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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Posts Tagged ‘waxing crescent moon’

Sky Tonight—May 6, Mercury at greatest morning

Sky Tonight—May 6, Mercury at greatest morning elongation May 7

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Mercury, the solar system’s innermost planet, reaches its greatest western elongation from the sun on Saturday, May 7. Because Mercury is farthest west of the sun at present, this world now rises into the morning sky before sunrise – but how much before depends on where you live on the globe. The farther north you live, the closer Mercury rises to sunrise. The farther south you live, the greater the period of ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—April 10, Moon approaching Gemini stars

Sky Tonight—April 10, Moon approaching Gemini stars

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Tonight the wide waxing crescent moon passes in front of the constellation Gemini the Twins. The two brightest stars in Gemini are Castor and Pollux. Beyond the fact that both are bright, they don’t really look alike. Pollux is golden in color, and Castor is pure white. These stars are extremely noticeable in the night sky. No other two such bright stars appear so close together. Of course, many myths explain ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—April 9, Moon can guide you to objects

Sky Tonight—April 9, Moon can guide you to objects in Taurus and Gemini

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Tonight’s moon shines near the border of the constellations Taurus the Bull and Gemini the Twins. This slender moon in the western sky can guide your eye to objects in both constellations. Grab your binoculars, and let’s go outside! Top tips for viewing the night sky with ordinary binoculars As seen from North America this evening, the moon will be next to the faint cluster of stars known as M35, in the ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—April 8, Star Capella and a heavenly

Sky Tonight—April 8, Star Capella and a heavenly Chariot fly west at nightfall

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org As darkness falls, there are several ways to distinguish the brilliant star Capella from the other bright stars in the western half of the sky. Capella, the northernmost first-magnitude star, is the farthest bright star to your right as you are facing west. In addition, Capella looks yellow, like our sun. Moreover, Capella has a famous trio of starlets accompanying her, dubbed “The Kids.” Capella: Stellar ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—April 7, Waxing crescent moon in front

Sky Tonight—April 7, Waxing crescent moon in front of Taurus

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Look in the west tonight after dark to see the waxing crescent moon in front of the constellation Taurus the Bull. Tonight’s moon presents a great jumping-off spot to find your way around Taurus. The star glaring to the left or upper left of the moon is Aldebaran, Taurus’s brightest star. Aldebaran, the ruddy eye of the Bull, is a red giant star and in the autumn of its years. The other bright light above the ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—April 6, Pleiades cluster above crescent

Sky Tonight—April 6, Pleiades cluster above crescent moon

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Look westward at nightfall to see the Pleiades star cluster above tonight’s smiling lunar crescent. As seen from middle and far northern latitudes, the moon and Pleiades stay out well past dark tonight. For an extra treat, note the soft glow of earthshine on the moon’s dark (nighttime) side with the unaided eye or binoculars. When can you see earthshine on a crescent moon? Top tips for using ordinary ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—March 10, Moon shines close to Pleiades

Sky Tonight—March 10, Moon shines close to Pleiades star cluster

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The waxing crescent moon shines in the vicinity of the Pleiades star cluster tonight. On the other hand, if you live in the eastern part of the globe –Asia, Indonesia, Australia, or New Zealand – you will see the moon closer to the Pleiades tomorrow night. On a dark night, most people see the Pleiades cluster as a tiny dipper-shaped formation made of six little starlets. That lost seventh star – the missing ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—March 9, Moon between Pleiades and

Sky Tonight—March 9, Moon between Pleiades and Ram’s Head

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org To see Jupiter in March 2011, look west soon after sunset Just after sunset tonight you will spot the crescent moon above the western horizon. The moon floats between the faint head stars of the constellation Aries and the mythic sisters in the constellation Taurus known as the Pleiades. The moon is five days past new so it still appears to us as a waxing crescent moon. The best place to tour the moon with your ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—March 8, The Summer Triangle, a signpost

Sky Tonight—March 8, The Summer Triangle, a signpost for all seasons

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org To see Jupiter in March 2011, look west soon after sunset As seen from our northern temperate latitudes, the three brilliant stars of the Summer Triangle – Vega, Deneb and Altair – are out for at least part of the night every night of the year. Presently, the Summer Triangle shines in the eastern sky at and before dawn. Like the Big Dipper, the Summer Triangle is an asterism – a pattern of stars that is not ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—March 7, Mercury lurks beneath moon and

Sky Tonight—March 7, Mercury lurks beneath moon and Jupiter at dusk

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org If you have clear skies and live in the northern hemisphere, you should have no trouble spotting the waxing crescent moon and the blazing planet Jupiter after sunset, but the planet Mercury is a different story altogether. At mid-northern latitudes around the world tonight, Mercury follows the sun beneath the horizon around 45 minutes after sunset. The moon and Jupiter stay out until after dark. Looking for a sky ... Full Story

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