The sky, April 5-14: Get ready for the Solar Eclipse on April 8

The sky, April 5-14: Get ready for the Solar Eclipse on April 8

Special to CosmicTribune.com, April 6, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. FRIDAY, APRIL 5 ■ Shortly after nightfall around this time of year, Arcturus, the bright Spring Star climbing in the east, stands just as high as Sirius, the brighter Winter Star descending in the southwest (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes). These are the two brightest stars in […]

The sky, April 1-7: Jupiter, due West at twilight

The sky, April 1-7: Jupiter, due West at twilight

Special to CosmicTribune.com, April 1, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, APRIL 1 ■ The huge, bright Winter Hexagon is still in view early after dark, filling the sky to the southwest and west. Start with brilliant Sirius in the southwest, the Hexagon’s lower left corner. High above Sirius is Procyon. From there look higher upper right […]

The sky, March 25-31: Jupiter, Mercury and on March 30, Comet Pons-Brooks

The sky, March 25-31: Jupiter, Mercury and on March 30, Comet Pons-Brooks

Special to CosmicTribune.com, March 25, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, MARCH 24 ■ If you haven’t spotted Mercury yet this season, look for it lower right of Jupiter as twilight fades as shown below. Jupiter is magnitude –2.1. Mercury this evening is magnitude –0.1, meaning one sixth as bright. And that’s not counting the extra […]

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, October 28-November 5: Jupiter looks as big as it gets

The Sky, October 28-November 5: Jupiter looks as big as it gets

Special to CosmicTribune.com, October 30, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 ■ Full Moon (exact at 4:24 p.m. EDT). The Moon rises at sunset. ■ A very slight partial lunar eclipse occurs while the full Moon is visible from Europe, Africa, and Asia. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31 ■ The waning Halloween Moon, three days past full, rises […]

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 1-8: The Moon-Jupiter duo

The sky, October 1-8: The Moon-Jupiter duo

Special to CosmicTribune.com, October 3, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1 ■ The waning gibbous Moon rises in the east-northeast around the end of twilight. Ten or fifteen minutes later, Jupiter rises just 2° or 3° to the Moon’s lower right. Later in the evening the two shine high, as shown below. These are currently […]

The Sky, April 28-May 7

The Sky, April 28-May 7

Special to CosmicTribune.com, April 28, 2023 On April 28, the Moon, a day past first quarter, shines high toward the south-southwest after dark. On May 3, Arcturus shines high to the Moon’s upper left. and Vega, the Summer Star, the other zero-magnitude equal of Arcturus and Capella, twinkles low in the northeast at nightfall. The […]