NAKED EYE

We all miss the sunshine these days when our sun hardly seems to make it over the horizon, and hangs low in the south for the few hours a day it dares to show its face. Its warmth seems feeble and often it does not even dispel the heavy clouds which plague our winter days. […]

Have you seen Venus yet? If not, check it out low in the southwest just after sunset, and before it gets completely dark. It is the brightest object up there besides the moon, so if you do spot it, it will be unmistakable. Look above and to the left of where the sun went down. […]

For centuries, sailors, explorers and Boy Scouts have used the North Star as their compass in the night sky. Lined up right over the North Pole, Polaris, the name we have given to it, never moves, but holds a steady position always pointing due north. Even a compass is not as accurate, especially if you […]

I hope you got a chance over the summer to see one of the grandest sights in the night sky, the Milky Way galaxy, our home in the cosmos arching across the heavens. But what if there were two? What if the second one was even bigger and brighter and intersecting our own Milky Way […]

If you have not had a chance to check out the Milky Way arcing across the night sky, September is perfect for spotting this majestic sight. First, find yourself a dark place with no extraneous lights to ruin your night vision. Out in the country away from town would be ideal. Also, you will want […]

There could not be a better way to spend a balmy August evening than lying out on the ground watching meteors race across the night sky. Simply turn off your TV — there is nothing interesting on anyway — and head out with a blanket or a lounge chair and maybe a little mosquito repellant. Even though we refer […]

You may have noticed that bright star coming up in the southeast just after dark. Look closely and you will see that it is not twinkling but rather shining with a steady even glow. That is a big clue that it is a planet, not a star. Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, […]

Last month, 200 scientists from NASA and the European Space Agency tried to save New York City from being annihilated by an asteroid hurtling towards us from outer space. Rocket impactors were launched to deflect the incoming object of mass destruction, but merely broke it up into several pieces, one of which was still on […]

A sure sign of spring for stargazers is the sight of the Big Dipper climbing up into the northeastern night sky. You can use the stars of the dipper to find the North Star, a handy skill to have if you are ever lost at night out in the wilderness. Line up the two stars […]

Have you ever known someone who did not look up at the sky at night? Someone who stared at their smart phone rather than casting their gaze upwards towards a star-studded dome above? I hope not, because I would certainly feel sorry for them. Why do we humans look up at night? What draws us […]