Posts by

Bruce McClure

Observer’s challenge: Moon and morning planets on February 8, 9 and 10

Before sunrise on February 8, 9 and 10, 2021, the old moon might guide you to 3 morning planets: Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Fair warning. It won't be easy to spot the planets so near the sunrise glare!

Bruce McClure

February 7, 2021

Moon and Antares before dawn February 6

Let the moon show you Antares, the red supergiant star, on the morning of February 6, 2021

Bruce McClure

February 5, 2021

Observer’s challenge: Venus-Saturn conjunction February 6, 2021

Can you still see Venus in the east before sunrise? It's easier from Earth's Southern Hemisphere than from the northern half of the globe. If you can see it, you just might catch the furtive rendezvous of Venus and Saturn at dawn on February 6, 2021.

Bruce McClure

January 31, 2021

Moon and Lion’s Heart rise mid-evening January 29 and 30

These next few nights - January 29 and 30, 2021 - use the moon to find Regulus, the Heart of the Lion in the constellation Leo. After the moon drops out of the evening sky, use the Big Dipper to star-hop to Regulus and Leo.

Bruce McClure

January 29, 2021

How to find Delta Aquariid radiant point

How to spot the radiant point for the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, going on now. Plus ... why meteors in annual showers have radiant points.

Bruce McClure

Don Machholz

January 24, 2021

Moon in Taurus on January 22, 23 and 24

The bright waxing gibbous moon shines in front of the constellation Taurus the Bull on January 22, 23 and 24, 2021. Here's how to look for the famous Pleiades star cluster and Taurus' brightest star, Aldebaran. The moon will pass between them on these nights.

Bruce McClure

January 22, 2021

Moon, Mars, Uranus January 19, 20, 21

Over the next several evenings - January 19, 20 and 21, 2021 - let the moon show you the red planet Mars, and then use Mars to find the distant ice giant planet, Uranus.

Bruce McClure

January 19, 2021

Young moon and Mercury in mid-January 2021

These next several days - January 14, 15 and 16, 2021 - you can spot the waxing crescent moon and innermost planet Mercury, near the sunset point.

Bruce McClure

January 14, 2021

Tonight is New Year’s Eve in the Julian calendar

Happy Julian New Year! January 13, 2021, marks the last day of the year in the old-style Julian calendar. Why, and what happened when the calendars switched.

Bruce McClure

January 13, 2021

When will the Age of Aquarius begin?

The Age of Aquarius may be said to begin when the vernal equinox point moves in front of Aquarius. But when will that be?

Bruce McClure

Deborah Byrd

January 8, 2021

Bruce McClure

Bruce McClure served as lead writer for EarthSky's popular Tonight pages from 2004 to 2021, when he opted for a much-deserved retirement. You can still find many articles at EarthSky.org that were originally written by Bruce, and which the EarthSky editors still update regularly. Bruce is a sundial aficionado, whose love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and sailing in the North Atlantic, where he earned his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. He also wrote and hosted public astronomy programs and planetarium programs in and around his home in upstate New York. Bruce he loves cycles of all kinds! You can still find many articles at EarthSky with Bruce's name on them, exploring the various, intricate cycles of the sky.