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Podcast about astronomy and the joys of watching the skies at night--and sometimes during the day
275 Episodes
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Eclipses, oppositions, a famous variable star brightens up, Venus rules the evening, and the closest full moon of the year are among the dozen events of 2026 previewed in this edition.
They don't name extremely advanced optics after just anyone. Some of the best deep sky pictures ever taken came from an observatory named for Vera C. Rubin. If that's all you know about her, you know she must have been important. I'll tell you why.
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.
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.
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