Episodes
Enjoy the bright beacon of Venus on September mornings, end the month with a Harvest Moon, and seek the elusive zodiacal light under dark skies.
Published 09/01/23
What are some skywatching highlights in August 2023? Saturn reaches opposition this month, meaning it's at its biggest and brightest for the year, and visible all night. The "shooting stars" of the annual Perseid meteors are a must-see, overnight on August 12th. And this month brings two full moons – the second of which is a "Super Blue Moon."
Published 08/01/23
What are some skywatching highlights in July 2023? Mars and Venus start the month close together, but part ways and head lower as July goes on. Mars appears very near Regulus in Leo on the 9th and 10th. Saturn and Jupiter rule the night, along with bright star Fomalhaut. And July is prime time for viewing the Milky Way core from dark sky locations.
Published 07/01/23
What are some skywatching highlights in June 2023? Mars and Venus get closer, the bright stars of Summer, and how an ancient scholar used the June solstice to determine the size of planet Earth.
Published 06/01/23
Planets strike a pose with the Moon, we reach "peak Venus," and what's different about the skies of the Southern Hemisphere.
Published 05/01/23
Mercury reaches its highest in the evening sky for the year for Northern Hemisphere observers.
Published 03/31/23
Venus climbs high while Jupiter dives sunward, and the little planet that shares its namesake with your breakfast cereal.
Published 03/02/23
The brightest planets converge, the constellation Auriga, and two star clusters you might want to get Sirius about.
Published 01/31/23
Some lovely groupings this month include the Moon with Mars, and later with Jupiter, and a close conjunction of Venus and Saturn.
Published 12/29/22
Your evening planet highlights, including the disappearance of Mars, and the constellation Pegasus.
Published 12/01/22
What's Up for November? A lunar eclipse, the moon and planets, and the Leonid meteors.
Published 11/02/22
What are some skywatching highlights in October 2022?
Published 09/30/22
Mars is on the move this month, forming a "red triangle" with bright red stars Aldebaran and Betelgeuse.
Published 09/01/22
The daily parade of four naked-eye planets in the mornings comes to an end this month.
Published 07/29/22
What are some skywatching highlights in July 2022? The naked-eye planets of dawn – Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn – dominate the sky, appearing more spread out each morning.
Published 06/30/22
The planets of dusk and dawn, a lunar eclipse, and the Coma star cluster.
Published 05/01/22
Conjunction junction and a hidden surprise in the Big Dipper…
Published 04/02/22
Meet the morning planets, the nearest star cluster, and some do-it-yourself exoplanets.
Published 03/02/22
Jupiter makes its exit, Venus at peak brightness, and the star-forming cloud next door.
Published 02/01/22
The quadrantid meteors peak after midnight on Jan. 3, and catch some close pairings of the Moon with Jupiter, Mars, and Venus.
Published 12/30/21
Sunset planets, a partial lunar eclipse, and the return of the winter stars.
Published 11/02/21
What to look for this month at sunrise and sunset, and two brilliant stars vying for the "pole" position.
Published 10/01/21
Moving fast in the cosmos with planet Mercury, and stars Arcturus and Altair...
Published 09/01/21
August is perhaps the best time this year to enjoy viewing Jupiter and Saturn, as both planets reach opposition this month.
Published 08/02/21