This weekend, if you get an escape from cloudy winter weather and happen to have clear skies, you'll have the opportunity to see one of the best meteor showers of the year - the Geminids! What makes the Geminids so great? Well, a few things: 1) Gemini, the apparent radiant point for this shower, is…Read more Geminids!
Astronomy
Northern Lights!
Apologies up front here to my Canadian friends - I'm sure you see this all the time, and as I babble over a single night of reds and greens, I can only hope this is one of those things that doesn't ever get old. But when you live south of the Mason-Dixon line, seeing an…Read more Northern Lights!
Comet Lemmon – Not Great, But…
I've had a real problem finding Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6). It's been relatively clear, but I've had other challenges. 1) It's pretty low, so I've had challenges nailing the window between "not dark enough" and "it's below the horizon". 2) For me, the NNW direction is toward Washington, D.C. Even on the darkest nights, that…Read more Comet Lemmon – Not Great, But…
Two Comets and a Shower!
Hey All, I need to interrupt my ongoing discussion of campervan adventures in Washington state to talk about some upcoming backyard astronomy opportunities. We've got TWO marginal comets in the sky right now - one getting dimmer, and one getting brighter (but potentially lower). Neither is easy or straightforward, but worth the effort to seek.…Read more Two Comets and a Shower!
Sounding Rocket Launch, TOMEX+ Experiment from NASA’s Wallops Island, VA Facility
Last Wednesday night, on Aug 27, NASA successfully launched The TOMEX+ (Turbulent Oxygen Mixing Experiment Plus) mission from the Wallops Island launch complex on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and I got to watch it from home! Building on the success of the original TOMEX mission launched in 2000, TOMEX+ used a trio of sounding…Read more Sounding Rocket Launch, TOMEX+ Experiment from NASA’s Wallops Island, VA Facility
Perseid Meteor Shower – Difficult 2025
The Perseid meteor shower is typically a really good one, with up to 100 meteors per hour at its peak. But this year, we'll likely not see many of them. The apparent origin of the Perseids is the constellation Perseus (hence the name), which rises in the northeast around 10pm in early August. And while…Read more Perseid Meteor Shower – Difficult 2025
Venus-Jupiter Conjunction, 2025
Despite the shorter nights in the summertime, August has some perennial skygazing favorites going for it. The Perseid meteor shower (more on that later, but spoiler - bad Moon timing this year) is typically great, and August is typically the best time to see the Milky Way, arcing up from the center of the galaxy…Read more Venus-Jupiter Conjunction, 2025
Noctilucent Clouds – Ethereal Indicators of a Changing Atmosphere
If you're in high latitudes, step outside on a clear summer night around twilight and look up. If you're lucky – and increasingly, you might be – you'll witness one of nature's most ethereal displays: noctilucent clouds. These delicate, ghostly streaks of silver and blue seem to shimmer against the darkening sky, appearing almost otherworldly…Read more Noctilucent Clouds – Ethereal Indicators of a Changing Atmosphere
Another Visitor From Outer Space!
This week, astronomers confirmed the discovery of a new interstellar object zipping through our solar system from points unknown! It's only the third such object we've ever discovered, but it seems these types of encounters are turning out to be far more common than we thought. The object is designated 3I/ATLAS (That's 3-"eye", not the…Read more Another Visitor From Outer Space!
Astronomy Tidbits and Summer Solstice
Before I start discussing the upcoming solstice (Friday, June 20, 2025), there are a couple other little tidbits of interest I wanted to highlight this week. It's been tough to do any stargazing at home this week, as it's been raining non-stop for days, but that can't last forever! 1) Mars and Regulus Mars has…Read more Astronomy Tidbits and Summer Solstice
Spring Meteors – The Lyrids, Plus Morning Planets
I'm always a little hesitant to write about meteor showers, since you never know really how a particular event is going to shape up. Then again, since you never know, it's always worth an hour of my time to check things out. I still remember one December shower where the meteors were so thick and…Read more Spring Meteors – The Lyrids, Plus Morning Planets
Sunrise Solar Eclipse, March 29, 2025
About two weeks ago, I wrote about the upcoming total lunar eclipse (the Blood Worm Moon), and mentioned that eclipses tend to come in pairs. Well, the second half of that pairing is due this Saturday morning, March 29, when much of the North Atlantic, including northwestern Africa, western and northern Europe, and the northeastern…Read more Sunrise Solar Eclipse, March 29, 2025
Total Lunar Eclipse, March 13-14, 2025: The Blood Worm Moon!
It's been two years since the Americas had a total lunar eclipse, and we're making up for it this week. The ENTIRETY of North and South America will be able to see the totally eclipsed "Blood Moon" (The Blood WORM Moon!) at some point overnight between Thursday night and Friday morning. Peak totality will be…Read more Total Lunar Eclipse, March 13-14, 2025: The Blood Worm Moon!
The Enigmatic Blaze Star, T Coronae Borealis
There are a lot of natural phenomena in the world that generate awe - a sincere response to beauty, grandeur, something big and overwhelming that makes us feel small and insignificant, yet blessed by the opportunity to witness it. Then, there are unique occurrences that make us raise an eyebrow in curiosity, but that don't…Read more The Enigmatic Blaze Star, T Coronae Borealis
Mars Retrograde – Update
Just a quick reminder that today, Feb 24, marks the extent of Mars's western motion across the stars, and from here on out, it will be moving back in its correct, eastern direction. Mars on Feb 24, Western extent of Retrograde Motion (Stellarium) Note its position this week, in the center of Gemini, and keep…Read more Mars Retrograde – Update
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 