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June 27, 2026Radio: Today’s Episode
Altair
A remarkable stellar youngster
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Radio: Yesterday’s Episode
Moon and Antares
A wave of starbirth
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Stargazing
Altair
Altair is one of the highlights of summer. It’s at one point of the Summer Triangle, and it’s the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. It’s in the east at nightfall, well to the lower right of the triangle’s other bright members.
Moon and Antares
Antares, the heart of the scorpion, is quite near the Moon tonight. Antares is more than a dozen times the mass of the Sun and tens of thousands of times brighter. In the next million years it’s likely to explode as a supernova.
The Stinger
Two stars that form the scorpion’s “stinger” peek above the southern horizon on summer nights. The stars are Lambda and Upsilon Scorpii. Lambda is the brighter of the two.
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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From Canals to Poppy Seeds and Leopard Spots
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Twin Viking landers touched down on Mars 50 years ago, and one of their experiments found evidence of life, which was quickly discounted. But the debate continues, and we’ll review the Viking findings along with other claims of possible life on the Red Planet. We’ll also tell you how planetariums are adapting to the ages of the Internet and social media.
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