Posts by

Bruce McClure

Moon and planets before sunup February 7 to 9

Over the next several mornings - February 7 to 9, 2018 - you'll find the moon moving past the planets Mars and Jupiter.

Bruce McClure

February 6, 2018

Moon and Regulus on February 1

Enjoy the pairing of the moon and Regulus - brightest star in Leo the Lion - on February 1, 2018! From some places the moon will pass in front of (occult) Regulus.

Bruce McClure

February 1, 2018

January 31 is 1st of 2 Blue Moons in 2018

According to modern folklore, the second of 2 full moons in a month is called a Blue Moon. In 2018, we have 2 of those! How often it happens, here.

Bruce McClure

January 31, 2018

Super Blue Moon eclipse on January 31

The super Blue Moon happens before sunrise on January 31, 2018, for North America and Hawaii. It happens after sunset on January 31 for the Middle East, Asia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. Details here.

Bruce McClure

January 30, 2018

Moon near Castor and Pollux January 29

Castor and Pollux - brightest stars in the constellation Gemini the Twins - are noticeable for being bright and close together on the sky's dome.

Bruce McClure

January 29, 2018

Dwarf planet Ceres soon to be closest since 2009

Earth and Ceres will be closest for 2018 on February 1. Ceres hasn't been this close since 2009. Start looking for this tiny world - largest body in the asteroid belt - now.

Bruce McClure

January 25, 2018

Half-lit quarter moon on January 24

The Earth and moon are like mirrors to each other in that - when we see a 1st quarter moon in our sky - those on the moon would see a last quarter Earth.

Bruce McClure

January 24, 2018

Waxing toward the super Blue Moon

The moon is getting closer to Earth, day by day, this week. A word about measuring the moon's changing distance from Earth, here.

Bruce McClure

January 22, 2018

Will you see a young moon tonight?

The young moon will be tough to see low in your western twilight after sunset on January 17, 2018. But, especially if you're in the Americas, you have a shot at it.

Bruce McClure

January 17, 2018

Lengths of lunar months in 2018

This new moon ends the longest lunar month of the 21st century and begins the longest lunar month of 2018.

Bruce McClure

January 16, 2018

Bruce McClure

Bruce McClure served as lead writer for EarthSky's popular Tonight pages from 2004 to 2021, when he opted for a much-deserved retirement. You can still find many articles at EarthSky.org that were originally written by Bruce, and which the EarthSky editors still update regularly. Bruce is a sundial aficionado, whose love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and sailing in the North Atlantic, where he earned his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. He also wrote and hosted public astronomy programs and planetarium programs in and around his home in upstate New York. Bruce he loves cycles of all kinds! You can still find many articles at EarthSky with Bruce's name on them, exploring the various, intricate cycles of the sky.