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February 8, 2025

Radio: Today’s Episode

  • Asterisms

    Star patterns big and small

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Radio: Yesterday’s Episode

Stargazing

  • Beyond the Dipper

    The Big Bear is more than just the Big Dipper. The dipper outlines the body and tail of Ursa Major, the big bear. But the constellation covers much more territory. Some fainter stars outline the bear’s legs and head.


  • Anticenter

    The gibbous Moon lines up opposite the center of the Milky Way Galaxy tonight. In that direction we’re looking toward the rim of the galaxy’s disk. The rim is about 25,000 light-years away, with intergalactic space beyond.


  • Moon and Companions

    The planet Jupiter is close to the Moon at nightfall. It looks like a brilliant star. Aldebaran, the brightest star of Taurus, is to the lower right of Jupiter. Binoculars reveal Jupiter’s four big moons, including Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system.


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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Stardate Magazine

Current Issue: 2025 Sky almanac

2025 SKY ALMANAC

by Damond Benningfield

This year’s annual Sky Almanac issue is packed with tips on what to look for in the night sky throughout 2025, including eclipses, meteor showers, and much more. The issue will also pass along (almost!) everything you’d ever want to know about some of the smallest members of the solar system.

2025 StarDate Sky Almanac cover

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Fun Factoid

Star Teachers

  • Stars and Galaxies

    Galaxies contain billions of stars. Do galaxies collide? Do the stars within them collide?

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