Southern hemisphere sky watchers get a good view of three naked eye planets lined up in the morning as May begins. Those with binoculars or telescopes can also see a fourth. In order from top to bottom are Neptune, Saturn, Mars, and Mercury. They’re lined up sort of along one of the Pisces fish. Mercury […]
As April begins, the moon is just south of the equator and almost full. While it’s setting on the western edge of the sky dome before and during dawn, you can look for two planets rising together in the east. Two more are joining them. Not everyone gets a fair chance to see all of […]
Total lunar eclipse The big event for most people this month will be the total lunar eclipse. It’s on March 3, Universal Time. The moon’s disk goes through the central part of Earth’s shadow for observers in Asia, most of the Indian Ocean, Australia, the Pacific, and most of the Americas. The moon’s setting in […]
The new month starts with a full moon. In most months, when the moon’s full on the first day, it’s full again late in the month. But not with February. With 29.5 days on average between full moons, an ordinary February isn’t long enough for a second full moon. For two in one month, we […]
Three naked eye planets are completely or mostly out of sight this month. A few people may catch a glimpse of Mercury early on. Venus and Mars are simply too close to the sun all month. Earth is at perigee just a few days into the month. Our planet will be 98.3% of its average […]
The planets Mars is leaving the evening sky. Don’t expect to see it this month and next. It’s heading for conjunction with the sun on January 10. Saturn is high on the eastern side of the celestial dome at dusk for most observers as the month starts. The ringed planet is at quadrature on the […]
This month, Mercury transitions from evening to morning object. It’s already hard to see in the evening sky for most observers at the month’s start, especially in the northern hemisphere. From high northern latitudes, it’s just not possible. From middle northern latitudes, it’s a challenge with the glow of sunset still strong as the planet […]
Mars and Mercury meet up in the evening sky this month, but the view will be challenging for some northern hemisphere sky watchers, impossible for others. Observers near and south of the equator will get the view. Along the way, Mercury passes 1.7° from Spica on the 2nd. The red planet passes a half-degree from […]
Total lunar eclipse We have a total lunar eclipse this month. On the 7th Universal Time, Africa,Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Ocean get to see at least part of it. Parts of eastern Brazil and western Alaska do too. Everywhere else in the Americas will be on the wrong side of the earth for […]
Morning sky watchers get a nice view of two planets and the moon close together as they rise this month. The setup is worth watching from the start of August. On the 1st, you’ll see Venus just over the club Orion holds and just below the feet of twin Castor in Gemini. Jupiter is closer […]