Posts by 

Bruce McClure

On the equinox, are day and night equal?

Day and night are mostly equal on the equinox. There's a bit more daylight because the sun is a disk, not a point, and Earth’s atmosphere refracts sunlight.

Equinox fun: Track sun’s shift between now and the solstice

On this equinox, start tracking the sunset point on your western horizon. You'll see a mighty shift between now and the June solstice.

Year’s fastest sunsets happen around equinoxes

The year's fastest sunsets are at the equinoxes, and the slowest are at the solstices. We're talking about how long it takes the sun to sink below the horizon.

Equinox sun rises due east and sets due west

The 2024 March equinox occurs on March 20 at 3:06 UTC (10:06 p.m. CDT on March 19). At the equinox, the sun rises and sets due east and due west.

Meet Cancer the Crab and its Beehive cluster

Cancer the Crab is one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac. Learn how to find it in your sky, plus learn about its star cluster, mythology and more.

The Beehive cluster: A swarm of 1,000 stars

The Beehive cluster is an open star cluster that lies near the center of the constellation Cancer the Crab. It goes by many names, including Praesepe and M44.

Lonely Alphard is the brightest star in Hydra

Alphard is the "heart" and brightest star in the constellation Hydra the Water Snake, and it represents a welcome sign of spring for the Northern Hemisphere.

Is Sirius the most luminous star in the sky?

Sirius is the brightest star in Earth's sky because of how close it is to us. It's so bright you might see glints of different colors flashing from it.

Year’s latest solar noon happens on February 11

February 11 has 2024's latest solar noon by the clock. Solar noon is a natural event, the instant when the sun is at its highest point for the day.

Mizar and Alcor in the bend of the Big Dipper

Mizar and Alcor are a famous pair of stars located at the bend of the handle of the Big Dipper. Can you see both without using binoculars?

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