Q-90.1's Backyard Astronomer

You might have heard that there's a big green comet coming our way. But how bright is it really going to get?

As the planets slowly move among the stars, sometimes they appear close to each other in the sky – a meetup called a conjunction. The planets Venus and Saturn will be in just such a conjunction on January 23rd.

About two hours after sunset, look halfway up the eastern sky for two bright stars that are relatively close to one another. These are Pollux and Castor, the heads of Gemini the Twins.

Every year on or about January 4, the Earth reaches perihelion, its closest point to the sun in its elliptical orbit. Does that have any effect on the seasons?

Ushering in the new year is one of the best known constellations of all, Orion the Hunter.

Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn have been prominent targets for months, but now Venus and Mercury will join them as they reappear low in the southwest shortly after sunset during twilight.

One of the best meteor showers of the year comes to a peak on the evening of December 13 and 14. Known as the Geminid Meteor Shower, it rivals the famous Perseids in August in numbers and brightness.

A full moon might be the worst time to see details on the lunar surface due to the lack of shadows, but it’s the best time to see what are called “ray structures.”

Most of the time, Mars is just a faint star that looks like an unremarkable orange dot in a telescope. But every 26 months, the Red Planet swings in for a close approach to Earth, making it ideal for observing.

The holidays are one of the most popular times of year for buying a telescope. So what's the best one to look for? There is no one perfect telescope for everyone.

Look low the east after dark and you should see a pretty little cluster of stars. Its shape might remind you of a miniature Little Dipper, but it’s actually the famous Pleiades star cluster.

The Autumn nights give us cooler, drier air which is ideal for observing the deep sky. Combine that with a moonless night, and it’s the best time of year to look for the Great Andromeda Galaxy.

This month, the Full Frost Moon on November 8 coincides with a Total Lunar Eclipse. This is when the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, giving it an eerie reddish glow because of the colors that pass through the Earth’s atmosphere. This is why a total lunar eclipse is also sometimes called “The Blood Moon.”

Each season has a notable constellation or group of stars that can serve as a guidepost to that part of the sky. In summer it’s common to use The Summer Triangle, but in autumn we have “The Great Square of Pegasus.”

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.

At twilight, 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.

Even though the nights are cooling down, throw on that coat and grab your binoculars for a look at the Moon! This is a good time to see the dark round plains called “maria,” and bright splashes of lighter material called “rays.”

Delta College Planetarium in Bay City will celebrate this year’s International Observe the Moon Night Saturday, October 1. Sponsored by NASA, over 3000 sites around the world will be participating with special shows and telescope viewing!

The planet Jupiter makes its return into the evening sky shining like a brilliant beacon low in the east after dark!

The Summer Triangle is a useful guidepost to many interesting deep sky objects, but it’s also a way to find other constellations nearby. For example, a popular little pattern among stargazers is Delphinus the Dolphin.