Posts by 

Bruce McClure

The Pleiades – or 7 Sisters – known around the world

The Pleiades star cluster - aka the Seven Sisters or M45 - is visible from almost every part of the globe. It looks like a tiny misty dipper of stars.

See Orion’s Belt as a celestial bridge between hemispheres

Many know Orion's Belt, a short, straight row of 3 stars. Orion's Belt is considered a celestial bridge between the sky's Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Galaxy’s south window looks into intergalactic space

Use the Great Square of Pegasus to locate Fomalhaut. Then you're on your way to looking out our galaxy's south window into intergalactic space.

Mirach is your guide star to finding 3 galaxies

Mirach in the constellation Andromeda helps stargazers locate the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and "Mirach's Ghost" (NGC 404).

Halloween is an astronomy holiday. It’s a cross-quarter day

A cross-quarter day falls between an equinox and a solstice. Halloween is the year's 4th cross-quarter day and the spookiest of them all.

Cassiopeia and Perseus on October evenings

Cassiopeia and Perseus are neighbors in the fall sky. Use Cassiopeia's distinctive W or M shape to locate the dimmer Perseus on autumn and winter evenings.

Double Cluster in Perseus on October evenings

The Double Cluster in Perseus is a breathtaking pair of open star clusters, easy to see in October. Here's how to find it in your sky.

Delta Cephei helps measure cosmic distances

Delta Cephei is an inconspicuous variable star in the northern constellation Cepheus the King. This important star helped establish the cosmic distance scale.

Equinox shadows trace a straight line from west to east

Equinox shadows are unique. On this day - and only this day - the tip of an upright stick's shadow follows a straight path, west to east, all day long.

Are day and night equal on the equinox?

Are day and night equal at an equinox? No. Earth's atmosphere and our sun team up to give us more day than night during an equinox.