SkyCaramba

The morning planets are drifting apart. The evening planets climb toward their next destinations. The moon hides Antares. And there's a monster of a constellation several solar system objects pass through, yet we don't think of it as part of the zodiac.

Mars in the Beehive. The moon over Zavijava. A morning planet grouping includes two binocular solar system objects. And planetoid and asteroid are two words that can mean that same thing. When the first such objects were discovered, astronomers weren't sure what to call them. They had characteristics of planets and asteroids.

The moon moves into the evening sky. There's a record for seeing the youngest moon, but nobody seems to make a contest out of seeing the oldest moon.Vesta is at opposition.A cluster of planets adorns the morning sky close to the horizon.

Mars makes a beeline for the beehive.Virgo has been known by a variety of names.Mercury's at greatest elongation.And hats off--or hair's off--for the only constellation linked to a real person.

Two planets are at aphelion this week. Their aphelion and perihelion distances reveal just how elliptical their orbits are.

Two planets are moving eastward in the morning sky. But for now, the sun's moving eastward faster. The way things look, the stars are climbing the sky each morning faster than those planets or the sun. I'll explain this effect of the difference between the sidereal and solar days.

One more time, the moon reaches as far north as it can.Try to see Venus in the morning.Mars rides high at dusk.And sometimes, stars seem to change colors because of other stars next to them. You can try to make it happen in your own telescope!

Venus and Mercury are on the other side of the sun. A partial solar eclipse happens in the northern hemisphere. And some people keep count of how many lunar months have gone by since some moment.

The moon's heading toward the farthest south it will go for the next two decades. Venus and Mercury head to conjunction. And why is there an old tale about being able to stand an egg on its end only on the equinox?

Planets are disappearing from the evening sky, but Venus is a good guide for finding Mercury. There's a total lunar eclipse this week. You can usually still see some lunar features during totality. And Universal Time isn't universally understood.

Saturn's lost in the sun glow as it leaves the evening sky. Mercury and Venus are leaving soon. Last chance to see the moon as far north as it goes. Find out about next week's total lunar eclipse. And learn why we see nebulae.

Sometimes, Saturn appears ringless. We're about to cross the ring plane, from which we see--or don't see--the rings edge-on. Unfortunately, we won't get to see this phenomenon when it happens in a few weeks.

The same side of the moon is always facing us, so it seems like we should see just half of it. But we actually see more, thanks to the tidal lock not being super tight. Some evening planets are sinking into the sunset, while others still ride high at dusk.

Why do the planets seem to go back and forth in our sky when they're all going the same way around the sun? Mercury's about to emerge into the evening sky. No pre-dawn planet watching for now. So get to know the current morning stars. Is Cygnus flying in the right place?

Even though we see through air, it's not as transparent as we think. It gets in the way. Venus, Saturn, and Neptune are close on the celestial dome. They're fairly easy to see for now. Mars moves deeper into Gemini. Jupiter resumes direct motion this week.

Mars pushes into Gemini. Jupiter prepares to turn around. Venus enters Pisces. And with two dogs crossing the sky, why don't northern hemisphere residents call these the dog nights of winter?

Venus soars above Saturn. Jupiter and the Hyades are high at dusk. Mars passes Pollux. And how can scientists know when the Blaze Star in Corona Borealis will flare up?

The moon passes in front of Mars. Venus passes Saturn. The moon's near Pollux and Mars. And let's discuss how Gemini, the celestial twins, aren't full brothers.

Jupiter remains near the Hyades. The moon visits Venus and Saturn. Mercury continues on its way out of the morning sky. And Earth is getting farther away from the sun. But if you think that's why it's cold where you are now, you're wrong.

Venus is approaching greatest elongation and heading toward Saturn. Jupiter and Mars are good sights all night. Mercury's still a morning object. And this week is a good time to look for Quadrantid meteor showers.

Venus passes through Capricornus on the way toward Saturn in Aquarius. Jupiter heads toward the Hyades. Mars goes back toward Gemini. Mercury moves by the scorpion's head.

Lunistice and solstice in the same week. Venus approaches Saturn. The moon visits Jupiter and Mars. Mercury hovers near Antares. And these days, high noon to high noon takes the longest.

The moon occults Saturn. Mercury moves to the morning. Vesper Venus. Mars turns around. And it's Geminid meteor time. Some scientists think those meteors didn't come from a defunct comet's dust after all.

A new month and a new moon. Mercury at inferior conjunction. Jupiter at opposition. The moon passes by or in front of Saturn. and Mars turns around at the Beehive Cluster.

Mercury is hastily leaving the evening sky. Venus passes by the ladel. Saturn remains an evening wonder. Jupiter's up most of the night. Mars continues its trek toward the crab. And find out about Piscis Austrinis, the southern fish, and why it's only half the constellation it used to be.

Venus is in the archer's bow in Sagittarius and will pass by a couple stars it passed right in front of about four decades ago. Mercury begins its retreat from the evening sky. Saturn changes direction and Neptune is about to.

Mercury's at its best showing for the current evening display. Venus went by the feet of Ophiuchus last week. Now it's the messenger planet's turn. Two lunar occultations happen this week. Uranus approaches opposition.

There's plenty of planet watching that can be done any time of the night. You can start watching for Leonid meteors. And the moon will pass in front of two planets early next week.

The microscope gave us a lot more to see. But the constellation named for it isn't much to look at. Venus scoots farther into the evening sky. Saturn's slowing down. The Pleiades rise around sunset. Jupiter heads toward Cancer.

Very careful observers may see Leonis Minorid meteors. Mercury barely makes it into the evening. Venus and Saturn continue on opposite sides of the sky. A star in the scorpion's head should look a lot brighter than it does.

How much magnification would you need to see the astronauts' bootprints on the moon? Let's find out. Venus and Saturn are on opposite sides of the sky. Mars is about to slow down. Mercury barely makes it into the evening.

The celestial dragon could breathe out some fireballs this week. Meteor colors give us clues about what meteors are made of and what's happening as they pass through the air. Venus keeps inching its way into the evening sky. Jupiter holds still. Mars moves past the twins.

The moon passes in front of the sun for an annular eclipse this week. There's plenty of planetary action all night. And some people may be able to spot what's been called a false dawn, thanks to dust in the solar system.

Mars passed by Mebsuta and is now approaching Mekbuda. Both stars are named for parts of a lion's paw. Mercury's out of sight. Venus moves alongside Virgo. The September equinox starts the week. The moon is about as far north as it can get. And we have a meteor shower you're more likely to hear with the help of a radio than to see.

The moon passes in front of Saturn this week. Then it goes through Earth's shadow. Mars passes by Mebsuta, named for a lion in Arabian star lore. And why is red light right for astronomers at night?

Saturn's at opposition. Venus is near Porrima, whose name refers to a goddess of prophecy and normal, headfirst births. Mars passes by Propus in the feet of Gemini. And some observers get to see the moon pass in front of Antares.

Mercury's at greatest elongation this week. Saturn's at opposition next week. You can see these planets on opposite sides of the sky. Venus is in the evening sky. The moon passes in front of Spica.

Some people have claimed that Abraham Lincoln was so desperate to win a hopeless court case he fabricated evidence. Astronomy then and now can prove he was as honest as his reputation holds.

It's been more than four decades since a mysterious signal seemingly came from somewhere in Sagittarius. No signal like it has ever been found again. It didn't seem to contain any information. Mercury's in conjunction with the sun. Venus slowly heads deeper into the evening sky. The moon hides Saturn. Mars continues on its way after passing Jupiter.

The Perseid meteor shower peaks. Start looking for eclipses of Algol again. Mercury is near Regulus. Venus is nearby. Mars and Jupiter rise after midnight.

One of the modern constellations is named for a device you would use to look at stars to figure out where you are. The first sextants were as big as buildings. Eventually, handheld sextants were invented. Mercury and Venus pass each other this week. Mars and Jupiter are close to the Hyades.

Perseid meteors are a possibility. Mercury begins its retreat from the evening sky. The solar cycle may be peaking sooner rather than later. And the lunistice keeps getting farther from the equator.

The Hyades feature prominently in the morning sky watching these days. The asterism's bright star Aldebaran is likened to a torch. Mars shines in a similar color nearby. In the evening, Mercury is at greatest elongation and draws close to Regulus.

A comet may be visible in binoculars this month. It's always hard to speculate just how bright any of these objects will become. See Mars pull away from the Hyades.

How far away would the sun have to be to blend in with the stars at night. Here are some answers to how far away the sun would be to shine as bright as the full moon, Venus, and various stars.

Mercury and Venus in the evening, Saturn late at night, other planets clustered in the morning, Earth at aphelion, and some info on how we know the sun is far away.

For a few years, there was a meteor shower in June that produced faint blue streaks. It doesn't happen anymore. It's not the only meteor shower to have gone extinct. But there's another shower that has come back. Saturn seems to be holding still. Mercury emerges into the evening.

Earth goes through northern solstice this week. Mars went through southern solstice earlier this month. The morning planets march along.

The moon will pass in front of Spica 20 times now through the end of next year. Find out where to see the first occultation. Mercury's turn to go behind the sun. Planet watching continues to be a morning thing.

The sun passes through 13 constellations during the year. The one people are surprised to learn about is the snake-bearer Ophiuchus. Jupiter and Mercury are very close in the morning sky this week. Not many people will get to see them though. Venus is hidden behind the sun.

A long snake slithers across the evening sky, taking a bird and a bowl with it. And some sky watchers can see Saturn disappear behind the moon.