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Weekly Stargazing Tips
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). Check out last week's tips or the Sky Almanac if you missed a night.
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 4, 2009
The Big Dipper stands in the northwest at nightfall with its bowl spilling toward the horizon. Follow the two stars that form the outer edge of the bowl to the right to find Polaris, the North Star. Despite its reputation, Polaris isn't very bright.
July 5, 2009
The Moon passes across the heart of the Milky Way galaxy tonight. The Moon lines up above the "spout" of the teapot-shaped constellation Sagittarius. The core of the Milky Way is in that same direction, about 27,000 light-years away.
July 6, 2009
The full Moon rolls low across the south tonight. July's full Moon is known as the Hay Moon or Thunder Moon. Since this is the month in which humans first landed on the Moon, it's appropriate to add "Apollo Moon" to the list.
July 7, 2009
Leo, the lion, is plunging nose-first toward the western horizon as night falls. Its brightest star, Regulus, is low in the sky, with the lion's body stretching above it. Leo's tail, the star Denebola, is well above Regulus
July 8, 2009
Like a crazy carnival attraction, Earth is spinning, circling, and racing through space. It rotates on its axis once every 24 hours and orbits the Sun at a speed of 65,000 mph. Earth and the rest of the solar system orbit the center of the Milky Way galaxy at 600,000 mph, so it takes about 200 million years to complete one circuit.
July 9, 2009
The Milky Way arcs across the east this evening. You need to get away from city lights to see it. The Moon rises in late evening, overpowering the faint glow. But it rises later each night after this, providing extra time for viewing our galactic home.
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