Last Week's Stargazing Tips
What did you see in the sky last night? Check out the previous week of stargazing tips for the answer.
July 3, 2009
Antares, the bright orange star that represents the "heart" of the scorpion, is a little to the lower left of the Moon as darkness falls tonight. Antares is about 600 light-years away. It is one of the largest and brightest stars in the galaxy.
July 2, 2009
The planet Jupiter is one of the brightest objects in the sky. Only the Sun, Moon, and Venus regularly outshine it. Right now it rises before midnight and stands well up in the south at first light. It looks like a brilliant cream-colored star.
July 1, 2009
Earth will reach its maximum distance from the Sun this week, roughly three million miles farther than when we were closest to the Sun in January. This point in Earth's year-long orbit is known as aphelion.
June 30, 2009
The Trifid Nebula is in Sagittarius, which is low in the southeast in early evening. Its brightest stars form a teapot shape. The Trifid is just above the spout of the teapot. Photographs of the nebula show three red and blue blobs of gas.
June 29, 2009
Contrary to popular belief, the Moon is visible during the day as well as the night, and the next few afternoons are a good time to look for it. Today, the Moon rises around mid afternoon and is low in the south by the time the Sun sets.
June 28, 2009
The Big Dipper is in the northwest late this evening. The bowl is below the handle, as though it were pouring water onto the ground below. As you watch during the night, though, it will "refill" itself as it dips low across the northern horizon, then begins to climb back up into the northeast.
June 27, 2009
The planet Saturn is near the Moon tonight. They are in the west at nightfall. Saturn looks like a bright golden star to the upper right of the Moon.
Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
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