By David Ward August is meteor shower month, and if the skies are still clear of smoke, it will be a great time to see lots of shooting stars. Last year’s show was spoiled by a large, bright moon that washed out the dark skies. This year the moon is out of the way and […]
Astronomy
Let the planets be in your summer skygazing orbit
By David Ward Welcome to the summer of the planets! Have you ever thought about buying a small telescope to show your kids the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter? Now might be a good time because all the naked-eye planets are on display this summer. Let’s start with what is easy to […]
Stargazing runs in the family
By David Ward I come from a long line of amateur astronomers. For generations, my ancestors from both sides of the family have gazed up in wonder at the beauty of the night sky. My mother even wrote a column about the stars for a newsletter at the retirement home where she lived her last […]
Count your lucky stars — if you can
By David Ward Have you ever been out under a dark night sky filled to the brim with stars? Maybe you were camping out somewhere in the wilderness far away from city lights. Maybe you wondered how many stars you could see. I often ask this question at a star-gazing program. The answer is usually […]
Bear with us for the story of Arcturus
By David Ward A sure sign of spring for stargazers is the Big Dipper rising in the northeast. Look for it standing on its handle as soon as the sky gets dark. Follow the curve of the handle down and to the right towards a bright orange-looking star low in the east. Arcturus is its […]
Looking for real star power? It’s out there
By David Ward Standing outside on a peaceful star-studded winter night, it is impossible for us to comprehend the tremendous raw power of the stars. In the daytime we get a feel for the power of the sun. It is too bright to look at and it will burn our skin if we are not […]
Keep your eye on the moon as January ends
By David Ward If you enjoy being out in the winter moonlight, then put the night of Jan. 30-31 on your calendar. First of all, the moon is full, which happens every 29 days or so. Also, it is a blue moon, meaning that it is the second full moon in a calendar month. That […]
Naked Eye: The clear, cold reality of winter nights: they are great for gazing
We do not have a lot of clear nights this time of year, so if the clouds have parted be sure to take a look up at all the bright stars of winter. Cold weather actually makes for great star gazing, as long as you are not freezing to death out there…
Iridium satellites have a flare for the dramatic
By David Ward Have you ever seen a bright flash in the night sky, brighter than any star and lasting just two or three seconds? If so, you may have witnessed a phenomenon known as an Iridium flare. There are an estimated 3,000 spacecraft orbiting the earth right now. Sixty-six of these belong to a […]
A long look into the night sky
By David Ward They say that on a clear day you can see forever, but on a clear night you can see even farther. Have you ever wondered how far you can see when you look up at the stars at night? It is almost impossible for us to comprehend the vast distances that […]
