Mercury's ready to put on a show (05/06/08)
Welcome to Tuesday. Your editor asked for a volunteer to move the column from Saturday to Tuesday and evidently I won. This will give me a chance to make my observations of the machinations of the City Council a little more current. Then too, in my busy "retired" schedule, it will be easier to crank out the weekly column on Sunday afternoon followed by a little tuning up after the council meeting on Monday night...

And now, for something completely different (04/29/08)
Tired of watching Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and the other same old ordinary star stuff? How about something new and exciting, something seen rarely and briefly? How about grabbing a glance at the first planet out from the Sun -- the swift, elusive planet Mercury?...

Mars is moving eastward (04/22/08)
Have you been watching Mars lately? It is moving eastward among the background stars and is traveling from the middle of the constellation Gemini up toward its two brightest stars, Castor and Pollux. By month's end it will form an almost straight line with the pair...

New constellations take the stage (04/08/08)
Now that the temperatures are warming, it will make staying outside longer for late evening sky viewing more comfortable. On the other hand the sun is setting later each day making it take longer to get dark. One hand giveth while the other hand taketh away...

Any excuse for a star party (04/01/08)
Talk about an excuse for a party! Recently our small group of skywatchers witnessed the triple pass of the ISS space station, the space shuttle Endeavour (mission STS-123) and the Jules Verne space station resupply vessel or ATV (automated transfer vehicle) as it is also known...

A new binocular challenge (03/25/08)
How did you do with the binocular challenge from two weeks ago? I didn't do too bad. I found all the objects except for the elusive M38. Mars and M35 were no problem, but chasing down the other three proved a challenge. Especially since you had to have been almost laying down or bent over almost backwards to get a good view of the sky almost directly overhead...

The vernal equinox -- wait, we missed it! (03/18/08)
After three months of waiting spring arrives Thursday. The vernal equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator traveling north, will occur at 11:48 am MDT on Thursday, March 20 to be precise. If you lived on the equator the length of day and night would be equal, hence the term equinox...

Spring is nearly ready to ... spring (03/11/08)
It is now time for the quoting of my favorite poem of spring ... "Spring has sprung, the grass is rizz, I wonder where the flowers is." Well, so much for my skills at poetry. Needless to say, you are well aware that the spring season starts officially at 11:49 am MDT on Thursday, March 20. That is the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator from the southern into the northern hemisphere bringing spring to us and autumn to the folks down south...

Despite clouds, eclipse party carries on (02/26/08)
Well, you pays your money and you takes your chance. That seemed to be the prevailing attitude of the 20 or so good folks who gathered at the Benkelman Elementary school last Wednesday evening, Feb. 20, to watch the last total eclipse visible in the Americas for the next three years...

Wednesday's the night for the sky show (02/19/08)
Wednesday night is the night -- for the total lunar eclipse that is. The eclipse party will start at about 6:30 p.m. MST at the southeast door of the Benkelman elementary school. Here we will discuss a little about what an eclipse is and then watch as the curved shadow of the Earth creeps across the lunar face...

See the shuttle, space station Friday (02/11/08)
With the successful launch of the space shuttle Atlantis last week, we may now have another opportunity to see the shuttle and the International Space Station together in the sky at the same time. The best opportunity for residents in the McCook area will be on Friday evening, Feb. 15, when the station and the shuttle will pass overhead together starting in the northwestern sky...

Objects coming together in the sky (02/05/08)
As I always say, I am not an early morning astronomer, unless there is something worth getting up to see. Friday morning, Feb. 1, was such an occasion. The bright planets Venus and Jupiter were so close together the tip of your little finger held at arms length would have covered them. The pair have been moving closer together for some months now and Friday was the "close" day. They were quite the sight in binoculars...

Asteroids passing too close for comfort (01/29/08)
Take heart good folks--we are half way through winter, or so the calendar says. Officially the halfway point is Feb. 4. However, the almanac will say Feb. 2 is the day. Of course, you know it as Groundhog's Day, or Candlemas as it is sometimes called...

Signs in the sky point to spring (01/22/08)
We don't need to be reminded it is winter; clearly the season still has the area in its icy grip. However, the stars hold for us the promise of spring. All you have to do is go look. Just rising over the eastern horizon at about 8 p.m. is the constellation Leo, the Lion, one of the first of the spring constellations. Rising with Leo is the ringed planet Saturn...

Red companions, new and old friends (01/15/08)
Bright Mars continues to dazzle during the early evening hours in cold January along with its two other red compantions, Betelgeuse in Orion the Hunter, and Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull. It will soon be joined by ringed Saturn as it makes its way from around behind the sun...

Check out the latest conjunctions (01/08/08)
I hope you didn't miss the conjunction of the moon and Mars on Dec. 23. It was an awesome sight. The brilliance of the almost-full moon and the brightness of Mars seemingly a hairs width off to the side made for a lovely pair. In binoculars it was even more awe inspiring. The moon took on an almost three dimensional aspect. With blazing red Mars nearby it was a tremendous sight...

What was the Star of Bethlehem (12/18/07)
After several repeated requests I have decided to rerun the column from Christmas 2006. May your Christmas truly be merry and bright. What was the Star of Bethlehem? That question has been around for centuries and just about everyone has tried to get a handle on this enigmatic question...

That $5,000 'goto' telescope (12/11/07)
Ask any die hard astronomy nut (or in my instance space case) what they would like for Christmas and you are likely to get a description of the latest motor-driven goto telescope with all the bells and whistles designed to do the star finding for you. If you are not in mind to spend $4,000 to $5,000 in one lump, what else could be a possible gift for the astro minded?...

How far can you see with that? (12/04/07)
I was asked the other day, "How far can you see with your telescope?" To answer that question I need to deal with it on two levels. One, distance in miles (or kilometers); and two, in time. For the first we need to realize that when we look up into the night sky we are seeing objects that are, in some cases, millions to hundreds of millions of miles away. Often the vastness of space is hard to comprehend when dealing with numbers of that kind...

Comet 17/P Holmes still making appearance (11/20/07)
Comet 17/P Holmes is still making an appreciable showing in the northeast in the early evening hours. It does not look like what is normally expected of a comet, that is with a long, flowing tail. The tail is not visible because the comet is moving away from us here on the Earth and any tail is extending in the direction of travel, away from the Earth...

A sight worth getting up for (11/13/07)
I am still not a morning astronomer, but this was worth getting up for. The overflight of the International Space Station and the space shuttle Discovery, together. Morning was bad enough, but this was a Monday morning. After getting up at 4:30 a.m. the first task was to look out the window to see if the sky was clear, it was. From the window I could see Orion gleaming in the early morning darkness and a slender crescent Moon off to the southeast with a brilliant Venus shining close by...

Zodiacal light may wait until spring (11/06/07)
I still haven't seen the Zodiacal Light, I may have to wait until the spring equinox when this elusive sight is best searched for during the evening. (As I have said before, I am not a morning astronomer.) I have, however, seen Comet 17/P Holmes. It is easy to see in the evening sky near Mirfak, the brightest star in the constellation Perseus. ...

Still hasn't seen the light (10/30/07)
Drat, drat, and double drat. I have yet to view the zodiacal light. It seems the mornings I pick to go look are cloudy, and the mornings I don't go look are clear. Alas, such is the fate of astronomers, clouds, at the most inopportune times. Fall is associated with fading things. ...

History in making ... or current events? (10/23/07)
A little history was commemorated recently, but unless you were paying attention you may have missed it. Oct. 4, 2007, was the 50th anniversary of the launch by the Soviet Union of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. I guess it is a sign of advancing age when there are events such as this remembered as history, but I remember the launching of Sput-nik. It is one of the events that sent me off on a study of “outer space.”...

Rising early for something special (10/02/07)
As I have mentioned before, I am not a morning astronomer, unless there is something really worth getting up for. Well, for the next couple of weeks I will be up early looking for something I have heard about but have never seen. It is an elusive quantity that requires the joining of the right lighting, the right timing, and a clarity of sky...

What are those things in the sky (09/25/07)
One nice thing about writing an astronomy column is the questions I receive, which I am happy to answer. These come mostly from being stopped on the street or phone calls and even one internet e-mail question. Almost all start with the phrase, "What is that bright thing," or "I saw something last night," or a variation thereof...

An early-morning appointment (09/18/07)
I am not an early morning astronomer. It is just not in my nature. Unless there is something that is really worth looking at, like the Perseid Meteor shower last month, then I might get up. But, there are occasions, however, when need compels that I be up and about at an early hour. Such was the case last week when I had to be out on the road by 5 am. And as I always do when outside, I looked up...

When observation hours grow longer (09/11/07)
Have you noticed it yet? Have you seen it? The sun peeking directly in the east window in the morning and shining into your face? And sunlight blaring through the west curtains in the evening? How about the sun extending its light into the south windows of your house in the middle of the day?...

Another eclipse coming in February (09/04/07)
Well, you pays your money and you takes you chance. That is the way it was with the lunar eclipse on Aug. 28, at least in this area. The bane of all astronomers -- the clouds that sometimes block any chance of viewing heavenly events were in great abundance. Such it was for the eclipse. I know the red of the eclipse was dazzling from descriptions of other astronomers who were able to watch it...

Lunar eclipse on tap for early risers (08/14/07)
Wow, what a marvelous display the Perseids put on this year. Definitely worth waiting up until the wee hours of the morning. I put in a little extra observing time for Jupiter, Mars, and some of the Messier objects in the southern sky during breaks in Perseid-looking. Saw some of the winter constellations peeking over the eastern horizon too...

Pick out a dark place for the Perseids (08/07/07)
Got your dark sky place picked out for the Perseid Meteor shower? The Perseids are one of the best showers of the year to observe. I recall several years ago I was attending the Nebraska Star Party in north central Nebraska when the Perseids were in full force. There were oohhs and aahhs from all over the observing field and we all temporarily forgot our eyepieces to observe the entire sky for the bright, short-lived meteors...

Curtains going down on the Venus, Saturn and Jupiter show (07/31/07)
I hope you have been enjoying the sky show put on by Venus, Saturn and Jupiter for the last week or so. The bright objects have made the just-after-sunset viewing a great experience. However, as with all good things, they must come to an eventual end. Venus and Saturn are setting, along with the spring constellation Leo, about an hour after sunset each day leaving Jupiter alone in the south to rule the evening sky...

Mars? Close, but not THAT close (07/24/07)
It is happening again, the e-mail stories about Mars approaching the Earth and when it does it will appear as big as the full Moon. Seems this particular hoax is gaining a life of its own. This is the fourth time for this one. Last year when this hoax poked its head out I wrote about it and with all the media coverage I thought it would not appear again, but, as is with the nature of hoaxes, it is still there and doesn't seem to want to go away...

Stars of summer take over the sky (07/16/07)
Leo, the Lion of Spring, is diving to the horizon in the west as the stars of summer take over the evening and late night sky, while the Summer Triangle is well up in the east. Sagittarius and Scorpius, with Jupiter, take over in the south. The progression of the seasons is an ever-continuing process in the sky as the stars move from the east to the west each night. Four minutes a night doesn't seem like much, but it only takes a month or so to make a significant difference in the stars we see...

Tilt, not distance makes a difference (07/09/07)
The Earth was at its farthest point from the Sun for the year on July 6, did you feel any colder? As discussed before, the Sun being so far away has nothing to do with the seasons -- or earthly temperatures. Rather the tilt of the Earth on its axis at this time of the year points the northern hemisphere toward the Sun, so sunlight shines more directly on our part of the planet...

Back on the summer constellations (07/02/07)
Well, I think this is where I came in, talking about the summer constellations. I started writing this column back in August of last year talking about the summer constellations. Only now, the summer stars and constellations are just rising in the east instead of being directly overhead...

Still more chances to view the space station (06/19/07)
Did you have a chance to observe the International Space Station as it passed over the area? There were several opportunities to view the space station and Space Shuttle Atlantis during the time they were joined until their separation on June 17. They made quite a sight as they passed low to the north most of the time...

Taking the telescope plunge (06/12/07)
Hope you have been out looking for the past week or so because the sky has been glorious -- at least when there weren't any clouds. Venus has been shining in the west and last week lined up with the two major stars -- Castor and Pollux -- in Gemini to form a three-in-a-row asterism...

Let's start an astronomy club (06/04/07)
Well, if you have been looking at the evening sky you may have noticed that the champion of the winter sky, the constellation Orion, has disappeared for the next few months. Meanwhile, the spring constellations are much higher in the sky now and that the summer constellations are starting to make their appearance in the late evening. If you are an early riser you may have even seen the autumn constellations -- a sneak preview of the evening sky for September or October...

Number five on the Top Ten countdown (05/29/07)
And now for number five on our Top Ten countdown of stargazing tips. As you are outside after dark, notice the star patterns. Constellations or asterisms. For the last several months, I have been outlining the constellations, so by now you should have an idea of what is there. I haven't covered all of them, just the major ones so there are more to be found, 88 in all in fact but some of those are in the southern hemisphere...

Use binoculars to view the Blue Moon (05/22/07)
Last week the stargazing tip was to use a star chart, and I forgot to give you a very good place to find one. Point your computer browser to http://skymaps.com/downloads.html. It will give you a very usable, and printable, star chart for your evening or early morning viewing sessions...

Enjoy Earth's two moons while they last (05/15/07)
Are you excited about observing yet? Have you had a chance to go outside and just look at the sky? Remember, you don't have to go outside on purpose, if you are outside for any reason, look up. It doesn't even have to be after dark, just look up. Anyone have a chance to see the Moon during the daytime last week, I did, twice...

An astronomical 'Top 10' list (05/08/07)
It is always good to get responses from readers of this column, for one thing it lets me know there are people out there who are reading my astronomical ramblings. Responses range from comments about how much they enjoy the column to questions about "What was that thing I saw last night," to "What do I look at."...

Revisiting our old celestial friends (05/01/07)
With the advent of warmer spring evenings it is time to revisit our old friends, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Big and Little Dippers. As I have said before, the pair are not really constellations in the full sense of the word, they are asterisms or star patterns which can be recognized in their own right...

Earthshine prominent during conjunction (04/24/07)
I hope you had an opportunity to be outside on the evenings of April 20 and 21 to see the conjunction of the Moon and the planet Venus. It was a wonderful sight especially since earthshine was very prominent on the lunar surface. Earthshine can be seen whenever there is a crescent Moon close to the horizon at sunset. It is the ghostly image of a full Moon between the horns of the lit crescent Moon...

The hero of the spring constellations (04/17/07)
We come now to one of the last of the spring constellations, the great hero, Hercules. Alas, for this is another of the large constellations (fifth largest in the sky) with dim stars, second and third magnitude, making it difficult, but not impossible to find from backyards in town. To find Hercules a trip to a dark sky place is advised...

Small entries in the grand scheme (04/10/07)
For this week's visit to the skies I have chosen two small entries in the grand scheme of things instead of one of the larger, brighter, star patterns. These two (three actually), nevertheless, have as interesting a history as any of their bigger brothers and sisters...

The second largest constellation (04/03/07)
In our grand march through the constellations we now come to the second largest one in the night sky (only Hydra, the Water Snake is larger). It is another of the ancient sky forms, Virgo, the Virgin. Virgo is one of the 12 zodiacal constellations as the Sun spends part of its trip around the ecliptic there...

The kite or the ice cream cone? (03/27/07)
Have you noticed the days getting longer? Daylight Savings Time has something to do with it, jumping the clocks ahead an hour does put sunset later, however, I mean the actual hours of sunlight. Remember, back in December when it was very dark at about 4:30? Now sunset is after 7, that is 6 in real time...

One more spring constellation (03/20/07)
It was my intention to talk about Bootes the Herdsman this week but I discovered I had missed a small spring constellation, Coma Bere-nices, or Berenices's Hair. Coma Berenices (Koma BERE-nicezs) is a small constellation located between Leo and Bootes (BOW-oates) and is more of an asterism than an actual constellation. There are only three stars in the group and only one of them has an actual name...

The constellations of spring (03/12/07)
With the vernal equinox, the beginning of spring, coming next week now is a good time to start with the constellations of spring. The first constellation of spring to come over the eastern horizon is the magnificent Leo the Lion. Leo can be seen in the east after about 7 p.m. local time with its head pointing west and tail pointing east...

Satellite memories and Iridium flares (03/05/07)
When I was young, my family would sit on the front porch or in the yard of my grandfather and grandmother's house on warm summer evenings and talk. Since I was a youngster, I mostly listened to the adults. Every so often we would notice a bright star-like object -- a satellite -- pass overhead and I would remark that a satellite was currently viewable. ...

Is it the first, or the last, constellation (02/12/07)
While some call the next constellation in our parade the last constellation of winter, others call it the first one of spring. Since this constellation rises in late January and early February I tend to think of it as a winter constellation. That is the constellation Cancer, the Crab...

Watching the Winter Triangle (02/05/07)

Two for one winter constellations (01/29/07)
This week we get a two-for-one on our winter constellation, it is Gemini, the Twins. The constellation can be found to the left of Orion. Draw and extend a line from Orion's left knee (Rigel) through his right shoulder (Betelgeuse) and you will find the feet of Gemini. With its location next to Orion it appears that the twins are standing in the starry river formed by the Milky Way...

The moon, Jupiter ... then what? (01/22/07)
I recall the Christmas I received my first telescope. I was so excited. My parents had given me a microscope the previous year and in years to come there would be the chemistry set (no, I didn't blow the house up) and the physics set and other science related gifts...

Orion is favorite of 88 official constellations (01/15/07)
Of the 88 officially recognized constellations, Orion is my favorite. For one, it is so prominent; its bright stars gleaming against the blackness of the winter night sky. Secondly, Orion contains one of the most impressive of sights seen through a backyard telescope: the Orion Nebula or M42 as it is called in comet hunter Messier's list...

The Big and Little Dippers (01/09/07)
It is nice to know there are readers for this column, I know because several of them have asked my why, so far, I've skipped two important constellations: the Big and Little Dippers. Aside from a very short mention in an earlier column that the dippers are asterisms (a distinctive group of stars) and not official constellations I have sort of ignored them. ...

Celestial dance, or a miracle? (12/18/06)
What was the Star of Bethlehem? That question has been around for centuries and just about everyone has tried to get a handle on this enigmatic question. There are only two biblical reference to the star. In Matthew 2:2, the Magi who had come from the east said, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." Then again in verse nine, " ... ...

What to look for in a Christmas telescope (12/11/06)
Christmas is coming and with all my blather about "What's Up" perhaps you, or someone in your household is expressing ideas about going out to look at what I have been talking about. But, the ads you see in displays at your local store or in catalogs and magazines are filled with strange terms and numbers you know nothing about...

Touring the winter skies (12/04/06)
Continuing with our tour of the constellations of winter, we come to a constellation with a dual personality. That is Auriga (pronounced oh-RYE-guh), The Charioteer. Auriga can be found now in the northeast in the early evening (about 7 p.m. local time) First locate our friend Taurus, the Bull, and move to its left (as you are looking at it). ...

Our long history with Taurus, the Bull (11/27/06)
Taurus, the Bull is our next winter constellation. A member of the Zodiac, Taurus is a very ancient constellation, dating back almost to the very beginnings of recorded human history. It is the home of the marvelous Hyades (HI-a-dees) open star cluster. In his wonderful book, "Nightwatch," Terrence Dickinson lists the Hyades as the nearest distinct open star cluster. The cluster lies 153 light years away and is estimated to be 400 million years old...

The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades (11/20/06)
As the constellations of summer move to the "downhill" side of the sky in the west, the stars of autumn are now firmly holding center stage overhead in the early evening hours. But, just as in August when the autumnal stars began to appear on the eastern horizon, so now are the stars of winter signaling that season's approach...

The brightest star in the southern sky (11/13/06)
For all the expanse of the heavens and the seemingly random groupings of stars into constellations, it is strange that one bright star shines alone in the far southern sky on fall evenings. That star is Fomalhaut (pronounced FOH-mah-low), the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Australes, the Southern Fish and the 18th brightest star in the sky. ...

The king and queen of the sky (11/07/06)
We come to the last two of the Pegasus/Andromeda/ Perseus constellation group and that is Cassiopeia and Cepheus, the king and queen of the story. Cassiopeia the "W" shaped constellation. It is located in the northeastern part of the sky just above Perseus and is visible starting at about 7 p.m. MST. The constellation is composed of mostly second magnitude stars making them relatively bright. They can be seen even in a light polluted area, but they are better viewed from a dark place...

Mercury crossing the face of the sun (10/30/06)
A relatively rare astronomical event will occur next Wednesday, Nov. 8. The planet Mercury will transit, or cross, the face of the Sun. Most of that transit will be visible here in Southwest Nebraska, although the Sun sets before the transit is over...

A look at the hero, Perseus (10/23/06)
Now that we have looked at the horse he rode in on, and the pretty girl he saves, lets have a try at the hero, Perseus. Perseus is sort of an "A" shaped constellation just left (as you are looking east) from Pegasus and Andromeda. It rises in the early evening and can be seen in the northeastern sky just after dark-thirty. Find Pegasus again, follow the two arms of Andromeda to the north as she "reaches" for the hero Perseus...

Astonomy column debuts (10/16/06)
As the old radio announcer used to say, "And now back to our show." Another of the autumnal constellations is Andromeda. In order to find Andromeda you need to find the great square of Pegasus, the flying horse. Remember Pegasus? Andromeda is "riding" on the horse's back...