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April 27, 2024Radio: Today’s Episode
Izar
The “most beautiful” stars
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Radio: Yesterday’s Episode
Sirius Disappears
The Dog Star gets ready to disappear
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Stargazing
Izar
Boštes is in the east as night falls. Look for its brightest star, yellow-orange Arcturus. The first noticeable star to the left of Arcturus is Izar. To the eye alone, it looks like a single point of light. A telescope reveals two stars; one is orange, the other blue.
Sirius Disappears
The brightest star in the night sky is getting ready to leave it for a while. Sirius, the Dog Star, is low in the southwest as night falls. Over the next few weeks it will sink deeper into the twilight then disappear from view.
Moon and Antares
Antares, the star that marks the bright orange heart of Scorpius, stands to the lower left of the Moon as they climb into good view tonight, after midnight. Antares will appear about the same distance to the upper right of the Moon tomorrow night.
Moon Phases
At the new Moon phase, the Moon is so close to the Sun in the sky that none of the side facing Earth is illuminated (position 1 in illustration). In other words, the Moon is between Earth and Sun. At first quarter, the half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later (3). At full Moon, the Moon is behind Earth in space with respect to the Sun. As the Sun sets, the Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight (5).
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