Daily Astronomy Fix

You’ve probably heard the phrase, "...once in a blue Moon." The expression refers to something that doesn’t happen very often. But, what does it really mean? And, does the Moon actually turn blue? The full lunar cycle takes 29.5 days, so typically there aren’t two full Moons within the same...

Have you spotted the Scorpion crawling along the southern sky? Scorpius is a very large constellation, but won’t cause you any harm. And, it actually resembles it’s namesake. Be sure to admire Antares, the red stellar heart before this impressive creature crawls away in fall. Graphic credit: SkySafari app

Grab your binos and enjoy a cluster of celestial wonders in the western sky. You won’t have to shift your gaze much in order to see the waxing crescent Moon, bright Venus to the lower left and dim Mercury to the lower right. Regulus, the brightest star of Leo is...

Dreaming of the beach? You don’t have to go far to spot a Dolphin in the sky. Delphinus swims along the shore of the Milky Way while Cygnus and Aquila fly overhead. You might also spot a fox crossing the water. Summer is the perfect time to jump in and...

Happy aphelion Earthlings! Earth is farther away from the Sun today than any other time of the year - 94.5 million miles away. Learn more about the exact positions of the planets and locations of various spacecraft with NASA's Eyes on the Solar System web-based app.

Up for an observing challenge? Check out the Moon tonight. It’s the first of four Full Moons that are considered SUPERMOONS. Keep your streak going by observing the Moon again on August 1st, August 30th and September 28th. What is a supermoon? The Moon’s orbit isn’t circular, it’s more of...

Happy Summer Solstice! It’s the longest day of the year for those of us living in the northern hemisphere. Stay out late and celebrate while watching the waxing crescent Moon, Venus and Mars as they form a triangle in the west. Graphic credit: Stellarium

This is the perfect weekend to see the Milky Way galaxy! Get out of town and find a dark place to watch our galaxy rise on the eastern horizon. It’ll be visible starting at 11pm and as the night continues it’ll climb higher and higher. Eventually, you’ll see it stretching...

Look to the west tonight to see Venus and Praesepe, the Beehive cluster in Cancer the Crab. One of the nearest open clusters to us, its hundreds of stars dazzle when viewed with a telescope. Graphic credit: Stellarium

Watch the Full Moon rise tonight next to Antares, the heart of the Scorpion! Antares is a red supergiant about 550 light years away. The enormity of this star is hard to grasp. If it were dropped into our solar system and replaced the Sun, it would extend out to...