Tonight was nice and clear - so I went out to hunt for the dwarf planet, Ceres. I was inspired to look by Telescope Paul, who spotted it last week. I pretty much used the same star-hopping technique he did, but Ceres is moving, and sits a little higher, a little closer to Gemini than…Read more Starry Night
Planet
Astronomy Videos
Hey all. As I mentioned recently, I've been having fun with YouTube, just about as much as I have writing here. I recently had one of my YouTube buds ask about astronomy, and when I mentioned I write about it occasionally, he encouraged me to try to incorporate a YouTube adaptation... I was skeptical, but…Read more Astronomy Videos
Conjunction Junction (Astronomy: Week of 1/7/18)
Whew! Compared to last week, this week is pretty quiet, so I'm going to keep this one short... Our wintry nights are still long, here in the midst of "Deep Winter" (more on my 8-season outdoor calendar to come, later...), and I, like almost a third of the US, am REALLY cold. But those long…Read more Conjunction Junction (Astronomy: Week of 1/7/18)
Super-Everything to Kick Off 2018! (Astronomy: Week of 12/31/17)
OK, so... there might be a little bit of exaggeration in this title, but not much! Let's get to it! First off, we'll be ringing in the New Year with the year's first Supermoon, on New Year's Day! It's bigger, it's brighter! Because it's closer... the full Moon just happen to occur within a day…Read more Super-Everything to Kick Off 2018! (Astronomy: Week of 12/31/17)
Winter Sky (Astronomy: Week of 12/24/17)
Last year this time, I was sitting on my in-laws' couch trying to figure out how I was going to bring Flying Squirrel Outdoors to life. Though I officially didn't kick it off til Jan 1, it's hard not to think about where I've been this past year, ups and downs... And interestingly enough, part…Read more Winter Sky (Astronomy: Week of 12/24/17)
Just Stargazing, and Wondering (Astronomy: Week of 11/26/17)
This week I've been able to get out and just look at the sky. The clouds have broken, for a while, and those crisp, clear low-humidity night skies are back. It sure is getting cold, though! Saturn and Mercury are toying with the setting Sun. Jupiter and Mars are in the morning sky, and Venus…Read more Just Stargazing, and Wondering (Astronomy: Week of 11/26/17)
Pisces and More Planetary Dancing (Astronomy: Week of 11/19/17)
Before I spend any time talking about the big, dark constellation of Pisces, I want to mention a couple items of interest involving the planets. If you missed the great conjunction of Venus and Jupiter this week (I did - rainy and cloudy), don't worry, as there's always something new going on. In the mornings,…Read more Pisces and More Planetary Dancing (Astronomy: Week of 11/19/17)
Planets and Meteors (Astronomy: Week of 11/12/17)
Last week I published a couple teasers on what were then "upcoming" events, so this week's highlights should be on your radar. I've been patiently waiting through a week of almost nonstop rain, so I'm looking forward to all this as well. First - the Leonid meteor shower is upon us. Unlike the last two…Read more Planets and Meteors (Astronomy: Week of 11/12/17)
An Astronomical Potpourri (Astronomy: Week of 11/5/17)
Hi, everybody. I hope you've been having a good week and that you survived the demonic onslaught of trick-or-treaters Tuesday night! I was scared out of my wits - but then again I was caught several times in the front yard looking at the Andromeda Galaxy when a couple costumed kids would sneak up on…Read more An Astronomical Potpourri (Astronomy: Week of 11/5/17)
Uranus (Astronomy: Week of 10/22/17)
Before I get into the planetary stuff, I wanted to issue a reminder - the Orionid meteor shower peaks this weekend, but this shower is not a moment in time. You should be able to see the Orionids over the next week or so, and you have the added benefit of being able to catch them…Read more Uranus (Astronomy: Week of 10/22/17)
Venus and Mars, and maybe Hubble? (Astronomy: Week of 10/1/17)
Fall is in the air! Crisp days, and cool clear, low humidity nights are becoming the norm. Not to mention long nights, of course. For now, the Summer Triangle is still high overhead after sunset, and the Lonely Star of autumn (Fomalhaut) is rising. The Milky Way is still putting on a show, for a…Read more Venus and Mars, and maybe Hubble? (Astronomy: Week of 10/1/17)
Dawn Planetary Lineup (Astronomy: Week of 9/17/17)
A quick (and early) post this week, because Mercury, in particular, is moving fast, and the effect will soon be ruined. This week, try and get up early. For some of you I know this is pretty typical, but even those of you that are normally kicking and screaming at 5:30am might have reason to see…Read more Dawn Planetary Lineup (Astronomy: Week of 9/17/17)
Sagittarius and Juno (Astronomy: Week of 7/16/17)
Beginning with my own homework assignment, I did finally capture southern Scorpius. As you can see, it's REALLY low from my vantage point (any picture of stars that also features trees is a pretty good indicator of that). Not only was I able to catch the two "Cat's Eyes" at the end of Scorpius's tail,…Read more Sagittarius and Juno (Astronomy: Week of 7/16/17)
Movement (Astronomy: Week of 7/9/17)
Well, I was SORT of successful last week in photographing Scorpius. But between the summer weather (hazy, hot, humid, and thunderstorms just about every afternoon), it hasn't been a great week for stargazing. I got a brief window between clouds one night and shot some pictures of Scoripus's "head", they're posted here. M4 is pretty…Read more Movement (Astronomy: Week of 7/9/17)
Deep Sky Hunting in Scorpius (Astronomy: Week of 7/2/17)
The feature-rich Milky Way is now visible - let's see what we can find!
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 