Last Week's Stargazing Tips
What did you see in the sky last night? Check out the previous week of stargazing tips for the answer.
July 23, 2008
A hot wind constantly buffets Earth: the solar wind, which is a flow of charged particles from the Sun. When it hits Earth, it creates the northern lights. It can also disrupt radio broadcasts, knock out power grids, and damage orbiting satellites.
July 22, 2008
The constellation Lupus, the wolf, is low in the south as darkness falls tonight. It is faint, so a star chart may help you find it. It represents an ancient king who was punished for trying to trick Zeus, the king of the Greek gods.
July 21, 2008
The tiny constellation Corona Borealis, the northern crown, stands high atop the sky as darkness falls this evening. This semicircle of stars is wedged between the larger and more prominent constellations Bootes and Hercules.
July 20, 2008
Several constellations of the zodiac stretch across the southwestern sky at nightfall. Leo nose dives toward the western horizon, Virgo stretches to its southeast, Scorpius stands due south, and Sagittarius is climbing in the southeast.
July 19, 2008
This hot, dry time of year is known as the Dog Days for the Dog Star, Sirius. The star is so close to the Sun at this time of year that it is lost in the Sun's glare. Because it was so close to the Sun, people associated it with the hot days of summer.
July 18, 2008
The Moon is full early today, so it is big and bright as it rises shortly after sunset tonight. It's easy to make out the dark areas that form the features of the "man in the Moon," although you need a good imagination to see a face in all those blotches.
July 17, 2008
The Moon is full tonight. It is known as the Hay Moon or Thunder Moon. It is low in the southeast at nightfall, with the brilliant planet Jupiter a little to its upper right.
Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
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