Posts by 

Bruce McClure

Full moon, faint eclipse, on July 4-5

The penumbral lunar eclipse of July 4-5, 2020 will be so nearly imperceptible that some will see nothing even while staring at it. Then again … very observant people will notice something strange happening on the moon, without knowing an eclipse is taking place. Who will see it (or not) in this post.

Moon and Antares in early July

These next few evenings – July 1 and 2, 2020 – let the moon be your guide to Antares, a red supergiant star whose humongous size is truly difficult to fathom!

2 lunar perigees in June 2020

Enjoy the moon in all its majestic mystery as it reaches its 2nd perigee of the month, and its most distant perigee of the year.

Young moon after sunset June 22, 23 and 24

These next several days - June 22, 23 and 24, 2020 - watch for the young waxing crescent moon to adorn the western evening dusk.

Annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020

On the heels of the June solstice, the new moon will sweep directly in front of the sun on Sunday, June 21, 2020, to stage an annular - ring of fire - solar eclipse for the world's Eastern Hemisphere.

Moon and Venus at dawn June 17, 18, 19

These next several mornings - June 17, 18 and 19, 2020 - look east before sunrise to see the moon and Venus. You might spot the Pleiades star cluster nearby. On June 19, the moon will occult or cover over Venus. For most of us, the occultation will happen in daylight.

Moon and Mars before dawn June 12, 13, 14

Enjoy the early morning sky on June 12 and 13, 2020, as the moon swings 3 degrees south of the red planet Mars. Meanwhile, although your eye won't catch it, Mars will swing 1.7 degrees south of distant Neptune.

June 20 marks the middle of an eclipse season

When the lunar nodes pointed directly at the sun on June 20, 2020, the event marked the middle of the eclipse season. Shortly thereafter, an annular eclipse of the sun took place on June 21, 2020.

Strawberry Moon, penumbral lunar eclipse, on June 5

The moon will look full on June 4 and 5, 2020. We in the Northern Hemisphere will call it the Strawberry Moon. It'll shine near the star Antares. It'll undergo a very faint penumbral lunar eclipse.

Mercury’s greatest evening elongation around June 3-4

Mercury reaches milestone in the evening sky, as it reaches its greatest elongation of 24 degrees east of the sun on June 4, 2020.