The sky: December 11-17; Geminid meteor shower is year’s best

The sky: December 11-17; Geminid meteor shower is year’s best

Special to CosmicTribune.com, Decemer 11, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, DECEMBER 11 ■ Tonight, the brilliant orange-red supergiant Betelgeuse will be covered by a faint little asteroid, 319 Leona, for up to a second or two. But only if you’re located near the middle of the narrow occultation track. It runs from central Asia across the […]

The sky: December 4-10; Earliest sunset on December 7

The sky: December 4-10; Earliest sunset on December 7

Special to CosmicTribune.com, December 4, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, DECEMBER 4 ■ Last-quarter Moon tonight (exact at 12:49 a.m. EST). The Moon rises around 11 or midnight local time. By the time Tuesday’s dawn begins to break the Moon is high in the south. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 ■ At this time of year the Big Dipper […]

The sky: November 28-December 3: Spotlight on M31, the Andromeda Galaxy

The sky: November 28-December 3: Spotlight on M31, the Andromeda Galaxy

Special to CosmicTribune.com, November 28, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 ■ The Moon, just past full, rises in the northeast in mid-twilight. Bright Capella, magnitude 0, sparkles about two fists to the Moon’s upper left. As night deepens, watch for Beta Tauri, magnitude 1.6, to come into view only about a fifth as […]

The Sky, November 20-26: Sun sets earlier on Thanksgiving than Christmas

The Sky, November 20-26: Sun sets earlier on Thanksgiving than Christmas

Special to CosmicTribune.com, November 21, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 ■ First-quarter Moon (exact at 5:50 a.m. EST Monday morning). The Moon accompanies Saturn more closely than it did yesterday, as shown. ■ The tiny black shadow of Io crosses Jupiter’s face from 9:16 to 11:26 p.m. EST, moving across Jupiter from east […]

The Sky, November 13-19: Cassiopeia, Orion and the winter sky

The Sky, November 13-19: Cassiopeia, Orion and the winter sky

Special to CosmicTribune.com, November 13, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13 ■ Perseus is high in the northeast these November evenings, below W-shaped Cassiopeia. The W is standing on end. To find the famous Double Cluster in Perseus, count down the segments of the W starting from the top. The third segment points almost […]

The Sky: November 6-11: Double clusters and double stars

The Sky: November 6-11: Double clusters and double stars

Special to CosmicTribune.com, November 6, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6 ■ Perseus is high in the northeast these November evenings. The Perseus Double Cluster is below W-shaped Cassiopeia; the W is currently standing on end. Count down the segments of the W starting from the top. The third segment points almost straight down. […]

India upends lunar geopolitics; China snarls

India upends lunar geopolitics; China snarls

Special to CosmicTribune.com, October 25, 2023 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher There are now three countries with announced ambitions to place their people on the Moon; in addition to the United States (late 2025) and China (by 2029), on Oct. 17 Indian Prime Minister Nahendra Modi announced India’s intention to place Indians on the Moon by […]

The Sky: October 21-29: Jupiter at its brightest and largest, telescopically

The Sky: October 21-29: Jupiter at its brightest and largest, telescopically

Special to CosmicTribune.com, October 22, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 ■ First-quarter Moon (exact at 11:29 p.m. EDT). ■ The shadow of Jupiter’s fast-moving moon Io crosses onto the eastern edge of Jupiter’s face at 8:07 p.m. EDT, followed closely by Io itself 20 minutes later. Jupiter’s Red Spot should transit the planet’s central […]

The sky, October 15-21: Jupiter dominates the East late evenings

The sky, October 15-21: Jupiter dominates the East late evenings

Special to CosmicTribune.com, October 16, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 ■ Now that it’s mid-October, Deneb has replaced Vega as the zenith star after nightfall (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes). MONDAY, OCTOBER 16 ■ The Great Square of Pegasus is now high in the east-southeast after dark. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17 ■ Look for bright Capella […]

The sky: October 7-15; Venus the ‘Morning Star’

The sky: October 7-15; Venus the ‘Morning Star’

Special to CosmicTribune.com, October 8, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 ■ Arcturus shines in the west as twilight fades away. Capella, equally bright, is rising in the north-northeast (depending on your latitude; the farther north you live the higher it will be.) They’re both magnitude 0. Higher above Fomalhaut glows Saturn, pale […]