Basic astronomy and night sky information
An image of the Earth-Moon system from the Japanese Hayabusa 2 probe taken on Nov. 26, 2015. The craft, which is on the way to rendezvous with asteroid Ryugu, passed by Earth on December 3, 2015 on its outbound flight. It will probe the asteroid in late 2018, then return a sample of the asteroid to Earth in 2020.
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If the nights are growing too chilly for you to go stargazing, then take heart. You can do a little daytime astronomy this week when the waning crescent Moon passes in front of the planet Venus on December 7, 2015. The occultation will occur in daylight skies and can easily be enjoyed with a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. The event is visible in all of North and Central America. In the rest of the world, the Moon will not pass in front of Venus, but it will lie very close to the planet and guide your eye so you can see Venus in broad daylight. [Read more…] about Daytime Occultation of Venus by the Moon
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For casual stargazing, the most rewarding part of the sky this month lies to the east and southeast in the early hours before the Sun rises. There’s so much to see here, especially from December 5-8, you need to start early before the sky brightens. The simulation below, from Stellarium, shows you what to look for [Read more…] about Moon, Planets, and Comet Catalina This Week
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One of the most notable asterisms in the sky gained its fame just over 30 years ago. Called Kemble’s Cascade after the Franciscan friar from the Canadian prairies named Lucien Kemble, this group tumbles gracefully through the far-northern sky just east of Cassiopeia, ending at the open cluster NGC 1502. This is a perfect target for quick observation by northern observers on a cold winter’s night.
Here’s how to see this pretty little asterism for yourself. [Read more…] about A Look at ‘Kemble’s Cascade’
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In 1991, stargazer Steve Cariddi walked into a Boston bookstore and noticed most desk calendars were about cats, or puppies, or sailboats. There was not a single astronomy calendar in sight. So he decided to create his own, and in late 1993 he published his first “astronomy and space” desk calendar. He’s been publishing these calendars every year since. And now he’s released the large-format ‘Year in Space’ wall calendar for 2016 [Read more…] about 2016 ‘Year in Space’ Calendar
