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This Week's Amazing Sky
February 26, 2022
Are you up between 6 and 6:30 AM Sunday morning (27th of February)? If so, or if you can be motivated to set the alarm, you’ve got to take a look. Earth’s three closest neighbors appear in a perfectly straight line, all together!
Do you have a window facing southeast, and have the sky clear almost all the way down to the horizon? Or, are you getting up to walk the dog (or …
January 31, 2022
Groundhog Day. Just a bizarre tradition involving a marmot, right? Believe it or not, Groundhog Day is full of amazing sky-related stuff. Even its date relates to the heavens. Bob Berman explains the connection to astronomy and sky watching.
As the tradition goes, a Pennsylvania groundhog ignores crowds of humans closely gathered around him, and then, despite having a four ounce brain,…
January 20, 2022
The next Blue Moon occurs on August 30, 2023! What is a Blue Moon, exactly? Read all about the different types of Blue Moons.
What Is a Blue Moon?
Need a refresher on what a Blue Moon is? We get a lot of questions about the term, including:
Is “Blue Moon” a scientific term used in astronomy?
Did this term originate with Native American folklore, like a…
January 20, 2022
Much media hype surrounds Moon names, such as “Blood Moon” and “Blue Moon,” but have you ever heard of a “Black Moon”? This year, there are three Black Moons in a row. Here’s an explanation of this ominous-sounding name.
What is a Black Moon?
Like “Blood Moon” and “Blue Moon,” “Black Moon” is not an astronomical term. In fact, if you ask a sample of astronomers,…
December 30, 2021
It will be a great year for gazing at the night sky, so let’s get right into a quick preview of some of the year’s astronomical events! Here’s the best of the 2022.
Planets Aplenty
The big “stars” of the planet world make several dazzling appearances throughout the next year, so let’s start with some of 2022’s planetary highlights:
Voracious Venus…
December 17, 2021
The headlines drool with excitement: “Are you ready for the big comet show?” “Comet Leonard Brightening More Than Expected!” “Don’t Miss 2021’s Best Comet.” So, is it really worth a look? Here’s Bob Berman’s take and a few key viewing tips.
One big problem: very few will see any trace of this comet. To be sure, there is indeed some good news. The comet’s location is easy to…
December 6, 2021
Step out at sunset the next clear evening. Now and for the next couple of weeks, a gorgeous row of bright planets, like a string of pearls, graces the low southwestern sky from 5 to 6 PM each night. And this week, the Moon joins the show, pairing up with a planet each night!
December 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus are getting together with the crescent Moon for a…
November 2, 2021
Ever noticed that you can sometimes see the part of the Moon that isn’t lit up? The dark portion of the Moon (the area unlit by the Sun) seemed to glow. This phenomena is aptly known as Earthshine. Historically, this is called “the new Moon in the old Moon’s arms.” Learn more about earthshine.
What is Earthshine?
When you can see the dark unlit portion of the crescent Moon (the…
October 28, 2021
If you heard an “80% chance of rain,” would you assume that this meant that you had an 80% chance of getting rained on? Not true. Bob Berman explains what a “chance of rain” really means!
If you’re a sky watcher like yours truly, the first step in observing the sky is having decent weather. We probably all check the forecast from time to time. But relatively few of us know how…
October 19, 2021
This year, the full Hunter’s Moon rises on Wednesday, October 20! This is one of the two full Moons that enjoy an official astronomical name. So, will it be bigger, brighter, and redder? Here’s all you need to know!
What Is the Hunter’s Moon?
People like objects to have names. While the full Moon is always recognizable—and indeed the only phase…
September 30, 2021
Got five minutes? The Moon is currently thin or absent, so the sky is nice and dark. There’s cool stuff to see and it’s all very easy to find. I’ll show you 7 stars and planets in just a few minutes.
When a living room appears in the movies, we often see a telescope near the window. This tells us that it’s a common thing to possess—a decoration, a bit of modern decor. Yet few of our…
September 28, 2021
It’s not well known, but autumn has the year’s darkest skies. Since there are now fewer brilliant stars than at any other time, many will marvel at two ultra-bright “stars.” What are they? Oddly, this is a period when many report these dazzling beacons as UFOs.
Autumn begins night sky season. It gets dark earlier at night and the night temperatures are still comfortable. …