The crisp, cool nights of October are a great time for stargazing. Get out and see what is up there before the nights are cold and you are wading around in knee deep snow. High in the west, three bright stars define the Summer Triangle. The highest above the horizon is Deneb, the head of […]
NAKED EYE
Naked Eye – A meet-up with Andromeda is(way off) in our future
As summer is ending, fall is a great time to look for the largest and the farthest. The task will be difficult so here is what you will need. First of all, a moon-free and smoke-free night sky is essential. Then a clear view into the northeast is helpful along with a pair of binoculars. […]
Naked Eye – Finish summer on an upward trajectory
The nights are warm and it is getting dark at least a little bit earlier. If our skies remain smoke-free, here are a few things you might be able to see up there. August hosts the most reliable and spectacular meteor shower of the year, the Perseids, named for the constellation they appear to come […]
Naked Eye – The habitable earth is right where it needs to be
Location! Location! Location! If you are buying or selling a piece of real estate, that is probably a major consideration. What about the biggest and most important real estate in our neighborhood, the earth itself? It turns out that location is very important on large scales too. Imagine you are camping out on a cold […]
Naked Eye – Venus outshines everything else up there — for now
If you are outside in the early twilight, it is almost impossible not to notice that very bright light high up in the western sky. That is Venus, and it outshines everything in the sky except the sun and the moon. On June 4, she will reach her highest point in the evening sky and […]
Naked Eye – Follow Arcturus’s odd path through the universe
Sometime this spring be sure to say hello to the Guardian of the Bear. Look to the east for a bright orange-colored star. To make sure you have got the right one, look higher in the northeast for the Big Dipper. Then follow the curve of its handle across the sky and it will lead […]
Naked Eye – Solar scares? The sun is just getting warmed up
So what is going on with the sun lately? Perhaps you have been reading unsettling warnings on line about solar flares, Coronal Mass Ejections, unusual sightings of the northern lights and possible damage to our electrical grid. All of the above is true or at least possible. Here is what is happening in a nutshell. […]
Naked Eye – Following the stars into spring
A sure sign of spring for stargazers is to spot the Big Dipper standing on its handle in the northeast. As March progresses, the dipper will climb higher in the northern sky as it circles the North Star. Line up the two end or highest stars in the dipper, Merak and Dubhe, and point to […]
Naked Eye – Shining a little light on dark energy
What is the universe made of? Humans have pondered this question for centuries, but now astronomers are coming up with some surprising ideas. Stars are a logical component of everything that is since we see thousands of them when we look up into the night sky. We now know that what we see is just […]
Naked Eye – Start a bright new year by looking up
January is a great time to check out the brightest stars in the night sky. Of course, it is freezing cold out there especially at night, so dress warmly. Stargazing is not an aerobic activity. By 9 p.m. early in the month, the constellation Orion is in plain view in the south. Representing the great […]
