Posts by 

Bruce McClure

Mercury after sunset in early April

For northerly latitudes, we're now in the middle of Mercury's best showing in the evening sky for 2017.

Moon and Mars at nightfall March 30

Look in your western sky at nightfall and early evening. Mars will be the reddish "star" right next to the waxing moon.

Moon, Mercury, Mars on March 29

It's a very slim crescent moon you'll find in the west - shortly after sunset - Wednesday evening. Mercury is exceedingly near the sunset glare. Mars is higher up.

Planets Mercury and Uranus at dusk

Innermost Mercury - and distant Uranus - are low in the western sky after sunset. Start looking for them as soon as your sky begins to darken.

Venus after sunset and before sunrise!

The planet Venus is now appearing in the west after sunset and in the east before sunrise. Don't believe it? Astronomer Bruce McClure reports on his observation.

Arcturus, a northern springtime star

Orange Arcturus is the constellation Bootes the Herdsman's brightest star. Look for it in the east around nightfall.

Equal day and night on equinox?

The sun is a disk, not a point of light. Plus Earth’s atmosphere refracts sunlight. For both reasons, we have more than 12 hours of daylight on the day of an equinox.

Venus about to leave evening sky

And Mercury is climbing into it. By late March, Venus will have moved to the east before dawn as Mercury stages its best evening apparition of the year for northern observers.

Moon and Jupiter March 13 and 14

Jupiter and the moon will appear as nighttime's two brightest lights. They'll be close as seen from around the world.

Full-looking moon edges toward Jupiter

On March 12, 2017, look east as darkness falls to see a brilliant, full-looking moon. Bright Jupiter will rise shortly after the moon, by early to mid-evening.