Posts by

Bruce McClure

Do you have friggatriskaidekaphobia?

May 13 is 2016's lone Friday the 13th. Here’s the story behind Friday the 13th superstition and numerology.

Bruce McClure

May 13, 2016

Jupiter can guide you to the Beehive

Look for Jupiter tonight, and note its location. Then - when the moon drops out of the evening sky - use Jupiter to find the famous Beehive star cluster.

Bruce McClure

May 12, 2016

Transit of Mercury on May 9, 2016

Our solar system's innermost planet, Mercury passes directly in front of the sun on May 9, 2016. Who will see it, how to watch, equipment needed, transit times.

Bruce McClure

May 7, 2016

Young moon and Aldebaran at dusk May 7

Can't see the them on May 7? Look again on May 8. The moon will have moved away from the sunset, and will appear higher in the west as night falls.

Bruce McClure

May 7, 2016

Guide to Mars’ opposition on May 22

Earth flies between Mars and sun on May 22, bringing it closer than Mars has been in over a decade. How to find and enjoy Mars during 2016's close opposition!

Bruce McClure

May 6, 2016

Jupiter bright and high in sky

You can't miss Jupiter, brightest starlike object each evening. It's now crossing your local meridian in mid-evening. Good time to aim binoculars its way!

Bruce McClure

April 28, 2016

Moon, Mars, Saturn, Antares on April 25

Moon is still moving past 2 planets and a bright star, Antares in the constellation Scorpius. Learn why this constellation is never in the sky with Orion.

Bruce McClure

April 25, 2016

Moon and Mars rise late on April 24

And so does the planet Saturn and the star Antares. All 4 objects are together in the sky ... but Mars is the one to watch!

Bruce McClure

April 24, 2016

Moonlit skies to subdue 2016 Lyrid meteors

Lyrid meteor shower active from about April 16-25. Best before dawn. If you're lucky, you might catch a bright Lyrid overcoming the light of the full moon!

Bruce McClure

April 19, 2016

Use Orion’s Belt to find Mercury

Mercury's greatest eastern elongation - its greatest distance from the sunset - is today. But how can you tell which object you're seeing is Mercury?

Bruce McClure

April 18, 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. He's 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.