Tag: Ursids Meteor Shower

Northern Winter Nigh, Minimal Meteors, the Evening Moon Waxes to Yule, and Christmas Lights!

My friend Alan Dyer of Alberta captured this spectacular image of a lone Geminids meteor streaking across an aurorae-filled sky on December 13, 2023. From Collingwood, Ontario I saw two terrific Geminids in one hour on December 14. Follow Alan’s @amazingskyguy account on X.com and visit his ww.amazingsky.com page for more. Hello, Start-of-Winter Stargazers! Here…
Read more

Max Mercury and Plenty of Planets, an Absent Moon Allows More Meteors and a Perseus Perusal, and Splaining the Solstice!

When the very bright “dog star” star Sirius (aka Alpha Canis Majoris) climbs high enough to clear the treetops around 10 pm local time on Christmas, its intense light and flashes of festive colour are bound to catch your eye, and just might fill you with Holiday spirit! Happy Hanukkah and Winter Solstice, Stargazers! Here…
Read more

Six Evening Planets for Solstice Season, Meagre Meteors, the Early Waning Moon Stomps Stars, and Appreciating the Pleiades!

This image of the Pleiades star cluster from Stellarium shows the “sisters” shrouded by blue nebulosity – their stars’ light scattering from foreground dust. Their parent stars Atlas and Pleione are huddled at top left. The image spans about 2 finger widths of the sky, or 2 degrees. Happy Solstice, Winter Stargazers! Here are your…
Read more

The Solstice, Lunar X, and Great Conjunction on Monday – plus Meteors, Moon Doings, and a Christmas Reindeer Rides the North Pole!

Ian Wheelband of Ashburn, Ontario captured this pre-Great Conjunction image of Jupiter and Saturn through his telescope on Friday evening, December 18, 2020. The planets will be far closer together on Monday, December 21, 2020. Happy Solstice, Winter Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of December 20th, 2020 by Chris Vaughan. Feel…
Read more

An Ancient Yule, a Comet in the Camel Leopard, the Sun Surrounds the New Moon, and a Flight through Pegasus!

This image of the beautiful Superman Galaxy, more formally known as NGC7479 and Caldwell 44, was captured by Goran Nilsson using the 2-metre Liverpool Telescope on the Canary Islands. The galaxy is 105 million light-years away from the sun, in the constellation of Pegasus. It’s also considered by astronomers to be “peculiar”. Hello, December Stargazers!…
Read more

‘Tis the Solstice Season, the Queen’s Treats, a Coming Comet, and the Little Dipper Spills Meteors while the Moon Wanes in the Morning!

This widefield photograph spanning about 10 degrees of of the sky near Cassiopeia was taken by Adrian Klamerius. It shows the redly-glowing Hydrogen gas clouds of the lovely Heart and Soul Nebulas, and the spectacular Double Cluster. NASA APOD for September 24, 2016. Happy Solstice, Winter Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week…
Read more