Page 4 - Richard Bartlett
- February 14, 2025
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the shadow of the Earth falls upon the surface of the Moon. You may think that a lunar eclipse should occur every month when the Moon is Full, however because the Moon’s orbit, a lunar eclipse will only happen at most...
- February 07, 2025
Everyone keeps their eye on the weather. It’s probably hard-coded into our DNA - after all, extreme weather could cost you your life - but astronomers and astrophotographers take a particular interest.
- February 01, 2025
Neptune is too close to the Sun to be visible this month, and Saturn is now sinking into the evening twilight, which makes it too low to be worth observing telescopically. However, Mercury returns to the evening sky for the last ten days and rapidly catches...
- January 10, 2025
Whenever you look up at the night sky you’re looking at hundreds - if not thousands - of stars. To the naked eye, they appear as single points of light, but the reality is that most stars are thought to be multiple star systems. In other words, that single...
- January 01, 2025
The evening twilight sky continues to be dominated by Venus, which reaches greatest elongation from the Sun on the 9th. Just a little to the upper left is Saturn. A crescent Moon appears to the left of Venus on the 3rd and then to the upper left of the...
- December 16, 2024
We’ve all seen them - an apparently random streak of light across the night sky that often vanishes as suddenly as it appears. Meteors, or shooting stars as they’re popularly known, are nothing more than tiny clumps of dust and rock particles, no larger...
- December 09, 2024
What will you see in the sky in 2025? Learn where the planets will be in 2025 and when meteor showers & eclipses will take place. The High Point 2025 Astronomical Calendar is your guide to the night sky for every month of the year. Download your free...
- December 01, 2024
Venus is now visible for 2-3 hours after sunset, with a crescent Moon accompanying it on the 4th. Four days later, and now at first quarter, the Moon catches up to Saturn. Both Saturn and Neptune are sinking toward the west, but you’ll find Uranus high...
- November 01, 2024
Mercury can be seen low over the southwestern horizon from about 15 minutes after sunset throughout November. A thin crescent Moon appears eight degrees to its left on the 3rd, with the planet at greatest elongation from the Sun on the 16th.
- October 30, 2024
There are only two planets that orbit closer to the Sun than the Earth. As such, Mercury and Venus are known as “inferior planets,” but as any astronomer will tell you, there’s nothing inferior about these worlds.
- October 01, 2024
Venus continues to be an easy target after sunset. A crescent Moon hangs to its lower left on the 5th before the planet passes Antares in Scorpius on the 25th. If you have a clear view of the southwestern horizon, you may also be able to spot Mercury...
- September 01, 2024
Venus is easily seen in the west from about 15 minutes after sunset, and is joined by a crescent Moon to its lower right on the 4th and then to its left on the 5th. Saturn and Neptune reach opposition this month (see below), making it an excellent time...
- August 01, 2024
Mercury is challenging but may be glimpsed low in the west at about 15 minutes after sunset for the first few days. Look roughly eight degrees to the left of Venus, which is now climbing into the evening twilight.
- July 17, 2024
Smartphones give amateur astronomers access to a wide variety of apps to help them along in their hobby. But, with countless options available, it can be hard to know which ones to choose. We've done the research and have identified the essential astronomy...
- July 01, 2024
Mercury returns to the evening twilight and can be found low in the west-northwest from about 15 minutes after sunset throughout the month. A crescent Moon appears just above it on the 7th.
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