SkyCaramba

Earth is about to have its December solstice. That means long, although cold, nights for northern sky watchers.

Saturn's rings are coming more into view.

Geminid meteors are still visible.

And more.

Mercury's at greatest elongation. This greatest elongation doesn't seem so great though.

The moon, Jupiter, and Pollux are close as the week starts.

And after the moon leaves the planet and star, look for Geminid meteors. They seem to originate from about that part of the sky.

The full moon occults the Pleiades. Since the moon's so much brighter than the stars, this may be hard to see. It's an even harder challenge to photograph. Here's how some astrophotographers will do it.

This is the best time to look at Saturn for a nearly edge-on view of the rings.

Mercury approaches greatest elongation.

Venus heads into the sunrise while Mars heads into the sunset.

Mercury enters the morning sky as Venus prepares to leave it. Ceres resumes direct motion but doesn't really slow down. Saturn and Neptune are moving toward each other, but not quickly Saturn's rings are almost edge-on.

The Leonid meteor shower peaks this week. A spectacular meteor storm in 1833 taught astronomers something about where meteors come from.

Mars is near Antares. Uranus is at opposition. Mercury's at inferior conjunction.

Mercury turns around and passes Mars. Jupiter also goes retrograde. Venus scoots along Virgo's legs. Uranus approaches opposition. The Andromeda Galaxy is a popular target for beginner deep sky astrophotographers.

Mercury and Mars are about to appear close, but they're not having a conjunction in either right ascension or celestial longitude.

The moon passes in front of the Pleiades this week. As the Pleiades return to all night views, let's revisit why so many legends around the world say this star cluster represents seven beings but we see only six.

And more: Jupiter is about to go retrograde, Venus passes by Spica, and Neptune and Saturn remain somewhat close.

Mercury reaches greatest elongation. The moon reaches southern lunistice. Uranus continues traveling between the Pleiades and the Hyades.

Mercury zips past Mars. Saturn and Neptune remain paired. It's a good time of year to start looking at Algol eclipses. And we get a meteor shower during the new moon.

Mars appears to pass close to a quadruple star system this week. Keep looking at Saturn in a telescope for the rings to almost disappear. And I take the chance on telling you about a comet that may be bright enough to easily see.

The moon passes by a pair of planets. We have one of the closest full moons of the year. Venus gets away from the lion. And learn about the Saturn Nebula, named for the planet it sort of looks like in some views.

Mercury and Mars are in the evening sky for some observers. Saturn remains paired with Neptune. Venus slides under Leo's belly. And Cygnus is a good constellation to start with if you're interested in deep sky objects.

Saturn's at opposition. Neptune, too. They have moons with similar names. Orion shines bright in the morning. Venus slides under Leo's belly.

Part of the world gets a partial solar eclipse soon. Learn how eclipses are catalogued and grouped over thousands of years. Mercury comes out of conjunction. Mars continues heading into the sunset. Saturn's almost at opposition.

Mercury's missing. Well, not really. Saturn and Neptune rise around sunset. A minor meteor shower peaks this week. And learn how those distant, dim galaxies and nebulae get their names.

The coming full moon will be eclipsed. Mars and Virgo set. Jupiter and a star give you a vision test. Venus passes by the beehive.

The moon passes Mars. Saturn and Fomalhaut shine bright. Three planets still give morning greetings. And it's not too late to see Perseid meteors. I tell you about how meteor showers are put into four classes according to how easy they are to see.

Three naked eye planets greet morning sky watchers. Saturn rises earlier in the evening. The moon reaches northern lunistice. And let's learn about Christiaan Huygens and how he leveled up from Galileo's work.

Venus passes Jupiter in Gemini for a nice morning display. The moon passes by Saturn. And the Martian north pole is pointed toward us. Find out what it and its southern counterpart are made of and how they're different.

Mars just passed Zavijava and heads toward Zaniah. Saturn and Neptune rise mid-evening. Uranus is near the Pleiades. Mercury makes it to the morning. And you can start looking for Perseid meteors if you haven't already. I tell you about the comet they come from.

Mercury heads to inferior conjunction. Mars gets close to Zavijava. The teapot's on the meridian at dusk. Venus reaches Castor's feet in pursuit of Jupiter. And a couple of big geometry figures are starting points for many beginning astronomers.

The moon moves from morning to evening. Mercury is lost in the sunlight. Mars heads toward Virgo. Saturn goes retrograde. Venus continues to shine in the morning. Jupiter begins its morning appearance. And this is the best time all year to see Pluto--if you can.

Mercury retreats from the evening. Mars keeps crawling under Leo. Jupiter reaches Castor's legs. And recall how the Apollo 11 astronauts didn't get to go home right after their mission.

Mercury moves away from a donkey star. Mars is beneath the lion's belly. Saturn is stationary by the one of the two linked fish. Venus pulls up along the Hyades V in the bull's face. And for those wondering how much non-human involvement goes into these podcasts, I assure you very little.

The moon hides Mars and Spica this week. Mercury's at its best for the current evening showing. Earth is at aphelion. And Saturn and Neptune appear close. So do Venus and Uranus. We can use these close calls to appreciate how Galileo mistook Neptune for a star.

Jupiter's still out of view. Mercury's up in the evening. Mars is at the lion's belly. Venus and Saturn show in the morning. And see a fabled centaur and an unstoried wolf cross the meridian in the evening.

Jupiter is out of sight this week. Mercury passes through Gemini. Mars reaches the heart of Leo. Venus gets a visit from the moon. And the June solstice is coming. Most of us know that means midnight sun from far northern locations. However, we don't often think about midnight twilight from places not so far north.

Mercury and Jupiter pass each other in the evening. Mars continues moving toward Regulus. Venus is coming off its best morning appearance. And Mira is coming into magnified views for northern sky watchers. This star is called wonderful for many reasons, one of which is it seems to vanish and reappear.

Jupiter is almost at the feet of Gemini. Mercury moves to the evening. Venus shines bright from the Pisces linkage. A mostly daytime meteor shower. And Mars approaches the heart of Leo. There's a lot more to that star, Regulus, than meets the naked eye.

Jupiter's long slow goodbye from the evening sky continues. Mars is still prominent. Venus and Saturn look nice at dawn. Mercury approaches its semi-circle phase. But for some reason, we don't see it that way exactly when we should. And Mars has its northern solstice.

Jupiter and Mars climb among the evening stars. Mercury sinks into the sunrise. And can you see stars in the daytime from the bottom of a smokestack or deep well? Some serious studies have been done.

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.

Saturn and Mars are easy to spot in the morning. Some people may spot Mercury. The moon occults Antares this week.

And sometimes, successfully finding something in your telescope means blocking something else out. It costs practically nothing to go to the extra trouble.

A star about 3,000 light years away is normally very dim--requiring a telescope and a dark sky to see. About 80 years ago, it flared up to easy naked eye visibility. Some astronomers think it might be about to flare up again.

Also, the moon is about to pass in front of one of the stars in Virgo. The event will be visible from most of a continent.

All the planets will soon by on the same side of the sun. When something like that happened in 1982, some people carried on like the world would come to an end. Most scientists recognized the so-called alignment as an important opportunity.

Mars and Neptune will appear very close. To see this super close conjunction, you will need to be in a place where it's still dark when they're up. And you'll need magnification. How much? Not much. But you need something else too.

Earth is passing through the dust stream that produces the April Lyrid meteor shower this week. There are sometimes bright fireballs. The full moon is interfering though.

What an exciting week that just ended with a total solar eclipse. Red prominences showed in the corona. Why are they that color? And what did scientists learn about the sun by analyzing the corona's spectum?

Several planets are lined up in the morning. The moon is with them at first. One more admonition to protect your eyes during the solar eclipse. Several planets appear close to the sun during the eclipse. Then the moon passes Mercury and Jupiter in the evening.

Mercury's leaving the evening sky. Jupiter is heading toward Uranus. Three planets are leaving the morning sky, but there's time for the moon to meet up with them. And here's some more advice on how to experience the total solar eclipse.

Legends abound about seven stars and why only six of them are visible. We review what the ancient Greeks said about the Pleiades and which Pleiad is missing.

As Comet Halley is at the halfway point between appearances, another comet with an orbit almost as long is showing in the evening sky. Find out about Comet Pons-Brooks.

And planets keep working their way out of the evening and morning skies.

Evening planet viewing isn't so bad right now. It's getting hard to see the morning planets. There will be a penumbral lunar eclipse next week.

There are a lot of things to think about if you will travel to see the total solar eclipse next month. Do you need a place to stay? Where will you eat while you're there? How will you keep everyone in your party occupied during the trip?

Maybe you should try to DX the eclipse. Listen for radio stations coming in from farther than usual during the daytime because of what darkness does in the upper atmosphere.

An asteroid is at opposition this week. It's one of the asteroids discovered by the "celestial police" who looked over areas of the sky for objects between Mars and Jupiter. And there's a reason they expected to find something there. But maybe it's just a coincidence that they did.

Jupiter still rules the evening. Venus and Mars are leaving the morning sky. The moon will soon pass in front of Antares. And part of a famous but long lost star catalog has been found.

An evening planet is heading into the sunset. Three morning planets are heading into the sunrise. And there will soon be a conjunction of two planets with each other and with the sun!

The moon will pass in front of Elnath for viewers in part of Australia and Indonesia next week. Scientists can learn a lot about a star that's hidden that way. And several planets are on their way out of the night sky.

Southern hemisphere observers can take a double challenge--try to see some meteors and then figure out which of two overlapping showers they came from. It's not easy. Both radiate from the same constellation and neither shower produces a lot of meteors.

Learn about the Centaur constellation.

Three planets are on the way out of the morning sky. One planet is hanging on before exiting the evening sky.

You may have noticed that the sun rarely crosses the meridian when the clock says it's 12pm. High noon is about as late as it gets this time of year.

Some planets are leaving the morning sky. Some are leaving the evening sky.

Saturn's disappearing from the evening sky. The moon's approaching full phase and northern lunistice. It's Venus's turn to apparently pass by a very distant star. And the morning planetary action lately deserves applause, because it's associated with a figure said to have started the tradition of hand-clapping to show appreciation.