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February Astronomy

Posted: February 1, 2021

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, as the Big ...

January Astronomy

Posted: December 31, 2020

Orion becomes the center of attention in January, with his three belt stars drawing a line to the right, pointing to the red star Aldebaran, the “eye” of Taurus, the Bull. To the left, Orion’s Belt leads to the rising star Sirius - the brightest star in the night skies. ...

December Astronomy

Posted: December 1, 2020

The most stunning sight in the skies will be the "great conjunction" of Jupiter and Saturn, low in the southwest in the early evening, the closest visible in 800 years! Mars remains prominent, cresting high in the south. Early risers see Venus lowering toward the horizon, lost in the Sun's ...

November Astronomy

Posted: November 2, 2020

Jupiter and Saturn settle lower into the southwest, inching lower toward the horizon through the month. Mars fades a little, but continues its excellent display, climbing higher into the southeast. Just to the right of Jupiter and Saturn, Milky Way extends up to the Summer Triangle, then overhead, while the ...

October Astronomy

Posted: October 5, 2020

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 ...

September Astronomy

Posted: August 3, 2020

Summer's constellations Scorpio and Sagittarius are thinking about leaving as they progress into the southwest through the month, joined by the spectacular planetary duo of Jupiter and Saturn in the south as twilight fades. Extending up from the Teapot in Sagittarius, the broad, faint path of the Milky Way arches ...

July Astronomy

Posted: July 1, 2020

The southern skies are busy this month, with the red star Antares marking the “heart” of the Scorpion, its claws stretching to the west, and its tail along the horizon. To its left, crossing the "river of light" known as the Milky Way, is the “teapot” in Sagittarius, while farther ...

June Astronomy

Posted: June 1, 2020

Our shortest nights of the year in June still feature some great star gazing, with 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 within the Milky Way, returning in the eastern skies, stretching south ...

May Astronomy

Posted: May 1, 2020

As May welcomes the return of some of the brighter summer stars, including Vega in the northeast, and Antares in the southeast, we watch the rapid descent of Venus, well-placed in the west during the first week, but fading in the Sun's glare by Memorial Day. On its way, it encounters ...

April Astronomy

Posted: March 30, 2020

April starts with Orion and his companions the Big Dog and Taurus, the Bull, standing on the western horizon to start, sinking lower through the month. The Big Dipper is placed high in the northeast, Leo, the Lion champions the southern skies, and Gemini's Twins settle into the west. The highlight of the ...