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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Posts Tagged ‘Arcturus’

Earthsky Tonight — May 1, Follow the arc to the star

Earthsky Tonight — May 1, Follow the arc to the star Arcturus in May

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org It is now the perfect time to look outside in the evening and learn a phrase useful to sky watchers. The phrase is: ‘follow the arc to Arcturus.’ First, locate the Big Dipper asterism in the northeastern sky. Then draw an imaginary line following the curve in the Dipper’s handle until you come to a bright orange star. This star is Arcturus in the constellation Bootes, known in sky lore as the ‘bear guard.’ Arcturus is ... Full Story

Earthsky Tonight — April 27, April full moon, Saturn

Earthsky Tonight — April 27, April full moon, Saturn and Spica

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Astronomically speaking, the moon turns full tomorrow – on Wednesday, April 28 – at precisely 12:18 Universal Time (7:18 a.m. Central Time). An astronomical full moon occurs at that fleeting instant when the moon stands most directly opposite the sun in Earth’s sky. For general reference, however, we can say that the full moon shines from dusk until dawn tonight. This April full moon is the second full moon of the spring ... Full Story

Earthsky Tonight — April 5, 2010: Star in the

Earthsky Tonight — April 5, 2010: Star in the constellation Bootes makes history

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org In 2007, a faint star in the constellation Bootes the Herdsman made astronomical history. An international team of astronomers, led by Jean-Francis Donati and Claire Montau of France, caught the star Tau Bootis flipping its north and south magnetic poles while these astronomers were mapping the magnetic fields of stars. This was the first time a magnetic reversal had been observed on any star other than our sun. Astronomers are ... Full Story

Earthsky Tonight — April 4, 2010: Drive a spike to

Earthsky Tonight — April 4, 2010: Drive a spike to Spica

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Notice that we have shrunk the scale of today’s chart, in order to take in a wide sweep of sky, from northeast to southeast. Tonight, let the Big Dipper introduce you to another bright star. This star is Spica in the constellation Virgo the Maiden. If you are outside this evening, you can follow the arc to Arcturus and drive a spike to Spica. In other words, today’s chart shows a wide sweep of sky, from northeast to ... Full Story

Earthsky Tonight — April 2, 2010: Moon and Scorpius

Earthsky Tonight — April 2, 2010: Moon and Scorpius rise after Orion sets

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Here is the waning gibbous moon near the star Antares in the southeast sky shortly after midnight on April 3. If you are looking for the moon on the evening of April 2, you won’t find it. The moon will not rise tonight until after the middle of the night – at about the same time that the constellation Orion’s bright star Betelgeuse sets in the west. Tonight, from about one after midnight until dawn, the moon will appear ... Full Story

Earthsky Tonight — April1, 2010 Follow the arc to

Earthsky Tonight — April1, 2010 Follow the arc to Arcturus

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Now is the perfect time to look outside in the evening and learn a phrase useful to skywatchers. Scouts learn it. Grandparents teach it to kids. It was one of the first sky tools I learned to use in astronomy. The phrase is: follow the arc to Arcturus. First locate the Big Dipper asterism in the northeastern sky in mid-evening, maybe around 9 p.m. Can’t find the Big Dipper? Look ahead to our chart for April 6. Once you can ... Full Story

Tonight, the waning gibbous moon beams near two bright

Tonight, the waning gibbous moon beams near two bright and beautiful stars

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Tonight, the waning gibbous moon beams near two bright and beautiful stars, Arcturus and Spica. Sparkling above the eastern horizon at early to mid evening, these stars travel westward (along with the moon) throughout the night, and stand high in your southern sky in the wee hours after midnight. As dawn starts to color the sky, these gems light up the western sky. In early spring, these two springtime stars shine all night ... Full Story

Earthsky Tonight — March 5, 2010: Star Arcturus is a

Earthsky Tonight — March 5, 2010: Star Arcturus is a harbinger of spring

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org The gloriously bright star Arcturus rises into your east northeastern sky around 9 p.m. tonight. This yellow-orange beauty – like any brilliant star – sparkles wildly when it hovers near the horizon. Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Bootes, which represents a Herdsman – though to our modern eyes, this star formation might look more like a kite or snow cone. Arcturus is the fourth brightest star in the ... Full Story

Earthsky Tonight — March 2, 2010: Moon still near

Earthsky Tonight — March 2, 2010: Moon still near Saturn, closer to Spica on March 2

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Last night, the moon was close to the planet Saturn on the sky’s dome. Tonight, the moon will pair up with Spica, the constellation Virgo’s brightest star. Our chart shows the eastern sky for fairly late tonight, around 10:00 p.m. That is when the waning gibbous moon and the star Spica will be low in the sky, below the planet Saturn. The moon and Spica will travel westward across the sky throughout the night. They’ll be at ... Full Story

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