This Week's Amazing Sky
April 2, 2020
This year, the nearest (and, thus biggest and brighest) supermoon of the year rises on April 7–8. This is 2020 supermoon season with three in a row, in March, April, and May. How big or bright will the Moon appear? What is a supermoon? And why don’t we use this term in The Old Farmer’s Almanac? Here are more helpful facts from Bob Berman.
Super Pink Moon of April
On Tuesday, April 7, at 10:35 EDT, we mark the full Moon of April. It’s the nearest (and, thus, biggest and brightest) supermoon of... more
March 17, 2020
On the spring equinox, does the Sun rise due east and set due west? Are day and night equal? Bob Berman shares some vernal equinox oddities for the very first day of spring.
Why Does the Spring Equinox Fall on Different Dates?
If you thought that the Spring Equinox was only on March 21, you may be dating yourself.
Spring arrived on the 21st of March during most of the 20th century, but the event slides earlier and earlier during the 400-year Gregorian calendar cycle. The final March 21 equinox... more
March 3, 2020
Who hasn’t heard of the Dog Star, Sirius? It’s the brightest star in the sky in late winter and early spring. And boy, is it easy to find. Just face south at 8 P.M. and look for Orion. Plus, you also have a chance to see its pup! Yes, it’s a two-dog night.
How to Find Sirius
Simply locate Orion. See its famous belt made up of three bright stars? The belt points downwards towards Sirius.
Follow the stars down and left. They point to the most brilliant star, which has a distinct blue-white color... more
March 2, 2020
During the month of March, the most widely recognized constellation at nightfall is Orion, standing upright in the southwest. People who appreciate the outdoors and the night sky may know this prominent constellation best. Here are Orion constellation facts and viewing tips from Almanac astronomer Bob Berman.
Of the 88 constellations, Orion is distinctive with its famous belt, those three-stars-in-row. They float like a navigational buoy in the middle of the sky.
Can the sky really have a “... more
March 1, 2020
What are signs of spring in the sky? Perhaps you’ve noticed the earlier sunrises. Let’s observe a few more signs in the sky—including a springtime smile from our very own Moon.
Once spring is under way, nature lovers can find it hard to keep up with the rapid day-to-day changes on the ground. Much less well-known is that the sky starts this process first.
The Sun Shifts Location
Gazing upward, we can actually feel as well as see the current rapid alterations. For, this is the time of year when... more
February 28, 2020
The rumors are true. It’s the earliest spring of your life. Spring, marked by the vernal equinox, will begin on March 19, 2020 in all US time zones. Spring is earlier than it has been in 124 years (since 1896). It’ll even get earlier in a few years. And there’s an amazing story behind this.
The Quirks of Our Calendar
If you went to school in the 60’s, say, you remember how spring reliably began every March 21. So what’s going on?
This earlier-than-usual spring has everything to do with time,... more
February 11, 2020
Mercury is now an evening star hovering at its most prominent position of 2020. It’s definitely worth taking a look. You don’t need a telescope or binoculars, and it’s not hard to find. Here are viewing tips plus a few surprising facts about planet Mercury.
Simply look toward sunset at around 6 PM any time for the the next couple weeks. As the fading light of dusk hugs the western sky, dazzling Venus pops out at you as the brightest thing in the sky. You don’t have to search for Venus – it... more
February 3, 2020
Ever noticed how snow will disappear without melting? Even in sub-freezing weather, the frost on your car or the snow bank will get smaller. How does this happen? It’s called sublimation. Bob explains …
On a cold sunny day, you may have noticed that the huge piles of snow pushed onto the edges of parking lots by plows sometimes look as if they’re steaming. This is one sign that sublimation is underway.
The snow is turning from a solid directly to a gas, bypassing the liquid watery stage.
More... more
January 31, 2020
Groundhog Day. Just a bizarre tradition involving rodents? Or, rather, marmots? Actually, Groundhog Day is based in astronomy and full of amazing sky-related stuff. Let’s have some shadow fun!
Midpoint of Winter
If you now count the days between winter’s start on the solstice of December 21, and the beginning of spring on March 19, you’ll see that, yes, February 2 comes very close to being the midpoint. If it’s not exact, that’s because the precession of the equinoxes caused by Earth’s wobble... more
January 18, 2020
This past week, the star Betelgeuse (Orion’s “left shoulder”) dimmed. Most reports jumped on the supernova angle. What really happened? There’s nothing like a space mystery to spark interest …
For a quick background: A burst of gravitational waves was detected near the star Betelgeuse. At the same time, Betelgeuse has mysteriously dimmed in recent weeks. So, many folks wondered if the red supergiant was about to explode. Gravitation waves are often related to big cosmic events happening in ... more
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Welcome to “This Week’s Amazing Sky,” the Almanac’s hub for everything stargazing and astronomy. 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, he covers everything under the Sun (and Moon)! Bob, the world’s mostly widely read astronomer, also has a new weekly podcast, Astounding Universe!
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