Stargazing & Star Lore
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| Leonid Meteors (November 15, 2009) |
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The Leonid meteor shower peaks on the night of November 16/17. Various experts say the number of meteors you can expect to see ranges from a dozen or so per hour to more than a hundred per hour. The meteors appear to "rain" into Earth's atmosphere from Leo, the lion. They can streak across any portion of the sky, however, so you don't need to look toward Leo to see them. [Tim Jones] For more information, see our 2009 Leonids page. |
| Orionid Meteors (October 20, 2009) |
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The Orionid meteor shower should be at its best on the nights of October 20 and 21, with the best viewing for American skywatchers in the hours before dawn on the 21st. The meteors appear to "rain" into Earth's atmosphere from the direction of Orion (hence their name). However, a meteor can streak across any part of the sky, so you don't have to look toward Orion to see the "shooting stars." [Tim Jones/StarDate] |
| Planetary Roll Call (October 14, 2009) |
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Three planets line up near the Moon on the mornings of October 15 and 16. This view is looking east about 40 minutes before sunrise, as the sky is starting to brighten. Venus, Saturn, and the Moon are in view earlier, when the sky is still dark, but Mercury won't climb into view until dawn. [Tim Jones] For more information, see our October 15 program. |
| Three in a Row (June 17, 2009) |
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Mars and Venus line up near the crescent Moon in the east the next few mornings. All three are in good view an hour before sunrise, as this chart depicts. [Tim Jones] For more information, see our June 18 program. |
| Icy Visitor (February 20, 2009) |
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Comet Lulin crosses the eastern evening sky late this month. Under dark sky conditions, the "dirty snowball" of ice and rock is just visible to the unaided eye, and looks like a faint smudge of light. Binoculars will reveal its tail and the comet's unusual green color. The comet passes the golden planet Saturn on February 24, and Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, on February 28. After that, it should fade rapidly; by mid-March you probably will need a small telescope to see it. This chart shows the comet's approximate position on each evening, at around 9 or 10 p.m. local time. [Tim Jones/Source: spaceweather.com] |
| Good Show (November 28, 2008) |
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The crescent Moon will slip past the planets Venus and Jupiter, which shine in the western evening sky like brilliant beacons. The best view comes between about 30 minutes and 2 hours after sunset. [Tim Jones] |
| Moon and Jupiter (June 19, 2008) |
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The bright Moon sweeps past the bright planet Jupiter this week. They are in the southeast at nightfall. The stars of Sagittarius are nearby. [Tim Jones/StarDate magazine] For more information, see our June 19 program. |
| Shy Centaur (April 28, 2008) |
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Centaurus, the centaur, just peeks above the southern horizon on spring nights. More of the constellation becomes visible as you travel farther south; this view is from Dallas, at about 33 degrees north latitude. Highlights include Omega Centauri, the brightest globular star cluster visible in Earth's sky, and Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to our own. Unfortunately, Alpha Centauri is visible only from the farthest southern points in the U.S., such as Hawaii and the tips of Texas and Florida. This view is around midnight. [Tim Jones] For more information, see our April 28 program. |
| Just Passing By (March 14, 2008) |
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The Moon skims just past the planet Mars on the night of March 14. At their closest, as seen from most of the United States, they will be separated by less than the width of the Moon itself. [Tim Jones] |
| Horseless Charioteer (January 5, 2008) |
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Auriga, the charioteer, is a prominent constellation of winter, highlighted by its brightest star, Capella. But as this 18th-century illustration shows, the charioteer has neither chariot nor horses. Instead, he is drawn with a goat and her kids on his shoulder. [USNO/STScI] For more information, see our January 5 program. |
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