Pierce College Science Dome

Pierce College Science Dome The South Sound's Only Digital Planetarium! Rainier Building 263
Pierce College Fort Steilacoom The Pierce College Science Dome is located in Lakewood, WA.

We opened to the public on the Pierce College Fort Steilacoom Campus in 2013. The facility has a 38' domed screen that gives a brilliantly detailed 3-dimensional perspective. Casual strolls through our solar system or even exploring the tiniest components of life, DNA, become so realistic making it another reason to love the South Sound's only digital planetarium! The dome comfortably seats 58, wi

th additional options on pillows in the very front. Families and friends are welcome to lay down for a more enjoyable experience. As an extension of Pierce College, our mission is to create quality educational opportunities for a diverse community of learners. We hope to inspire exploration and create a deeper understanding of our universe through every visit. We offer public shows every week! Special events with hands-on science outside of the dome are offered about once a quarter. Our services are also available to Pierce College classes, pK-12 field trips, and private showings. Our website PierceCollegeDome.com has a full schedule and prices.

In addition to summer solstice officially taking place this upcoming Sunday, there is a relatively rare daytime event we...
06/17/2026

In addition to summer solstice officially taking place this upcoming Sunday, there is a relatively rare daytime event we can witness this week! Read on to learn more about the upcoming lunar occultation and how you can spot it in the early afternoon sky!

⭐ What is a lunar occultation?
Lunar occultation is an astronomical event where the Moon passes directly in front of a distant celestial object, such as a star or planet. Lunar occultations of Venus usually happen a couple of times per year globally, but this event is special because it’s rare to see the two brightest objects in the sky (after the Sun) meet like this in the daytime sky, and because so many people will be able to observe it. People from much of the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Venezuela will be able to view the occultation that is expected to be one of the last good chances to see a lunar occultation in the United Stated until 2029-2031!

⭐ What will the occultation look like?
Venus will be passing behind the Moon, so you will be able to see Venus moving and disappearing behind one side of the Moon and reemerging again from behind the opposite side of the Moon.

⭐ When and how is the best time to view the occultation?
Look up in the eastern sky around 11:00am on the 17th and spot the thin crescent moon. Venus will be a bright object to the lower-left of the Moon, where the Moon is in shadow. Venus will disappear around 11:30am and reappear around 12:45pm. Since the daytime sky will be bright, it may take a moment for you to spot Venus, so give your eyes time to adjust, and consider wearing polarized sunglasses. The occultation will be much easier to see if you use binoculars or a telescope, but you need to exercise exceptional caution when looking at the daytime sky using either equipment. Luckily, Venus will be about 38 angular degrees from the Sun in the sky, so you should be able to view the occultation safely, as long as you follow safety guidelines (see below).

⭐⭐⭐ CRITICAL SAFETY NOTE! ⭐⭐⭐
It is extremely dangerous to look at the daytime sky with binoculars or a telescope unless you are properly prepared. NEVER point binoculars, telescopes, or cameras anywhere near the Sun without proper preparation or filtering equipment or you may experience immediate and permanent eye damage. To safely view the occultation, we recommend finding a viewing place where you are in the Sun’s shadow, such as behind a tall building, so that there is no chance of accidentally pointing the binoculars or telescope at the Sun.

Good luck and happy viewing!

📷: At about 11:30am on June 17th, Venus will disappear behind the Moon for about an hour before remerging from behind the opposite side. Via Stellarium.

06/16/2026

Playing This Week at the Science Dome!

🌙 Moons: Worlds of Mystery - Wednesday, June 17th, 5:15pm
Experience the amazing diversity of moons and the important roles they play in shaping our solar system. Follow in the footsteps of astronauts to our silvery moon, then venture beyond to unfamiliar and exotic worlds. Journey to the outer planets and their moons, returning home with newfound wonder about the dynamic and intricate solar system in which we all live.

👑 Cosmic Legacy: Tribute to Queen - Wednesday, June 17th, 6:30pm
Get ready to take off into an unlimited sound universe! Queen, the band that shook the cosmos with its music, leaves us a COSMIC LEGACY that pierces the soul. On-screen visuals guide you on a hypnotic journey that inspires nostalgia with hits like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Love of My Life’.

NO SHOWS JUNE 19th

🚀 Mars: The Ultimate Voyage - Saturday, June 20th, 4:30pm
Ever wondered what it will take for astronauts to travel to the Moon, Mars and beyond? On this long journey, what challenges will astronauts face? How will they stay motivated and healthy on their spacecraft so far away from Earth? The new, Bell original planetarium show Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, explores these questions and more

👑 Cosmic Legacy: Tribute to Queen - Saturday, June 20th, 6:30pm

Each all-ages public show features a 30-minute live night sky talk in the planetarium PLUS a 30-minute fulldome video (except for music shows, which do not include a live talk).

$8 general admission (except for music shows, which are $15)
Pierce College Students are free with ID

You may have heard on the news this past week that the International Space Station (ISS) has been “leaking” relatively s...
06/10/2026

You may have heard on the news this past week that the International Space Station (ISS) has been “leaking” relatively small amounts of air into space. Though NASA and other space agencies with crew aboard the ISS do not consider the leak an immediate threat, a recent scare did prompt a crew evacuation. Read on to learn more about what caused the leak, how the crew is attempting to repair it, and what caused this recent scare aboard the ISS!

⭐ Why is the ISS at risk for structural damage?
Life for astronauts aboard the ISS is dangerous, with near-constant threats from equipment malfunction, structural damage, radiation, and space debris. One threat that is unfortunately becoming increasingly prevalent is structural damage to the ISS, which is now over 27 years old. Structural microcracks are possible in older spacecraft due to the relentless stressors of space, including extreme thermal cycling (hot and cold cycles), pressure variations (pressurized interior vs. the external vacuum of space), debris impacts (micrometeoroids and tiny orbital debris), and material degradation (radiation, vibrations, etc.). Most of the modules of the ISS have far exceeded their expected 15-year lifespan, so it’s not unexpected that structural materials may weaken or fail at this point.

⭐ Where is the leak and what caused the damage?
In September 2019, a low-level, intermittent air leak was identified in the PrK transfer tunnel – a small connecting corridor on the Russian side of the ISS that connects the Zvezda service module to a docking port. Its main function is an airlock and transitional corridor for both cargo and cosmonauts between the docked spacecraft and the main modules of the ISS. The air leak was determined to be a result of microscopic structural cracks that were slowly releasing air into space. Though no official cause for the cracks has been released, scientists believe the damage is most likely a result of “normal” material stress and fatigue due to the age of the materials and how long it has been in space.

⭐ Have they tried to fix the leak?
Russian Cosmonauts have repeatedly tried to fix the leak with special sealants (Germetall-1) and have tried to prevent cracks from growing by only using the pressurized corridor when absolutely necessary. They’ve also tried to drill holes and cut away some areas to install sealing materials and look for more damage. These measures are considered “patchwork” rather than true fixes because the tiny cracks are difficult to find and access.

⭐ What caused the recent scare?
By 2024, NASA officials warned that the highly fluctuating leak rate could possibly lead to a catastrophic failure if not addressed, so the problem persisted for years after the initial leak was observed. However, on Monday, June 1st, 2026, the rate of the air leak suddenly doubled from about 1 pound of air lost per day to about 2 pounds of air lost per day. Cosmonauts decided to conduct emergency repairs on June 5th by cutting an internal structural bracket that could allow for better access to seal the cracks, but NASA engineers feared that cutting the bracket could pose a significant risk to the structural integrity of the ISS and to the astronauts aboard. Out of an abundance of caution, NASA’s Mission Control ordered a “safe-haven” evacuation order for five crew members to put on their spacesuits and board the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft as a sort of emergency lifeboat. Ultimately, Roscosmos decided to pause the repair so that they, along with NASA, could plan a safer repair approach. Crew members sheltered for two hours aboard their “lifeboat” before they safely re-entered the main modules of the ISS and continued with operations as usual.

⭐ What is the plan for repairing the leak in the future?
Details on the future repair are still being worked out between scientists from the two space agencies, and no new information has been released since the pause of the attempt on June 5th. Currently, the leak is still releasing air at a baseline level, so there is no immediate increase in threat to the safety of the ISS crew.

As the ISS continues to age, structural problems like microcracks are likely to develop more frequently in structural materials. The ISS as a whole is tentatively scheduled to be retired at the end of 2030, after which it will be deorbited and crash into a remote area of the Pacific Ocean. However, private industry and commercially operated space stations will hopefully be ready to replace the ISS before it is officially retired, so that important research can continue without interruption.

📷: A mosaic image of the ISS, taken by the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour in 2021. Via NASA

06/09/2026

Playing This Week at the Science Dome!

👽 Exo: Are We Alone? - Wednesday, June 10th, 5:15pm
Today we know of thousands of exoplanets — planets located outside our Solar System — that offer valuable information about our own planet, its origins and life on Earth. We’re on the cusp of making some fascinating discoveries. But how will they change our lives?

👩‍🚀 The Artemis II Program: A Deep Dive Live Talk - Wednesday, June 10th, 6:30pm
The Artemis program is NASA’s plan to take Americans back to the moon. Join us as we discuss the origins of the program, explore the launch system carrying our astronauts into space, and learn what we have accomplished so far. Our Deep Dive series features in-depth, one-hour live talks in the planetarium, given by one of our amazing staff members.

🌈 Aurorae: Lights of Wonder - Friday, June 12th, 6pm
The aurora is the greatest wonder a human can experience in nature. For the first time ever, you can experience an actual auroral substorm in real-time, high-resolution fulldome video, captured by astrophotographer O-Cheol Kwon in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.

👑 Cosmic Legacy: Tribute to Queen - Friday, June 12th, 7:45pm
Get ready to take off into an unlimited sound universe! Queen, the band that shook the cosmos with its music, leaves us a cosmic legacy that pierces the soul. On-screen visuals guide you on a hypnotic journey that inspires nostalgia with hits like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Love of My Life’.

🌎 Birth of Planet Earth - Saturday, June 13th, 4:30pm
How did Earth become a living planet in the wake of our solar system's violent birth? What does its history tell us about our chances of finding other worlds that are truly Earth-like?

🎶 Pink Floyd - Saturday, June 13th, 6:30pm
Pink Floyd’s iconic album ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, originally released in March 1973, recently turned 50, and what more fitting a place to celebrate it and experience it than in a Planetarium, through the music set to visuals.

Each all-ages public show features a 30-minute live night sky talk in the planetarium PLUS a 30-minute fulldome video (except for music shows, which do not include a live talk).

$8 general admission (except for music shows, which are $15)
Pierce College Students are free with ID

Do you have (or are you) a high school student (grades 10-12) looking for a great summer space camp opportunity? We are ...
06/04/2026

Do you have (or are you) a high school student (grades 10-12) looking for a great summer space camp opportunity? We are excited to offer our High Altitude Balloon Camp again this summer at Pierce College in Lakewood, WA!

This camp is a project-based experience in which students will construct, test, launch, and analyze data from their very own experiment sent to the edge of space on a high altitude balloon (HAB). This two-week day camp includes an overnight trip to eastern Washington, where you will launch and retrieve the HAB. This is a great opportunity to learn scientific, engineering, and coding skills while being creative and having fun with peers!

Applications for the High‑Altitude Balloon Camp are open now through June 10, 2026.

⭐ Dates: July 27 through 30 and August 3 through 6, including an overnight trip (August 3 and 4) to Eastern Washington for balloon launch
⭐ Hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
⭐ Cost: $75 per participant. Campers will be responsible for bringing a water bottle, snacks, and lunch for each day. Food is provided during the overnight trip.

Apply Now! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCS1qTskF-Go5AndORBwEti8iJOP6r3X8cYJUN4xDt3eFe_A/viewform

This camp is made possible by funding from the Pierce College Science Dome, the Washington Space Grant, and generous donations from Science Dome patrons.

You may recall that we’ve been observing Venus and Jupiter moving closer to each other in the western sky since early Ma...
06/03/2026

You may recall that we’ve been observing Venus and Jupiter moving closer to each other in the western sky since early May. Next week, the two brightest planets in our solar system will be very close together in a spectacular planetary conjunction. Let’s review what a planetary conjunction is, what you can expect to see during this conjunction, and when you can see it for yourself!

⭐ What is a planetary conjunction?
A planetary conjunction is an astronomical term for when two objects in the night sky appear close together. Remember, was say appear because objects in space are actually very far apart from each other! Since all planets orbit the Sun along the same plane (the ecliptic) but at different speeds, sometimes the planets are all very far apart from each other and sometimes multiple planets are “clumped together” on the same side of the Sun. When two or more planets are in a similar area of their orbital path and it lines up with our view from Earth, we see a conjunction. Conjunctions can be between planets, between a planet and the Moon, between a planet and the Sun, or occasionally even between multiple planets or other objects. Conjunctions between Venus and Jupiter only occur about once a year.

⭐ What will the Venus-Jupiter conjunction look like and why is it describes as “spectacular”?
Most conjunctions we observe from Earth are between objects separated by an average angular distance of 0.5° to 1.4°, which is about 1 to 2.5 times the width of the average full moon. This time, Venus and Jupiter will be separated by about 1.5°. That’s not particularly close, but the exceptional brightness of the planets makes this a more rewarding event to observe. Since both planets are especially bright and easy to find in the night sky, and since they will be so close to each other, this is one of the more impressive astronomical events of the year for casual viewers and experts alike. You might even be inspired to try your hand at some astrophotography, since the subjects are so photogenic this month!

⭐ When, where, and how is the best way to see the conjunction?
You can start watching Venus and Jupiter moving closer together now, but they will be closest around June 8th and 9th. Look to the west just after sunset, and you will see the planets appearing brighter and brighter as the Sun dips below the horizon. Venus will be slightly higher and to the right of the slightly dimmer Jupiter. Once the sky is fully dark around 10pm, the pair will appear as the brightest objects in the sky, separated from each other by about 1.5°, or, about the width of your pinky finger held at arm’s length. The planets will be brilliant in the night sky, but don’t wait too long to head outside to catch the view! Both planets will move below the horizon by midnight.

While Venus and Jupiter are the stars of the show, you may also see other bright objects nearby. The two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini, Castor and Pollux, will be a bit up and to the right of the conjunction and should be visible as well, even if much fainter. If you are lucky, you might also be able to make out Mercury, which is one of the hardest planets to catch a glimpse of. It will appear lower on the horizon than Venus and Jupiter and much dimmer, but your best chance to see it will be just after sunset, before it dips below the horizon around 11pm.

As always, try to find a viewing spot that has as little light pollution as possible, with an unobstructed view of the western horizon. Luckily, the third quarter moon won’t rise until around 1:30am, so your eyes won’t be distracted by its bright light. You definitely won’t need a telescope or binoculars to see the conjunction, but even a cheap pair of binoculars will give you a slightly better view. If you are able to see Venus and Jupiter in your binoculars or with a small telescope, look for the difference in color to tell the two planets apart. Venus will appear bright white, and Jupiter will be a slightly dimmer cream/yellow color. If you have a steady hand or a more powerful pair of binoculars/a telescope, you might be able to catch a glimpse of a couple of Jupiter’s largest moons.

Good luck and happy viewing!
📷: Jupiter and Venus move closer and closer together until their conjunction on June 8th and 9th. Modified from EarthSky.com images.

06/02/2026

Playing This Week at the Science Dome!

💥 Spark: The Universe in Us - Wednesday, June 3rd, 5:15pm
From the oxygen we breathe to the iron in our blood, the silicon in Earth’s mantle to the uranium that warms our planet, we owe it all to the stars. Narrated by Diego Luna, ”Spark: The Universe in Us” explores how hundreds of millions of celestial events have forged the elements that make up the Solar System, Earth—and us!

🎶 Pink Floyd - Wednesday, June 3rd, 6:30pm
Pink Floyd’s iconic album ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, originally released in March 1973, recently turned 50, and what more fitting a place to celebrate it and experience it than in a Planetarium, through the music set to visuals.

🌎 Dynamic Earth - Friday, June 5th, 6pm
The award-winning Dynamic Earth explores the inner workings of Earth’s great life support system: the global climate. Audiences will ride along on swirling ocean and wind currents, dive into the heart of a monster hurricane, come face-to-face with sharks and gigantic whales, and fly into roiling volcanoes.

👑 Cosmic Legacy: Tribute to Queen - Friday, June 5th, 7:45pm
Get ready to take off into an unlimited sound universe! Queen, the band that shook the cosmos with its music, leaves us a COSMIC LEGACY that pierces the soul. On-screen visuals guide you on a hypnotic journey that inspires nostalgia with hits like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Love of My Life’.

📡 Messengers of Time and Space - Saturday, June 6th, 4:30pm
Messengers of Time and Space is a stunning visual and educational experience that leads you on a journey through the dynamic Universe during a night of observing at the International Gemini Observatory.

🎶 Pink Floyd - Saturday, June 6th, 6:30pm

Each all-ages public show features a 30-minute live night sky talk in the planetarium PLUS a 30-minute fulldome video (except for music shows, which do not include a live talk).

$8 general admission (except for music shows, which are $15)
Pierce College Students are free with ID

Did you know that sharks have lived on Earth longer than Saturn has had rings? The earliest shark ancestors first appear...
05/27/2026

Did you know that sharks have lived on Earth longer than Saturn has had rings? The earliest shark ancestors first appeared on Earth about 450 million years ago in the Ordovician period, but it took another ~50 million years for shark-like fishes to become common, and “modern” sharks didn’t appear until about 200 million years ago in the Triassic period. Saturn’s rings, on the other hand, are believed to be at least a little bit younger.

⭐ What are “rings” on a planet?
Planetary rings are disks or toruses (a 3D donut-like shape) that orbit a planet. These disks of material contain dust, rocky debris, and chunks of ice that range in size from tiny microscopic particles to massive house-sized boulders. Typically, rings form when a comet, asteroid, or small moon gets a little too close to the planet and is torn apart by the planet’s gravitational forces or collides with other small bodies. Eventually, the debris spreads out and flattens into a disc shape by the planet’s gravity and rotation. Four planets in our solar system have ring systems – Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune – but ring systems are theorized to exist with planets outside of our solar system as well, such as planet J1407b that has a ring system about 200 times larger than Saturn’s!

⭐ What are Saturn’s rings?
Saturn’s rings are thought to be composed of pieces of comets, asteroids, or small moons that were broken up by Saturn’s powerful gravity before they even reached the planet. As with other ring systems, the particles range in size from dust grains to the occasional piece as large as a mountain! Saturn’s rings are only about 30 feet thick on average, but they extend as far as 175,000 miles from the planet. The rings are named alphabetically in the order they were discovered, but are not in alphabetical order physically. Starting at Saturn and moving out, the rings are named D ring, C ring, B ring, A ring, F ring, G ring, and E ring. Though most of the rings are very close together, there is a large gap between rings A and B, called the Cassini Division, that measures 2,920 miles wide.



⭐ Where did Saturn’s rings come from?
Though scientists have been studying Saturn’s rings for decades, we still don’t know exactly where they came from. New research suggests that the rings could have formed from the debris of two small icy moons that collided and shattered a few hundred million years ago, which may have also led to the formation of some of Saturn’s current icy moons. Fun fact: as of the last official count, Saturn has 274 moons!

⭐ How old are Saturn’s rings?
Scientists have been studying data from NASA’s Cassini mission, which spent over 14 years orbiting Saturn and collecting data, to see if there might be a clue as to how old Saturn’s rings are. One thing the scientists have determined is that the rings are almost entirely pure ice, without much “pollution” of dust particles from micrometeoroids. This, and other evidence, suggests that the icy ring material can’t have been exposed for more than a few hundred million years. Additionally, further research suggests that Saturn’s rings could have reached their current mass in just a few hundred million years as well. Based on all of this evidence, researchers believe that Saturn’s rings are not more than 400 million years old. Interestingly, one thing the Cassini mission discovered is that the rings are losing mass quickly, so scientists believe Saturn may lose its rings in the next few hundred million years.

As with all things in science, our understanding develops as more evidence is gathered. Research is still ongoing regarding the origin and age of Saturn’s rings, and though the leading theory is that Saturn’s rings are much younger than the planet itself, there are those who argue that the rings formed around the time of the planet’s formation, about 4.5 billion years ago.

So, are Saturn’s rings younger than sharks? Maybe. Probably. Possibly. We don’t know for sure at this point. But given the evidence we’ve seen so far, it’s fair to say that sharks have been alive longer than Saturn has had rings!

📷: Saturn and its rings, taken by Cassini. Via NASA/JPL-CalTech

05/26/2026

Playing This Week at the Science Dome!

⭐ Secret Lives of Stars - Wednesday, May 27th, 5:15pm
We will witness the amazing variety of stars and peer into their secret lives. Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart of TV’s Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films.

📡 Messengers of Time and Space (sensory-friendly version) - Wednesday, May 27th, 6:30pm
Messengers of Time and Space is a stunning visual and educational experience that leads you on a journey through the dynamic Universe during a night of observing at the International Gemini Observatory.

🕳️ Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity - Friday, May 29th, 6pm
Be dazzled with striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to a super-massive black hole lurking at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

🎶 Pink Floyd - Friday, May 29th, 7:45pm
Pink Floyd’s iconic album ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, originally released in March 1973, recently turned 50, and what more fitting a place to celebrate it and experience it than in a Planetarium, through the music set to visuals.

🚀 To Worlds Beyond: Journey Through the Solar System - Saturday, May 30th, 4:30pm
From the fiery surface of the Sun to the icy realm of comets, travel to worlds with enormous volcanoes, vast canyons, dazzling rings, and storms that would swallow the Earth. Learn more about Mars and Pluto too!

👑 Cosmic Legacy: Tribute to Queen - Saturday, May 30th, 6:30pm
Get ready to take off into an unlimited sound universe! Queen, the band that shook the cosmos with its music, leaves us a Cosmic Legacy that pierces the soul. On-screen visuals guide you on a hypnotic journey that inspires nostalgia with hits like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Love of My Life’.

Each all-ages public show features a 30-minute live night sky talk in the planetarium PLUS a 30-minute fulldome video (except for music shows, which do not include a live talk).

$8 general admission (except for music shows, which are $15)
Pierce College Students are free with ID

Since we have several interesting things involving the Moon this month, we’re going to keep the lunar theme going and wr...
05/19/2026

Since we have several interesting things involving the Moon this month, we’re going to keep the lunar theme going and write about earthshine! Neil Peart, the famous drummer and lyricist from the band Rush, wrote the following lyrics for their song Earthshine:

On certain nights
When the angles are right
And the Moon is a slender crescent

Its circle shows
In a ghostly glow
Of earthly luminescence

Peart’s poetic descriptions of earthshine hit the nail on the head, and the entire song is definitely worth a listen. Read on to learn more about earthshine and how you can see it!

⭐ What is earthshine?
Have you ever looked up at the bright crescent moon and still been able to see the faint outline of the rest of the Moon? Earthshine is the faint glow that illuminates the “dark” portion of the Moon when it is in a new or crescent phase. The light that illuminates the part of the Moon in shadow is not coming directly from the Sun – which *is* illuminating the bright crescent portion – it comes from sunlight reflected off of Earth.

⭐ Why does earthshine occur?
You may recall that a new moon occurs when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun, so we only see the half of the Moon that is facing away from the Sun, in shadow. Usually this means that we either cannot see the Moon well at all, or it may have a very faint outline. But sometimes, the dark face of the Moon can appear slightly illuminated due to sunlight reflecting off of Earth.

Earthshine varies in strength throughout the year, but it tends to be brightest in the Northern Hemisphere from April to June because that is the time of year when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun and the surface snow and ice leftover from winter reflect more light than at other times of the year.

⭐ How “bright” is Earth?
All celestial objects reflect light to some degree. We call the amount of light that is reflected off the surface of an object albedo. In general, objects that have bright clouds or ice reflect more light (higher albedo), and objects made of rock or carbon-rich materials reflect less (lower albedo). For example, Saturn’s moon Enceladus has the highest albedo of any object in the solar system because it is covered in fresh ice that reflects nearly 99% of sunlight, while Comet Borrelly reflects only 3% of sunlight because it composed of (or covered in) very dark carbon compounds. Interestingly, the Moon reflects only about 12% of sunlight, which is similar to the albedo of asphalt, but it still appears bright in the sky because the blackness of space around it creates a stark contrast. Earth’s albedo varies, but it averages to about 0.30 (30%), which is significantly higher than the Moon’s. If you were in space and looked at the Moon and Earth at the same time, Earth would appear brighter.

⭐ How can I see earthshine?
Earthshine is easiest to see for the few days around a new moon because the Moon appears as a bright sliver or crescent while Earth is reflecting maximum sunlight onto the Moon’s surface. May’s new moon was last Saturday, so you may be able to see the earthshine tonight and tomorrow night, if the clouds cooperate! If not, you’ll have another shot around the new moon on June 15th. It will be easiest to see in the western evening after sunset, in an area with as little light pollution as possible.

Good luck and happy viewing!

If you’re interested in hearing more science-themed songs from Rush, check out Countdown (about the Space Shuttle Columbia’s first launch), Natural Science (about environmental, quantum, and scientific integrity issues), V***r Trail (comparing aspects of life to the fading v***r trails left by jet engines), and more!

📷: The Moon, illuminated by the faint glow of earthshine, taken from the International Space Station Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science Remote Sensing Unit in July, 2011. Via NASA/Johnson Space Center

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