Posts Tagged ‘waning moon’
Sky Tonight—March 27, Use the Big Dipper to locate
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org You can easily locate the Big Dipper in the northeast sky on these early springtime evenings. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Greater Bear. If you can find the Big Dipper, you can also find two Hunting Dogs seen by the ancient stargazers to be nipping at the Bear’s heels. The Hunting Dogs are a separate constellation: tiny Canes Venatici. You will need a dark sky to see these two ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—January 23, Eridanus-a winding river of
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Bright star in southwest on January evenings? It’s the planet Jupiter Here is a constellation for you if you have access to a very dark sky: Eridanus the River. You will not see this one from the city, or even the suburbs. Eridanus the River begins near the star Rigel in the constellation Orion the Hunter – and wells up in a great loop before ambling back down toward the southern horizon. Rigel: Orion’s ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—January 21, Identify the Winter Circle
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Tonight’s chart covers a wider area of sky than what we typically show. It is in answer to a reader in Nashville, who wrote, I have heard mention of the Winter Circle of Stars. Could you list the stars in this circle? You will find these stars at this time of year by looking east-southeast at early to mid evening. Again, this is a large pattern and covers a wide area of sky, but as always, it is easiest to start ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—January 3, Quadrantid meteors for Asia
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Two major events will take place tomorrow – on Tuesday, January 4 – a meteor shower and a solar eclipse. Neither one is particular well placed for the Americas. The annual Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to produce its greatest number of meteors in the wee hours before dawn tomorrow. If predictions hold true, it should be best seen from western Asia and Eastern Europe. Then a partial eclipse of the sun ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—December 31, See brightest star at
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Sirius in the constellation Canis Major – the legendary Dog Star – should be called the New Year’s star. This star – the brightest star in our sky – celebrates 2011 and every new year by reaching its highest point in the sky around the stroke of midnight. How can you find Sirius? It is easy because this star is the brightest one we see from Earth. Its name means ‘Sparkling’ or ‘Scorching.’ In ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—December 30, Moon and Venus will shine
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The final morning of 2010 – tomorrow morning, December 31 – will feature the moon with the planet Venus in the eastern sky before sunrise. It should be quite a treat, because the moon and Venus rank as the second- and third-brightest celestial bodies in Earth’s sky. Depending on where you live worldwide, Venus and the moon will rise above the eastern horizon some 3 to 4 hours before sunup, to light up the ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—December 29, Moon and Venus before dawn
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org If you look in the eastern predawn sky in the coming mornings, you will find the moon and planet Venus close together. They will be a beautiful sight tomorrow morning, shining nearly side by side. Venus is easy. It is the brightest object there other than the sun and moon. However, Mercury –the most elusive planet – is also up before dawn, closer to the horizon. Now here is a challenge. Did you see Mercury ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—December 28, Find a variable star in
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org This evening, we zoom in on a variable star – a star whose brightness changes – near the star Vega in the small but distinctive constellation Lyra the Harp. Here is how to locate it. A dark sky brings out the four rather faint stars to the left of Vega. These stars form a parallelogram – a four-sided figure with its opposite sides equally long and parallel to one another. Three fingers at an arm length ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—December 27, Moon, bright star, two
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Before dawn tomorrow (Tuesday, December 28), look in the east for the planet Saturn and star Spica near the last quarter moon. Beneath this threesome – moon, Saturn and Spica – you will see the blazing planet Venus much closer to the eastern predawn horizon. You might be seeing these objects when there is a fair amount of predawn twilight washing the sky. The planets and stars have colors of their own. Saturn ... Full Story
Sky Tonight— December 24, Moon approaching Regulus
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Bright object in south on December evenings? It’s the planet Jupiter If you are out late on this Friday evening, look toward the east to see the moon near the star known as the Lion’s Heart. This is Regulus, brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion. Although our sky chart is designed for mid-temperate North American latitudes, the moon and Regulus can be seen late tonight from all around the world. ... Full Story
