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Posts by
Bruce McClure
Uranus closest to Earth on October 27
The planet Uranus, 7th planet outward from the sun, comes closest to Earth for the year on October 27, 2019. It reaches opposition - when it's most directly opposite the sun as viewed from Earth - on October 28.
October 27, 2019
Watch for false dawn or dusk
Watch for this eerie light about 2 hours before sunrise in the Northern Hemisphere. From the Southern Hemisphere, watch for it after sunset.
October 26, 2019
Will you see all 5 bright planets?
For the ultimate challenge, try finding all 5 bright planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - in the late October 2019 night sky.
October 25, 2019
See moon, Leo, and Mars before daybreak
Get up before dawn to see the moon and the starry figure of Leo the Lion in the eastern sky. Then, as darkness gives way to dawn, use the lit side of the waning lunar crescent to find the planet Mars near the sunrise horizon.
October 22, 2019
Will you see Venus and Mercury after sunset?
Can you see Mercury and Venus now, in the western twilight after sunset? It depends on how far north or south you reside on the Earth's globe.
October 18, 2019
Watch after sunrise for a daytime moon
As it orbits Earth once a month, the moon is up during the day half the time, pale against the blue sky. You can see it this weekend, if you look.
October 15, 2019
This weekend’s full Hunter’s Moon
The legacy of the Harvest and Hunter's Moons are the grand procession of moonlit nights in the season of waning daylight. In 2019, watch for the full, or nearly full moon, around October 11, 12, 13 and maybe even 14.
October 11, 2019
Saturn at east quadrature October 7
East quadrature is a hallmark in the ever-shifting 3-D relationship between Earth and another planet. It means, as seen from Earth, the planet is 90 degrees east of the sun. Saturn will reach that point on October 7, 2019.
October 6, 2019
See moon and Saturn close October 5
Tonight - October 5, 2019 - the moon will be at or near its first quarter phase, coupling up with Saturn on the sky's dome. What's more, the lit side of the moon will be pointing at the blazing planet Jupiter.
October 5, 2019
Moon and Jupiter close October 3 and 4
They are the 2 brightest objects in the night sky now, the moon and Jupiter, closest October 3. By October 4, the moon has moved away, but you'll still notice Jupiter as the bright object nearby.
October 3, 2019
