August 26, 2022 A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. Scientists throughout history have observed solar eclipses to learn more about the Sun, the Moon, and the rest of the solar system. On June 29, 2022, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured images of a partial solar eclipse… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: August 25, 2022
August 25, 2022 This afternoon Venus, the Moon, and the dwarf planet Ceres will all be clustered together in the sky. At their closest Ceres is 0.7° north of the Moon and Venus is 4° south of Moon. Unfortunately, the closest arrangement of these objects will occur during the day and will not be visible.… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: August 24, 2022
August 24, 2022 On this date in 1960, McDonnell Aircraft proposed a One-Man Space Station to the Space Task Group at NASA facilities. The idea behind this station was to build a 10-ft long, 6-ft wide cylinder that could attach to the Mercury spacecraft. The station was only intended to be inhabited for 14 days… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: August 23, 2022
August 23, 2022 You can look towards the center of the Milky Way Galaxy by looking south tonight at 9 pm. Just find the “teapot” group of stars in the constellation Sagittarius. The galaxy’s center is just above the spout of the teapot. With extremely dark skies it is possible to see the central plane… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: August 22, 2022
August 22, 2022 The Moon reaches apogee today at 251,915 mi (405,418 km) from Earth. This is when it is at its greatest distance from Earth. When the moon passes in front of the Sun near apogee, an annular solar eclipse occurs. The next annular eclipse visible from the US occurs on October 14, 2023.… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: August 21, 2022
August 21, 2022 On this date in 2017, a total solar eclipse was visible in a path that spanned the continental U.S. and was often referred to as the “Great American Eclipse”. The longest period of totality was 2 minutes 41 seconds at a park near Carbondale Illinois. On April 8, 2024, another total solar… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: August 20, 2022
August 20, 2022 On this date in 1977, Voyager 2 launched from Cape Canaveral. Voyager 2 launched 16 days before the twin spacecraft Voyager 1. Voyager 2 is one of only a handful of artificial objects that have left the solar system. This photo, taken on August 2, 1977, shows the Voyager 2 spacecraft prior… Continue reading
Night Sky Update: August 19 – August 27, 2022
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Friday, August 19, 2022. Information updated weekly or as needed. Times given as local St. Louis time which is Central Daylight Time (CDT). For definitions of terminology used in the night sky update, click the highlighted text. If relying on times… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: August 19, 2022
August 19, 2022 At 5 am this morning, it was possible to see the Moon very near to Mars in the constellation of Taurus the Bull. The Moon and Mars will both still appear in Taurus tomorrow morning at approximately 5 am. Mars and the bright red star Aldebaran may appear similar; however, Aldebaran appears… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: August 18, 2022
August 18, 2022 The к-Cygnid meteor shower peaked in the predawn hours of this morning. This shower is active from August 3 to August 25; however, due to the current orientation of the radiant, the best time to observe is approximately 10 pm tonight. This meteor shower isn’t a particularly prolific event, with a peak… Continue reading