Posts Tagged ‘waxing crescent’
EarthSky Tonight—October 13, Moon is waxing, but
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Diana from Potsdam, NY asked, "Why are the evening crescent and the first quarter moon always so low in the autumn evening sky?" The answer is that, as seen from our northern hemisphere, the ecliptic – the pathway of the moon and planets – sinks very low in the southern sky on autumn evenings. That is why the waxing crescent moon and the first quarter moon always loom low in the sky in September and October, as seen from this ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—October 12, Arcturus sparkles in
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Is Comet Hartley 2 beginning to brighten? A bright star in the west in the evening in October – flashing colors – is Arcturus. Let us back up a minute. The extremely bright object in the east to southeast sky on these October 2010 evenings is the planet Jupiter. Still, many have asked about a bright star – not as bright as Jupiter, but still very bright and twinkling very actively – in the west after sunset. Jim wrote, ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight-October 11, Antares is bright star
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org See Comet Hartley 2 from early to mid October 2010 The bright star near the moon on October 11 is Antares, Heart of the Scorpion in the constellation Scorpius. It is a red star, but you might not see its reddish color against the fading colors of twilight. Our chart shows the moon and Antares shortly after sunset, when they are low in the southwest. They will set not far behind the sun. North American viewers will see Antares to ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—October 10, Bright star near moon
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org The moon is returning to the evening sky, and that is sad news for those seeking Comet Hartley. If you have a clear western horizon – tonight and tomorrow night – you can see the waxing crescent moon and the star Antares appear rather low in the southwest sky after sunset this Sunday evening. They are low in the southwest for us at mid-northern latitudes. Look for Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, to ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—August 16, August best time to see
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Astronomy is said to be the people’s science in part because anyone, regardless of training, can participate. There is so much you can observe in the sky, even without a telescope, and of course, meteors – also called shooting stars – are high on the list. When will the next meteor shower occur? That depends on what you mean by meteor shower. If your shower has to be a recognized and recurring event, then there are fewer ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—August 15, Moon passes beneath
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org The waxing crescent moon and the constellation Libra’s two major stars – Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali – appear rather low in your southwest sky at nightfall. The moon can help you find these stars. As evening deepens, the moon and these Libra stars descend westward, to sink beneath the southwest horizon by mid to late evening. Zubenelgenubi: Alpha star of Libra the Scales Zubeneschamali: Green star? Zubenelgenubi has the ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—August 13, Moon and Venus, more
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org The 2010 Perseid meteor shower has been in full swing for at least the past 24 hours, but you still have a last chance to see a good display of meteors before dawn August 14. In addition, as night falls this evening, you can see Venus near the waxing crescent moon in the western twilight sky. Today’s chart shows that lovely sky scene, which will set soon after darkness falls. You really have to be a night owl or an early bird ... Full Story