Posts by

Bruce McClure

Total solar eclipse on August 21

You'll find basic information about the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse - and links to all our eclipse articles - here.

Bruce McClure

August 21, 2017

Black Moon eclipse on August 21

Black Moon is one name for the third of four new moons in a season. The August 21 new moon is the third of four new moons between the June 2017 solstice and September 2017 equinox. Voila! Black Moon eclipse.

Bruce McClure

August 20, 2017

Moon and Venus at dawn August 19

Did you see the moon Friday morning? Look again Saturday, when the moon will have shifted closer to Venus, to the sunrise and to Monday's eclipse!

Bruce McClure

August 18, 2017

Moon and Venus at dawn August 18

As the moon edges toward its August 21 date with the sun, it sweeps past Venus before dawn. You can't miss the moon and Venus! They're in the east before sunup, brightest objects up there.

Bruce McClure

August 17, 2017

Moon to cover star Aldebaran

No matter where you live worldwide, look for the moon near the red star Aldebaran before dawn on August 16, 2017. From the Caribbean, northeastern tip of South America and North Atlantic Ocean, the moon will cover or "occult" Aldebaran.

Bruce McClure

August 15, 2017

Partial lunar eclipse on August 7-8, 2017

Africa and Europe will see the partial lunar eclipse after sunset August 7. India and western Asia will see it around midnight August 7. Eastern Asia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand will see it before sunrise August 8.

Bruce McClure

August 7, 2017

August full moon and eclipse ahead

The August 7-8, 2017 full moon will feature a shallow partial lunar eclipse, visible from Earth's Eastern Hemisphere.

Bruce McClure

August 6, 2017

Identify Saturn near moon on August 2

On August 2, 2017, use the moon to locate the ringed planet Saturn as darkness falls. Miss 'em tonight? Try again tomorrow night.

Bruce McClure

August 2, 2017

Waxing gibbous moon this week

It's waxing toward full moon on August 7-8, obliterating the annual meteor showers and edging toward a lunar eclipse, then a solar eclipse.

Bruce McClure

July 31, 2017

Mercury farthest from sun July 29-30

Look for Mercury in the western twilight, starting around 45 minutes after sunset.

Bruce McClure

July 29, 2017

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.