A Partial Solar Eclipse and the Perseids Round Out August

By David Dickinson - August 07, 2018 11:48 AM UTC | Observing
How about that Total Lunar Eclipse this past July 13th? It has been a busy year for astronomy for sure, with two total lunar eclipses, a comet fading out from an unexpected burst of glory and Saturn, Jupiter and Mars reaching opposition in quick succession. Now, watch for a rare event, with the final eclipse for 2018 coming up on Saturday, August 11th, with a partial solar eclipse spanning northern Europe and the Arctic.
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Catch Comet C/2017 S3 PanSTARRS in Outburst

By David Dickinson - July 30, 2018 12:03 PM UTC | Observing
Comets are one of those great question marks in observational astronomy. Though we can plot their orbits thanks to Newton and Kepler, just how bright they'll be and whether or not they will fizzle or fade is always a big unknown, especially if they're a dynamic newcomer from the outer solar system just visiting the inner solar system for the first time. We had just such a surprise from a cosmic visitor over the past few weeks, as comet C/2017 S3 PanSTARRS erupted twice, brightening into binocular visibility.
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Mars Meets the MiniMoon During the Longest Total Lunar Eclipse of the Century

By David Dickinson - July 25, 2018 11:34 AM UTC | Planetary Science
One of the top astronomy events of 2018 occurs on the evening of Friday, July 27th, when the Moon enters the shadow of the Earth for a total lunar eclipse. In the vernacular that is the modern internet, this is what's becoming popular as a "Blood Moon," a time when the Moon reddens due to the refracted light of a thousand sunsets falling on it as the pass through the ruddy limb of the Earth.
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