Night sky guide for May 2018

Night sky guide for May 2018

Eta Aquariids meteor shower, a strong shower when viewed in the southern tropics, will peak on the night of May 6 and the morning of May 7. While this shower is capable of producing 60 meteors per hour at its peak, the waning gibbous moon will block most of the…

Night sky guide for April 2018

Night sky guide for April 2018

Three meteor showers will mark April 2018, with Lyrids on April 21 and 22 the most promising one. The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight, leaving dark skies for the what could be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. …

CZ-3B rocket body re-entry recorded over Paraguay

CZ-3B rocket body re-entry recorded over Paraguay

The body of Chinese Long March 3B rocket, also known as CZ-3B, launched December 10, 2017, re-entered Earth's atmosphere around 05:52 UTC on March 10 over Paraguay, creating a spectacular show. The American Meteor Society (AMS) received just one witness report…

Night sky guide for March 2018

Night sky guide for March 2018

While February had no full moon, March will host two of them – one on March 2 and the second, blue moon, on March 31. The best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere – New Moon – is on…

Partial solar eclipse of February 15, 2018

Partial solar eclipse of February 15, 2018

A partial solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Chile, Argentina and Antarctica on February 15, 2018. The greatest eclipse will take place at 20:52 UTC. The Moon will pass in front of the Sun today, creating a solar eclipse. However, the alignment will not be…

Night sky guide for February 2018 – Partial Solar Eclipse

Night sky guide for February 2018 – Partial Solar Eclipse

After super blue blood Moon on January 31, we are heading toward our next celestial event on February 15 when a partial solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Chile, Argentina, and Antarctica. The best time of this month to observe faint objects such as galaxies…

Super blue blood Moon and total lunar eclipse on January 31, 2018

Super blue blood Moon and total lunar eclipse on January 31, 2018

A rare astronomical event will take place on January 31, 2018 – the third in a series of supermoons, the second full moon of the month known as the blue moon and a total lunar eclipse which will make the Moon take on a reddish tint, known as a 'blood moon.'…

Night sky guide for December 2017

Night sky guide for December 2017

The year ends with the first and last supermoon of the year, the first of 3 over the next 60 days, one royal meteor shower, and December solstice. Hopefully, this year made us all stronger, wiser and ready for what's to come in 2018 and beyond. December 1 -…

Night sky guide for November 2017

Night sky guide for November 2017

November brings us peaks of 2 notable meteor showers, Northern Taurids (Class II) on November 11 and Leonids (Class I) on November 18. The Moon will be 24 days old during the peak of Taurids and 30 during Leonids, presenting minimal interference. We also have peaks…