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Posts by
Bruce McClure
Menkar – a visual double – is the Whale’s alpha star
It's not the most famous star in Cetus the Whale, or the brightest. But Menkar is the Whale's alpha star and has its own claims to fame.
December 8, 2023
Mirfak is the brightest star in Perseus the Hero
Mirfak is the brightest star in Perseus and is visible even from light-polluted locations. This star is a member of the Alpha Persei Moving Cluster of stars.
December 3, 2023
Media we love: Totality, The Great North American Eclipse of 2024
Read a book review of "Totality: The Great North American Eclipse of 2024" by Mark Littmann and Fred Espenak. Reviewed by Bruce McClure.
November 5, 2023
Deneb Kaitos marks the tail of Cetus the Whale
Deneb Kaitos is the brightest star in the constellation Cetus the Whale. It's at its highest in the sky on October and November evenings.
October 28, 2023
Happy Friday the 13th: It’s the 2nd one in 2023
When a year with 365 days starts on a Sunday, like 2023, it's inevitable Friday the 13th will occur twice. In 2023 Friday the 13th comes in January and October.
September 13, 2023
Alderamin, or Alpha Cephei, is a fast-spinning star
Meet Alpha Cephei, in the constellation Cepheus the King. It’s spinning so fast that it appears like a slightly flattened beach ball.
September 10, 2023
Sun-Regulus in conjunction on August 23
Every year around August 23, you can see the sun and Regulus in conjunction. But you won't see them, because they travel across the sky in the daytime.
August 23, 2023
Longest sunsets happen around the solstice
We're talking about how many minutes it takes for the body of the sun to sink below your western horizon. Longest sunsets take place around the solstices.
June 20, 2023
Big Dipper (Sky Bear) comes to Earth in November
Every year, the Big Dipper (Great Bear) descends to its lowest point in the sky on November evenings. This makes it difficult, or impossible, to see.
November 11, 2022
1st Election Day total lunar eclipse for US
Tuesday, November 8, 2022, will bring the 1st Election Day total lunar eclipse in U.S. history. It won't happen again until November 8, 2394.
November 6, 2022
