December 14, 2022 Tonight you will find the Summer Triangle low in the west at 7 pm. This summer asterism is seen most of the year, but summer is when we see it the best. The constellations and asterisms we use are a reminder of how the night sky can be used to track the… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 13, 2022
December 13, 2022 The Geminid Meteor Shower peaks tonight into tomorrow morning. Unlike most meteor showers, the Geminids appear to be caused by an asteroid instead of a comet. The source for the Geminids is an object called 3200 Phaethon. The Geminid radiant will be above the horizon by 6 pm and overhead by 2… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 12, 2022
December 12, 2022 Tonight at 8 pm, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars are visible in a path across the sky. Saturn will be closest to the horizon in the southwest. Jupiter, the brightest of the three, is found in the south, and Mars can be seen in the east. The sky as it will appear tonight… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 11, 2022
December 11, 2022 In 1958 on this date, eleven different aerospace engineering firms submitted proposals for the development of Mercury manned spacecraft. These were AVCO, Chance-Vought, Convair, Douglas, Grumman, Lockheed, Martin, McDonnell, North American, Northrop, and Republic. In addition, Winzen Research Laboratories submitted an incomplete proposal. McDonnell Douglas, based in St. Louis, was chosen for… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 10, 2022
December 10, 2022 On this date in 1992, a meteorite impacted a home in Mihonoseki, Japan. The Mihonoseki meteor passed through the roof and two floors and was found the following day under the house. No one was injured during the event. To read more about the Mihonoseki meteor, access the follow-up journal publication here.… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 8, 2022
December 8, 2022 On this date in 1990, the NASA spacecraft Galileo completed the first Earth flyby on its way to Jupiter. Throughout the journey to the gas giant, Galileo also completed flybys of Venus and the asteroids Gaspra and Ida. On December 7, 1995 – almost 5 years to the day – the spacecraft… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 7, 2022
December 7, 2022 Tonight there is a lunar occultation of Mars visible from St. Louis. The Moon and Mars will be visible in the eastern sky just after sunset. Starting at 9:05 pm and ending at 9:52 pm, the Moon will appear to pass in front of Mars. Additionally, the Moon will be full and… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 6, 2022
December 6, 2022 On this date in 2020, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 returned samples from the asteroid Ryugu. Following landing and sample collection at the asteroid, Hayabusa2 flew back by Earth, where a capsule containing the sample fell and then parachuted to the Earth’s surface. The spacecraft is now on an extended mission to the… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 5, 2022
December 5, 2022 Tonight at 9 pm, the bright winter star Sirius is just starting to rise over the east-southeastern horizon. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky and is often referred to as the ‘dog star’. The star is in the constellation of Canis Major which means the ‘great dog’. The sky… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: December 4, 2022
December 4, 2022 The visible surface of the sun is called the photosphere. Its temperature is about 10,000 °F, which is what determines the yellowish appearance for us on Earth. The core of the sun has a temperature of roughly 27 million °F. The high pressure and heat of the core allows nuclear fusion to… Continue reading