June 22, 2022 Twenty-one years ago today, the McDonnell Planetarium’s Zeiss Universarium Mark IX Star Projector shined its first stars for the public. One of only three of its kind in the United States, this marvel has dazzled millions of stargazers with its breathtaking recreation of a clear, dark night sky. Experience it for yourself… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 20, 2022
June 20, 2022 Tonight at 10 pm, the zodiacal constellation Libra is visible in the southern sky. Libra is a dim constellation and can be difficult to see, particularly from the city. The two brightest stars in Libra are called Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali. They can be found approximately halfway between the bright stars of Antares… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 19, 2022
June 19, 2022 Tomorrow morning at 4:45 am, just before sunrise, the waning gibbous moon will appear in the southeastern sky. With a pair of binoculars, it will be possible to see the terminator, the line between day and night, bisect Mare Serenitatis. The Moon as it will appear tomorrow at 4:45am. Mare Serenitatis is… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 18, 2022
June 18, 2022 Tomorrow morning at 4:45 am, it is possible to see the waning gibbous moon visible in the south-southeastern sky. Although it is not visible to the naked eye, the asteroid Vesta is situated just over 1° from the Moon. Vesta is the second largest body in the asteroid belt and is named… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 17, 2022
June 17, 2022 As seen from Mars on April 2, 2022, an eclipse of the Sun by the moon Phobos exhibits an annular eclipse. An annular eclipse occurs when a moon does not appear big enough to block the entire solar disc, and a ring of sunlight remains around the silhouette of the moon. Although… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 16, 2022
June 16, 2022 On this date in 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. This was a solo mission aboard Vostok 6. She orbited the Earth 48 times and spent approximately 3 days in space. Tereshkova remains the only woman in history to complete a solo space flight. (Left) Valentina Tereshkova… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 15, 2022
June 15, 2022 Tomorrow morning before sunrise, it will be possible to see all 5 naked eye planets and the nearly full moon in an arc across the south-southeastern sky. The planets Uranus and Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto will also be above the horizon, although not visible to the naked eye. Mercury may… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 14, 2022
June 14, 2022 The full moon occurs today at 6:52 am. The Moon also reaches perigee, which is when it is nearest the Earth. When perigee and the full moon occur at the same time it is often referred to as a supermoon. Although the Moon appears about 14% larger in the sky at the… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 13, 2022
June 13, 2022 On this date in 2010, Hayabusa became the first spacecraft to return to Earth with samples from an asteroid. This Japanese mission visited the asteroid Itokawa and completed two landings and ascents to collect samples. As it returned to Earth, it ejected the sample capsule which was protected by a heat shield.… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: June 12, 2022
June 12, 2022 Jupiter has 79 moons that orbit the planet, the largest of which is Ganymede. Ganymede is larger than the planet Mercury and has its own magnetic field. Several spacecraft have flown by this moon including both Voyageur missions, the Galileo spacecraft, and Juno which is currently in orbit around Jupiter. This image… Continue reading