Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

Sky Watch-Sentinels of the Sun

The statues of Easter Island have front-row seats for solar eclipse

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 7/8/10

Sky Watch-Twilight’s Alignment

This week, the west is best

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 7/15/10

Sky Watch - Standing Up to the Moon

July’s Thunder Moon deadens all but the brightest lights

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 7/22/10

Sky Watch - Bright Lights, all Tight

Saturn, Mars and Venus vie for position in the west at twilight

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 7/29/10

Sky Watch - Heavenly Dust

Tiny particles make bright lights

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 8/5/10

The Twitch of the Socks

With the autumnal equinox, that footwear comes to life

Labor Day has come and gone, but the celestial clock still reads summer. While our days are still longer than our nights, we have lost two hours 45 minutes of sunlight over the past three months. After this week, the hours of darkness each day will trump those of light.

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 9/16/10

Gazing into the Cat’s Eyes

There’s more to Shaula and Lesath than appears at first glance

Soon after sunset on September 10th and 11th, the nascent crescent moon joins Venus low in the west. These two are the first two lights to appear after sunset, around 7:20 Saturday, when Venus shines six degrees to the right of the moon. Sunday, the moon and Venus form a loose triangle with the dim star Zubenelgenubi in the constellation Libra.

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 9/9/10

Summer’s Waning Lights

Less daytime and a waning moon leave plenty to see

With summer on the wane, the sun sets around 7:30 at week’s end, shedding more than a minute of evening sunlight each night. In the morning it’s more of the same, as the sun rises at 6:37 Saturday and almost a minute later each morning.

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 9/2/10

Chasing Civilization

One of our greatest feats follows us on four legs

When you look to the constellations, it’s like paging through history. Creatures abound in the constellations, both real and fanciful. We see kings and queens, beasts and heroes, all recounting the travails and triumphs of ancient times. Today, many are obscure and unfamiliar.

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 8/26/10

Signs of the Seasons

In the water, on the land and in the heavens, fall is on the way

The gibbous moon waxes to full Tuesday, traveling through the rising constellations of autumn. At one time, great sturgeon filled America’s waterways each August as they fattened up for the coming cold, and so this full moon was called the Sturgeon Moon. But these days the fish are so scarce they are off limits to anglers. Today, reflecting our modern, agrarian society, August’s full moon is called the Corn Moon and the Grain Moon.

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 8/19/10