</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="JpMjRidzrV91DMzSO8bSnK_7bVSfKCdj" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'JpMjRidzrV91DMzSO8bSnK_7bVSfKCdj',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

How to watch the 'spooky' asteroid flying unusually close to Earth on Halloween

<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full click-to-enlarge"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"><a title_source="Courtesy of  Dieter Willasch" title_caption="Comet Q2 Lovejoy taken by Dieter Willasch on Dec. 28, 2014." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54a47bc5eab8eae5348b4567-960/cometcluster_willasch_2200.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54a47bc5eab8eae5348b4567-1200-858/cometcluster_willasch_2200.jpg" border="0" alt="comet lovejoy" /></a><span class="source"><span><a href="http://www.astro-cabinet.com/loggedon.php">Courtesy of  Dieter Willasch</a></span></span><span class="caption">Comet Q2 Lovejoy taken by Dieter Willasch on Dec. 28, 2014.</span></span><p></p></span></span>There's a comet visible with the naked eye in the northern night skies. Comet Q2 Lovejoy showed up right before New Year's and will remain with us until the end of January, but then <a href="http://www.space.com/28116-comet-lovejoy-january-2015-skywatching.html">won't be seen again for another 8,000 years. </a></p>
<p>Observers in the northern hemisphere will be able to see the comet most nights during the month of January, as long as the moon isn't too bright. Some of the prime observing nights are happening right now.</p>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54aad79ceab8eac5298dcf53-1200-799/comet-lovejoy-c2014-q2-justin-ng.jpg" border="0" alt="comet lovejoy c2014 q2"><span class="source"><span><a href="http://www.space.com/28157-comet-lovejoy-amazing-amateur-photo.html">Justin Ng </a></span></span><span class="caption">Astrophotographer Justin Ng took the image from Singapore on Dec. 29, 2014.</span></img></span><p></p></span></span>The comet will reach its closest approach to Earth on January 7 when it's 44 million miles away. That's when it will shine brightest in the night sky, according to <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/binocular-comet-lovejoy-heading-c2014-q2-lovejoy-1211142/">Sky and Telescope</a>. And don't fret if it's overcast where you are - it will continue to shine bright for the next two weeks.</p>
<p>Australian amateur astronomer, Terry Lovejoy, discovered the comet in August and it's the fifth comet he's found since 2007. The comet is not just attracting astronomers, however.</p>
<p>Its beauty is also a target for photographers like <a href="http://www.justinngphoto.com/">Justin Ng</a> who took the photo above, featured on <a href="http://www.space.com/28157-comet-lovejoy-amazing-amateur-photo.html">Space.com</a>, on Dec. 29 in Singapore. And astro-photographer <a href="http://www.astro-cabinet.com/loggedon.php">Dieter Willasch</a>, based in Germany, who recently took the image of the comet at the top of this post.</p>
<p>Phil Plait, astronomer and author of <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/01/03/comet_lovejoy_stunning_photo_by_gerald_rhemann.html">the Bad Astronomy blog at Slate</a>, recently tweeted another spectacular shot:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>The single most ridiculously holy wow photo of Comet Lovejoy you're likely to see. <a href="http://t.co/relaxing">http://t.co/r56la8uXjn</a> <a href="http://t.co/87OeYSqn13">pic.twitter.com/87OeYSqn13</a></p>
- Phil Plait (@BadAstronomer) <a href="https://twitter.com/BadAstronomer/status/551416651313598464">January 3, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script><p>Since amateur astronomer Lovejoy spotted his latest find, the comet has grown thousands of times brighter. As it moves toward the sun, it's also moving across the sky. It only recently became <a href="http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/27731011/comet-lovejoy-visible-from-southern-arizona">visible to observers</a> in the northern hemisphere.</p>
<p>At its brightest on January 7, the comet will be about as bright as the faintest star in the constellation called the Little Dipper. So, a good way to tell if you will be able to see the comet with your naked eye is if you can see all four stars in the Little Dipper.</p>
<p>Although the comet is bright enough to see with the naked eye, it's still pretty faint, warns amateur astronomer and senior editor of Sky and Telescope, <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/about-us/alan-m-macrobert/">Alan M. MacRobert</a>.</p>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54aadd32ecad04f23b342009-1200-800/16099546352_113d2cdce2_o.jpg" border="0" alt="comet lovejoy"><span class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/seabirdnz/16099546352/in/photolist-qidS1m-qiehMf-prQA6j-qwEoeo-px2c6Z-prveJp-q6Gxw3-qE1PCv-pH21RS-qnsKK5-qDWTEU-qnzcUX">Ben on Flickr</a></span></span><span class="caption">Comet Q2 Lovejoy uploaded on December 25, 2014. The tail is less visible in the image because of the high humidity in the photographers vicinity.</span></img></span><p></p></span></span>"The comet is not bright," MacRobert told Business Insider in an email. "You'll need to know the exact point on the sky to examine, and bring binoculars." Without binoculars, the comet will just look like a faint star.</p>
<p>Throughout a single night the comet will remain in roughly the same spot on the sky, shining like an new, green star. It won't streak across the sky like a meteor. The comet's position will, however, change each night.</p>
<p>This map from Sky and Telescope will help you figure out where the comet it on any given night for the rest of January. The yellow line shows the comets path night to night, the numbers marking the date:</p>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full click-to-enlarge"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"><a title_source="Sky and Telescope Magazine" title_caption="How to see comet Lovejoy in January, 2015." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54a47cb369bedd73488b4567-960/comet-lovejoy-chart-january-2015-st-e1419931846538-1.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54a47cb369bedd73488b4567-1200-1411/comet-lovejoy-chart-january-2015-st-e1419931846538-1.jpg" border="0" alt="comet lovejoy chart january 2015 ST e1419931846538" /></a><span class="source"><span><a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/binocular-comet-lovejoy-heading-c2014-q2-lovejoy-1211142/#sthash.2bof0yfK.dpuf">Sky and Telescope Magazine</a></span></span><span class="caption">How to see comet Lovejoy in January, 2015.</span></span><p></p></span></span>The values at the top of the chart are called right ascension, which are the longitude coordinates astronomers use to help navigate the night sky.)</p>
<p>The dates on the tick marks are for midnight in Universal Time, which correlates to 7 pm EST for the previous day. You can figure out where the constellations will be according to your time and location using the very handy free, open source digital planetarium called <a href="http://stellarium.org/">Stellarium</a>.</p>
<p>Using Stellarium, here's what New York City's night sky (if you could see stars well here) would look like around 8:05 pm, January 8 looking southward. Orion's belt is circled in red:</p>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full click-to-enlarge"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"><a title_source="Stellarium" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54aae4feecad04845b342009-960/stellar-1.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54aae4feecad04845b342009-1200-706/stellar-1.jpg" border="0" alt="stellar" /></a><span class="source"><span><a href="http://stellarium.org/en/">Stellarium</a></span></span></span><p></p></span></span></p>
<p>Like any celestial event, the best way to see Comet Q2 Lovejoy is to get far away from city lights on a clear night, so check your weather forecast before heading out. The <a href="http://weather.cnn.com/weather/forecast.jsp">forecast for New York</a> January 7 will be sunny.</p>
<p>If you look at the Sky and Telescope map above, you'll see that between during its closest approach on January 7 EST (January 8 on the map above), the comet will be visible directly east of one of the easiest features to find in the sky: Orion's belt.</p>
<p>So, if you're out that night, look for the three bright stars perfectly in a row that represent Orion's belt, and thens look slightly east. It might be useful to use an app like Google Sky View on your smartphone to help you pinpoint the speck of light.</p>
<p>With a little effort, you'll see the comet that Earth won't see again for another 8,000 years.</p>
<p>With binoculars or a telescope, you'll have a good chance of seeing the comet's green glow, which is created when ultraviolet light from the sun interacts with diatomic carbon molecules - two carbon atoms in a single molecule - in the comet.</p>
<p>If it's overcast, or you can't get away from light pollution, there will be two live observing sessions on January 6 and 11 hosted by <a href="http://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2014/12/07/comet-c2014-q2-lovejoy-live-observing-session-6-11-jan-2015/">The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0</a>.</p>

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