Posts by

Bruce McClure

Moon at first quarter on November 7

Watch for the November 7, 2016 first quarter moon high in the sky as darkness falls.

Bruce McClure

November 7, 2016

Moon and Mars on November 5 and 6

Note the moon's position relative to Mars across these 2 evenings. Its eastward motion on our sky's dome is due to its eastward motion in orbit around Earth.

Bruce McClure

November 5, 2016

Earliest noontime, plus evening planets

All around the world today, the sun reaches its midday noontime position earlier by the clock today than at any other time of the year. Plus ... planets!

Bruce McClure

November 2, 2016

Moon, Venus and Saturn after sunset

Look for Venus and Saturn near the moon on November 1 and 2, then watch as the moon shifts upward in the evening twilight, past Mars.

Bruce McClure

November 1, 2016

Farthest moon of 2016

The October 31 moon is farthest for this year. In about 2 weeks, we'll have the closest moon since 1948. It'll be a full moon and a supermoon.

Bruce McClure

October 31, 2016

2016’s longest lunar month starts October 30

Lunar months vary in part because the moon's orbit around Earth isn't a perfect circle. Longest (and shortest) lunar months in 2016, here.

Bruce McClure

October 30, 2016

Venus-Saturn conjunction October 30

When you hear the word "conjunction" for sky objects, you know 2 objects appear close. Look in the sunset direction for Saturn and Venus.

Bruce McClure

October 30, 2016

Mars’ perihelion is in late October 2016

Perihelion is Mars' closest point to the sun, a once-in-2-years event. On a much-longer timescale, perihelion marks the most special times to see Mars.

Bruce McClure

October 28, 2016

Moon, Jupiter close on October 28, 2016

On the morning of October 28, 2016, a beautiful pairing of bright objects awaits you in the east before dawn. That's true no matter where you live on Earth.

Bruce McClure

October 27, 2016

Moon, Jupiter at dawn October 27, 2016

The next few mornings will be a grand time to watch the moon near the very bright planet Jupiter. They'll be visible from around the world. Look east before dawn.

Bruce McClure

October 26, 2016

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.