Western Slope Skies

Western Slope Skies 5/10/2013

Marty Durlin — Fri, 10 May 2013 23:23:20 +0000

“Hey, can you see the flag in that thing?!” It’s a question that makes us wince when observing the moon at astronomy outreaches.

Western Slope Skies 4/26/2013

Joyce Tanihara — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:38:00 +0000

Saturn…The ringed planet. The sixth planet from the Sun; second largest in the Solar System behind Jupiter; and the one that evokes the most vivid images in our thoughts. It is an unforgettable sight, even in a small telescope.

From now until early May, Saturn will be the brightest it has been for more than 5 years. It rises in the east as the Sun sets and will be visible all night long.

Western Slope Skies 4/12/2013

Marty Durlin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:32:00 +0000

Listen to Western Slope Skies, a report on the night sky by the Black Canyon Astronomical Society.

Western Slope Skies 4/3/2013

Marty Durlin — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:31:09 +0000

Listen to Western Slope Skies, a report on the heavens from the Black Canyon Astronomical Society.

March Equinox

Ariana Brocious — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:08:00 +0000

March 20^th is the March equinox, one of four important days in the year that define the relation between the sun and the Earth.

Comet Pan-STARRS

Ariana Brocious — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

This could be a spectacular year for comets, ending with one that may be the brightest comet in many years appearing in the last 2-3 months of the year.

Light Pollution

Ariana Brocious — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:00:00 +0000

The term Light Pollution refers to excessive and glaring artificial lighting, especially light that is scattered above the horizon. This is a very serious problem for astronomers, because it can prevent them from seeing objects in space.

Planets of February

Ariana Brocious — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:00:00 +0000

In our Western skies, three planets are visible with the naked eye or binoculars during February evenings. They are Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury.

Moon Illusion

Ariana Brocious — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:06:05 +0000

On Saturday night, January 26th, a full moon will rise in the east just after sunset. Look at the full moon when it’s still near the horizon. Does it appear especially large to you? Then, look at the moon later this same night, when it’s higher in the sky. Does it appear smaller? For most people, the moon looks much larger when on the horizon. This is the "Moon Illusion."

Winter Sun

Black Canyon Astronomical Society — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:52:00 +0000

Do you know when the Earth is nearest the sun? It’s January 4th, during what is typically the coldest part of our winter. Seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth’s rotation axis, not by our distance from the sun.

When the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun in late December and January we experience deep winter, while the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and experiencing summer.