The sky, April 13-20: Rise of Vega, the ‘Summer Star’

The sky, April 13-20: Rise of Vega, the ‘Summer Star’

Special to CosmicTribune.com, April 14, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, APRIL 13 ■ Vega, the bright “Summer Star,” rises in the northeast these evenings. How early or late depends on your latitude and also on your longitude within your time zone. Exactly where should you watch for Vega to come up? Spot the Big Dipper […]

The sky, April 6-13: The full Moon and Spica on April 12

The sky, April 6-13: The full Moon and Spica on April 12

Special to CosmicTribune.com, April 8, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, APRIL 6 ■ The Big Dipper stands high in the northeast these evenings, tipping over to the left dumping water. Its handle plus the two stars of its bowl closest to the handle form a broad, rough arc. To the right of the arc, not […]

The sky, March 2-9: Seeing the Venus crescent

The sky, March 2-9: Seeing the Venus crescent

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 28, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, MARCH 2 ■ February was Orion’s month to stand at his highest in the south in early evening. Now March pushes him westward and spotlights his dog, Canis Major with Sirius on his chest, standing center stage on the meridian. Sirius is not only the […]

The sky, Feb. 23-March 2: Sirius, the closest brightest star and it dwarf companion

The sky, Feb. 23-March 2: Sirius, the closest brightest star and it dwarf companion

Special to CosmicTribune.com, February 24, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23 ■ Have you ever seen Canopus, the second-brightest star after Sirius? It lies almost due south of Sirius, by 36°. That’s far enough south that it never appears above your horizon unless you’re below latitude 37° N (southern Virginia, southern Missouri, central California). […]

The sky, Jan. 27-Feb. 2: Moon, Saturn and Venus put on a show

The sky, Jan. 27-Feb. 2: Moon, Saturn and Venus put on a show

Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 27, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, JANUARY 27 ■ While the evenings are still dark and moonless, use big binoculars or a telescope to hunt down the 8th-magnitude globular cluster M79 in Lepus below the feet of Orion. Summer is the season for most globular clusters, but here we have a rare […]

The sky, Jan. 12-19: Full Moon occults Mars

The sky, Jan. 12-19: Full Moon occults Mars

Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 13, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 ■ Mars is nearest to Earth tonight, appearing 14.6 arcseconds wide and magnitude –1.4. That’s as bright as Sirius, which sparkles whitely about four fists to Mars’s lower right in early evening, and directly below Mars when they’re highest around midnight or 1 a.m. […]

The sky, Dec. 29 – Jan. 5: Omens for the New Year; Orion in primetime

The sky, Dec. 29 – Jan. 5: Omens for the New Year; Orion in primetime

Special to CosmicTribune.com, December 30, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 ■ As the year nears its end, Orion fully comes into his own. He’s striding up the east-southeastern sky as soon as it gets dark, with his three-star Belt nearly vertical. Left of the Belt is orange Betelgeuse and right of the Belt […]

The sky, Dec. 2-8, featuring M31, the Andromeda Galaxy

The sky, Dec. 2-8, featuring M31, the Andromeda Galaxy

Special to CosmicTribune.com, December 3, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, DECEMBER 2 ■ Two faint fuzzies naked-eye. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and the Perseus Double Cluster are two of the most famous deep-sky objects. They’re both cataloged as 4th magnitude, and in a moderately good sky you can see each with the unaided eye. Binoculars make them easier. […]

The sky, Nov. 10-17: Moon occults part of Pleiades late Friday

The sky, Nov. 10-17: Moon occults part of Pleiades late Friday

Special to CosmicTribune.com, November 10, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 ■ The waxing gibbous Moon shines quite near Saturn this evening for the Americas. In fact, its dark limb will occult Saturn for southern Florida, Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of South America. For instance, seen from Miami, Saturn will slowly disappear at […]

The sky, Nov. 3-10: Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Friday

The sky, Nov. 3-10: Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Friday

Special to CosmicTribune.com, November 4, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 ■ If you know a place with a very low view to the southwest horizon, bring binoculars after sunset to try for the very thin crescent Moon close to Antares. They’re deep in the bright twilight and thick air near the horizon! Look […]