Supermoon lunar eclipse ends lunar tetrad
As the full moon rose after sunset on Sunday, Sept. 27, observers were treated to a partial lunar eclipse. As the moon climbed higher in…
Category: Astronomy
Tracking the year with full moons
A full moon rising over the eastern horizon is a magnificent sight especially on a clear winter night. For millennia, humans have watched the full…
First day of summer longest but not hottest
The warm, sunny days in early June made the last part of spring feel like summer. Summer technically doesn’t begin until the summer solstice on…
Why is the sky blue?
When a child colors a picture of the sky, the sky is blue and the sun is yellow. Why isn’t the sky green and the…
Comets offer a glimpse of deep space
One doesn’t forget seeing a comet trail across the night sky for weeks. Many may remember Hale-Bopp visible in 1997 or Halley’s comet in 1986.…
Leonid meteor shower peaks this weekend
Shooting stars are always exciting to see. Sometimes I only see them out of the corner of my eye, other times I’m lucky enough to…
Transit of Venus
Today I witnessed an incredible event that will not occur again in my lifetime–the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. The next…
Sunlight reaches Earth in eight minutes but is thousands of years old
Warm rays of sunshine are a welcome sight in the morning. They warm the soil in the garden, help plants make energy through photosynthesis and…
Twilight encroaching on northern lights
The northern lights danced across the star-studded sky last week but this time twilight was encroaching–even at 2 a.m. Outlines of trees on the northern horizon were…
The science behind the northern lights
A faint glow illuminated the northern sky as we packed the truck in the dark to get an early start out of Haines Junction, Yukon.…
Look to the night sky during long nights
The timing was perfect–winter camping under an almost full moon on a clear night. Moonlight illuminated the snow-covered meadow allowing us to see every tree.…
Tracking the year with full moons
A full moon rising over the eastern horizon is a magnificent sight especially on a clear winter night. For millennia, humans have watched the full…
First day of summer longest but not hottest
The warm, sunny days in early June made the last part of spring feel like summer. Summer technically doesn’t begin until the summer solstice on…
Why is the sky blue?
When a child colors a picture of the sky, the sky is blue and the sun is yellow. Why isn’t the sky green and the…
Comets offer a glimpse of deep space
One doesn’t forget seeing a comet trail across the night sky for weeks. Many may remember Hale-Bopp visible in 1997 or Halley’s comet in 1986.…
Leonid meteor shower peaks this weekend
Shooting stars are always exciting to see. Sometimes I only see them out of the corner of my eye, other times I’m lucky enough to…
Transit of Venus
Today I witnessed an incredible event that will not occur again in my lifetime–the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. The next…
Sunlight reaches Earth in eight minutes but is thousands of years old
Warm rays of sunshine are a welcome sight in the morning. They warm the soil in the garden, help plants make energy through photosynthesis and…
Twilight encroaching on northern lights
The northern lights danced across the star-studded sky last week but this time twilight was encroaching–even at 2 a.m. Outlines of trees on the northern horizon were…
The science behind the northern lights
A faint glow illuminated the northern sky as we packed the truck in the dark to get an early start out of Haines Junction, Yukon.…
Look to the night sky during long nights
The timing was perfect–winter camping under an almost full moon on a clear night. Moonlight illuminated the snow-covered meadow allowing us to see every tree.…