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 […]
Astronomy
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Orion Embodies Millenniums of Legends in the Winter Sky
Within a stellar nursery, a reminder that we are stardust
Winter is the season of Orion. As darkness falls, this constellation stands tall in the southeast, about halfway up the sky, and you’ll find it migrates higher and more southerly […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
In Search of the Christmas Supernova
Science can’t tell us a lot about that fabled star in the East, but it’s fun to ask
People have been telling stories about the stars for a long time. We have written accounts from the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians from 5,000 years ago and references to oral […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Meet Leonard, a Visitor From Oort
A once-only chance to see a newly discovered long-range comet
As you read this, Comet Leonard is racing towards the Sun. It’s visible before sunrise with binoculars and small telescopes, and there’s a good chance it will become visible to […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
On Seeing Saturn’s Icy Rings
Get a look now, as they’ll be around only for another 300 million years
Saturn was a god of ancient Rome. According to myth, he was usurped by his son, Jupiter, and wandered across land and sea before founding a new kingdom and giving […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Lessons From Looking at the Largest Planet
Watching Jupiter’s moons, Galileo saw the truth, and started a revolution
This is my favorite time of the year for astronomy. The air is clearer than in summer, and the nights aren’t nearly as cold as in winter, which, frustratingly, is […]
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Here Be Dragons
Finding the constellation Draco to expand your celestial map
You can always spot an amateur astronomer. When we step outside after sunset, we’re the ones who pause, look up, and turn slowly. We’re finding the Moon, noting its phase […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Finding Beauty in a Globular Cluster
M4 is a bright gem at the heart of our home galaxy
Since writing last month about the Milky Way, our home galaxy, I’ve wanted to take you deeper into its heart. That’s where you’ll find M4 — a beautiful and interesting […]
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A Summer Side Trip to the Milky Way
How a pair of binoculars can take you deeper into the night sky
It’s wonderful how many things are visible in the night sky — things you can see with the unaided eye, without binoculars or a telescope. All you need to know […]
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By the Otherworldly Light of a Partial Eclipse
Outer Cape sky watchers: mark your calendars for June 10
Over the winter, we’ve considered the Moon’s cataclysmic origins four billion years ago, its phases and visible surface features, and how it creates ocean tides. With a partial solar eclipse […]
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Venus Returns as the Evening Star
Where scientists look for signs of life, we can see signs of summer
After a long absence, Venus has returned as the brilliant Evening Star. It spent some time this winter toughing it out in the frigid predawn sky in its other guise […]
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The Star That Points the Way North, For Now
Why Polaris appears to hold still in the night sky
Last month, I encouraged you to venture outside just before sunrise to see the planet Mercury. By way of apology for such an outrageous suggestion about how to spend your […]
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A Good Look at the Smallest, Fastest Planet
There is no better place on Earth than the Outer Cape for watching Mercury
Right now is a good time for seeing the planet Mercury, especially if you’re on the Outer Cape, with its wonderful unobstructed views to east on the ocean side. Astronomy […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
How the Moon Pulls Us Into the Tidal Bulge
The Sun adds its weight to spring and neap tides, too
The tide comes in and out twice a day, sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower. It’s so much a part of our daily lives that it’s easy to […]
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It’s a Marvelous Month for a Moondance
Keep an eye on the near side for maria, terrae, craters, and ray systems
Beginning around mid-month, Earth’s one and only natural satellite will appear in the evening sky. Then, as the days run down to the end of the year, the Moon will […]
