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In the Stars

May 6, 2010
Use North Star as GPS to find your latitude

Why do so many people think the North Star is the brightest star in the sky, even though there are 50 other stars brighter?

January 11, 2010
Get ready for the biggest Jupiter and the biggest moon for 2010

Here’s how to use the Moon on the first Sunday and Monday this month to find Mars, which will be at its closest and brightest for all of 2010 and 2011 at the end of the month.

October 27, 2009
Sinister sisters for Halloween; Meteor shower in November

Many people have the mistaken notion that there is a full Moon every year on Halloween, when in fact we won’t have a full Moon on Halloween again until 2020. So every year I like to point out something that is even spookier than a witch and a full Moon: Every Halloween you can see seven sinister sisters flying across the sky at midnight.

April 29, 2009
Spring brings Southern Cross, high Big Dipper

Every year during May, the fabled Southern Cross and the star closest to our Earth other than the Sun are visible for a brief time after sunset.

One hour after sunset in the southern parts of the northern hemisphere, face south and see four stars. Draw lines between them to make the Crux Australis, the Southern Cross.

February 23, 2009
March, stars and Venus come in like lions, go out like lambs

I have always been fascinated by mythology and folk lore, especially phrases we all learned in childhood and have repeated all our lives and frequently have little or no idea where they came from.

January 21, 2009
The cosmos' big red heart beats brilliantly for lovers

Every year near Valentine’s Day, you can see a brilliant red star I call the Valentine’s Day star. This year we have an extra attraction for Valentine’s Day night. Let me show you.

December 26, 2008
Star light, star bright, first star I see this year

Every year I celebrate New Year’s Eve and New Year’s week with something I have long called "the New Year’s star" because it is the brightest star we can see with the naked eye and every year it reaches its highest position at midnight during New Year’s week.

November 24, 2008
Search the sky Dec. 12 for largest, closest full moon

Have we ever got something nifty for you to end 2008. On Friday, Dec. 12, we will see the largest and closest full Moon of the entire year. And believe me, this moon will look significantly bigger than usual.

October 29, 2008
Double Cluster in Perseus is about 7,500 light years away

Although I usually talk about bright, easy-to-find objects in the night sky, every once in a while I like to entice you to look for less bright and less obvious objects that have hidden beauty. Such is the case this month with two tiny clouds that have been admired and written about more than 4,000 years ago.

September 24, 2008
Summer Triangle' prominent in October sky

Whenever the seasons change on Earth, so too do the stars change overhead.

That phrase "stars of the season" usually refers to the major stars and star groups that reach their highest position above the horizon in mid-evening, so because autumn officially began Sept. 22, we should already see a change in the stars overhead.