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…
Comet
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!
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!
Comets Old And New
You may or may not have heard, but there's a really bright comet out there right now. Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS (catchy!) reached perihelion (closest approach to the sun) on Monday, January 13th. It passed by the Sun at a distance of 0.094 AU. One Astronomical Unit (AU) is the average distance from the Earth…Read more Comets Old And New
A Worthy Comet
Pictures of Comet NEOWISE are all over the place these days, and with good reason. It has been putting on a surprisingly good appearance over the past week, with a beautiful tail, and for a while even breaking the naked-eye-visibility barrier. The phrase "best comet since Hale-Bopp in '97" seems to be floating around among…Read more A Worthy Comet
The Moon, Mars, a Comet, and Maybe a Fireball (Astronomy: Week of 7/22/18)
Wow, there's a lot of cool stuff going on in the night sky this week. I can't wait til this pattern of East Coast thunderstorms lets me see it! Let me give a quick rundown, in the order of my own particular interest and excitement. Your mileage may vary. Mars at Opposition Mars is back,…Read more The Moon, Mars, a Comet, and Maybe a Fireball (Astronomy: Week of 7/22/18)
History’s Most Important Comets (Astronomy: Week of 1/14/18)
You might not have heard, and almost certainly didn't see, Comet Heinze (C/2017 T1), zip by Earth over the past week and a half or so. Discovered last year, it was expected to brighten up and make a good showing as a binocular comet through January 2018, but it's still very dim, at Magnitude 9.5. …Read more History’s Most Important Comets (Astronomy: Week of 1/14/18)
Astronomy, Week of 5/14/17 (Yes, Another Comet!)
There is another binocular comet gracing our night skies, and this may be the last one of the year. It's hovering just below naked-eye brightness at the moment, but it's high in the evening sky (none of this early pre-dawn nonsense), in Bootes, between Arcturus and the Big Dipper, very close to where Comet 45P…Read more Astronomy, Week of 5/14/17 (Yes, Another Comet!)
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 3/26/17 (Two Elusive Speedsters)
OK, as promised, I'm going to talk about Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak this week, but there's also another elusive object out there, and this week may be your best chance to catch either of them. The planet Mercury is nearing its most eastern declination from the Sun this week, meaning from our point of view it's at…Read more Astronomy: Week of 3/26/17 (Two Elusive Speedsters)
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 Feb 12, 2017 (Iridium Flares, and that Comet!)
Limited time showing on comets and flashing spaceships.
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 