‘Earth & Sky’ Archives
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 21, Watch for Blue Moon near
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Yes. Today’s November full moon is a Blue Moon. It is not blue in color. It’s only blue in name – at least, by one definition. Tonight’s moon is the third of four full moons in a season. So many will call it a Blue Moon. There is a more modern definition of Blue Moon. It is the idea that a Blue Moon is a second full moon in a calendar month. The next Blue Moon to fit this description will come ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 20, Nearly full moon near
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org At the instant that the moon turns full in November 2010, the moon will rendezvous with the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Before the full moon, the moon lies to the west of the Pleiades. (West is to the right as seen from our northerly latitudes.) After the full moon, the moon moves to the east of the Pleiades. At full moon, the moon swings just south of the Pleiades cluster ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 19, Moon in front of Aries the
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The moon shines in front of the constellation Aries the Ram tonight. But the glare of the almost-full waxing gibbous moon will make the mighty Ram look sheepish in the moon-drenched sky. The moon will turn full on November 21. This will be the third of four full moons to fall in between the September equinox and the December solstice. Generally, there are only three full moons in one season, so the ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 18, Moon and Jupiter tonight,
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The moon and solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter, shine from dusk until well after midnight tonight. They will be very noticeable as the brightest objects in the night sky. After Jupiter and the waxing gibbous moon set in the west before Friday dawn tomorrow, look for the blazing planet Venus to rise in the east before dawn. The little star near it is Spica in the constellation VIrgo. The planet ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 17, No meteors last night? Try
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The forecast calls for the annual Leonid meteor shower to be at its best during the predawn hours on Wednesday, November 17, or Thursday, November 18. Which morning will be best for the U.S.? You’ll have to go out under a clear dark country sky to see for yourself. If the prediction holds true, Asia should be in the best position to see the Leonids at their peak on Thursday – in between moonset and ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 16, Leonid meteors peak before
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Here is the radiant point for the Leonid meteor shower. The 2010 Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak before dawn on Wednesday, November 17, or Thursday, November 18. If you have a dark sky – far from city lights – you might see as many as 10 to 15 meteors per hour at the shower’s peak. The best time to watch will be after the moon sets in the wee hours before dawn. Many ask about the radiant ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 15, Waxing moon close to
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Given clear skies tonight, everyone around the world will see the waxing gibbous moon close to the solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter. After the moon, Jupiter is easily the brightest celestial object in the November 2010 evening sky. But – generally speaking – Jupiter ranks as the fourth brightest celestial object in all the sky, after the sun, moon and planet Venus, respectively. Venus won’t ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 14, Waxing moon approaching
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Given clear skies, everyone around the world will see the blazing planet Jupiter reaching its highest point tonight around 8 p.m. local time tonight. Moreover, everyone will see the waxing gibbous moon to the west of Jupiter. Watch as Jupiter chases the moon westward across the sky throughout the evening hours tonight. Depending on where you live worldwide, the moon will set in the west at late evening ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 13, Big Dipper bowl points to
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org You can use the Big Dipper to find the brilliant star Capella in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. The top two bowl stars point toward Capella, as we depict on today’s sky chart. The phrase spring up and fall down gives you some idea of the Big Dipper’s place in the evening sky. On fall evenings, the Big Dipper sits way down low in the northern sky. On spring evenings, the Big Dipper shines ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Nov 12, Big Dipper, aka Sky Bear,
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org In our northern hemisphere, the Big Dipper is probably the sky’s best-known asterism. In other words, it’s a recognizable pattern of stars – not an official constellation. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major, otherwise known as the Great Bear. Every year, the Big Dipper (Great Bear) descends to its lowest point in the sky on November evenings. In fact, people in the southern part of the ... Full Story
