08/04/2024
Time to finish that project you've been putting off for years!
Mercury Retrograde is of particular interest to *astrologically* minded folks, and some people who have to deal with communications technology. See URL for more info...
08/04/2024
Time to finish that project you've been putting off for years!
Mercury Retrograde is of particular interest to *astrologically* minded folks, and some people who have to deal with communications technology. See URL for more info...
7:13 am – 7:13 am
08/04/2024
08/12/2024 – 08/13/2024
This is one of the best showers of the year, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. This year, a first quarter moon will block the fainter meteors, but it should set shortly after midnight, leaving you with dark skies for the rest of the show. Although the predicted peak falls during the night of August 11-12, it has a long range: from July 14 to September 1. So, you can start watching for these meteors in the early August morning hours. You can also look after the peak in August, after sunset -- though the full moon will likely get in the way.
The Perseid meteor shower is perhaps the most beloved meteor shower of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Itβs a rich and steady shower. These fast and bright meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. As with all meteor shower radiant points, you donβt need to know Perseus to watch the shower. Instead, the meteors appear in all parts of the sky, frequently leaving persistent trails. Perseid meteors tend to strengthen in number from midnight to the wee hours before dawn.
These meteors are the result of our passing through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. For a while, astronomers calculated that this comet would collide with the Earth during the Perseids in 2126. Such an impact would have spoiled any stargazing since the comet is the largest near-Earth object that periodically passes through our sky. If Swift-Tuttle ever does hit the Earth, its 60 km/s impact will be about 27 times more energetic than the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs.
11:19 am – 11:19 am
08/12/2024
08/12/2024 – 08/13/2024
This is one of the best showers of the year, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. This year, a first quarter moon will block the fainter meteors, but it should set shortly after midnight, leaving you with dark skies for the rest of the show. Although the predicted peak falls during the night of August 11-12, it has a long range: from July 14 to September 1. So, you can start watching for these meteors in the early August morning hours. You can also look after the peak in August, after sunset -- though the full moon will likely get in the way.
The Perseid meteor shower is perhaps the most beloved meteor shower of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Itβs a rich and steady shower. These fast and bright meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. As with all meteor shower radiant points, you donβt need to know Perseus to watch the shower. Instead, the meteors appear in all parts of the sky, frequently leaving persistent trails. Perseid meteors tend to strengthen in number from midnight to the wee hours before dawn.
These meteors are the result of our passing through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. For a while, astronomers calculated that this comet would collide with the Earth during the Perseids in 2126. Such an impact would have spoiled any stargazing since the comet is the largest near-Earth object that periodically passes through our sky. If Swift-Tuttle ever does hit the Earth, its 60 km/s impact will be about 27 times more energetic than the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs.
08/14/2024
On August 14, Mars and Jupiter will have a close conjunction, only 0.3 degrees apart, visible in the constellation Taurus. This event is notable for the brightness of the planets and their minimal separation, making it the most prominent conjunction of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the planets will be observable from around midnight until morning, positioned high in the eastern sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, they will be visible a few hours before sunrise, also in the east.
That said, Mars won't be very bright. We were spoiled back in 2018 when it was at its closest approach in its 15 year cycle.
2:26 pm – 2:26 pm
08/19/2024
2:26 pm – 2:26 pm
08/19/2024
The term Sturgeon Moon refers to the full moon in August and originates from Native American tribes in North America. They named it after the sturgeon fish, which was abundant and most easily caught in the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water during this time of the year.
Ever seen a sturgeon? Living dinosaurs! This fish species dates back to the Late Cretaceous period, around 100 million years ago, making them one of the oldest surviving fish species. Google yourself some 'great lakes sturgeon' pictures. Weird looking, but allegedly one of the tastiest fish in the world.
5:26 am – 5:26 am
08/26/2024
08/28/2024
This is primarily of interest to *astrologically* minded folks. See URL for more info...