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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 May 31-June 6, 2009A few weeks ago, early morning stargazers watched as the waning crescent moon slipped silently in front of the brilliant planet Venus in a beautiful sky show known as an occultation. Occultations of stars are equally interesting. They allow scientists to refine their knowledge of the moon's orbit and even to discover companion objects orbiting distant stars. In fact, a faint companion star orbiting the red supergiant Antares first showed up during a lunar occultation in the early 19th century. Antares is the reddish-orange star that marks the heart of the constellation Scorpius, the Scorpion. On the evening of June 6 it will co-star with the full moon in just such an occultation. Because the moon is so bright that night, Antares will pale by comparison, so you might need binoculars or a small telescope to see it. As the moon approaches Antares from the west, keep a watchful eye on the star until it winks out instantly behind the moon's edge. This occurs for two reasons. The first is that the star is so distant that it appears as only a point of light in our sky. The second is because the moon has no atmosphere to dim the star's light before blocking it completely. Because viewers around the country will see the event from different angles, its times will differ from place to place. Unfortunately, West Coast viewers can't watch the star's disappearance because the moon will lie below the horizon at that time. California sky watchers, however, will see Antares reappear on the moon's western side shortly after moonrise — around 7:45 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. To find exact times for your location, visit www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/bstar/0607antares.htm. Remember, these times are tabulated in Universal Time and must be converted to your local time. Subtract seven hours from Universal Time to get Pacific time, six hours for Mountain time, five hours for Central time and four hours for Eastern time. Always begin your watch at least ten minutes early so you can watch as the moon approaches Antares in the sky. Don't worry if weather should interfere, you'll have another chance on Aug. 27. 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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