On the evening of October 10, a lovely Harvest Moon rose through the clouds, delighting a crowd of children, their siblings and parents, and the teachers who assembled their students for the occasion of their annual Full Moon Party. Even before then, in the deepening twilight, Stellar Vista Observatory’s telescopes were trained on Saturn for […]
This week we’ll focus on the planets. The brightest planet in the evening sky is the king of the planets, Jupiter. You’ll see Jupiter low in the southeast as darkness falls, and high in the south around 1 a.m. No star or other planet is brighter. This is a good week to look at Saturn […]
Stellar Vista Observatory joins Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and other astronomy buffs for GCNRA’s annual star party, right out on the walking bridge over the Marble Canyon Gorge. Truly a wonderful experience. SVO will be there with our telescopes on the 30th. Hope to see you there!
For a while last spring there were no planets in the evening sky. Now we have three: two that are out from sunset while a third rises before midnight. As the sky is growing dark notice Saturn, almost 1/3 of the way up the southeastern sky. Saturn is in Capricornus, in a section of the […]
First, a quick run-down of the three planets visible tonight. Saturn is already up when the sun sets, and at the end of twilight you’ll find it low in the southeast, where it’s noticeably brighter than any nearby star. Saturn is highest around 11 p.m., and that’s the best time to observe it with a […]
By Rich Csenge, president, Stellar Vista Observatory On Tuesday, September 20th at the Jackson Flat Reservoir boat launch parking area, Stellar Vista Observatory (SVO) will hold an outdoor activity specially designed for the early bird who enjoys getting outside on a cool September morning. Several telescopes will be set up and bathroom facilities are available. […]
The moon rises late, leaving the evening sky dark, so this week and next is a great time to enjoy the wonders of the summer sky. There’s a lot you can see with your eyes alone, and of course more with binoculars. This week I’ll describe what you can see of the Milky Way, our […]
Four bright planets are out tonight, although not at the same time. In order of rising they are: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. Mercury is between the earth and sun and can’t be seen. Saturn is everybody’s favorite planet when seen through a telescope. It’s low in the east as darkness falls. If you do […]
Starting in the evening with the planets, you might look for Mercury low in the west immediately after sunset but you probably won’t see it, it’s so low. I mention it for completeness. On the evening of the 29th it’s 7° below the thin crescent moon and you might look for it then. Have a […]
