This Week's Amazing Sky
About this Blog
Welcome to “This Week’s Amazing Sky,” the Almanac’s blog on stargazing and astronomy. Wondering which bright objects you’re seeing in the night sky? Want to learn about a breathtaking sight coming up? Bob Berman, longtime and famous astronomer for The Old Farmer’s Almanac, will help bring alive the wonders of our universe. From the beautiful stars and planets to magical auroras and eclipses, we’ll cover everything under the Sun (and Moon)!
Subscribe to this Blog
August 3, 2016
The best meteors of the year occur with the Perseid meteor shower, so get viewing tips for the meteor shower and learn about the history (and foreboding future) of the Comet Swift-Tuttle.
Everyone loves when “shooting stars” rip across the sky. Well, the game is on. Each night from now on, there will be more and more from the Perseid meteor shower. The peak intensity happens this Thursday August 11 and the following night. Whichever is clearest and least hazy, that’s your night. Check your... more
August 2, 2016
Seen any shooting stars lately? Worried about being clobbered by a meteor? Here’s why you don’t have to worry about meteor safety!
For reasons no one can explain, meteors are mostly crammed into the final five months of the year. Right now the Delta Aquarid shower is underway, and so is the richer and more famous Perseids. Their numbers will keep increasing until the night of August 12. These August “falling stars” are mostly the size of apple seeds. But larger ones are out there too, and some... more
July 20, 2016
We’re never too surprised when the night sky has a sudden flash. Sometimes it’s late-summer fireworks. And nature creates flashes too.
Lightning Flashes
The usual cause, of course, is thunderstorms. As the Almanac says, “Thunderstorms in July are nearly as abundant as ants at a picnic.”
Sometimes it’s surprising to see a flash of lightning when the sky is clear and starry. Such amorphous flickers of light are common in July and August. The usual culprit: distant lightning. Unlike winter... more
July 10, 2016
In most of the Northern Hemisphere, July is the hottest month. But when folks grumble about feeling uncomfortable, they often say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” That’s so true.
How Can You Tell That It’s Humid?
You can quickly judge moisture by glancing up.
A deep blue sky means dry air.
A light blue sky with a nearly white horizon means average humidity.
A sky that’s milky overhead is very humid. That’s the summertime norm in the Carolinas and the Gulf States.
Warm air can hold... more
July 3, 2016
Which telescope should you buy? Let’s examine the different types of telescopes that you might purchase—to help you select the telescope that’s best for you.
Read “How to Buy a Telescope Part I: Rules of the Game” first.
Every telescope is composed of the same basic components because the main purpose is the same: to gather the light from celestial objects.
This could be light from objects that produce it such as stars and galaxies. Or light from bodies such as planets, comets, and our Moon... more
July 3, 2016
Here is advice on how to buy (or not buy) a telescope. Amateur astronomy is a hobby that can hold your attention for a lifetime, so it’s worth starting out right.
You don’t need to spend a fortune. But whatever your price range, you want to get the most for your money.
Inexperienced telescope buyers make the same unfortunate mistakes year after year. It is far too easy to spend your hard-earned dollars on poor-quality instruments, and the awful performance of these telescopes often discourages... more
July 1, 2016
With this week’s fireworks fresh in mind, we’re allowed to wonder: What is the universe’s most awesome energy?
Right now, when early summer solar power is so strong, we might first say that “The Sun” is the most powerful force. Not a bad starting point.
The Energy of our Sun
We’re talking nuclear fusion, first revealed in 1920. Turns out, at a high enough temperature, four ordinary hydrogen atoms fuse into one of helium. This always releases energy. The Sun’s core emits 96 billion megatons... more
June 21, 2016
Monday is the half Moon. Officially, the last quarter. It may be the coolest lunar phase and I’ll prove it.
Monday morning the 27th of June, any time at all, look around the day sky. There it is, a perfect half Moon lit up on its left side. The earlier you look the higher it will be. It pops out because it happens to occupy the darkest part of the blue sky.
This is the only Moon that hovers directly in front of us as we zoom around the Sun. It serves as a kind of reconnaissance scout. ... more
June 15, 2016
On June 20, 2016, the Full Moon appears on the same night as the summer solstice! It’s rare, all right.
A full Moon hasn’t landed smack on the solstice since 1948. But that’s what’s actually happening on Monday, June 20.
This has visible in-your-face consequences.
First, there’s the solstice …
The solstice is, of course, the day with the most minutes of sunshine.
It’s when the midday Sun is the year’s highest.
The sun rises at its leftmost spot on the horizon and sets at its rightmost ... more
May 26, 2016
Planet Saturn is at its best this June, 2016. as it comes closest to Earth. It’s easy to find, astonishing to see!
In our culture of publicity and hype, the media often cry wolf. But one planet never disappoints. Through any telescope with more than 30x, Saturn elicits gasps.
As an observatory director I’ve shown the ringed planet to thousands of people over the past 35 years. Most folks who see it through a good telescope either say, “Oh my God!” or “That’s not real!” No other planet packs... more
