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Week of Nov. 15-21, 2009
There are few sights more beautiful than the glistening stars and planets on a clear, dark rural night. But just where do all those heavenly bodies go during the daytime? And why can't we see them when the sky is bright?
As I'm sure you already know,…Read more.
Week of Nov. 8-14, 2009
Anyone who has ever gazed at a dark sky for more than a few minutes has almost certainly seen a burst of light appearing out of nowhere that disappears just as quickly.
We call such a startling phenomenon romantic names like a "falling …Read more.
Week of Nov. 1-7, 2009
Now that autumn is firmly set into place, I've been sorting through my closet in search of warmer clothing to get me through the winter. I don't know why it is, but I always seem to find one fewer coat hanger than there are pieces of clothing in the …Read more.
Week of Oct. 25 - 31, 2009
It's known as Algol, the Demon Star, and it shines diabolically in our sky each year as Halloween approaches.
To find it, go outdoors in the evening and look low toward the northeast. The accompanying sky map should help you locate it. After it …Read more.
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Week of July 5-11, 2009Anyone who heads outdoors during the late evening this week will surely notice, low in the eastern sky, the brilliant planet Jupiter outshining all else except the moon. But there is something you won't see. Jupiter now lies almost directly along the same line of sight as the distant planet Neptune. While both worlds are gas giants, that is where the similarity ends. Jupiter is the giant of our solar system; 11 Earths would be needed to span its width. Yet for all its size, Jupiter has little substance. It's a world composed entirely of gas, and it spins on its axis in just under 10 hours. The oppressive weight of Jupiter's gargantuan atmosphere creates temperatures of more than 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit at its core. Jupiter plays host to at least five dozen moons, four of which Galileo discovered in 1610, as well as a system of dark rings composed of tiny grains of rock and dust. Neptune, on the other hand, is the most distant planet known. Within its atmosphere rage the fastest winds measured, reaching speeds of more than 1,200 mph. Orbiting Neptune are dark rings and at least 13 moons. To see these distant worlds in the same telescopic field is pretty rare, because Neptune lies in the most distant realms of our solar system, six times farther away from Earth than Jupiter. But next week the two planets will lie within a half-degree of each other so a small, low-powered telescope will show them both. To its north lies a star known as Mu Capricorni, which, in an inverting eyepiece, will appear below and to the right of Jupiter. About the same distance beyond Mu Capricorni lies Neptune. It will appear about 45 times smaller and some 17,000 times fainter than Jupiter. But if you look carefully, you will notice it's appearance differs from that of a star. First, its color is distinctly bluish green. Second, Neptune will show a tiny disk — much smaller than Jupiter's, of course — that is noticeably different than a star's. If you miss this beautiful conjunction, you'll have to wait until April 12, 2022, when the two will appear seven times closer, To find out more about Dennis Mammana and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC. 
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