Earthsky Tonight—August 4, Cassiopeia the Queen on summer evenings
Queen Cassiopeia was said to have offended the sea nymphs, or Nereids, by boasting that her own beauty was greater than theirs. It is said that the nymphs appealed to…
Earthsky Tonight—August 3, Dipper points to Polaris, plus see Mizar and Alcor
Arabian stargazers called Mizar and Alcor the “horse and rider.” These stars are a good test of the night’s viewing conditions: if you cannot see Alcor, there might be thin…
Earthsky Tonight—July 27, Saturn, Mars, Venus – close pairing of Regulus and Mercury
Tonight, Mercury and Regulus form the year’s closest pairing of a planet with a first-magnitude star. Look for them very low in the west, very shortly after sunset!
Earthsky Tonight—July 26, The ‘forgotten’ zodiacal constellation
Even today, the Staff of Asclepius – the symbol of the World Heath Organization – pays tribute to the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.
Earthsky Tonight—July 24,Why the hottest weather is not on the longest day
Look westward at nightfall to see three planets in the July evening sky. In their order of brightness, these worlds are Venus, Saturn and Mars. Venus outshines Saturn and Mars…
Earthsky Tonight—July 16, Summer Triangle: Deneb and Cygnus the Swan
Deneb is the northernmost star in the Summer Triangle. Its constellation is Cygnus the Swan.
Earthsky Tonight—Moon close to Mars. Venus, Mercury, Saturn nearby
Obviously, the moon changes places from day to day, but how about the planets?
Earthsky Tonight—July 9, 2010: Venus and Regulus in conjunction
The dazzling planet Venus and the star Regulus are in conjunction at 9 p.m. Central Daylight Time this evening
July 8: 2010: Corona Borealis is also called the Northern Crown
The meaning of the Latin star name Gemma should be obvious. This star is the gem of the Northern Crown.
Earthsky Tonight—July 7, 2010: The moon will pass the Pleiades before dawn July 8
Even if you are familiar with the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, you may think that it is just a winter delight.