Astronomy Highlights

  • Photo of aspen trees in fall
    Happy Fall Equinox! Grab a pumpkin spiced latte, kick some leaves and embrace the changing seasons.Wondering what the equinox is all about? Join us to take a deep dive into this astronomically significant day and explore the constellations of autumn
  • Photo from NASA of Saturn
    Saturn is at opposition tonight! It rises at sunset and sets at sunrise — exactly opposite of the Sun’s position in our sky and making it possible to observe the magnificent ringed-planet all night long.Saturn is always a stunning sight in a
  • Graphic from Sky Safari showing eastern horizon before dawn with the Moon, Venus and Regulus in Leo
    See a beautiful early morning conjunction an hour before sunrise today. The waning crescent Moon teams up with a stunningly brilliant Venus and striking Regulus to bring a dazzling sight to the constellation of Leo the Lion.
  • Graphic from Sky Safari showing the perseid meteor shower in the northeastern sky
    The Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight! The waning gibbous Moon will brighten up the sky significantly, but grab a blanket, stretch out on the lawn and try to spot a few.The radiant of the shower is in the constellation Perseus. The meteors will
  • Graphic from Sky Safari showing the eastern horizon with Jupiter and Venus very close
    The two brightest planets will be very close together for the next three mornings (11-13th) and at their closest on the 12th, separated by less than 1-degree.Set your alarm and don’t miss the sight — as they won’t have this close of a conjunction
  • Graphic from Stellarium showing the eastern horizon with the Moon in between Jupiter and Venus
    This month the symmetry before dawn continues. Look to the east this morning around 4:30am to see a beautiful thin crescent Moon perfectly framed between Venus, 11 degrees to the upper right, and Jupiter, 11 degrees to the lower left.
  • Graphic from Stellarium showing the eastern horizon with Venus in Taurus the bull
    Early risers will be treated to a beautiful sight this morning before dawn as Venus brings symmetry to the Bull’s v-shaped face. The bright star Aldebaran serves as the left eye of the bull and Venus will become the brilliant right eye, which is
  • Diagram showing the Earth's elliptical orbit around the sun
    Happy Aphelion Fellow Earthlings!We’re farther away from the Sun today than any other time of the year - 94.5 million miles. But, why? Earth’s path around the Sun isn’t circular—it’s closer to an oval.So, why is it so hot if we’re far away from the
  • Photo of the interior of Fiske theater with image of Sun from SDO
    Happy Summer Solstice!Everyone living in the Northern Hemisphere will enjoy the longest day of the year, while those in the Southern Hemisphere will experience the shortest day and the onset of winter.The axial tilt of our planet is the reason for
  • Two images upper view from Mars with Regulus and Algieba in view and lower image graphic of Leo in the western sky with Mars next to Regulus
    Ever wonder what the constellations look like from Mars?NASA’s Perseverance rover captured a view of the constellation of Leo a few months ago. The two of the brighter stars in Leo, Regulus and Algieba are in view, along with Deimos, the
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