Monthly Archives: August 2009

The plump moon will stroll by Jupiter tonight and Wednesday night making the planet particularly easy to find. Binoculars and small telescopes will show all four moons tonight but you’ll seek them in vain during part of tomorrow night. This … Continue reading →

The waxing gibbous moon shines between the leaflets of a fern during twilight yesterday. Photo: Bob King The sky was hazy last night and the moon low. These two factors combined to give it a pleasing orange color like a ripe peach … Continue reading →

The three top stars of the Great Square crown the rooftop of a neighborhood house lit by moonlight last night. Details: 24mm lens at f/2.8, 25-second exposure at ISO 800. Photo: Bob King Chilly last night and great to be … Continue reading →

The shuttle Discovery launched successfully last night and is now chasing the International Space Station (ISS). It will rendevous and dock with the ISS on Sunday but I don’t have times yet when you might see the two crossing the … Continue reading →

The C.O.L.B.E.R.T decal is placed on the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill. Credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann At 10:59 p.m. Central time tonight the space shuttle Discovery will launch on its next mission to the International Space Station (ISS). In … Continue reading →

The waxing first quarter moon will shine very close to Antares Thursday evening in twilight. This map shows them at around 8:30-9 p.m. as you look southwest. Created with Stellarium. The moon will cover the star Antares, the bright red-colored … Continue reading →

As August looks to September, the familiar figure of Orion the Hunter gains prominence for early morning skywatchers. This photo was taken today at about 5 a.m. Details: 35mm lens at f/2.8, 25-second time exposure at ISO 800. Photo: Bob … Continue reading →

Grey clouds skewer the crescent moon around 8:30 Monday night. Photo: Bob King I caught sight of the thick crescent moon last night just before a mass of grey cloud covered it for good. Our weather tonight looks much more … Continue reading →

Mars, Aldebaran and Betelgeuse form a triangle of similarly-colored stellar orbs in the morning sky just before dawn. This map shows the sky as you look east around 4 a.m. Created with Stellarium. Early risers can see a red triangle … Continue reading →