astronomy

The Geminids Meteor Shower Peaks This Week: How to Watch

The Geminids Meteor Shower Peaks This Week: How to Watch

One of the easiest and most rewarding activities for an amateur astronomer is stargazing, especially when there is a dazzling meteor shower. This week, the Geminids meteor shower — famous for its colorful streaks of light — is visible around the world during the predawn and night hours. “The Geminids meteor shower, which peaks during […]

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    3 Tons of Space Junk Headed for Moon Collision

    3 Tons of Space Junk Headed for Moon Collision

    The moon is about to be hit by 3 tons of space junk traveling at 5,800 mph. The impact is expected on Friday, March 4, and the resulting crater is expected to be large enough to fit several semi-trailers, although it could take weeks or months to confirm the impact via satellite data. According to […]

    Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks December 13-14, Here’s How to See It

    Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks December 13-14, Here’s How to See It

    The Geminid meteor shower, one of the most reliable and active meteor showers of the year, will peak on the night of December 13 into the early morning of December 14. The Geminids display can produce over 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. “The Geminids, which stem in name from the constellation Gemini, are […]

    Comet Leonard Does Rare Earth Flyby This Month, Here’s How to Spot It

    Comet Leonard Does Rare Earth Flyby This Month, Here’s How to Spot It

    A comet discovered on January 3 of this year by astronomer and senior researcher at the University of Arizona Gregory J. Leonard is visible from Earth this month. The comet was first observed at the Mount Lemmon Observatory just outside of Tucson, Arizona. When Comet Leonard was first discovered it was near the orbit of […]

    How to Watch the ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse This Week

    How to Watch the ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse This Week

    Happening just after the “supermoon, red blood moon, lunar eclipse” last month, astronomy lovers can get excited for another celestial event on June 10 — the “ring of fire” solar eclipse. Those living in northern and eastern sections of North America will be able to witness the eclipse as it overlaps with the sunrise, according […]

    Bright ‘Fireball’ Meteor Seen Over Vermont

    Bright ‘Fireball’ Meteor Seen Over Vermont

    People across New England witnessed a dramatic celestial event Sunday night. A bright meteor known as a “fireball” streaked across the sky over northern Vermont and made a loud banging noise when it entered the atmosphere, the Burlington Free Press reported. “I actually thought my apartment was being knocked off its foundation,” one resident of […]

    2021: What Astronomical and Space Events Await Us This Year?

    2021: What Astronomical and Space Events Await Us This Year?

    By Dirk Lorenzen 2021 begins as a year of Mars. Although our red planetary neighbor isn’t as prominent as it was last autumn, it is still noticeable with its characteristic reddish color in the evening sky until the end of April. In early March, Mars shines close to the star cluster Pleiades in the constellation […]

    What Is the Summer Solstice? An Astronomer Explains

    What Is the Summer Solstice? An Astronomer Explains

    By Stephen Schneider The summer solstice marks the official start of summer. It brings the longest day and shortest night of the year for the 88 percent of Earth’s people who live in the Northern Hemisphere. People around the world traditionally observe the change of seasons with bonfires and festivals and Fête de la Musique […]

    What’s Happening in the Night Sky in 2020?

    What’s Happening in the Night Sky in 2020?

    By Dirk Lorenzen 2020 will be the year of Mars. The red planet will approach Earth in early October to within 62 million kilometers. Four space agencies are set to take advantage of this close encounter and send spacecraft to Mars. The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch its ExoMars rover on a Russian Proton […]