We've entered the season of maximum daylight!
Astronomy
Astronomy: Week of 4/30/17 (Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower)
Seems like only yesterday I was talking about Jupiter coming back into the evening sky, and now it's shining high and bright early every evening. Never fails to impress, even through a small telescope. Mars is almost gone, vanishing below the horizon soon after sunset. Venus is back and shining bright again, but only if…Read more Astronomy: Week of 4/30/17 (Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower)
Astronomy Weekly : Solar Eclipse Planning
It's time to start planning where to be when the shadow hits!
The Lyrids Are Coming! (How Do We Know?)
Happy Easter, everyone! As you know, Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the first full Moon after the Vernal Equinox. So we couldn't know when to celebrate it without watching the stars. Before we get to meteor showers, a couple interesting conjunctions this week: The waning gibbous Moon passes by Saturn on Sunday the…Read more The Lyrids Are Coming! (How Do We Know?)
Astrophotography, or Just Obsession?
Warning: I'm getting a little over the edge here, and unwittingly going beyond "fun" casual stargazing into some serious effort to find the comets I've been talking about. In short, I'm geeking out into some junior-varsity stuff - particularly since I didn't start out with Astronomy being a main topic for this blog, it's a…Read more Astrophotography, or Just Obsession?
Astronomy: Week of 4/9/17 (Jupiter, and ANOTHER Comet!)
As I mentioned last week, Jupiter was at opposition on Friday, April 7 - this means it's opposite the sun, from our perspective, making it at its most "full" (though, as I've pointed out before, the outer planets are always very close to full from our vantage point). It's also on the same side of…Read more Astronomy: Week of 4/9/17 (Jupiter, and ANOTHER Comet!)
Astronomy: Week of 4/2/17 (Comet Hunters Edition)
Comets, Comets Everywhere - but where the heck are they?
Astronomy: Week of 3/19/17 – Vernal Equinox
This week I have two things to look at, two thing to know, and one thing to tease you with. Thing one to look at: In all my discussions and introduction of the Zodiac constellations, I sort of neglected Cancer. Cancer is easily overlooked, it's dim, more recognizable as that dark area between Gemini and…Read more Astronomy: Week of 3/19/17 – Vernal Equinox
Astronomy: Week of 3/5/17 – Navigation From the Dipper
The Big Dipper can help you find more than the North Star.
Lunar Occultation of Aldebaran, March 4
Not to replace the weekly astronomy summary, I wanted to get this out early so interested viewers can catch it. On Saturday, March 4, the crescent moon will get VERY close to Aldebaran, the red eye of Taurus. For most of the world, that's the end of the story, but for much of North America,…Read more Lunar Occultation of Aldebaran, March 4
Time and Direction – Celestial Tricks for the Backcountry
Quick tips on finding your way and tracking time while outdoors
Astronomy: Week of 2/26/17 (Crescents, Comets and Carnivores)
Crescents, Comets and Carnivores - and a couple planets and things too.
Astronomy: Week of 2/19/17 (Zodiacal Light)
This week, the moon is in it's last quarter, and the evening sky is dark. I'll still be spending some time trying to hunt down Iridium Flares, but there's another strange light in the sky as well - zodiacal light. Zodiacal Light is a ghostly, pyramid-shaped white glow visible just after evening twilight ends or…Read more Astronomy: Week of 2/19/17 (Zodiacal Light)
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 