Q-90.1's Backyard Astronomer

The Red Planet, Mars, has dimmed considerably since its close approach to Earth last fall, but it’s still visible high in the west after dark. Three space probes arrive there this month, including NASA's Perseverance rover.

Near Orion are his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Minor, anchored by the bright stars Sirius and Procyon.

About 90 minutes after sunset, the legendary constellation of Orion the Hunter shines about halfway up the southern sky. Underneath the three stars of his belt shines the Orion Nebula, one of the closest stellar nurseries to Earth.

This year, the January Full Moon occurs on the 28th. Look for it to rise slightly north of east soon after sunset. There are many different names for the January Full Moon, especially by the Native Americans.

The week of January 18 offers a perfect opportunity to follow what’s called “the waxing moon.” It's also a good time to look for the Sea of Tranquility, where the Apollo 11 astronauts landed in 1969.

This is a good week to start looking for the close approach of Mars and Uranus in the sky.

The orange star Aldebaran – the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull – is a great target for the January sky.

The heads of Gemini the Twins, Pollux and Castor, lie low in the east-northeast after dusk at the end of December. They will start higher in east as we get into January.

This year, the week of December 21st offers a variety of celestial happenings to help celebrate the season.

If you look low in the southwest at dusk, you can’t help but notice two bright stars that appear close to one other. These are actually the planets Jupiter and Saturn, and they’ll get so close on December 21 that it’ll seem like they're touching.

The peak of the Geminid Meteor Shower is Dec 13-14 and there is no moon to interfere this year!

We call the next two weeks the period of the “waning moon,” as its illumination decreases from our vantage point on Earth.

The Algonquin People called the November Full Moon the "Beaver Moon" but it had many other names as well.

Look low the east after dark and you should see a pretty little cluster of stars that looks like a miniature Little Dipper - it's actually the Pleiades star cluster!

This week offers up a morning rendezvous of planets, bright stars, and the crescent moon.

Also called the “sister spiral” to our own Milky Way Galaxy, Andromeda is the most distant object you can see in the entire night sky without a telescope.

A second Full Moon falls on Halloween this year, maybe inspiring thoughts of werewolves and other "lunacy." How often does this happen?

The Orionid Meteor Shower peaks in the post-midnight hours this week, and there won't be any moonlight to interfere this year.

When twilight ends around 8:30 pm, look about halfway up the northeast sky for a group of bright stars that look like a big "W" tipped on its end.

The Red Planet Mars is at its closest approach to Earth this month, shining like a bright orange beacon in the east after dusk.