Q-90.1's Backyard Astronomer

During the month of June, about 90 minutes after sunset, look high in the east, almost overhead for a faint semi-circular pattern of stars. This is the constellation of Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown.

The June full moon or "Strawberry Moon" marks the lowest path the full moon takes across the sky during the year.

Since one side of the moon always faces the earth, it's often assumed that means the moon doesn't rotate. But that's not really the case.

If you follow the arc to Arcturus and keep the curve going even farther down into the south, you'll come to the faint bluish star, Spica.

Now that we're past full moon, the early evening sky remains dark for longer periods as the moon rises later each night. This reveals a really nice target for binoculars called the Coma star cluster.

In spring, many stargazers use the zodiacal constellation of Leo the Lion as a signpost to the sky.

All this week, the phase of the moon grows larger and brighter as it moves from first quarter toward full. We call this period the “waxing gibbous moon” as the oval shape becomes wider and more rounded.

Twice each year the Earth crosses the orbit of Halley's Comet. Each time we do, a meteor shower is created from the tiny flecks of ice and dust the comet leaves behind in its orbit.

During mid-spring, a trio of wide-spread stars covers a huge swath of the eastern sky after dark. It's the Spring Triangle signaling the move into longer days and warmer weather for the Northern Hemisphere.

Each season has that one constellation that serves as a signpost to the sky. In spring, many stargazers use the constellation of Leo the Lion.

Spring is the time of year when the Big Dipper climbs higher into the northern sky, but the Big Dipper is not itself a constellation. It's only part of a much larger group called Ursa Major, the Great Bear. It also makes for a great guidepost to other stars and constellations!

During the week of March 31, the waxing crescent Moon makes its appearance in the west after sunset. When the moon looks like a thin crescent, there's a feature to look for called earthshine.

With the moon out of the way, the early evening sky remains dark and full of stars, and that gives us some fine objects to explore with binoculars.

This year, the March equinox arrives on the 20th which marks the first day of spring for the northern hemisphere.

This month, the full moon on March 14 is also known as the "Sap Moon" because March marks the tapping of the maple trees. It also coincides with a total lunar eclipse.

Over the last few months, we've been treated to the brilliant planet Venus piercing the western sky after sunset. During the first part of March, you'll have a rare opportunity to watch the elusive planet Mercury join the show!

Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse form a giant triangle in the southern sky known as the Winter Triangle. And like Orion's Belt, it can make for an excellent pointer and guidepost to the winter night sky.

As the moon wanes and rises later each night, the early evening skies are dark again, allowing us to see the Great Orion Nebula.

From now through mid-March, you'll have an opportunity to see the crescent phase of Venus when viewed through a telescope.

At the beginning of the week of February 3, the moon shows a crescent shape in the southwest after sunset. But each night, the moon will appear to slip a little further back or eastward among the stars.

The parade of four planets visible across the sky will soon reduce to three as Saturn drops lower in the west each night, fading into the glare of twilight by the end of February.

About two hours after sunset, look high in the east for the brilliant planet Jupiter. A little to the lower right of Jupiter is the orange star Aldebaran, the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull.

During the week of January 13, a magnificent parade of planets will arch across the early evening sky.

The moon grows from its first quarter phase this week, before its reaches full on the 13th. The January full moon is called the "Wolf Moon" because of the increased howling wolves make at this time.

One of the best known winter constellations, Orion the Hunter, returns to the evening sky.

The dating of our holidays have their roots in the solstice traditions of long ago, and that includes the dating of Christmas.

During the second half of December, you'll have a rare opportunity to spot all the other major planets in our solar system over the course of one night.

As the phase of the moon grows steadily from first quarter to full, it's a good opportunity to explore the contrasts of light and dark on its surface.

Low in the east, soon after dark, you'll find a star so bright that it looks like a fiery beacon in the sky. It's actually the planet Jupiter, and it's making its closest approach to Earth this week.

The holidays are one of the most popular times of year for buying a telescope. So, what's the best one to look for?

Two hours after sunset you can't help but notice several bright stars low in the east and northeast. The brightest one isn't a star at all, but the planet Jupiter!

The phase of the moon grows this week. By November 15 it becomes full, rising a little north of east soon after sunset. The November Full Moon was called the Beaver Moon by many Native American tribes.

This week offers an evening rendezvous of Venus and the crescent moon.

Look low to the east after dark and you should see a pretty little cluster of stars. Its shape might remind you of a miniature Little Dipper, but it's actually the famous Pleiades Star Cluster.

Each season has a notable constellation or group of stars that can serve as a guidepost to that part of the sky. In summer it's common to use the Summer Triangle and in autumn we have the Great Square of Pegasus.

The Moon will take on an oval shape this week as the visible portion starts to wane, or become smaller. This allows the Moon to be seen in the morning sky after sunrise.

The media buzz is growing about what could be a bright comet gracing our skies this month. It's called Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, or “A3” for short, and astronomers have been eagerly anticipating its approach for many weeks.

Look high in the northeast for a group of bright stars that resembles a big “W” sitting on its end. This is the constellation of Cassiopeia the Queen.

If you look low in the southeast sky after dark, you'll see a moderately bright star that doesn't twinkle as much as the others. This is the famous ringed planet Saturn, and it recently made its closest approach to Earth.

By September 13, the Moon will look a little more than half illuminated in the south. This is when the Delta College Planetarium in Bay City will celebrate this year's International Observe the Moon Night!

From late August through September, Sagittarius the Archer will appear low in the south at evening twilight. With the Milky Way running through it, Sagittarius is a treasure trove of deep sky wonders for binoculars.

Away from city lights and bright moonlight, this is the time of year to see the faint band of the Milky Way stretching right over the top of the sky.