The sky, Oct. 19-24: Orionid meteor shower on Oct. 21

The sky, Oct. 19-24: Orionid meteor shower on Oct. 21

Special to CosmicTribune.com, October 19, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Astronomy.com report. Sunday, October 19 The Moon and Venus hang close together in the predawn sky, sharing the sky in the constellation Virgo. An hour before sunrise, look east to spot Venus, the brightest point of light, blazing at magnitude –3.9 nearly 7° above the horizon and […]

The sky, August 4-10: Perseid meteor shower begin

The sky, August 4-10: Perseid meteor shower begin

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 4, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 ■ This evening the waxing gibbous Moon hangs hardly more than 1° below orange Antares, the 1st-magnitude heart of Scorpius. MONDAY AUGUST 4 ■ Now the thickening, brightening gibbous Moon shines midway between Antares to its right and the spout of the Sagittarius […]

The sky, Oct. 13-20: Welcome Comet T-A

The sky, Oct. 13-20: Welcome Comet T-A

Special to CosmicTribune.com, October 13, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 ■ And now, even 60 minutes after sunset, the comet ‘s head is still a fine 9° high or so in the darkening sky. It’s about midway between Venus to its left or lower left, and Arcturus to its right or upper right. […]

The sky: January 1-7; Jupiter’s moons put on a show on the 6th

The sky: January 1-7; Jupiter’s moons put on a show on the 6th

Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 1, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, JANUARY 1 ■ After the noise and celebration at the turning of midnight tonight, step outside into the silent, cold dark. The waning gibbous Moon will be shining high in the east, with the Sickle of Leo floating about a fist at arm’s length above it. […]

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, 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: August 6-13

The sky: August 6-13

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 10, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, AUGUST 6 ■ The Big Dipper hangs diagonally in the northwest after dark. From its midpoint, look to the right to find Polaris (not very bright) glimmering due north as always. MONDAY, AUGUST 7 ■ A few Perseids trickle in starting in late July, then they […]

Comet dust over central Texas

Comet dust over central Texas

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, Jared Tennant Dusty debris from periodic Comet Swift-Tuttle was swept up by planet Earth this week. Vaporized by their passage through the dense atmosphere at 59 kilometers per second, the tiny grains produced a stream of Perseid meteors. A bright, colorful Perseid meteor flash was captured during this 20 […]