Skywatch Almanac Astronomy Blog
July Astronomy
The southern skies host the red star Antares marking the “heart” of the Scorpion, with claws stretching to the west, and its tail right along the horizon. To its left, crossing the "river of light" known as the Milky Way, is the “teapot” in Sagittarius. Climbing higher in the east, ...
June Astronomy
Both the calendar and the skies transition to summer this month, appropriately featuring the Summer Triangle rising in the east - Vega, highest and brightest in the northeast, Deneb nearer the horizon, and Altair to their right, all three wading within the returning Milky Way, climbing higher above ...
May Astronomy
May welcomes the return of some of summer’s brighter stars, including Vega in the northeast, and Antares in the southeast. High in the south, Leo the Lion prowls toward the southwest through the month, while high above, the Big Dipper guides you with its handle to “arc” to ...
April Astronomy
I always look forward to April's view of the departing Orion and his companions, the Big Dog and Taurus, the Bull, as they gradually settle to, then below the western horizon. The spring stars may not dazzle in comparison, yet the Big Dipper is placed high in the northeast, Leo, ...
March Astronomy
March brings some great views of Orion as he settles into the southwest, while the brilliant Dog Star, Sirius follows him, cresting in the south. The evenings also feature the Big Dipper rising in the northeast, looking like a giant question mark. Follow the “handle” toward the horizon, where the ...
February Astronomy
Orion dominates our February evenings, striding mid-way up from the southern horizon by 8 o’clock, accompanied by the brightest star in our night skies, Sirius, below and left of Orion, marking the nose of the Great Dog. High in the south, Taurus, the Bull charges at Orion, protecting the Seven ...
Skywatch Astronomy
The heart of winter brings the brightest stars in our skies into full view. Orion sits at the center of these stellar "super stars", the line of his three belt stars extending to the right toward the red star Aldebaran, the "eye" of Taurus, the Bull, and to the left, ...
December Astronomy
The longest nights of the year welcome the return of Orion, rising earlier each evening, and dominating the eastern sky, often identified by his line of three “belt” stars. Extending this line to the upper right leads to the red star Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus, the Bull, while looking ...
November Astronomy
November's annual return to Standard Time, on the 7th, gives us a grand view of Milky Way, arching from the southwest, up and then overhead, with the Summer Triangle slipping into the west. As the dazzling Capella rises higher in the northeast, the red star Aldebaran shines in the east, ...
October Astronomy
As the shorter days give way to longer nights, the Milky Way arches from near the Teapot of Sagittarius, hosting Jupiter and Saturn in the south-southwest, through the Summer Triangle high in the southwest, then into the northeast to greet the rising star Capella. Summer’s bright star Arcturus sets in ...