Planet Summary Mars is still the only planet getting lots of love in April by visual observers. Jupiter and Saturn are getting further out from the Sun, but still not very high in the morning sky. Venus and Mercury head into the solar glare. Tech stuff: Times in the illustrations are in Eastern Daylight Time. … Continue reading Heads UP! for April 2021
I love Sandra Boynton's equal take on the equinox for both hemispheres.
A big high pressure system covering the northeastern United States gives us a wonderful weekend for astronomy! Here's what to look for: [Links to star chart for March here and make-your-own star charts and satellite predictions here. Aurora predictions here. Scott's thoughts and always useful directions are here and his talk about bunches of stars … Continue reading Wonderful Weekend for Astronomy
What's the low down on the morning planets? Down Low just about describes it. I don't have a very clear eastern horizon near my house. I'd have to travel across the County to Long Island Sound to get a low horizon. Even the ridge at my local Middle School, where I took this photo is … Continue reading Early Morning Down Low
I wanted to find the asteroid in Leo's rump, but the light pollution (and my own garage light) made it impossible. So, plan B. Take a shot at Orion the hunter. If you could see the photo of Orion through the trees at full size, you would see why I might say the number of … Continue reading Orion, Trees and Shiny Red Objects
I got the second shot! Not the vaccine. My shot of the Moon near Apogee (farthest from Earth) to go with the earlier shot of the Moon near Perigee (nearest the Earth) for February. Lined them up and and are different sizes, as expected! Near. Far. Just like Grover on Sesame Street, or someone on … Continue reading Near and Far Moons
Two Clusters and a Planet Mars will be the active party in a series of interesting encounters with the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters this month. They are well up in the southwestern sky after sunset. Mars is nearest the Pleiades in the first week of March and crosses an imaginary line between the Pleiades … Continue reading Heads UP! for March 2021
An extended storm blocked my view of the Moon on Thursday and Friday. Saturday evening, the clouds started to break up. Now, I'll need to get the photo from earlier this month and tonight's photo to the same number of pixels to compare their sizes. Photoshop Elements not giving me the number of pixels in … Continue reading Second Shot – a day late
I’m going to try to get my second shot on Friday. Oh, not the vaccine - I mean my comparison photo of the Moon. I got the first shot earlier this month when the Moon was near perigee at last quarter (see earlier post). If I can get a photo near apogee near first quarter, … Continue reading Going to get my second shot!
Today is Wednesday, February 4th. Finally got some breaks in the clouds left over from the slow-moving storm that dumped a foot and half of snow earlier this week. Like the loony bird that was 'coo-coo for cocco puffs', I'm nuts about our Moon. But today there is a method to my madness, or at … Continue reading Last quarter moon near perigee
