This Week's Amazing Sky
December 13, 2019
You’ve probably weather forecasts say “80% chance of rain.” What does this really mean? Probably not what you think. Here’s an easy translation of weather speak for all you star gazers.
If you’re a sky watcher, the first step in observing the sky is having decent weather. We probably all check the forecast from time to time. But relatively few of us know how to make sense of it.
If you heard an “80% chance of rain,” would you assume this mean you had an 80% chance of getting rained on? Not... more
November 22, 2019
Are you a stargazer? After your Thanksgiving feast, in this season of dark skies, let’s look up—way up—at beautiful stars, planets, and the amazing universe around us. There are so many reasons to be grateful. Bob Berman gets us started …
(Note: This is a reprint of Bob’s letter on Cosmic Gratitude.)
It would be nice to hold a Thanksgiving star party, where we astronomers could rattle off their own special reasons to be thankful. I’ll go first.
We can give thanks that the Moon and Sun both... more
November 7, 2019
It’s hard to evaluate the major astronomical event coming up on Monday, November 11, 2019. It certainly sounds spectacular: the planet Mercury will visibly cross the face of the Sun. The next such transit won’t occur until 2032. Bob Berman has information on when and how to see this rare astronomical event.
What Does Mercury Transit Mean?
Mercury, the planet closest to our Sun, will “transit” or pass directly in front of the Sun! As Mercury passes beween the Sun and Earth, it appears as a tiny... more
October 30, 2019
This week’s crescent Moon is extra special. On Halloween night, October 31, see the brightest “star” next to the Moon? That’s Jupiter! Then on November 1 and November 2, the Moon travels to Saturn for another planet meet-up. Here are Bob’s viewing tips.
The crescent is the shape most associated with a celestial object. Sure, the full Moon is circular, but when we think of a circle we have so many possible links from eye-pupils to wedding rings that the shape simply doesn’t possess an off-Earth... more
October 23, 2019
With this month’s discovery of 20 more moons on Saturn, let’s pause and consider the many marvelous moons of our solar system. Which is your favorite?
20 New Moons Found on Saturn
As you may have heard: This month, 20 new moons were founded orbiting Saturn. So now it’s got 82 moons, beating out Jupiter’s 79.
And if you’re up for it, you can even help name Saturn’s moons. See contest details.
You might ask: Why now? Much of this is thanks to newer, bigger telescopes. The giant Subaru telescope... more
September 26, 2019
As autumn begins, we have a few more weeks to look at the most amazing part of the night sky. Let us easily locate the most photogenic telescopic targets, the planets Jupiter and Saturn.
On the next clear evening, look around the sky as soon as darkness falls.
Jupiter
These nights that’s as early as 7 P.M. and certainly by 7:30. Just look rather low in the south—for the night’s brightest star. But it’s not really a star, it’s the untwinkling planet Jupiter.
If you have a small telescope... more
September 3, 2019
Want to experience the kind of cosmic panorama seen under the opening credits of Star Wars? You’re at the right place. During September nights, we are aimed toward the center of the Milky Way, and can view the full splendor of our home galaxy.
When to View the Milky Way
During September nights, the Milky Way Galaxy neatly splits the sky from north to south and passes directly overhead.
An absent Moon or a harmlessly thin crescent provides the darkest conditions, while September’s crisp, dry... more
August 9, 2019
This year, the great Perseid Meteor Shower (peaking August 12–13) will be marred by the sky-brightening mischief of a nearly full Moon. So we may as well amuse ourselves by making the Moon the scapegoat for other problems, too! Read on—plus, here’s a tip to boost your chances of seeing a “shooting star.”
Moon Myths
It’s not a weird idea to think that the Moon causes trouble for us down here on Earth. Folklore has long endowed the Moon with various powers, that are still widely embraced.
The... more
July 30, 2019
Much media hype surrounds Moon names, such as “Blood Moon” and “Blue Moon,” but have you ever heard of a “Black Moon”? This year, there’s a Black Moon on July 31. Here’s an explanation of this ominous-sounding name.
What is a Black Moon?
Like “Blood Moon” and “Blue Moon,” “Black Moon” is not an astronomical term. In fact, if you ask a sample of astronomers, both professional and amateur, very few will have even heard of it. It’s not even a particularly widely known folklore thing.
As for its... more
June 26, 2019
View a total solar eclipse LIVE from South America this July 2, 2019. Bob Berman is traveling to observatories in Chile to report on the eclipse. But you don’t have to live on the path of totality to watch what Bob calls the greatest celestial spectacle! Tune in Tuesday afternoon for live coverage. Learn more!
The Greatest Spectacle
Ever since 1974, I’ve been urging, begging, and cajoling my readers and students to experience the greatest spectacle the human eye can behold. Sure, a major... 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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