Articles by J. Alex Knoll

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 10/4/12

Will the Dragon Awaken?

October’s Draconids are typically sleepers, but every now and then …

Sunset reveals Mars low in the southwest. Its ruddy glow is usually quite distinct, but it is only a dozen degrees from its rival, orange Antares, blinking to its upper left. You’ll have a harder time spotting Saturn, so low in the west that it’s almost lost in the glare of the setting sun. Venus rises in the northeast around 4am, and it blazes ever-so bright high in the east before sunrise. Wednesday before dawn, Venus is only a fraction of a degree from Regulus...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 9/27/12

At the Farthest Edge of Sight

The Harvest Moon marks Uranus

Saturday’s full moon, the closest to autumnal equinox, marks the famous Harvest Moon. Legend holds that farmers have long used the added light of this moon to continue bringing in the crops well into the night. Science backs up the legend. This time of year, the moon travels a shallow, lazy arc along the ecliptic, midway between its highest transits in winter and its lowest path during summer. As a result, for us in mid-northern latitudes, moonrise changes by about 30...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 9/20/12

All Things Not Quite Equal

The equinox marks the start of autumn, but it isn’t quite 50/50 day and night

The moon waxes in the evening sky this week, with first-quarter occurring on the 22nd. That day has been dubbed International Observe the Moon Night. Astronomers, educators and sky enthusiasts from around the world have set the date to encourage people to appreciate our only natural satellite. For teachers, students or the curious, log onto www.observethemoonnight.org for events, activities and moon-related topics. Or simply take a moment to gaze at this wonder, and give a wink in honor of...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 9/13/12

Let the Night Sky Test Your Eyes

The Milky Way is waiting overhead

The moon wanes to new phase Saturday the 15th. While you may be able to see a razor-thin cresecent low in the east before sunrise Friday, the moon won’t reappear until Tuesday, low in the west for less than an hour after sunset. But given the chance, you’ll want to catch it, forming a wide obtuse triangle with Saturn slightly higher to the right and Mars higher still to the left. The next night, the scene repeats itself, except the growing moon is now the highest point of the three...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 8/30/12

Just How Rare Is a Blue Moon?

Not as rare — or as old — as you might think

Friday morning marks August’s second full moon, a blue moon. While the term blue moon dates back hundreds of years, its meaning of the second full moon in a single month was crafted in the 20th century. Its early usage you might hear in the phrase I’ll believe that when the moon is blue. In 1937, the Maine Farmer’s Almanac refered to a blue moon as the third of four full moons in any three-month season. For the Almanac, the blue moon was a placeholder in...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 8/16/12

The Hounds of the Heavens

We’ve rewarded our most loyal companion with three constellations

Of the 88 official constellations over our heads, nearly half are animals, serpents, birds and fishes. Admired for their beauty or feared for their strength, these are wild creatures, beasts you wouldn’t want to encounter, let alone have in the house. In fact, of them all, only a few are domesticated animals. One of the oldest recognized constellations is Taurus the bull. Goats have played a role in civilization at least as long as have cows, but their celestial reward is the...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 8/9/12

The Greatest Show Off Earth

Don’t miss the Perseids, the best of the meteor showers

The moon reaches last-quarter Thursday, rising around midnight. Look for the faint lights of the Pleiades star cluster, marking the back of Taurus the bull, 10 degrees above the moon. The next night, or rather morning, the moon rises near 1am, now just scant degrees from Aldebaran, the red heart of the bull, and Jupiter, forming a tight triangle. Brilliant Venus trails this pack by about 20 degrees. The waning moon rises in the wee hours Sunday before...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 8/2/12

Summer’s Brightest Stars

Three points to summer’s triangle

Thursday’s full moon brightens the sky from dusk till dawn. American Indians called this the sturgeon moon, as it marks the time when these great fish once began their migration and were most easily caught. Sturgeon have been plying our waters for more than 150 million years, yet today most species are endangered. More common names for August’s full are the grain moon, the lightning moon, the green corn moon and the red moon. As darkness...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 7/26/12

Keep Your Eyes to the Sky

Summer nights are always filled with stellar sights

A gibbous moon waxes through afternoon and evening skies this week. Friday the moon, just past first quarter, is low in the southwest after sunset, with fiery Antares, the heart of Scorpius, trailing less than 10 degrees behind. Unlike many constellations, Scorpius actually looks like its namesake. Look between the moon and Antares for the nearly aligned stars of the scorpion’s head, while its long curving tail stretches behind to the southeast, spiking upward with...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 7/19/12

Green with Envy

What color will you see in Libra’s beta star?

Thursday’s new moon leaves weekend skies bereft of excess light, highlighting the backdrop of stellar lights. As the sun sets, the first lights you see are likely to see are above the southwest horizon, where Saturn and Spica hover just five degrees from one another. Both shine at first magnitude, but Saturn’s steady golden glow is an easy contrast to the blue-white twinkle of Spica, the lead star in the constellation Virgo. Look for Mars 10 degrees to the...