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Posts by
Bruce McClure
Year’s latest solar noon happens on February 11
February 11 has 2024'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, 2024
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. Can you see both without using binoculars?
February 11, 2024
The April 8 eclipse is part of Saros 139. What does that mean?
Enjoy the April 8 eclipse as you witness the 30th of 71 member eclipses in the illustrious procession known as Saros 139. Learn more here.
February 8, 2024
Meet Taurus the Bull in the February evening sky
Taurus the Bull resides near the constellation Orion. It contains 2 famous star clusters that are easy to spot; they are the Pleiades and the Hyades.
February 6, 2024
The Hyades star cluster: The Face of Taurus the Bull
You can easily see the V-shaped Hyades star cluster, Face of Taurus the Bull, and the bright reddish star Aldebaran, the fiery Eye of the Bull.
January 25, 2024
Meet the Winter Circle, aka the Winter Hexagon
The brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere's winter sky form the shape of the Winter Circle, or Hexagon, that will help you locate 6 constellations.
January 24, 2024
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 15, 2024
Year’s earliest solar noon on November 3
November 3 brings the year's earliest solar noon - that is, earliest midday - by nature's clock. It's a harbinger of the Northern Hemisphere's earliest sunset.
January 1, 2024
What is stellar magnitude?
The brightest stars to the eye are 1st magnitude, and dimmest stars to the eye are 6th magnitude. How does stellar magnitude work in astronomy?
January 1, 2024
The star Sirius rings in the New Year
The Dog Star Sirius reaches its highest point in the sky around midnight every New Year's Eve. For this reason, it could also be called the New Year's star.
December 31, 2023
