Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

Elusive Summer Lights

While binoculars help reveal distant stars and planets, our own galaxy is disappearing before our very eyes

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 6/3/10

As darkness settles, the bright glow of Jupiter pierces the east-southeast horizon, by far the brightest light in the sky, as the moon spends this week waning through pre-dawn skies. The gaseous giant is high in the south at midnight, and as dawn nears, it sets beneath the western horizon.

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 9/30/10

Unraveling the Equation of Time

A lot of factors explain this puzzle

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 6/10/10

Sky Watch - Summer’s Shortest Nights

Still plenty to see in nine hours

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 6/17/10

The Night’s Bright Lights

The sun’s lost ground is the skywatcher’s gain

As if to hammer another nail into summer’s coffin, the sun this week sets before 7:00. The darkening sky reveals Venus tight above the southwest horizon, and while the evening star is brilliant at magnitude –4, it, too, is fleeting and sets shortly after the sun.

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 9/23/10

The Night’s Bright Lights

The sun’s lost ground is the skywatcher’s gain

As if to hammer another nail into summer’s coffin, the sun this week sets before 7:00. The darkening sky reveals Venus tight above the southwest horizon, and while the evening star is brilliant at magnitude –4, it, too, is fleeting and sets shortly after the sun.

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 9/23/10

Sky Watch-Topsy-Turvy

Looking at a star map, the world really is turned upside-down

A reader asked what she was seeing from her northeast-facing window. “Would I see evening or morning stars in this direction?” And would the same be true for planets? “I did look at your column and thought I understood the paragraph about Venus, but now I'm not so sure. Help! Thanks a bunch.”

article – Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll

– by J. Alex Knoll – 6/24/10