Articles by J. Alex Knoll

Looking for the Lonely Star

Fomalhaut glows in the south

Shortly after the sun sets, test your eyes searching for Mars low in the southwest. To the right shines similarly colored Antares, the heart of Scorpius, the gap between the two widening noticeably over the coming week, but they both set before 7pm. Around the same time, Jupiter rises in the east-northeast, with the red eye of Taurus the bull shining to its right. Thursday and Friday the moon visits old Jove, with the stars of the Pleiades cluster between the two Friday....

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

A Sky-full of Halloween Treats

No goody bag needed

As the sun sets Friday, see if you can spot Mercury dangling low against the southwest horizon before it too sets within a half-hour. While fleeting, this is Mercury’s best evening apparition. At this point, Mercury is at its greatest eastern elongation, meaning that, as seen from Earth, the innermost planet is its farthest to the east of the sun, in this case 24 degrees. Even at its best, Mercury is a tough target, often easier to spot scanning the horizon with binoculars. ...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll; 10/25/12

Vestiges of Halley’s Comet

You won’t have to wait 50 years to see the spawn of this comet

It’s been 26 years since Halley’s comet visited back in 1986, and it won’t come this way again until 2062. But each year at this time we get a postcard of sorts from Halley in the form of the Orionid meteor shower, which peaks in the pre-dawn hours Saturday and Sunday. Halley’s comet travels in a deep, oblong loop through our solar system every 76 years. As it travels, it leaves a wake of countless bits of rock and ice. Annually, Earth plows through...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll; 10/18/12

The Moon at Dusk and Dawn

A thin crescent straddles either edge of darkness

The moon wanes in pre-dawn skies through the weekend. Friday and Saturday the last of the crescent moon hovers just a few degrees below brilliant Venus. Even without the moon, you should have no trouble finding this morning star, as it is the brightest light in the sky besides the sun and moon. The next-brightest object is the star Regulus, the heart of Leo the lion, within 10 degrees of Venus, although the two are fast pulling away from one another. With the new week...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll; 10/11/12

Will the Dragon Awaken?

October’s Draconids are typically sleepers, but every now and then …

Sunset reveals Mars low in the southwest. Its ruddy glow is usually quite distinct, but it is only a dozen degrees from its rival, orange Antares, blinking to its upper left. You’ll have a harder time spotting Saturn, so low in the west that it’s almost lost in the glare of the setting sun. Venus rises in the northeast around 4am, and it blazes ever-so bright high in the east before sunrise. Wednesday before dawn, Venus is only a fraction of a degree from Regulus...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll; 10/4/12

At the Farthest Edge of Sight

The Harvest Moon marks Uranus

Saturday’s full moon, the closest to autumnal equinox, marks the famous Harvest Moon. Legend holds that farmers have long used the added light of this moon to continue bringing in the crops well into the night. Science backs up the legend. This time of year, the moon travels a shallow, lazy arc along the ecliptic, midway between its highest transits in winter and its lowest path during summer. As a result, for us in mid-northern latitudes, moonrise changes by about 30...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll; 9/27/12

All Things Not Quite Equal

The equinox marks the start of autumn, but it isn’t quite 50/50 day and night

The moon waxes in the evening sky this week, with first-quarter occurring on the 22nd. That day has been dubbed International Observe the Moon Night. Astronomers, educators and sky enthusiasts from around the world have set the date to encourage people to appreciate our only natural satellite. For teachers, students or the curious, log onto www.observethemoonnight.org for events, activities and moon-related topics. Or simply take a moment to gaze at this wonder, and give a wink in honor of...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll; 9/20/12

Let the Night Sky Test Your Eyes

The Milky Way is waiting overhead

The moon wanes to new phase Saturday the 15th. While you may be able to see a razor-thin cresecent low in the east before sunrise Friday, the moon won’t reappear until Tuesday, low in the west for less than an hour after sunset. But given the chance, you’ll want to catch it, forming a wide obtuse triangle with Saturn slightly higher to the right and Mars higher still to the left. The next night, the scene repeats itself, except the growing moon is now the highest point of the three...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll; 9/13/12

Just How Rare Is a Blue Moon?

Not as rare — or as old — as you might think

Friday morning marks August’s second full moon, a blue moon. While the term blue moon dates back hundreds of years, its meaning of the second full moon in a single month was crafted in the 20th century. Its early usage you might hear in the phrase I’ll believe that when the moon is blue. In 1937, the Maine Farmer’s Almanac refered to a blue moon as the third of four full moons in any three-month season. For the Almanac, the blue moon was a placeholder in...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll; 8/30/12

The Hounds of the Heavens

We’ve rewarded our most loyal companion with three constellations

Of the 88 official constellations over our heads, nearly half are animals, serpents, birds and fishes. Admired for their beauty or feared for their strength, these are wild creatures, beasts you wouldn’t want to encounter, let alone have in the house. In fact, of them all, only a few are domesticated animals. One of the oldest recognized constellations is Taurus the bull. Goats have played a role in civilization at least as long as have cows, but their celestial reward is the...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll; 8/16/12