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Posts by
Bruce McClure
Equinox fun: Track sun’s shift between now and 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.
March 20, 2022
The Beehive Cluster: A swarm of 1,000 stars
The Beehive Cluster is an open cluster that lies near the center of the constellation Cancer the Crab. It goes by many names, including Praesepe and M44.
March 11, 2022
Is Sirius the most luminous star?
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 radiating from it.
March 9, 2022
What is stellar magnitude?
Brightest stars to the eye are 1st magnitude, and dimmest stars to the eye are 6th magnitude. How does stellar magnitude work in astronomy?
March 9, 2022
Summer Triangle, 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 on the summer solstice.
March 9, 2022
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.
March 8, 2022
Circumpolar stars stay up all night long
Circumpolar stars are those that never rise nor set from a certain location. At the poles, all stars are circumpolar, while at the equator, no star is.
February 18, 2022
Year’s latest solar noon happens on February 11
February 11 has 2022'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, 2022
Meet Taurus the Bull in the evening sky
Taurus the Bull resides near the constellation Orion. In particular, it contains two famous star clusters that are easy to spot: the Pleiades and the Hyades.
February 10, 2022
Last quarter moon and Spica, mornings of January 24 and 25
See the moon and Spica on the mornings of January 24 and 25, 2022. The last quarter moon sidles up to the bright star in Virgo on these dates.
January 23, 2022
