Posts Tagged ‘Bruce McClure’
Earthsky Tonight—March 11: Mars stationary in front
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Almanacs say the planet Mars is “stationary” today. However, stationary doesn’t mean that Mars stays in the same place in Earth’s sky all night tonight. Mars actually shines in the southern sky at mid-evening, and crosses the sky westward throughout the night. This ruddy world sets beneath the western horizon before dawn tomorrow. Does stationary mean that Mars is staying still in its orbit around the sun? Hardly! Mars ... Full Story
Earthsky Tonight—March 10: Is Sirius the most
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Look south at nightfall and early evening, and you can’t miss Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky. Mia asks, “Isn’t there a brighter star in absolute magnitude which appears dimmer because of its distance?” Yes, Mia, you are right. Sirius looks extraordinarily bright in Earth’s sky because it is only 8.6 light-years away. Many stars on the sky’s dome are intrinsically more luminous than Sirius, but ... Full Story
Earthsky Tonight — March 8, 2010: The Summer
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org 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 one of the officially recognized 88 constellations. To gauge the size of ... Full Story
Earthsky Tonight — March 5, 2010: Star Arcturus is a
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
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
