The much talked about Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) came closest to Earth on February 1st and is still very close for the next few days, though it will become harder to see as the moon gets fuller. Speaking of the Moon, it is full early this month on February 5th and the new moon is [...]
Introduction What is Omega Centauri? It is a globular cluster located in the southern constellation Centaurus. It is the brightest globular , but not easy to see in Virginia due to its low elevation. With proper timing Omega can be viewed given good transparency. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Centauri Observation This morning the skies were finally clear again. It was [...]
Happy New Year! January promises more early sunsets and long, dark nights and with the holidays being over, perhaps slightly less light pollution (not something Scrooge was concerned about, except perhaps the cost of candles)! Being the coldest month of the year, we can also perhaps look forward to great viewing conditions with low moisture [...]
Again this month, the main feature of the night sky are the planets with Mars appearing large in opposition on the 8th and visible all night throughout the month. In fact all five planets visible to the naked eye can be seen. Jupiter remains bright and Saturn is still visible, though is setting ever earlier. [...]
For November, Jupiter and Saturn continue to impress in our skies, but the big news for this month is Mars getting ever closer and ever brighter as it approaches opposition at the beginning of December. Don't forget the clocks go back an hour on Sunday, November 6 at 2 am which is great for us [...]
Lyra is a prominent and fascinating constellation that passes overhead for us in the mid-northern latitudes. Its visible most of the year. It has one of the brightest stars, Vega. The other bright stars are famous multiples: Epsilon, Zeta, Delta, Beta, Theta, and Eta. Image 3: Theta Eta String     [...]
The big news this month is that Jupiter will be in opposition on the 26th and will be the closest distance to Earth in decades. We also have the Autumnal Equinox on the 22nd and the full Moon on the 10th. This month's full Moon is commonly referred to as the Harvest Moon due to [...]
A short list of interesting events in the August sky with 'x' and 'v' shapes on the moon, Jovian moon shadows across Jupiter, Saturn at opposition and the Summer Triangle starting to become more easily visible throughout the night. Dates and times based on observing from Alexandria, VA. as predicted using Stellarium. Thursday, August 4 [...]
The Fairfax County Park Authority is encouraging participation in the first annual One Dark Hour event. On April 22, the Fairfax County Park Authority is hoping residents will join them in turning off their lights to raise awareness of the importance of dark skies. Park Authorities ask you take part by turning off your outdoor [...]
