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Posts by
Bruce McClure
See 3 planets in a line before sunrise
Draw an imaginary line from the red planet Mars through the king planet Jupiter to find elusive Mercury near the sunrise point on your horizon.
December 29, 2017
Planet Uranus in moon’s glare on December 27
The December 27 moon is close to the 7th planet, Uranus. The lunar glare glare will make it tough to spot, but notice stars nearby ... and come back when the moon is gone.
December 27, 2017
Catch Mercury in the morning sky
It's in the sunrise direction before sunup, but very low in the sky. Luckily, 2 other planets - Mars and Jupiter - are pointing to Mercury.
December 22, 2017
21st century’s longest lunar month starts December 18
Lunar months are roughly 29.5 days. The upcoming one will be 7 hours longer than the mean and this century's longest lunar month. Why?
December 17, 2017
See a star that changes its brightness
Sheliak is a variable star in the constellation Lyra the Harp. You can notice its brightness changes in a cycle lasting 6.5 days.
December 16, 2017
Lengths of lunar months in 2017
Longest lunar month of 21st century (2001 to 2100) starts with December 18 new moon. It's also the farthest new moon of the year. Coincidence?
December 15, 2017
Moon and Regulus on December 8
Moon and star Regulus rise in the east at late evening and appear near each other for the rest of the night. Regulus is considered the Lion's Heart.
December 8, 2017
Full supermoon on December 3
The December 3, 2017 full moon is 2017's only supermoon. The two full moons in January 2018 - on January 2 and 31 - will also count as supermoons.
December 3, 2017
December 2 moon is nearly full
It's called a Long Night Moon because our nights are long now, and because this moon takes a high path across the sky. In the Southern Hemisphere ... Short Night Moon!
December 2, 2017
Moon and Aldebaran in early December
Starting this evening, on December 1, and for the next few days, see if you can spot the star Aldebaran in the moon's glare.
December 1, 2017
