February only gets exciting in the last week with a 3-planet conjunction, although the still very long nights and the dominating presence of Orion make it a good opportunity for constellation hunting.
CONJUNCTION MONTH! If there’s nothing else you do this month, mark your calendar, get your warm clothes set aside, and get ready for a very, very rare conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn on the 21st.
All five naked-eye planets are easily visible at different parts of the night, the Leonids will grace the mid-month skies, and the Moon makes its monthly visits in line with the planets.
Mars Month! October is pretty awesome this year. Two Full Moons, one on Halloween, four brilliantly positioned planets, the Orionid Meteor Shower, and the opposition of Mars are making October of 2020 a rich month for getting out there and investigating the night sky
School is starting, the nights are getting longer, and two gas giants are dominating the night skies while two terrestrial planets make morning appearances.
The rest of summer is PERFECT for the amateur and beginner observer! Saturn and Jupiter are visible all night, Venus is easy to spot in the morning, Mars and Mercury offer a challenge for the early risers and the annual Perseid meteor shower is coming up August 12th.
July is perfect for the amateur and beginner observer! Saturn and Jupiter are visible all night, Venus is easy to spot in the morning, Mars and Mercury offer a challenge for the early risers.
Welcome June brings us all the naked-eye planets at some points in the month, Venus’s introduction to the morning with the Moon, and mornings with four naked-eye planets visible.
Brilliant week-long morning dance of the planets and our Moon paired with warmer nights and a challenging evening conjunction and close encounter at the end of the month make May a wonderful month to get out under the stars.
Three planets still hanging out in the early mornings, an early month unusual conjunction, and a meteor shower make this time of socially distancing ourselves a great time to get outside at night!