Earthsky Tonight—June 18: A half-moon Joins Saturn
The brightest “star” near the half-lit moon is Saturn. Thanks to its majestic system of rings, it has become an icon of “outer space”
Earthsky Tonight—June 17, View Mars tonight via reflected sunlight nearly 28 minutes old
Mars is known as the “Red Planet,” but most people do not see it with a truly red color. Instead, it usually appears yellowish or perhaps a rusty orange.
Earthsky Tonight—June 16, Waxing Crescent Moon meets the “Little King” of Leo
Regulus marks the point of the famed “backwards question mark” of Leo, the great lion of the heavens.
Earthsky Tonight—June 15: Moon and Venus still close after sunset
Because the moon and Venus are globes, they are always half-illuminated by sunlight and half-obscured in their own shadows.
Earthsky Tonight—June 12: Zodiac means Pathway of Animals
The word “zodiac” just means “pathway of animals.” It is an important pathway across our sky because the sun moves across it during the day, and the moon and planets…
Earthsky Tonight—11: Altair, guide star to two small constellations
That is Altair, the brightest star in the constellation Aquila the Eagle, and the second brightest star in the Summer Triangle.
Earthsky Tonight—June 10: Find the Summer Triangle ascending in the east
On the other hand, asterisms are whatever you want them to be. They are just patterns on the sky’s dome. You can also make up your own asterisms, in much…
Earthsky Tonight—June 9: Ophiuchus and the Serpent
Ophiuchus is joined in legend and in the sky to the constellation of the Serpent, called Serpens.
Earthsky Tonight—June 8: Crow, cup and water snake sail the southern sky
The first star you will likely see, nearly due south, is Spica, in Virgo. However, wait a little and given clear skies and a lack of lights, a number of…
Earthsky Tonight—June 7: Closest two planets of 2010 on June 8, but one may require binoculars
The closest planet/planet pairing takes place in the morning sky on Tuesday, June 8. Jupiter and Uranus stand less than 1/2 degree apart. (For reference, the moon’s diameter spans 1/2…