Comet ZTF made its closest approach to Earth on Feb. 1 at a distance of 26 million miles. That’s pretty close. Mars, for example, is, on average, 140 million miles […]
Astronomy
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Celestial Dances in the January Sky
Conjunctions come into view in the winter sky, no telescope needed
The Moon and four bright planets put on a playful show this month. No telescope or binoculars are needed, and, fortunately for us during this cold winter stretch, the action […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
The Solstice Is for Stargazing
Finding the subtle colors of the winter sky
Winter begins on Dec. 21, the winter solstice and longest night of the year. It’s the season to chase away the darkness with candles, holiday lights, and gatherings around the […]
IN VIEW THIS WEEK
GUIDING LIGHT
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Watching for Beautiful Bursts of Cosmic Debris
On Friday, Earth will pass through a trail of glimmering dust left behind in 1733
When you think of November, what comes to mind? Gray clouds and biting wind? Thanksgiving? That extra hour of sleep when daylight saving time ends? For me, it’s the annual […]
MILION-YEAR PICNIC
Learning to See the Seasons in the Night Sky
As Jupiter and Saturn take center stage, you know it’s autumn
A range of signals alert you to each season’s arrival. The changing light, the landscape, the weather, and the amount of traffic on Route 6 all tell the time of […]
WATCH THIS SPACE
On the Trail of the International Space Station
A former NASA photographer comes to the Outer Cape for our dark skies
When Lauren Harnett was young, she covered all the surfaces of her bedroom with glow-in-the-dark stars. When she got a pickup truck, she painted the night sky on one side […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Of UFOs and ETI and Oumuamua
‘Are we alone?’ When the night sky inspires wonder, who can resist asking?
When I set up my telescope for public stargazing events, I enjoy talking with the people who gather around. Mostly, they ask me about the telescope targets we’re viewing. How […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
In View This Week
CAT FEAT
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
All About August’s Incandescence
Be patient and the Perseids will offer their summer show
The Earth is plunging through the debris trail of Comet Swift-Tuttle right now. It happens every August. The debris consists mostly of rocks about half an inch across, tumbling through […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
The Cosmic View From the Event Horizon
Understanding a new image of the black hole at the center of our galaxy
There’s a big black hole at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy. It’s called Sagittarius A*, and in May scientists working on the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project released […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
June’s Celestial Choreography
Watching the sky when the planets align
Our solar system put on a spectacular performance back in April. There were several close alignments of the Moon and planets for those intrepid ones willing to head outside before […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Watching the Blood Moon
Why the Moon is red during a total lunar eclipse, and why a sunny sky is blue
Mark your calendars: there will be a total lunar eclipse on the night of Sunday, May 15, visible into the wee hours of the 16th. Lunar eclipses are different from […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
The Gems of the Morning Twilight
April mornings give early risers a glittering spectacle
Astronomy rewards early risers. In the chilly hour before sunrise, darkness gives way to ghostly yellow along the eastern horizon. Look a little higher and the sky is blue. Straight […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Looking Back in Time and Space
The Hubble’s successor, the Webb telescope, will probe the limits of the universe
The full moon you see rising in the east now actually rose 1.3 seconds ago. That’s how long it takes sunlight reflecting off the lunar surface to reach Earth. If […]
