Q-90.1's Backyard Astronomer

Even though the nights are cooling down, throw on that coat and grab your binoculars for a look at the Moon! There are many special features to look for.

Each year in late October, our planet crosses the orbit of Halley’s Comet, sweeping up millions of little bits of ice and dust to create the Orionid Meteor Shower.

The first of two Great American Solar Eclipses happens on Saturday, October 14 with an "annular" (ring of fire) eclipse of the sun visible along a narrow path from Oregon to Texas. Michigan will experience a partial eclipse of about 35% coverage.

When evening twilight ends, look high in the northeast for a group of bright stars that resembles a big “W” sitting on its end. This is the constellation of Cassiopeia the Queen.

The Harvest Full Moon might seem a little extra bright this year when it rises in the east just after sunset on September 28. That's because it coincides with a Supermoon!

The Summer Triangle is a useful guidepost to many interesting deep sky objects, but it’s also a way to find other constellations nearby, such as Delphinus the Dolphin.

If you look low in the southeast sky after dark, you’ll see a moderately bright "star" that doesn’t twinkle like the others. It’s the famous ringed planet Saturn, and it recently made its closest approach to Earth.

About 45 minutes before sunrise, look low in the east and you’ll find the brightest planet in the sky, Venus.

For decades now, amateur astronomy continues to be one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world. Why is that? What gets people so “hooked” on space and the night sky?

August 30 will be the first time a Blue Moon and Supermoon have intersected since 2009.

Away from city lights and bright moonlight, this is the time of year to see the faint band of the Milky Way stretching right over the top of the sky.

Conditions this year will be nearly ideal for watching the annual Perseid meteor shower when it reaches peak activity on the nights of August 12 and 13.

When you look into the night sky, you’re seeing across vast distances. But what’s the most distant object you can see with the unaided eye?

As the phase of the moon grows steadily from crescent to first quarter to full, it’s a good opportunity to explore the contrasts of light and dark on its surface.

While the stars of Hercules are not particularly bright, its most distinctive shape are the four stars in its center known as the Keystone.

As evening twilight fades into night, look for three bright stars high in the east that form a giant triangle in the sky. The Summer Triangle is a great way to “star hop” to areas of interest.

Every year on or about July 6, the Earth reaches aphelion, its farthest point from the sun in that elliptical orbit. How can we be at our farthest from the sun in summer?

Earth is at its farthest point from the Sun on July 6th, called Aphelion. Does our distance from the Sun have any effect on the weather?

Keep watching the upper left portion of the Moon all this week for one of its largest "seas." Mare Imbium, or "The Sea of Rains," spans over 700 miles.

As the planets drift very slowly among the stars, sometimes they appear close to each other in the sky – a meetup called a conjunction.