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Posts by
Bruce McClure
Summer Triangle: A signpost for all seasons
Watch for the 3 bright stars of the Summer Triangle - Vega, Deneb and Altair - before dawn in March, before midnight in May and at dusk near the June solstice.
March 11, 2026
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. But what we see as 2 stars are really 6 stars!
March 10, 2026
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.
March 4, 2026
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.
March 1, 2026
Circumpolar stars never rise or set and depend on latitude
Circumpolar stars stay above the horizon all hours of the day, every day of the year. Although you can’t see them, they’re up even in the daytime.
February 22, 2026
Meet Gemini the Twins, home to Jupiter and 2 bright stars
The constellation Gemini the Twins is home to Castor and Pollux. Learn more about these bright stars, visible on northern winter nights.
February 20, 2026
Year’s latest solar noon happens on February 11
February 11 has 2026'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.
February 11, 2026
The stars Shaula and Lesath herald the coming spring
On February mornings, look for the celestial ducks returning to open water on the river of the Milky Way as the stars Shaula and Lesath make their appearance.
February 11, 2026
Find the Andromeda Galaxy using Cassiopeia
Leave the city behind this weekend, and go galaxy-hunting! Cassiopeia - one of the easiest constellations to identify - points the way to the Andromeda Galaxy.
February 8, 2026
Elnath is a bright star close to the galactic anticenter
The galactic anticenter is opposite the Milky Way's center from our viewpoint on Earth. The closest bright star to the anticenter is Taurus the Bull's Elnath.
January 28, 2026
