A Christmas comet is on the way to our skies. Comet Catalina (C/2013 US 10), which has been slowly brightening in the southern-hemisphere skies all year, has crossed the celestial equator moving north. It will finally become visible to northern-hemisphere observers in the pre-dawn sky from this week through late January, and will remain visible to southern-hemisphere observers until late December. Grab your binoculars and get ready to see this end-of-year visitor from the most distant reaches of the solar system [Read more…] about Comet Catalina Arrives in the Dawn Sky
Share This:Recent Astronomy Articles at Cosmic Pursuits
The Colorful Double Star Almaak in Andromeda
High in the northeast sky, Almaak, the third-brightest star in the constellation Andromeda, is one of the most beautiful double stars in the sky. It’s a snap to find and reveals its full splendor in even the smallest of telescopes [Read more…] about The Colorful Double Star Almaak in Andromeda
Share This:No Signal from “Alien Megastructure” Around Star
Using the Allen Telescope Array, astronomers at the SETI institute have examined the star KIC 8462852 for signs of extraterrestrial communications. So far they have come up empty. But astronomers around the world continue to examine this curious star which appears to decrease in apparent brightness by up to 20% for a period of 5 days to 80 days. Some have suggested– seriously– that the timing and magnitude of the brightness drop might be caused by a massive alien megastructure that surrounds the star [Read more…] about No Signal from “Alien Megastructure” Around Star
Share This:Book Excerpt: The Armchair Astronomer, Volume 1
(Today’s article is an excerpt of the book The Armchair Astronomer, Volume 1. It’s available from Cosmic Pursuits in multiple formats at this link).
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When 18th-century composer William Herschel grew restless with his life as a professional musician, he turned to the new science of astronomy for inspiration and challenge. Like most new stargazers, Herschel began by reading popular works of astronomy, learning the names of the stars and constellations, and inspecting the heavens with telescopes made with small glass lenses that collected the feeble light from distant stars [Read more…] about Book Excerpt: The Armchair Astronomer, Volume 1
Share This:Mars, Jupiter, and Venus in This Morning’s Sky
A great view of Mars, Jupiter, and Venus (in order of increasing brightness) over the Canadian prairies in the morning sky on October 27, 2015 by Alan Dyer at AmazingSky.com.
The trio of planets, Mars, Venus & Jupiter, in #conjunction in the moonlit morning sky, Oct 27, from home in Alberta pic.twitter.com/6PyL5aH6s2
— Alan Dyer (@amazingskyguy) October 27, 2015
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