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
Mercury
BepiColombo: Why Is It So Hard To Get To Mercury?
Back in October, 2018, the BepiColombo mission launched. It intrigued me then, and I made a note to learn more and write about it at the time. What piqued my interest most was the journey BepiColombo would have to take, a journey of over seven years to reach a planet that's only an average 48…Read more BepiColombo: Why Is It So Hard To Get To Mercury?
Mercury and the Moon
As a quick followup to my post last week about Mercury being at elongation (that was back on Thursday, July 12) - I failed to mention, because I didn't know, that the brand new baby moon would be right next to Mercury on Saturday night (the 14th). Here's what I saw: Mercury is actually fairly…Read more Mercury and the Moon
Mercury at Elongation (Astronomy: Week of 7/8/18)
Hey all, a quick one this week - I'm out in the woods (hooray!) this week with no (little) internet. A nice tradeoff, honestly... BUT, as I've been out this week under clear skies, looking at Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars (midnight or so), I've also caught a glimpse of Mercury. All five (six if…Read more Mercury at Elongation (Astronomy: Week of 7/8/18)
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
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 