The Heavens

Draco

By Carl J. Butz • August 23, 2024

Explore Draco, a constellation rich in mythology and celestial bodies, visible near Vega this week.

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A Success for NASA

By Carl J. Butz • July 10, 2024

NASA's DART mission successfully redirected an asteroid, proving the feasibility of altering hazardous asteroid trajectories.

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Hercules

By Carl J. Butz • June 26, 2024

The late spring and early summer months are the best time to observe the constellation named after Hercules, the mythological Roman hero famed for his strength and courage while subduing monsters, bandits, and criminals.

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Star Wars Redux?

By Carl J. Butz • June 6, 2024

In 1983, George Lucas released “The Return of the Jedi,” and President Reagan proposed creating a system designed to protect the U.S. from any nuclear bombs the Soviet Union might send our way via intercontinental ballistic missiles.

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Planets and Meteors in May

By Carl J. Butz • May 2, 2024

Throughout this month, Mars and Saturn will be visible in the eastern sky during early morning hours, before 05:30.

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Canes Venatici — The Hunting Dogs

By Carl J. Butz • April 24, 2024

Spring is an excellent time to view the Big Dipper in the northwest sky soon after sunset.

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Solar Sailing

By Carl J. Butz • April 18, 2024

Once promoted by Carl Sagan to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, the idea of traveling through space via a reflective “sail” - powered by the momentum of photons radiating out from the sun - continues to command attention.

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The Heavens

Total Solar Eclipses, 2026-2034

By Carl J. Butz • April 11, 2024

After taking flack from a subscriber for not carrying any information about the total solar eclipse crossing a large swath of the U.S. early this week, I decided our readers could use plenty of advance notice for upcoming moments when the moon casts a shadow on the Earth.

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The Heavens

Phases of the Moon

By Carl J. Butz • April 4, 2024

Here is the sequence of the eight main Moon phases:

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The Heavens

By Carl J. Butz • March 28, 2024

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The Heavens

By Carl J. Butz • March 7, 2024

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The Heavens

By Carl J. Butz • February 29, 2024

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The Heavens

By Carl J. Butz • February 22, 2024

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Night Sky

By Carl J. Butz • February 15, 2024

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The Heavens

Night Sky

By Carl J. Butz • February 8, 2024

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