The sky, Sept. 16-22: Saturn rising as summer ends

The sky, Sept. 16-22: Saturn rising as summer ends

Special to CosmicTribune.com, September 15, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 ■ The two brightest stars of September evenings are Vega high overhead and Arcturus in the west, both magnitude 0. ■ Saturn this evening glows about 5° to the left of the nearly full Moon. Watch the Moon close in on it as the […]

The sky, Sept. 8-15: Moon occults Pi Scorpii, Sept. 9

The sky, Sept. 8-15: Moon occults Pi Scorpii, Sept. 9

Special to CosmicTribune.com, September 9, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 ■ Right after nightfall, the thickening crescent Moon shines low in the southwest. Look almost two fists upper left of it for orange Antares. Two thirds of the way from the Moon to Antares is the near-vertical row of three stars marking the […]

The sky, September 1-8: A winter preview at dawn

The sky, September 1-8: A winter preview at dawn

Special to CosmicTribune.com, September 1, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. The thin waning crescent Moon guides the way to Mercury low in bright dawn on the mornings of August 31st and September 1st. Bring binoculars. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 ■ Look for bright Vega passing the zenith as twilight fades away, if you live in the world’s […]

The sky, August 25 – September 1; Summer winds down, double cluster on the rise

The sky, August 25 – September 1; Summer winds down, double cluster on the rise

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 25, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 ■ The last-quarter Moon rises late, around 11 p.m. (It’s exactly last quarter at 5:26 a.m. Monday morning.) Spot the Pleiades a few degrees to the Moon’s upper right. Once it rises high it shines above much else in Taurus, as shown below. […]

The sky, Aug. 4-11: Here come the Perseid meteors

The sky, Aug. 4-11: Here come the Perseid meteors

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 5, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, AUGUST 4 ■ New Moon (exact at 7:13 a.m. on this date EDT). ■ The T Cor Bor Watch continues. Have you been checking Corona Borealis overhead these clear evenings? The recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis could erupt to 2nd magnitude anytime this summer. Or fall. […]

The sky, July 28-Aug. 3: Open clusters M6 and M7 in the South

The sky, July 28-Aug. 3: Open clusters M6 and M7 in the South

Special to CosmicTribune.com, July 29, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SATURDAY, JULY 27 ■ Last-quarter Moon (exact at 10:52 p.m. EDT). The Moon, in Pisces, rises around 11 or midnight tonight below the head of Andromeda and the Great Square of Pegasus. SUNDAY, JULY 28 ■ Starry Scorpius is sometimes called “the Orion of Summer” — […]

The sky, July 14-21: Planets on parade

The sky, July 14-21: Planets on parade

Special to CosmicTribune.com, July 15, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, JULY 14 ■ Uranus is in conjunction with Mars fairly low in the east before dawn on Monday morning July 15th. The two planets are magnitudes 5.8 and 0.9, respectively. Just before dawn Monday morning, use binoculars or a telescope to spot Uranus 0.6° to the north […]

The sky, July 8-14: First quarter Moon occults Spica

The sky, July 8-14: First quarter Moon occults Spica

Special to CosmicTribune.com, July 8, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, JULY 8 ■ Hercules crosses the zenith these evenings. And in the western edge of the Hercules Keystone, how many times have you pointed a scope at old friend M13, the great globular cluster? You do that not just because it’s one of the finest globulars in […]

The sky, June 17-23; Happy Solstice on the 20th

The sky, June 17-23; Happy Solstice on the 20th

Special to CosmicTribune.com, June 17, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, JUNE 17 ■ Have you ever knowingly seen even a bit of the constellation Centaurus? Famous Alpha Centauri never gets above the horizon unless you’re as far south as San Antonio or Orlando (latitude 29° N). But fairly easy from much farther north is Theta Centauri, […]

The sky, June 9-16: Saturn re-emerges at dawn, rings edge-on

The sky, June 9-16: Saturn re-emerges at dawn, rings edge-on

Special to CosmicTribune.com, June 9, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, JUNE 9 ■ The Big Dipper has now swung around to hang down by its handle high in the northwest after dark. The middle star of its handle is Mizar, with tiny little Alcor right next to it. On which side of Mizar should you […]

1 2 3