‘Earth & Sky’ Archives
EarthSky Tonight—Sept. 30, What bright star flashes
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Every year in late September and early October, we get questions from people who see a bright star twinkling with red and green flashes, low in the northeastern sky. Capella is a golden star when seen higher up in the sky. If you could travel to it in space, you’d find that it’s actually two golden stars, both with roughly the same surface temperature as our local star, the sun . . . but both larger and brighter than the ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Sept. 29, Star-hop from Great
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org The Great Square of Pegasus is a great jumping off point for finding the Andromeda galaxy, otherwise known as M31. The Great Square sparkles over your eastern horizon at early evening, then travels westward across the sky throughout the night. For some idea of the Great Square’s size, extend your hand an arm length from your eye. You will see that any two Great Square stars are farther apart than the width of your ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—September 28, How to find the
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Which star is loneliest? Most people would say the answer is Fomalhaut, a bright star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus the Southern Fish. The coming month or so is the best time to see this star. So, go outside now … and learn to keep company with the loneliest star. On this autumn night, at about 8 to 9 p.m., look for a solitary star that’s peeking out at you just above the southeast horizon. Do you see it? No ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—September 27, Summer Triangle high
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Even as autumn is beginning, we still have several months to watch the large asterism known as the Summer Triangle. This huge star pattern looms from south to overhead in the autumn evening sky. The Summer Triangle consists of three bright stars in three separate constellations. The stars are Vega in the constellation Lyra, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, and Altair in the constellation Aquila. Today’s chart has ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—Sept 26, The first point of Aries
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org In ancient times, the March equinox sun shone in front of the rather small constellation Aries the Ram. You can find this constellation ascending in the east around 9 to 10 p.m. tonight, the Ram’s starlit bust perhaps faintly visible to the upper right of the waning gibbous moon. Be forewarned. Aries is not conspicuous, especially in the moonlit glare. Tomorrow night, at this time, a smaller waning gibbous moon will shine ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—September 25, Look for daytime moon
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Sylvia wrote, “When is the best time to see the moon in the sky during daylight hours?” Sylvia, it is easier to see a daytime moon when the moon is fairly far from the sun in the sky. When would that be? It would be around the time of full moon each month. A full moon is always 180 degrees from the sun, on the opposite side of the sky’s dome. Full moon was September 23. Generally, the full moon sets around ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—September 24, Harvest moon, Jupiter
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org If you live at mid or far northern latitudes, the Harvest Moon and the blazing planet Jupiter will shine from dusk until dawn for yet another night. That is in spite of the fact that the full moon has already passed. (See our September 22 program.) The legendary Full Harvest Moon is famous for ushering in the year’s longest procession of moonlit nights. Why does the Full Harvest Moon in particular – the full moon ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight-Sept 23 Harvest Moon, Jupiter,
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org The Harvest Moon and the blazing planet Jupiter shine all night long tonight to commemorate the first full night of the autumn season. By common practice, we use the September equinox to mark the start of autumn, and call the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox the Full Harvest Moon. In 2010, the Harvest Moon comes only 6 hours after the September equinox. If you live in the southern hemisphere, the September ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—September 22, Harvest moon,
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Comet Hartley 2 might brighten to binocular object in late September The equinox falls at 9:09 p.m. on this Wednesday evening, according to clocks set to Mountain Daylight Time. That translates to 3:09 a.m. tomorrow – on Thursday, September 23 – Universal Time. So some calendars will show today as the equinox, and others will show tomorrow. Everything you need to know about the autumnal equinox of 2010 Here are ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—September 21, Jupiter’s closest
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Comet Hartley 2 might brighten to binocular object by late September 2010 In 2010, Jupiter came closest to Earth on September 20 – yesterday – at 21 hours Universal Time (4 p.m. Central Daylight Time). Then Jupiter was only 368 million miles away. Today Earth passes between the sun and Jupiter, placing Jupiter opposite the sun in our sky. Astronomers call this event an opposition of Jupiter. The 2010 opposition ... Full Story
