Astronomy Highlights

  • Graphic showing southwestern sky with Moon and Saturn
    Watch a sliver of our Moon slide down the southwestern sky tonight with Venus and Saturn not far behind. The days are slowing getting longer and it should be a pretty view during twilight.Graphic credit: Sky Safari app
  • Graphic showing Jupiter with 2 moons on left and 2 on right (Europa, Io, Callisto and Ganymede)
    The King of the Planets reigns over the winter skies this month. Grab your binos and look for Jupiter in the constellation of Taurus the Bull. See if you can spot the four largest moons - Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io as they orbit around
  • Graphic of the southwestern sky showing Neptune, Saturn and Venus
    Dazzling Venus and Saturn pair up in the southwestern sky this evening. Venus is a mere 60 million miles away and Saturn is almost a billion miles from us. With a telescope and steady skies, you may also be able to spot aqua-colored Neptune in
  • Graphic showing the full moon to bottom center along with Mars, Castor and Pollux stars are to the upper left
    This evening marks the first Full Moon of 2025 and it should be a spectacular sight. Mars will be to the lower left of the Moon and the prominent stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux, will form a line with our nearest celestial companion.And, if you
  • Graphic showing the Moon occulting the Pleiades cluster
    Grab your binos this evening to watch the Moon pass over a diamond-filled patch of sky. The Pleiades open cluster has been known since ancient times and includes over a thousand stars bound together by gravity. Hope the view adds some extra
  • Diagram showing the Earth's elliptical orbit around the sun
    Happy Perihelion to our fellow Earthlings! Spaceship Earth’s orbit is elliptical and at the  closest point to the Sun today. (Skywatchers can always find something to celebrate.)Want to see exactly what our Earth looks like from space right now
  • Photo looking at the Flatirons in the snow with Fiske dome in view to the lower right
    Bundle up Buffs! Today we celebrate the winter solstice and the longest night of the year.Within a week or so, you’ll notice the days beginning to get longer as the arc of the Sun’s path through the celestial sphere gets higher in the sky.
  • Graphic of the Moon close to the zenith, other planets are in view too and a full celestial sphere is visible with mountains on the horizons
    The full Moon will be captivating this weekend! As the Moon rises on the eastern horizon, notice how far to the north it is — it will rise at its most northern position in over 18 years. Also, the winter solstice is fast approaching, causing
  • Graphic showing December 13 Moon, Jupiter and Open Clusters
    The winter skies are so enchanting! Look to the east tonight to spot the waxing gibbous Moon and brilliant Jupiter amidst the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters. Also, the Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight, but the Moon will be so bright that
  • Graphic of December 4 showing the Crescent Moon and Venus
    The waxing crescent Moon and Venus form a spectacular pairing in the southwestern sky this evening.Can you see the rest of the Moon’s disk? Hope so! It’s a beautiful sight called Earthshine —created by reflected sunlight from the Earth shining back
Subscribe to Astronomy Highlights