January 1, 2023 Today is the first day of the year. The reason we celebrate the start of the year on January 1, has to do with a choice made in ancient Rome. January is named for the Roman god Janus. He was perceived as the god of beginnings. He is often depicted with two… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 31, 2022
December 31, 2022 The star Polaris is currently the North Star; however, that won’t always be the case. The Earth wobbles on its axis in a motion known as precession. Because of this wobble, Earth’s axis points at different stars over periods of thousands of years. In about 12,000, the summer star Vega will be… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 30, 2022
December 30, 2022 In our solar system, planets closer to the sun are called inferior. Planets that are further from the sun are called superior. Superior planets are always at their best during what is called opposition. This is when they are closest to Earth for the year. Mars reached opposition earlier this month and… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 29, 2022
December 29, 2022 This morning at 4:33 am, there was a conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter. A conjunction occurs when two objects share the same right ascension – the astronomical equivalent of longitude. The two will still appear close in the sky this evening at sunset, with Jupiter approximately 5° east of the Moon. … Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 28, 2022
December 28, 2022 On this date in 1955, Walt Disney and Wernher von Braun first televised their episode of Disneyland titled Man and the Moon. This was the second episode in a three-part series about space. This episode explored historic cultural representations of the Moon as well as the possibility of future lunar missions. It… Continue reading
Polyphemus Moth
Polyphemus Moth – Native to Canada and the US. The Polyphemus moth is a member of the giant silk moth family, named after Polyphemus, the giant cyclops from Greek mythology. The moth has large eyespots on its hindwings that resemble the cyclops’ single large, round eye. Those eyespots are used as a distraction to startle… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 27, 2022
December 27, 2022 On this date in 1571, German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler was born. Kepler is best known for deriving the Three Laws of Planetary Motion, which describe how planetary bodies orbit the Sun. Johannes Kepler documented a supernova in 1604. This was the last supernova observed in the Milky Way Galaxy. Portrait… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 27, 2022
December 27, 2022 On this date in 1571, German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler was born. Kepler is best known for deriving the Three Laws of Planetary Motion, which describe how planetary bodies orbit the Sun. Johannes Kepler documented a supernova in 1604. This was the last supernova observed in the Milky Way Galaxy. Portrait… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 26, 2022
December 26, 2022 This morning at 10:11 am, there is a conjunction of the Moon and Saturn. Neither the Moon nor Saturn will be visible at the official conjunction. However, they will still appear close together in the sky tonight after sunset. The Moon and Saturn seen together in the constellation Capricornus at 6 pm… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 25, 2022
December 25, 2022 The brightest star we see at night is called Sirius. It is found in the constellation of Canis Major, the Great Dog. Sirius and Canis Major are best seen during the winter and will be visible rising in the east at about 9 pm this evening. On this date in 2021, the… Continue reading