SkyCaramba SkyCaramba
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- Science
Podcast about astronomy and the joys of watching the skies at night--and sometimes during the day
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Who holds the snake?
The sun passes through 13 constellations during the year. The one people are surprised to learn about is the snake-bearer Ophiuchus.
Jupiter and Mercury are very close in the morning sky this week. Not many people will get to see them though.
Venus is hidden behind the sun. -
Snake along the evening stars
A long snake slithers across the evening sky, taking a bird and a bowl with it. And some sky watchers can see Saturn disappear behind the moon.
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How and why to hide things in your telescope's view
Saturn and Mars are easy to spot in the morning. Some people may spot Mercury. The moon occults Antares this week.
And sometimes, successfully finding something in your telescope means blocking something else out. It costs practically nothing to go to the extra trouble. -
Waiting for a star to flare
A star about 3,000 light years away is normally very dim--requiring a telescope and a dark sky to see. About 80 years ago, it flared up to easy naked eye visibility. Some astronomers think it might be about to flare up again.
Also, the moon is about to pass in front of one of the stars in Virgo. The event will be visible from most of a continent. -
Mediocre planetary alignments
All the planets will soon by on the same side of the sun. When something like that happened in 1982, some people carried on like the world would come to an end. Most scientists recognized the so-called alignment as an important opportunity.
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Two planets in a super close conjunction
Mars and Neptune will appear very close. To see this super close conjunction, you will need to be in a place where it's still dark when they're up. And you'll need magnification. How much? Not much. But you need something else too.