There's an old joke that I just love to tell. An elementary school teacher was presenting a lesson about the moon and asked the children which is more important, the sun or the moon, figuring the answer was obvious. After all, the... — Updated 4/1/2021

I recall many years ago standing under the stars trying to figure out why the starry heavens looked nothing like the elaborate drawings I'd seen in star maps and books. Why could I never find a bear among the stars of Ursa Major,... — Updated 3/25/2021

Stargazers who spend time in rural locations get to experience celestial sights that are invisible, and sometimes completely unknown, to those living near the bright lights of a city. For example, the number of stars scattered... — Updated 3/24/2021

It's been said that most of our knowledge of the universe comes to us in the form of light. But just what is light? Well, that's a question that scientists have pondered for ages, and the answer seems quite peculiar. We now know... — Updated 3/17/2021

Stars are not all alike. If they were, we could determine their relative distances just from how bright they appear. They do share one important similarity, however: Each is a thermonuclear furnace. In most cases, the cores of the... — Updated 3/3/2021

If you haven't been out to enjoy a dark night sky this winter, you'll be happy to learn that few activities can keep you more socially distanced than stargazing. The stars are so brilliant right now not because of the frosty night... — Updated 3/3/2021

Scientists tell us that our sense of smell is one of the most powerful memory triggers. Get a whiff of a freshly mown lawn or a turkey roasting in the oven and I'll bet you agree. For me, there's another memory trigger that seems... — Updated 2/19/2021

This week I spotted the star Canopus for the first time since last winter, and I was reminded of an interesting fact. Quite a few folks still believe the Earth is flat. Hard to believe, I know. Many of these people belong to the... — Updated 2/8/2021

If you've got a small backyard telescope, this is the time to set it up, because next week, you'll witness something you may never witness again. On the evening of Dec. 21, stargazers looking low toward the southwestern sky during... — Updated 1/28/2021

Many folks believe that constellations are celestial pictures and are disappointed when they can't see these fanciful images from ancient times. That's because constellations are not pictures but areas of the sky. Astronomers have... — Updated 1/27/2021

The final full moon of 2020 arrived on Dec. 29, when it rose majestically over the northeastern horizon shortly after sunset. We astronomers usually schedule our observing programs for times when the sky isn't obscured by such... — Updated 1/8/2021

Nights have been growing longer; snow is blanketing much of the land; and furnaces are working overtime. Yes, there's definitely a change of seasons coming our way. It's surprising how many folks don't understand why the seasons... — Updated 1/6/2021

One of the most common questions I hear around the holiday gift-giving season is this: "Which is the best book to buy for a beginning stargazer?" I wish it were that easy, but the fact is I just have no answer! Unfortunately,... — Updated 12/31/2020

I was well into adulthood before I ever considered spending an entire night outdoors during December. Once I moved from the U.S. East Coast to a more temperate climate, however, I did this frequently. Why? Because I've since... — Updated 12/11/2020

Did you ever wonder what folks During the predawn hours of Nov. 30, night owls and insomniacs in North America may see an eclipse of the moon as our nearest natural satellite drifts through the Earth's shadow as it orbits our... — Updated 12/11/2020

Did you ever wonder what folks did for entertainment before we had television and social media? Well, before TV and the internet, there was radio. And before radio – long before radio – there was, well, the sky. People decades or... — Updated 11/26/2020

Whenever I spot the constellation Taurus, the bull, rising in the east after dark, I know that winter can't be far behind. Stargazers with vivid imaginations might be able to trace the stars of Taurus into the outline of a bull's... — Updated 11/23/2020

In Roman times, it was known as the god of commerce, travel and thievery. The Greeks called it Hermes, the messenger of the gods, when it appeared at dusk, and they called it Apollo when they saw it at dawn. Today, we know it as... — Updated 11/16/2020

It's known as Algol, the Demon Star, and it glows diabolically in our sky each year as Halloween approaches. To find it this week, go outdoors during the early evening, and look low toward the northeast. The accompanying sky map... — Updated 11/7/2020

Once every blue moon, weird things will happen. Who could possibly expect anything less from 2020? So, when I tell you that, on Halloween night, we'll experience an unusual situation in the heavens, you surely won't be surprised.... — Updated 11/3/2020

Who among us has never gazed into a starry night sky and wondered, "Are we alone in the universe?" With the hundreds of billions of stars in just our own Milky Way galaxy – many like our own sun – is it not possible that, orb... — Updated 10/30/2020

If you're looking to score some points with your sweetie, here's a great idea. Late on the afternoon of Sept. 30 or Oct. 1, pack a romantic picnic and a blanket, and head toward a hilltop with a nice, clear view of both the... — Updated 10/28/2020

It was Halloween eve 1938. Millions of war-jittery Americans listened as special news bulletins reported that the tiny town of Grover's Mill, New Jersey, had been captured by invaders from Mars. It was only a radio play – a r... — Updated 10/20/2020