Not so long ago, we had no planets in our evening skies. Now Venus hangs in the west, Jupiter is bright and high in the south, and starting tonight, Saturn will be joining the party. Saturn is at opposition - directly opposite the Sun, rising as it sets - on June 27, just as the…Read more Saturn Joins The Party (Astronomy: Week of 6/24/18)
Astronomy
Summer?
Around here, meteorologically at least, spring has been sort of hard to get a grip on. We've gone from weeks of rain (very spring-y), to cold dreary late-winter holdouts interspersed with days of mid-summer 90-degree temps and high humidity. It's been a confusing time -- and so it's hard to really get a grip on…Read more Summer?
Filters
There's a great segment in Douglas Adams's Mostly Harmless, the 5th book in the ever-increasingly misnamed Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy, about the limitations of human perception. In it, the latest version of the eponymous Guide is an intelligent cyborg-type creature resembling a bird, and it tries to explain the nature of reality by shining…Read more Filters
Binaries (Astronomy: Week of 5/27/18)
Zubenelgenubi!! If you're inclined to say "Bless You", or "Gesundheit", I thank you. But this particular outburst comes from the name of a star. Together with nearby Zubeneschamali, Zubenelgenubi form the "Claws of the Scorpion", and mean, respectively, just that - these awesome and fun-to-say names are derived from the Arabic word, Zubana (Scorpion), and…Read more Binaries (Astronomy: Week of 5/27/18)
Rocket Science (Astronomy: Week of 5/13/18)
On Friday, SpaceX made the news again with the successful launch and recovery of their upgraded Falcon 9 booster, the Block 5, this time carrying a Bangladeshi telecommunications satellite into orbit. Like many tech breakthroughs, the success of the Falcon 9 series has almost become routine to the point that it doesn't get any attention…Read more Rocket Science (Astronomy: Week of 5/13/18)
Jupiter is Back (Astronomy: Week of 5/6/18)
A lot has happened in the two weeks I've gone silent... spring has sprung, the evening peepers have given way to Chuck-Will's-Widows and both screech and barred owl calls. Trees have leafed out (and flowered, as copious pollen can attest), and I've watched redbuds, dogwoods, wisteria, and locust trees bloom. In the meantime, I've been…Read more Jupiter is Back (Astronomy: Week of 5/6/18)
The Lyrids
I was reminiscing yesterday, and realized that time spent as a kid, laying out in the street with my dad searching for meteors, was probably what got me interested in astronomy. Seeing Saturn in a telescope definitely set the hook, but the bite came from meteor showers. More than stargazing, the meteor search was, for…Read more The Lyrids
Spring Clusters (Astronomy: Week of 4/8/18)
There are a few positive things to be said about the weather still acting like winter in the Mid-Atlantic - tree pollen hasn't been bad yet, I have so far avoided to mow the lawn, and the skies are still free of humidity and good for star-gazing. Tonight, it actually felt sort-of comfortable to be…Read more Spring Clusters (Astronomy: Week of 4/8/18)
Ah… Spring, and Stuff (Astronomy: Week of 4/1/18)
As I write this, on 3/31/18, a Blue Moon is rising on the night before Easter Sunday. By convention (and agreement per the Council of Nicaea in the year 325), Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs after the Vernal Equinox - one of the few remaining holidays that…Read more Ah… Spring, and Stuff (Astronomy: Week of 4/1/18)
The Spring Star, and…Death From Above! (Astronomy: Week of 3/25/18)
Made you look! That title echoes a lot of what I've seen in more popular media this week, and maybe it worked and got your attention... but the truth is, you're PROBABLY not going to die because of a falling space station this week. As I wrote a couple months ago (happily, because it gave…Read more The Spring Star, and…Death From Above! (Astronomy: Week of 3/25/18)
Three Planets and a Moon
As twilight ended on March 18, we could see our entire inner solar system in one shot: The Earth, Moon, Venus, and Mercury (left to right).
Spring Planets! (Astronomy: Week of 3/18/18)
I am writing this on St. Patrick's Day. Erin Go Bragh! And I'm casting a glance fairly frequently out the window these days, looking for green. Spring is coming - the vernal equinox actually occurs on the 20th this year (Tuesday) - just after noon (12:45pm EDT). Often confused with "the first day of Spring",…Read more Spring Planets! (Astronomy: Week of 3/18/18)
Venus and Mercury
It's been raining and cloudy for weeks. Then we had a Nor'easter barrel through with 60 mph winds, leaving us with clear skies - just in time for the Venus-Mercury conjunction on March 3. This picture was taken March 4 - not the closest approach, but not far - about a half hour after sunset. …Read more Venus and Mercury
Lions, Planets and Bears (Astronomy: Week of 2/25/18)
I stumbled across an innocuous piece of information this time last year - I don't know if it's an apocryphal source for a more common saying? A coincidence? But it's cool... However, hold that thought, I'll get to it. First, interesting things THIS WEEK: 1) As I mentioned, Venus is making its way back into…Read more Lions, Planets and Bears (Astronomy: Week of 2/25/18)
Xolotl is Back! (Astronomy: Week of 2/18/18)
OK, yes, I'm late getting this done this week - things have been busy... but better late than never! This week, Venus is reappearing in our night skies! It will be a while yet before it's making a significant showing as the "Evening Star", but it is there! If you have a clear western horizon,…Read more Xolotl is Back! (Astronomy: Week of 2/18/18)
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 