Watch for the moon and Mars

Use the moon to find the planet Mars on November 24, 25 and 26, 2020. Then use the planet Mars to find Mars and Uranus within the same binocular field in January 2021. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/watch-for-the-moon-and-mars…

Will SpaceX’s Starlink satellites ruin stargazing?

SpaceX’s satellites will populate the night sky, affecting how we observe the stars. And this is just the beginning of private satellite mega-constellations. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/will-spacex-starlink-satellites-ruin-stargazing…

Diwali 2020 shines in this ashram, despite Covid-19

Images of Diwali 2020 from an ashram in India. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/diwali-moon-nov-2020-photos-swami-krishnananda…

Leonid meteor shower is building to a peak

The peak of the Leonids is likely to be before sunup on November 17, 2020. But people already catching some Leonids. Keep an eye out this weekend. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/leonid-meteors-before-dawn-november-17…

In Rural ‘Dead Zones,’ School Comes On a Flash Drive

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times: Shekinah and Orlandria Lennon were sitting at their kitchen table this fall, taking online classes, when video of their teachers and fellow students suddenly froze on their laptop screens. The wireless antenna on the roof had stopped working, and it could not be fixed. Desperate for a solution, their mother…

Moon, Venus, Mercury before daybreak

These next several days, watch as the waning crescent moon joins up with the planets Mercury and Venus, plus the star Spica, in the eastern predawn/dawn sky. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-venus-mercury-before-daybreak…

See all 5 bright planets in November!

See all five bright planets in November 2020. Three of them – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – pop out first thing at dusk and nightfall. The other two – Mercury and Venus – are found in the early morning sky. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/see-all-5-bright-planets-in-november…

‘I’m Not Drunk, It’s My Car.’ Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ Gets Mixed Reviews

CNN describes the reactions posted online by six beta testers of Tesla’s “full self-driving” software, saying they “appear to be both delighted and alarmed by what they’ve experienced so far.” “Turn left. Come on. What are you doing?” said one frustrated Tesla owner as his car appeared slow to change lanes during a trip he posted on YouTube last week. “I…

Electric! Astronomers find sprites in Jupiter’s atmosphere

Scientists with NASA’s Juno mission say they have detected sprites or elves – electrical phenomena above thunderstorms on Earth – in the clouds of Jupiter for the first time. Unlike the red-colored earthly ones however, the Jovian ones are blue. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/sprites-or-elves-in-jupiters-atmosphere-lightning-juno…

Blue Moon and red Mars on Halloween

The full moon of October 31, 2020 is the second full moon of a calendar month and therefore carries the name Blue Moon. It’s also the smallest full moon of 2020. And it’s near red Mars! Watch for it. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/blue-moon-and-mars-on-halloween…