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Posts by Larry Sessions

Supermoon-cp
Jun 17, 2013

Does a supermoon have a super effect on us?

A supermoon’s effects are imperceptible, far smaller than those encountered in other everyday situations, such as being near a mountain or even a large building.

Telescopic view of daytime Venus (l) and moon via NASA
Blogs | Jun 16, 2013

How to see the brightest planet Venus in a blue daytime sky

Your chances of observing Venus in broad daylight are improving, from around June 2013 through the end of the year. July 9 and 10 are a good time to try.

Cottonwood snow, via Kim's County Line
Jun 14, 2013

Cottonwood trees and the snows of June

Cottonwood trees in the American West are a nuisance to some and a treasure to others. They yield shade, beautiful foliage and in June, a kind of warm, fluffy “snow.”

Alpha Centauri
Tonight | May 21, 2013

Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to our sun

The third star in the system, a red dwarf called Proxima Centauri, is thought to be about 4.22 light-years distant and is actually our sun’s closest neighbor.

Let the moon guide your eye to the star Spica and planet Saturn on May 21.
Tonight | May 21, 2013

Moon near star Spica and approaching Saturn on May 21

Tonight see Saturn and Spica near the waxing gibbous moon. Spica is a double star system, and both stars are hotter and brighter than the sun.

Constellation Crux photo by Christopher J Picking in New Zealand.  More information about this photo here.  Used with permission
Tonight | Apr 08, 2013

Mimosa second-brightest in Southern Cross

If you’re in the U.S., you must be at about New Orleans’ latitude to glimpse it. From the southern hemisphere, Mimosa is a prominent and beloved star.

Constellation Crux photo by Christopher J Picking in New Zealand.  More information about this photo here.  Used with permission
Tonight | Mar 25, 2013

Acrux is brightest star in Southern Cross

Blue Acrux shines as the brightest star in the constellation Crux the Southern Cross.

Image via Janet Furlong
Blogs | Mar 17, 2013

10 surprising space objects to see in the daytime sky

A rundown of space objects visible under the right conditions to the unaided human eye during the day.

Procyon
Tonight | Feb 24, 2013

Procyon is the Little Dog Star

Procyon – in Canis Minor the Lesser Dog – actually means “before the dog.” That’s because it rises into the sky shortly before the Dog Star Sirius in Canis Major.

Castor system via Jeremy Perez
Tonight | Feb 18, 2013

Castor is six stars in one

Two stars noticeable for being bright and close together might be Castor and Pollux of the Gemini Twins constellation.