May 6, 2023 The bright star Spica can be found tonight in the southeast by 9 pm. Spica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo with an apparent magnitude of 1.04. This makes Spica the 15th brightest star in the night sky. The southeastern sky as it will look tonight at 9 pm. The… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 5, 2023
May 5, 2023 Full moon occurs today around 12:30 pm. For some of the world a penumbral lunar eclipse will occur, but it will not be seen in North America. The next lunar eclipse visible from St. Louis will not be until 2024. Next year, offers us a penumbral lunar eclipse on March 24/25, 2024,… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 4, 2023
May 4, 2023 On this date in 1989, the Magellan spacecraft was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. A day later, Magellan would be deployed by members of the STS-30R crew. It was the first deep space probe launched by the Space Shuttle. Magellan was the first spacecraft to image the entire surface of Venus.… Continue reading
R2-D2 Cookie Jar
R2-D2 Cookie Jar – Painted Ceramic, 1977 Is this the droid you’re looking for? You’re not the only one! In 1977, Twentieth Century Fox moved to capitalize on the immediate success of Star Wars, flooding stores with merchandise of all kinds. This cookie jar was part of the “New Hope” collection featuring R2-D2 and C-3PO… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 3, 2023
May 3, 2023 Tonight after sunset, you will find the planet Mars in the constellation Gemini. Two months ago, it was in the constellation Taurus. The motion of the planets is how our ancestors knew planets were different from stars. The western sky as it will appear tonight at 9 pm. Mars is visible in… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 2, 2023
May 2, 2023 Tonight at 9pm, you will find the bright star Arcturus, high in the east. This bright orange giant star is part of the constellation Boötes. It is one of the brightest stars we see at night with an apparent magnitude of -0.05. Only Sirius, Canopus and Alpha Centauri appear brighter. The eastern… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: May 1, 2023
May 1, 2023 Each year, the first of May is called May Day. This ancient European celebration is tied to the cycle of seasons. Many of the ancient traditions around the world marked important astronomical events. In the case of May Day, ancient practitioners celebrated the day as the start of summer. Today is a… Continue reading
Night Sky Update: April 28 – May 6, 2023
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Friday, April 28, 2023. 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: April 30, 2023
April 30, 2023 Three naked eye planets are visible tonight. Venus and Mars are found in the west after sunset. Saturn can be found in the east before sunrise. An ideal time to look for Saturn is 5 am. The eastern sky as it will appear tomorrow morning at 5 am. Saturn is visible low… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 29, 2023
April 29, 2023 Tonight, the Moon will exhibit a waxing gibbous phase with roughly 70% disk illumination. Using binoculars, you can find a prominent impact crater called Copernicus near the terminator. The terminator is the dividing line between night and day on the lunar surface visible from Earth. The Moon as it will appear this… Continue reading