Viewing all five naked-eye planets might fit more easily into our days with the beginning of Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) this coming Sunday, the 11th. Venus and Mercury appear in evening twilight, about half an hour after sunset, and sunset will be an hour later – artificially changed from 5:51pm today to nearly 7pm on...
A rare and extraordinary celestial event in 2018 doesn’t require masterminding a trip to a faraway destination like many of us undertook last year to see the Great American Eclipse. This year, between now and the end of July, a big change will be observable in the sky in our home location. Planet Earth...
Moonlight had streamed in the windows all night, at times brilliant, from a clear sky, then muted through haze or clouds and falling snow in the Berkshire countryside. It was the eve of the Super Blue Moon Eclipse. I was looking forward to going out at dawn to see the eclipse of the second full...
The Sun, our star, is returning to the northern hemisphere at a steady clip, rising noticeably north of its furthest south of east marker and setting north of its furthest southwest reach on the horizon. Each day, sunrise is a minute earlier and sunset a minute or two later. By February 4, we will enjoy...
The phrase “once in a blue moon” has evolved to describe an unusual occurrence. True blue-colored moons are rare, for example, the moon may appear blue when seen through volcanic or fire ash in the atmosphere. In popular astronomy, a Blue Moon is the second of two full moons in a month. January’s first full...
It seems by design that the old year ends and the New Year begins with bedazzling celestial events. From the bright lights of holiday celebrations, from the warmth of our hearths and our beds, we are lured outdoors, into the darkness, to touch starlight, the light of planets in our solar system and our own...