Earthsky Tonight—March 11: Mars stationary in front of stars
Almanacs say the planet Mars is “stationary” today. However, stationary doesn’t mean that Mars stays in the same place in Earth’s sky all night tonight. Mars actually shines in the…
Earthsky Tonight—March 10: Is Sirius the most luminous star in the sky?
Look south at nightfall and early evening, and you can’t miss Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky. Mia asks, “Isn’t there a brighter star in absolute magnitude which…
Earthsky Tonight — March 8, 2010: The Summer Triangle, a signpost for all seasons
As seen from our northern temperate latitudes, the three brilliant stars of the Summer Triangle – Vega, Deneb and Altair – are out for at least part of the night…
Earthsky Tonight — March 5, 2010: Star Arcturus is a harbinger of spring
The gloriously bright star Arcturus rises into your east northeastern sky around 9 p.m. tonight. This yellow-orange beauty – like any brilliant star – sparkles wildly when it hovers near…
Earthsky Tonight — March 2, 2010: Moon still near Saturn, closer to Spica on March 2
Last night, the moon was close to the planet Saturn on the sky’s dome. Tonight, the moon will pair up with Spica, the constellation Virgo’s brightest star.