Monthly Archives: September 2010

Space travel on the cheap

Posted on September 30, 2010 by astrobob

With moonrise after 10 o’clock, I drove out to the country last night to take in some dark sky and silence as well as to check out how Comet Hartley 2 was doing. In a previous blog, I wrote that … Continue reading →

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Goldilocks might find new planet ‘just right’

Posted on September 29, 2010 by astrobob

Better watch out for the three bears, Goldilocks. A team of exoplanet hunters from University of California-Santa Cruz, and the Carnegie Institution of Washington announced their exciting discovery today of a potentially habitable planet around the star Gliese (GLEE-zeh) 581 … Continue reading →

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Space out with the ISS

Posted on September 29, 2010 by astrobob

The International Space Station (ISS) is again buzzing the sky at dawn, and sunrise is late enough for many of us to see it. Some passes happen around 6:30 a.m., when commuters stuck in traffic on their way to work … Continue reading →

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Date with a dolphin

Posted on September 28, 2010 by astrobob

Dolphins are beloved by humans for their intelligence and sense of play. Thanks to the ancient Greek seafarers, who were also well acquainted with dolphins, one splashes across the night sky throughout the summer and fall months. Delphinus (del-PHY-nis) was … Continue reading →

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Moon and Pleiades a sweet sight in binoculars tonight

Posted on September 27, 2010 by astrobob

Tonight’s moon comes up in the northeastern sky in Taurus the Bull. Since it’s five days past full phase, its light has diminished enough so that sky watchers in rural areas can again see the Milky Way slicing across the … Continue reading →

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In darkness you may find light

Posted on September 25, 2010 by astrobob

I had a craving for General Tso’s chicken last night and stopped at the Beijing Restaurant to pick up an order. As I was writing the check, the fellow behind the counter remarked about the early darkness. “It’s only 8, … Continue reading →

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Planets line up, world doesn’t end

Posted on September 24, 2010 by astrobob

We’ve talked over the past week about Jupiter and Uranus being near one another in the sky, and how that makes this a good time to find the more remote and fainter planet with binoculars. As it turns out, those … Continue reading →

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Curious dark rock on Mars may be visitor from the asteroid belt

Posted on September 23, 2010 by astrobob

Last Thursday, the Opportunity Rover on Mars took a photo of the landscape on its way to Endeavor Crater and turned up something interesting. Mission controllers spotted a curious rock about 18 inches across some 102 feet in the distance … Continue reading →

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Don’t miss Jupiter and the Harvest Moon tonight

Posted on September 22, 2010 by astrobob

Have you been watching the moon’s nightly progress toward Jupiter this week? Well, tonight’s the big night. We’ll have a full Harvest Moon and it will sit right atop Jupiter. The night’s two brightest characters join together for a wonderful … Continue reading →

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Frosty and blazing, fall steps forward

Posted on September 21, 2010 by astrobob

Yikes, fall begins tomorrow night (Sept. 22). Is the autumnal equinox already upon us? Must be the lulling effect a long summer has on the mind, because I didn’t pay attention to the calendar until this morning, the last full … Continue reading →

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