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Posts by
Bruce McClure
June 2021 guide to the bright planets
Let the moon be your guide to the bright planets in June 2021. And learn how to find Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury when the moon has moved away.
May 31, 2021
Use the moon to find Jupiter and Saturn in late May and early June
In late May and early June 2021, use the moon to find Jupiter and Saturn.
May 31, 2021
‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse on June 10
The moon will sweep in front of the sun June 10 to stage 2021's first solar eclipse. A bright ring, the sun's outer rim, will surround the moon at mid-eclipse.
May 30, 2021
In late May, closest Mercury-Venus conjunction until 2033
Late May 2021 showcases the closest coupling of Mercury and Venus for years to come.
May 28, 2021
Virgo? Here’s your constellation
Learn about the constellation Virgo the Maiden, now fully up in the evening sky. Skylore, science and more.
May 27, 2021
Omega Centauri is the Milky Way’s largest star cluster
The Milky Way's largest globular star cluster, Omega Centauri, contains about 10 million stars, but probably no life.
May 27, 2021
What is lunar libration?
One side of the moon always faces Earth. Even so, over time, it's possible to see as much as 59% of the moon's surface, due to lunar libration.
May 25, 2021
Total eclipse of 2021’s closest supermoon on May 26
The May 26 total eclipse of 2021's closest supermoon can be seen from western North America and elsewhere. It has a very short totality. Don't miss it!
May 25, 2021
Moon and Spica on May 22 and 23
Spica is the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. It's the star near the moon on May 22 and 23, 2021. Learn this star's place in starlore, here.
May 22, 2021
Jupiter at west quadrature on May 21
If you could look down on the solar system plane from above on May 21, 2021, you'd see that the sun, Earth and Jupiter form a 90 degree angle in space, with our planet Earth at the vertex of this angle.
May 20, 2021
