T
Tom Wheeler
Guest
Stargazing Tips
The sky is full of wonders every night of the week. Use our viewing
guide for the week ahead to plan your backyard outings.
December 25, 2003
Mother Nature offers up a special gift to top off this Christmas Day: a
close alignment between the Moon and the planet Venus. Look for them in
the southwest beginning about a half-hour after sunset. Venus is the
brilliant "evening star" to the right of the Moon.
December 26, 2003
The Moon and the planet Venus highlight the early evening sky. They are
low in the southwest at sunset. Venus is the brilliant "evening star"
well to the lower right of the Moon.
December 27, 2003
During winter evenings, we look toward the edge of the Milky Way
galaxy's massive disk of stars. The point that's exactly opposite the
center of the galaxy is in the direction of a bright blue star in Taurus
called El Nath, which joins the constellation to Auriga.
December 28, 2003
The constellation Gemini is named for the mythological twins Castor and
Pollux, and its brightest stars represent the twins. Brighter Pollux
looks yellow-orange. If you look at the twins during the evening hours
Pollux is on the left, Castor on the right.
December 29, 2003
A trio of bright planets lines up across the early evening sky. The
brightest of the three is Venus, the brilliant "evening star" low in the
southwest. Orange Mars is high in the south, while golden Saturn is
climbing into view in the east-northeast.
December 30, 2003
Mars and the Moon jog across the southwestern quadrant of the sky this
evening. They are well up in the south at nightfall. Mars looks like a
bright orange star just to the Moon's upper right during the early
evening, and to its lower right later on.
December 31, 2003
The planet Saturn is putting on its best showing of the year this week.
Tonight, it's opposite the Sun in our sky, so it rises at sunset and
remains visible all night. It's also brightest for the year. Saturn
looks like a bright golden star.
Copyright 1995-2003 The University of Texas McDonald Observatory
http://stardate.org/
The sky is full of wonders every night of the week. Use our viewing
guide for the week ahead to plan your backyard outings.
December 25, 2003
Mother Nature offers up a special gift to top off this Christmas Day: a
close alignment between the Moon and the planet Venus. Look for them in
the southwest beginning about a half-hour after sunset. Venus is the
brilliant "evening star" to the right of the Moon.
December 26, 2003
The Moon and the planet Venus highlight the early evening sky. They are
low in the southwest at sunset. Venus is the brilliant "evening star"
well to the lower right of the Moon.
December 27, 2003
During winter evenings, we look toward the edge of the Milky Way
galaxy's massive disk of stars. The point that's exactly opposite the
center of the galaxy is in the direction of a bright blue star in Taurus
called El Nath, which joins the constellation to Auriga.
December 28, 2003
The constellation Gemini is named for the mythological twins Castor and
Pollux, and its brightest stars represent the twins. Brighter Pollux
looks yellow-orange. If you look at the twins during the evening hours
Pollux is on the left, Castor on the right.
December 29, 2003
A trio of bright planets lines up across the early evening sky. The
brightest of the three is Venus, the brilliant "evening star" low in the
southwest. Orange Mars is high in the south, while golden Saturn is
climbing into view in the east-northeast.
December 30, 2003
Mars and the Moon jog across the southwestern quadrant of the sky this
evening. They are well up in the south at nightfall. Mars looks like a
bright orange star just to the Moon's upper right during the early
evening, and to its lower right later on.
December 31, 2003
The planet Saturn is putting on its best showing of the year this week.
Tonight, it's opposite the Sun in our sky, so it rises at sunset and
remains visible all night. It's also brightest for the year. Saturn
looks like a bright golden star.
Copyright 1995-2003 The University of Texas McDonald Observatory
http://stardate.org/