SkyCaramba

Mercury's at its best showing for the current evening display. Venus went by the feet of Ophiuchus last week. Now it's the messenger planet's turn. Two lunar occultations happen this week. Uranus approaches opposition.

There's plenty of planet watching that can be done any time of the night. You can start watching for Leonid meteors. And the moon will pass in front of two planets early next week.

The microscope gave us a lot more to see. But the constellation named for it isn't much to look at. Venus scoots farther into the evening sky. Saturn's slowing down. The Pleiades rise around sunset. Jupiter heads toward Cancer.

Very careful observers may see Leonis Minorid meteors. Mercury barely makes it into the evening. Venus and Saturn continue on opposite sides of the sky. A star in the scorpion's head should look a lot brighter than it does.

How much magnification would you need to see the astronauts' bootprints on the moon? Let's find out. Venus and Saturn are on opposite sides of the sky. Mars is about to slow down. Mercury barely makes it into the evening.

The celestial dragon could breathe out some fireballs this week. Meteor colors give us clues about what meteors are made of and what's happening as they pass through the air. Venus keeps inching its way into the evening sky. Jupiter holds still. Mars moves past the twins.

The moon passes in front of the sun for an annular eclipse this week. There's plenty of planetary action all night. And some people may be able to spot what's been called a false dawn, thanks to dust in the solar system.

Mars passed by Mebsuta and is now approaching Mekbuda. Both stars are named for parts of a lion's paw. Mercury's out of sight. Venus moves alongside Virgo. The September equinox starts the week. The moon is about as far north as it can get. And we have a meteor shower you're more likely to hear with the help of a radio than to see.

The moon passes in front of Saturn this week. Then it goes through Earth's shadow. Mars passes by Mebsuta, named for a lion in Arabian star lore. And why is red light right for astronomers at night?

Saturn's at opposition. Venus is near Porrima, whose name refers to a goddess of prophecy and normal, headfirst births. Mars passes by Propus in the feet of Gemini. And some observers get to see the moon pass in front of Antares.

Mercury's at greatest elongation this week. Saturn's at opposition next week. You can see these planets on opposite sides of the sky. Venus is in the evening sky. The moon passes in front of Spica.

Some people have claimed that Abraham Lincoln was so desperate to win a hopeless court case he fabricated evidence. Astronomy then and now can prove he was as honest as his reputation holds.

It's been more than four decades since a mysterious signal seemingly came from somewhere in Sagittarius. No signal like it has ever been found again. It didn't seem to contain any information. Mercury's in conjunction with the sun. Venus slowly heads deeper into the evening sky. The moon hides Saturn. Mars continues on its way after passing Jupiter.

The Perseid meteor shower peaks. Start looking for eclipses of Algol again. Mercury is near Regulus. Venus is nearby. Mars and Jupiter rise after midnight.

One of the modern constellations is named for a device you would use to look at stars to figure out where you are. The first sextants were as big as buildings. Eventually, handheld sextants were invented. Mercury and Venus pass each other this week. Mars and Jupiter are close to the Hyades.

Perseid meteors are a possibility. Mercury begins its retreat from the evening sky. The solar cycle may be peaking sooner rather than later. And the lunistice keeps getting farther from the equator.

The Hyades feature prominently in the morning sky watching these days. The asterism's bright star Aldebaran is likened to a torch. Mars shines in a similar color nearby. In the evening, Mercury is at greatest elongation and draws close to Regulus.

A comet may be visible in binoculars this month. It's always hard to speculate just how bright any of these objects will become. See Mars pull away from the Hyades.

How far away would the sun have to be to blend in with the stars at night. Here are some answers to how far away the sun would be to shine as bright as the full moon, Venus, and various stars.

Mercury and Venus in the evening, Saturn late at night, other planets clustered in the morning, Earth at aphelion, and some info on how we know the sun is far away.

For a few years, there was a meteor shower in June that produced faint blue streaks. It doesn't happen anymore. It's not the only meteor shower to have gone extinct. But there's another shower that has come back. Saturn seems to be holding still. Mercury emerges into the evening.

Earth goes through northern solstice this week. Mars went through southern solstice earlier this month. The morning planets march along.

The moon will pass in front of Spica 20 times now through the end of next year. Find out where to see the first occultation. Mercury's turn to go behind the sun. Planet watching continues to be a morning thing.

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.

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.