Sky this Week | Astronomy.com https://www.astronomy.com/tags/sky-this-week/ Astronomy news, photos, observing events, and space missions. Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:12:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.4 https://www.astronomy.com/uploads/2024/10/cropped-favicon-32x32.jpg Sky this Week | Astronomy.com https://www.astronomy.com/tags/sky-this-week/ 32 32 The Sky This Week from December 27 to January 3: The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-december-27-2024-to-january-3-2025/ Fri, 27 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=156100// Friday, December 27By 8 P.M. local time, Gemini is well above the eastern horizon, rising to the left of the widely recognizable constellation Orion. The Twins’ two standout stars are Castor and Pollux in the northeastern reaches of the constellation, but tonight, look toward the opposite end of this star pattern: southwestern Gemini, near Orion’sContinue reading "The Sky This Week from December 27 to January 3: The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks"

The post The Sky This Week from December 27 to January 3: The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]> The Sky This Week from December 20 to 27: Welcome the winter solstice https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-december-20-to-27-2024/ Fri, 20 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=156092// Friday, December 20Now that the evening sky is Moon-free, it’s time to aim for fainter targets, including 12th-magnitude Comet 333P/LINEAR. Located in far northern Cygnus, close to where that constellation’s border meets those of Cepheus and Draco, LINEAR sits some 8.4° northeast of magnitude 3.8 Kappa (κ) Cygni tonight. The comet is roughly halfway alongContinue reading "The Sky This Week from December 20 to 27: Welcome the winter solstice"

The post The Sky This Week from December 20 to 27: Welcome the winter solstice appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]> The Sky This Week from December 13 to 20: 2024’s last Full Moon https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-december-13-to-20-2024/ Fri, 13 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=156059// Friday, December 13The bright gibbous Moon passes 4° north of Uranus at 5 A.M. EST. At that time, the Moon sits in Aries the Ram, while Uranus is just over the border in far western Taurus the Bull. The two set together around 5 A.M. local time.  You might have better luck spotting the iceContinue reading "The Sky This Week from December 13 to 20: 2024’s last Full Moon"

The post The Sky This Week from December 13 to 20: 2024’s last Full Moon appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]> The Sky This Week from December 6 to 13: Jupiter reaches opposition https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-december-6-to-13-2024/ Fri, 06 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=155789// Friday, December 6Asteroid 15 Eunomia is making its way through central Auriga this month, passing numerous deep-sky objects along the way.  By 9 P.M. local time this evening, the asteroid is nearly 50° high in the eastern sky. It’s skimming close to 5th-magnitude Phi (φ) Aurigae, just 1° east of the star tonight. Now magnitudeContinue reading "The Sky This Week from December 6 to 13: Jupiter reaches opposition"

The post The Sky This Week from December 6 to 13: Jupiter reaches opposition appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]> The Sky This Week from November 29 to December 6: The Moon meets Venus https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-november-29-to-december-6-2024/ Fri, 29 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=155362// Friday, November 29Pegasus the Winged Horse might be the most well-known horse-themed star pattern in the sky, but he is not alone. Once you find Pegasus, slowly sinking in the west this evening after sunset, next locate Enif, the star that typically is drawn marking Pegasus’ nose or mouth. Just below (west of) this starContinue reading "The Sky This Week from November 29 to December 6: The Moon meets Venus"

The post The Sky This Week from November 29 to December 6: The Moon meets Venus appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]> The Sky This Week from November 22 to 29: Venus lingers long after sunset https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-november-22-to-29-2024/ Fri, 22 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=155140// Friday, November 22Last Quarter Moon occurs at 8:28 P.M. EST, leaving most of the evening dark for deep-sky observing.  About two hours after sunset, you’ll find the Great Square of Pegasus high in the southeastern sky. The Winged Horse is home to a fabulous globular cluster, M15, which just barely hits naked-eye magnitude at 6.2.Continue reading "The Sky This Week from November 22 to 29: Venus lingers long after sunset"

The post The Sky This Week from November 22 to 29: Venus lingers long after sunset appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]> The Sky This Week from November 15 to 22: 2024’s last Super Moon occults the Pleiades https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-november-15-to-22-2024/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=154787// Friday, November 15We’re starting out the week strong with the Moon on center stage. November’s Full Moon, also called the Beaver Moon, occurs at 4:29 P.M. EST. But there’s more to this Full Moon — it’s a Super Moon, which occurs when the Moon reaches Full near its closest point to Earth, called perigee. ItContinue reading "The Sky This Week from November 15 to 22: 2024’s last Super Moon occults the Pleiades"

The post The Sky This Week from November 15 to 22: 2024’s last Super Moon occults the Pleiades appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]> The Sky This Week from November 8 to 15: Catch the Leonids early https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-november-8-to-15-2024/ Fri, 08 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=154778// Friday, November 8Although the constellation Perseus is perhaps best known for housing the famous Double Cluster, it’s also home to another open star cluster: M34, one of the Hero’s two Messier objects.  M34 is some 180 million years old and sits 1,400 light-years from Earth. The cluster contains about 100 stars and takes up roughlyContinue reading "The Sky This Week from November 8 to 15: Catch the Leonids early"

The post The Sky This Week from November 8 to 15: Catch the Leonids early appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]> The Sky This Week from November 1 to 8: Valles Marineris comes into view https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-november-1-to-8-2024/ Fri, 01 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=154409// Friday, November 1New Moon occurs this morning at 8:47 A.M. EDT.  The planet Mercury is now becoming visible, low in the evening sky. If you have a clear view southwest, you may catch the planet some 30 minutes after sunset, hanging just 2° above the horizon. Although bright at magnitude –0.3, it may be difficultContinue reading "The Sky This Week from November 1 to 8: Valles Marineris comes into view"

The post The Sky This Week from November 1 to 8: Valles Marineris comes into view appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]> The Sky This Week from October 25 to November 1: Callisto slips south of Jupiter https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-sky-this-week-from-october-25-to-november-1-2024/ Fri, 25 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000 https://www.astronomy.com/?p=154081// Friday, October 25Venus passes 3° north of Antares at 3 P.M. EDT. The pair is very low in the southwest, but if you’ve got a clear horizon, both should be visible some 40 minutes after sunset. Venus stands out first, glowing a brilliant magnitude –4. Compare its light to dimmer, magnitude 1.1 Antares, to theContinue reading "The Sky This Week from October 25 to November 1: Callisto slips south of Jupiter"

The post The Sky This Week from October 25 to November 1: Callisto slips south of Jupiter appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

]]>