Planetary Exploration In 2020
2020 is going to be an exciting year in planetary exploration with missions to Mars, the Moon, and 2 sample return missions. 4 Mars missions are planned, which are scheduled to bring to Mars–3 rovers,…
Articles by Mike R
Solar Eclipses
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between Earth and the sun, and the moon casts a shadow over Earth. A solar eclipse can only take place at the phase of new moon, when…
Geminids Meteor Shower
Geminids Quick Facts Geminds Meteor Shower Dates: December 4-17Peak Dates: Mid-DecemberPeak Meteor Showers: 120 under perfect conditionsBest Viewing Times: All night during peak starting at 9-10pmOriginating Constellation: Gemini Summary Although not as well known nor…
December Solstice
Occurring on either December 21 or December 22, the December Solstice is the winder solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, which signals the first day of winter. In the Southern Hemisphere, the solstice signals the first…
Lunar Surface Detail Observations
The moon is the closest celestial object to Earth and one of the largest objects in the sky. It is hard to believe that it has been 50 years since man landed on its surface….
What Is The Aurora Borealis?
A result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by solar wind, the Aurora Borealis is a natural light display in the Earth’s sky, predominantly seen in the high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic. These…
Moon Phases
Here we are going to talk about the moon phases. The lunar phase or phase of the Moon is the shape of the directly sunlit portion of the Moon as viewed by an observer from Earth. What the observer from Earth would…
Leonids Meteor Shower
Leonids Quick Facts Leonids Meteor Shower Dates: November 6-30Peak Dates: Mid NovemberPeak Meteor Showers: 15 under perfect conditions*Best Viewing Times: At night after midnightOriginating Constellation: Leo Summary The Leonids Meteor Shower are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet…
The 2019 Transit of Mercury
A Transit of Mercury across the Sun takes place when the planet Mercury passes directly, transits, between the Sun and a superior planet, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Mercury appears as…
Satellites, Planes, and Meteors, oh my!
This article is going to describe the difference between Planes, and Satellites, and meteors in the sky. It can be tough for newer astronomers to make the determination. Astronomers can use the object Magnitude to describe how…