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This Week's Amazing Sky
Want to be amazed? Look skyward on the next clear night. With your own eyes, you’ll be able to see which way you, Earth, the Sun, and the entire galaxy are moving in space.You don’t need dark country skies for this. Being in a city is okay. But you do need an open swath of sky, so get out in the open somewhere, and do this at 9 p.m.Nothing is Stationary in…
What is the biggest explosion that we humans have ever seen? It’s the supernova! Bob Berman’s newest piece is about supernovas, a truly super phenomenon with “star power.”Supernova!Any word that begins with “super” is supposedly remarkable. But it’s not always true. Some are visual duds, like the “supermoon” the media frequently hypes. Most look no different from every other full Moon,…
We’ve all been told that the “Sun sets in the west.” Actually, that’s a generalization. Bob Berman talks about the sunset in fall, and how the Sun rises and sets across the seasons. You can even do your own Stonehenge thing, without moving a single rock!The Sunset in AutumnBack in September, at the autumnal equinox, you could see the Sun rise due east and set due west. This also happens…
Take your vitamins and stick around for the next century’s super-spectacles, including the longest total solar eclipse in U.S. history (2045) or the spectacular return of Halley’s Comet in 2061.The Magnificent Seven (Four for Canada) Total EclipsesTotality causes humans and animals alike to moan and babble, as normally invisible deep-pink prominences leap from the Sun’s edge like…
Does it feel darker this time of year? Many folks think it’s darkest on the winter solstice. But it’s actually in early December! Bob Berman explains this phenomenon.To most of us in North America, this is a dark time of year—and you’re right. The sunsets come exceedingly early. It might surprise you to learn that the earliest sunsets come several weeks before the winter solstice, not on the…
What is the Moon’s strangest appearance? It’s the “gibbous Moon.” After all, everyone can spot a crescent or a half or a full Moon. The gibbous Moon phase is fatter than half but smaller than full. See for yourself—tonight or the next several nights. Learn more.What Does Gibbous MeanThe current lunar phase is the only one whose shape is not universally identifiable. It’s kind of…
Seen in twilight rather than full darkness, and always low in the sky, the crescent may be the Moon’s most surreal phase. What is special about a crescent moon?Although crescent shapes surround us if we think of bananas or croissants, the Moon is the only crescent in the sky—even if telescope users can sometimes see Venus and Mercury that way, too.Crescents only appear within…
It’s a “Black Moon”! This sounds ominous, but it’s not. Find out what a Black Moon is, when the next Black Moon occurs, and special symbolism and folklore.What is a Black Moon?A Black Moon is a special kind of New Moon, just as a Blue Moon is a special kind of Full Moon. Neither are astronomical terms; both are catch phrases for an unusual lunar calendar occurrence. For this reason…
The most dramatic happening in the sky in springtime is not unfolding at night. It’s in the day. Yep, here comes the Sun! Let’s take a look at how our Sun is getting higher more quickly every day.Many folks assume that the change to warmer weather in springtime is due to the Sun being out longer and longer—the growing change in daylight length. That’s partially true. But…
Here they come! After an interminable absence, a phalanx of planets has avalanched into the evening sky. Let’s enjoy the planet beauty contest parading before our eyes at the end of November. Take a look with Bob Berman as your guide.
The Planets Parade at Night
Jupiter: You’ve already surely noticed the brightest one, Jupiter, the most brilliant “star,” hands down. You can’t miss…
No, those aren’t Saturn’s rings! This is the first (stunning!) image of planet Neptune by the new Webb telescope, showing off several narrow rings on our outermost planet. Here’s Bob Berman’s latest post about the news—plus, some facts about the outermost planet.
What is Neptune?
The eighth and farthest planet from our Sun, Neptune is an ice giant that is enormous enough to…
We’ve all heard of the Big Bang Theory. One of the goals of the new James Webb Telescope is to reveal what happened after the Big Bang. Why do we need to understand the Big Bang? And how will the Webb telescope help us understand the secrets of the origins of the universe—and of life itself?
July’s first-ever James Webb Telescope images, released just a couple of weeks ago, showed…