Skylights

Science Outreach Specialists

The New Moon Eclipsed, Hanukkah Happens, Planets Gathered in Evening, and Night Sights in Cassiopeia and Andromeda!

This image of Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) was taken recently by Dan Bartlett from a dark sky site above the Eastern Sierras Mountains in California. The coma’s greenish glow should be apparent in a telescope. The dust tail may be a challenge. The image was featured as NASA’s APOD for November 21, 2021 Hello, Stargazers!…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of November 28th, 2021

As shown above, on Saturday, December 4, 2021 from 6:13 pm to 6:17 pm EST, the International Space Station will fly high over the GTA in an extremely bright pass, rising from the northwestern horizon, and then flying through Cassiopeia before disappearing into Earth’s shadow high in the eastern sky between Perseus and Andromeda. Artificial…
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Tips for Telescope-buying, Jupiter Sports Great Spots, Mars in Morning, and Night’s Brightest Lights!

On Tuesday evening November, 23, observers in the Americas with telescopes can view a rare treat when the shadows of Ganymede and Callisto traverse Jupiter, accompanied by the Great Red Spot, as shown here for 8 pm EST Hello, late-November Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of November 21st, 2021 by Chris…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of November 21st, 2021

As shown above, on Monday, November 22, 2021 from 5:56 pm to 6:01 pm EST, the International Space Station will fly high over the GTA in an extremely bright pass, rising from the west-southwestern horizon, and then flying through Cygnus and Cassiopeia before disappearing into Earth’s shadow over the northeastern horizon in Perseus. Artificial satellites…
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The Full Beaver Moon, Mostly Eclipsed, Harms Leo’s Meteors, and Algol Brightens!

This image of a total lunar eclipse by Michael Watson from October 8, 2014 somewhat resembles the appearance of the eclipsed moon on Friday morning, November 19, 2021. During that eclipse the moon passed near the northern (upper right) edge of Earth’s umbra. For this week’s eclipse, a bright slice of the moon will extend…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of November 14th, 2021

As shown above, on Saturday, November 20, 2021 from 5:54 pm to 5:58 pm EST, the International Space Station will fly over the GTA in a very bright pass, rising from the south-southwestern horizon near Venus, and then flying under Saturn and Jupiter before disappearing into Earth’s shadow over the eastern horizon. Artificial satellites are…
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Diwali Details, Mercury Meets Mars, the Waxing Moon Passes Planets, Letters on Luna, and Taurids Tempt Us!

An image of the moon by Michael Watson of Toronto, taken five hours after reaching first quarter on November 7, 2016 . More of Michael’s moon images can be enjoyed at https://www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/albums/72157634160736057 Welcome to the Darker skies of November, Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of November 7th, 2021 by Chris Vaughan.…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of November 7th, 2021

As shown above, on Monday, November 8, 2021 from 5:47 am to 5:51 am EST, the International Space Station will fly over the GTA in a very bright pass, exiting Earth’s shadow in the western sky near the bright star Aldebaran, and then flying over Orion and Sirius before setting below the south-southeastern horizon. Artificial…
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The Moon’s Mostly Missing Crescent Covers Planets, See Ceres Crossing Star-Shooting Taurus, and Aquarius’ Lucky Stars!

This colour-composite image of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) was created from images obtained using the Wide Field Imager camera on the 2.2-metre ESO telescope at the La Silla observatory in Chile. The colours arise from a shell of gases energized by the radiation of the tiny central star. This image spans the same diameter…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of October 31st, 2021

As shown above, on Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 6:44 am to 6:49 am EDT, the International Space Station will fly high over the GTA in an extremely bright pass, exiting Earth’s shadow in the northwestern sky near Perseus, and then flying over the Big Dipper’s bowl before setting below the east-southeastern horizon.  Artificial satellites…
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