Skywatching Archives - Universe Today

See The Finest Sights Before You Die With “Wonders of the Night Sky”

12 Apr , 2018 by Bob King

Want to make sure you don’t kick the bucket before seeing the best the night sky has to offer? Then be sure to check out my new book: “Wonders of the Night Sky You Must See Before You Die.”

New Saturn Storm Emerging?

11 Apr , 2018 by David Dickinson

Astrophotographer Damian Peach raised the alarm on Twitter this past week, of a possible bright storm emerging of the planet Saturn. The spot was noticeable even with the naked eye and in the raw video Peach captured, a sure sign that the storm was a biggie.

Tiangong 1 Falls, Blue Moon Rises and Mars Takes Aim At Saturn

29 Mar , 2018 by Bob King

Skywatchers have a busy weekend ahead. The Chinese space station is expected to burn up in the atmosphere, the Moon is full and Mars and Saturn meet at dawn.

Venus Returns to the Dusk Sky

26 Feb , 2018 by David Dickinson

Where have all the planets gone? The end of February 2018 sees the three naked eye outer planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn– hiding in the dawn. It takes an extra effort to brave the chill of a February morning, for sure. The good news is, the two inner planets – Mercury and Venus – begin favorable dusk apparitions this week, putting on a fine sunset showing in March.

Get Set For a “Super Blue Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse”

26 Jan , 2018 by David Dickinson

Can you feel the tremor in the Force? Early next Wednesday morning internet astro-memes collide, in one of the big ticket sky events of the year, with a total lunar eclipse dubbed as – get ready — a Super Blue Blood Moon eclipse.

The Night Sky Magic of the Atacama

10 Jan , 2018 by Paul M. Sutter

There’s nothing an astronomer – whether professional or amateur – loves more than a clear dark night sky away from the city lights. Outside the glare and glow and cloud cover that most of us experience every day, the night sky comes alive with a life of its own. Thousands upon countless thousands of glittering […]

Top 2018 Astronomy Events

1 Jan , 2018 by David Dickinson

Happy New Year 2018.

One of the toughest choices we made last year was to not write a full astronomical guide for 2018. We’ve done this in one iteration or another now for about a decade, but an ongoing project (also astronomical in nature) has consumed most of our writing hours… but we recently realized that we can still take stock in what’s in the sky for the year ahead… and give you a sneak peek at part of our project for the end of 2018.

What is the Perfect Gift for Every Space Enthusiast? The Year in Space Calendar 2018!

12 Dec , 2017 by Nancy Atkinson

What is the most wonderful time of the year? In my opinion, it is when the new Year In Space Calendars come out! This is our most-recommended holiday gift every year and whether it’s the gigantic wall calendar or the spiral-bound desk calendar, the 2018 versions don’t disappoint. They are full of wonderful color images, […]

Here Comes Comet Heinze for the Holidays

1 Dec , 2017 by David Dickinson

Yeah, we’re still all waiting for that next great “Comet of the Century” to make its presence known. In the meantime, we’ve had a steady stream of good binocular comets over the past year both expected and new, including Comet C/2017 O1 ASASSN1 (name and link), 45/P Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková and Comet 41P Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák (links). Now, another newcomer Comet Heinze is set to bring 2017 in over the finish line.

Tales of the King: Watch as the Moon Occults Regulus for North America This Weekend

12 Oct , 2017 by David Dickinson

Up early Sunday morning? Or perhaps, as we often do, you’re “pulling an all-nighter,” out observing until the break of dawn. Well, the clockwork celestial mechanics of the Universe has a treat in store on the morning of October 15th, as the waning crescent Moon occults (passes in front of) the bright star Regulus (Alpha Leonis the “Little King” or “Heart of the Lion”) for the contiguous United States, Mexico and southern Canada.

Universe TodaySpace and astronomy news