Weekly peeks into the universe, and the moon.

A full Moon is the phase when the Moon appears to be fully illuminated from Earth’s perspective. This occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are all in alignment, forming a straight line. The Moon and The Sun are on exact opposite sides of the Earth. From this position, the Sun’s light shines directly onto…

Here Comes Manhattanhenge! Learn how the island borough’s famous grid layout serves as a modern-day celestial calendar a few times a year. Human beings have always been fascinated by the sky, and for good reason. Until very recently in our history, the sky served countless invaluable functions. The sky was our calendar and our clock,…

18th – 22nd – A most barren period. Kill plant pests and do general farm work. 23rd – 24th – Sow grains and forage crops. Plant flowers. Favorable for planting peas, beans, tomatoes, other fall crops bearing aboveground 25th – 26th – Start seedbeans. Extra good for fall cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, mustard greens, and other…

July’s Delta Aquarid Meteor Showers When To Watch For Them There are so many things happening in the night sky in July, including the Delta Aquarid meteor shower. This shower peaks during the predawn hours of July 28-30. It’s a modest meteor display producing 10 to 20 meteors per hour on average. The meteors appear…

Yes, it gets dark earlier after the solstice. Summer, bring it on! After the summer solstice (June 21), we start to lose daylight. How fast? Bob Berman talks solstices and sunsets—and you can find out how rapidly the times change where you live. First a refresher: The summer solstice is the first day of summer,…

Find Your Way Without a Compass Lost? Find Directions Without Compass As we prepare for hiking, camping, or just being outdoors, let’s explore how to find your way in the dark—without a compass—by using the stars, the Sun, and nature’s signs. Here are some fun pointers for finding North, South, East, and West the next…

Full Buck Moon: Supermoon in July 2023 Behold the Full Buck Supermoon! By Catherine Boeckmann July’s full Buck Moon is coming up—rising after sunrise on Monday, July 3… the eve of Independence Day! This is also a supermoon that will appear bigger than many other Full Moons this year. Find out when to look for…

A Chance of Rain: What Does This Really Mean? almanac.com/chance-rain-what-does-really-mean If you heard an “80% chance of rain,” would you assume that this meant that you had an 80% chance of getting rained on? Not true. Bob Berman explains what a “chance of rain” really means! If you’re a sky watcher like yours truly, the…

Welcome to the Night Sky Map for June 2023! Why do objects like stars appear to move across the sky at night? The planets, too, move like clockwork through the sky. Take advantage of the pleasant June weather to watch the “Cosmic Clock” in action. Secrets of the Cosmic Clock Objects in the sky always…