What happened to Venus? It was reliably there in the evening sky for months, and then it quickly disappeared. This is easier to understand with a diagram than with words alone, so refer to the diagram which is largely self-explanatory. Venus orbits faster than the earth on an inside track, so it catches and passes […]
Friday evening, July 21, treat yourself to the exhilarating experience of looking deep into space at the planets, moon and stars. Each month of the year Kanab’s nonprofit Stellar Vista Observatory (SVO) hosts a free star party for public enjoyment and appreciation of the night sky. Now that mid-summer is here and nights are warm […]
The western sky on Monday, July 24th, 35 minutes after sunset. The star Regulus is above Venus and the star Spica is near the moon. Mercury has moved next to Regulus on Friday the 28th. Graphic created with SkySafariAstronomy.com. Say good-by to Mars, Venus, and Mercury in the evening sky. Mars and Venus have been […]
The western sky 45 minutes after sunset on the 19th. The stars of Leo are included. Graphic created with SkySafariAstronomy. Although we’re about to lose the evening planets they’ll go out with a bang. The night of the 19th is the best night to look, but all week they put on an interesting and ever-changing […]
The sky 40 minutes after sunset on July 15. Venus has an altitude of only 10° It’s not yet dark enough to see Mercury or any but the brightest stars. Look for Mercury next week when it’s higher. The stars of Leo are above Regulus. Graphic created with SkySafariAstronomy.com. The planet show is quickly drawing […]
The moon at its smallest/most distant and at its largest/closest. It’s trivial to see the difference on paper at eye distance but not in the sky. Graphic created with SkySafariAstronomy.com.There’s good information at https://www.space.com/supermoon-syndrome-february-full-moon-2019.html and https://www.wired.com/2015/10/supermoon-isnt-super-just-moon/ Venus, Mars, and the star Regulus are together in the evening sky, sitting about 20° above the west horizon […]
June ends with Venus brilliant and conspicuous low in the west in the early evening sky, but well before the end of July it will have disappeared. These are the final few weeks to see it in the evening, so enjoy it while you can. Venus is on an orbit that’s inside the earth’s orbit, […]
Interesting things are happening in the evening sky. Venus has been the brilliant “evening star” for months, but its reign is about to end and you can watch it make its exit in the next few weeks. You’ll see Venus in early twilight (and during the day if you know where to look), and an […]
Free public star parties are held monthly throughout the year in Kanab, courtesy of the local nonprofit Stellar Vista Observatory. Residents and visitors are invited to experience the stars and bring forth the spirit of wonder as to how it all came to be and where humanity might comprehend itself within the immense and majestic […]
I usually begin with the moon and planets because they are responsible for most of the action in the sky. A theme of my Sky Reports is that there is motion and change in the sky at multiple time levels that you can see and appreciate with just your eyes or binoculars, and that by […]
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