Regulars (Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll)

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 12/1/11

The Face of the Moon

Ancient lava and endless impacts color our natural satellite

No doubt you’ve noticed the blazing light high in the east at sunset. The planet Jupiter rules over the rising stars of autumn and blazes until the wee hours before dawn. By 9pm it is a little to the south of the sky’s zenith; by 1am, Old Jove is high above the west horizon until finally setting in the northwest around 4am.
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Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 11/24/11

A Feast for the Eyes

Fill up on these heavenly views

Friday’s new moon re-emerges as a razor-thin crescent with sunset Saturday, at 4:45. Look for it low in the southwest, its bottom tip pointing to dazzling Venus just a few degrees higher. Mercury lurks a little farther from the moon but closer to the horizon and buried so deep you’ll likely need binoculars to pick it out before it sets at 5:30.
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Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 11/17/11

Blinded by the Light

The moon dulls this year’s Leonid meteor shower

In the dark before dawn Friday, countless pieces of cosmic debris bombard the earth as it passes through the path left by comet Tempel-Tuttle. As these bits of ice and dust collide against the planet’s atmosphere, they burst aflame. While none of these threaten the planet, few of them will be visible against the light of the first-quarter moon, which coincides with the peak of this year’s Leonid meteor shower.
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Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 11/10/11

Around the Solar System

Every so often, the planets align

This week is your last chance of the year to spot all five naked-eye planets, although it’s not easy pickings against the light of Thursday’s full moon.
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Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 11/3/11

Out of the Growing Dark

While we’re seeing less of the sun, the nights are lighting up

The sun sets in the west-southwest just after 6:00 at week’s end and more than a minute earlier each day thereafter for the next couple weeks. It’s no better in the morning, with sunrise at 7:36 Friday but more than a minute later each following day....

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 10/20/11

Halley’s Continuing Legacy

You don’t need to wait until 2062

Who hasn’t heard of Halley’s Comet, that most famous celestial interloper that passes earth every 76 years? While we’re not due for another visit from the comet until 2062, we’re reminded of it each year around this time.
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Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 10/13/11

Coming to a Horizon Near You

Start looking for Venus and Mars

The recent Hunter’s Moon still dominates the night sky when it rises after sunset Thursday, with the piercing light of Jupiter to the moon’s right. While the waning moon rises later through the week, Jupiter rises earlier until reaching opposition October 28....

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 10/6/11

Stars for All Seasons

It’s a mess of a place up there

Like calendar pages strewn across an untidy desk, the stars of summer and even spring linger after sunset, with their autumn and winter counterparts commanding the heavens before dawn.
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Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 9/29/11

Lights Both Bright and Dim

Sometimes you have to hunt for the night’s best sights

Just a week past equinox, the balance between day and night is shifting fast, with a loss of nearly 20 minutes of sunshine already.
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Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 9/22/11

The Sun’s Geometry

Enjoy the balance while we can

The waning crescent moon rises around 3am Friday, its upper tip pointing to the red planet Mars, only five degrees away. Both shine within the faint stars of Cancer, home to the Beehive star cluster, which appears as a smudge of light a half-dozen degrees behind moon and planet. By 5am, the moon and Mars are well placed about 30 degrees high in the east.
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Regulars (Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll)

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