In 2020, the peak mornings for the Perseid meteor shower – August 11, 12 and 13 – will feature meteors under moonlight. Here’s how to optimize your chances to catching some meteors during this year’s display. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-perseid-meteor-shower…
Tag: after midnight
Go someplace dark and watch for meteors!
The Delta Aquarids are peaking. And the 2020 Perseid meteor shower gets rolling around now, too. Most importantly, find a dark sky! Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/the-radiant-of-the-delta-aquarid-meteors…
Delta Aquariids 2020: All you need to know
Late July presents the nominal peak of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, but this long and rambling shower is officially active from about July 12 to August 23 each year. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-delta-aquarid-meteor-shower…
Northern Cross: Backbone of Milky Way
On summer evenings, look for this star pattern in the east, sideways to the horizon. Source: https://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/the-northern-cross-backbone-of-the-milky-way…
Starting Soon: A Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
“If your family’s Fourth of July fireworks plans are up in smoke because of the pandemic, watch the sky for a lunar eclipse instead,” reports CNN. It begins in just 5 minutes — and then lasts for two hours and 45 minutes: On July 4, just after 11 p.m. ET, the moon will begin its temporary new look. For exactly two…
The secrets of night-shining clouds
Noctilucent cloud season has returned to Earth’s high latitudes. These “night-shining” clouds are beautiful … photos here. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/night-shining-clouds-noctilucent-clouds-how-they-form-how-to-see-them…
Watch for Lyrid meteors this week
Assuming ideal conditions, you might catch 10 to 15 meteors per hour in 2020’s Lyrid meteor shower. The peak is probably Wednesday morning – April 22 – but watch the mornings before and after, too. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/lyrid-meteors-best-before-dawn…
Meet M13, the Great Cluster in Hercules
Many stargazers call it the finest globular cluster in the northern half of the heavens. It’s M13, also known as the Great Cluster in Hercules. Source: https://earthsky.org/clusters-nebulae-galaxies/m13-finest-globular-cluster-in-northern-skies…
Early Riser or Night Owl? New Study May Help To Explain the Difference
Some people are early risers, wide awake at the crack of dawn. Others are night owls who can’t seem to get to bed until well after midnight and prefer to sleep in. Why is this? An NIH-funded team has some new clues based on evidence showing how a molecular “switch” wired into the biological clocks of extreme early risers leads them…
Big Dipper stars point to North Star
The 2 outermost stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper always point to the North Star, aka Polaris. That’s why astronomers call these stars The Pointers. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/use-the-pointers-to-find-polaris…