Saturday, May 18, 2013
Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will dazzle.
By Gary A. Becker StarWatch 874 for the week of May 19, 2013 Throughout this week three planets will be moving into position for what will become, early next week, the most stunning planetary grouping of the year. The assemblage takes place low in the west during evening twilight. The triad includes Mercury and Venus becoming more prominent because of their increasing distance from the sun, and Jupiter, which because of its slow orbital motion, will be overtaken and in conjunction with the sun on June 19. The week commences with the most difficult planet to see, Mercury, only nine degrees from the sun and setting about 52 minutes after sundown; Venus reaches the horizon only 15 minutes later. Jupiter, because of its distance from Sol, …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The most reliable meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, is on its way. Here are some tips for viewing the celestial show.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The Geminid meteor shower 2012, the final major meteor shower of every year and likely to be the best, peaks overnight Dec. 13 and Dec. 14, and you may be able to see a great show on either side of those dates. If you liked the Perseids meteor shower 2012 in August, you should love this sky show. NASA reports that the Geminids are a relatively young meteor shower, with the first sightings occurring in the 1830s with rates of about 20 per hour. Over the decades the rates have increased, regularly spawning between 80 and 120 per hour at its peak on a clear evening. How spectacular is it? Just take a look at this video of the Geminid meteor shower. You can also look at some spectacular photos of the Geminids. Earthsky.org reports the Geminids…
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Leonid meteor shower will peak on Nov. 17 and Nov. 20.
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Friday, November 16, 2012
Keep your eyes on the sky during the pre-dawn hours of Nov. 17-20, because that's when the famous Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak. These meteors are fast (about 40 miles per second) and can leave trails of smoke, according to Astronomy.com. They will appear to radiate from the constellation Leo the Lion and can vary in color. "Many Leonids are also bright. Usually, the meteors are white or bluish-white, but in recent years some observers reported yellow-pink and copper-colored ones," according to Astronomy.com. Where are good places in Hatboro and Horsham to watch? Will you be participating in watching parties at public parks? Tell us in the comments. Here's one of the 10 coolest things to know about the Leonids, from Space.com…
Mike Shortall
9:13 pm on Saturday, May 18, 2013
They have them for iPhones ... https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/star-planet-finder/id361753588?mt=8 more ›