Star Trak: July 2024
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The shorter nights of summer will still offer a variety of sights for skywatchers.Mercury and Venus, the two innermost planets, will put on an evening show in July. Try to spot them soon after sunset.
Historical Archive of Star Trak Articles
Star Trak: June 2024
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The pre-dawn June sky will show a string of six planets along the ecliptic. In order of increasing elongation from the sun, they will be Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune, and Saturn. Several will be visible to the unaided eye, but Uranus and Neptune will both require binoculars to spot.
Star Trak: May 2024
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Saturn will be the first planet to appear in the predawn sky in May, rising before 4 a.m. for viewers in the Northern Hemisphere. It will climb higher before dawn as the month progresses. On May 1 it will stand 11 degrees high in the east an hour before sunrise, and this will increase to 26 degrees by month's end.
Star Trak: April 2024
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A total eclipse of the sun will be visible April 8 along a narrow path spanning North America from southwest to northeast. Most people across the United States will see a partial eclipse, but millions of observers will travel to see the spectacle of the sun's corona surrounding the black disk of the moon. Extensive information about events surrounding the eclipse can be found in the April 2024 issue of Astronomy magazine.
Star Trak: March 2024
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Jupiter will be a brilliant object high in the western sky in March. Early in the month it will be visible until nearly 11 p.m. local time. At month's end, however, it will be only 15 degrees above the western horizon at 9 p.m. local time and will set within about two hours.
Star Trak: February 2024
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Jupiter will be a stunning object 60 degrees high in the southern sky as February begins. Start your observing as evening twilight falls. The planet's four bright Galilean moons can be seen with any telescope and even with binoculars.
Star Trak: January 2024
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- As the new year begins, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible most of the evening.Saturn will glow 30 degrees high in the southwestern sky an hour after sunset. View Saturn through a telescope early in the evening, before it gets too low. It will set by 9 p.m. local time on Jan. 1 and be gone before 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 31.
Star Trak: December 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Saturn will be high in the southern sky as twilight falls in December. The ringed planet will be in the constellation Aquarius about 20 degrees above the bright star Fomalhaut. Saturn will set by 9 p.m. local time, so look for it early in the evening. Titan, the brightest of Saturn's moons, will be north of the planet on Dec. 12 and 28 and south of it on Dec. 4 and 20.
Star Trak: November 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Saturn and Jupiter will highlight the evening sky during November. Saturn will lie in the south as the sky darkens. The yellow planet will be only 35 degrees high, so our atmosphere will affect the view.
Star Trak: October 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Saturn will be well placed for viewing each evening in October, especially for observers with telescopes.
Star Trak: September 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Saturn will be at its finest in early September, visible all night in the constellation Aquarius. The yellow planet will be low in the southeastern sky after sunset and will climb to its highest point in the south by midnight.
Star Trak: August 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The annual Perseid meteor shower happens on warm summer nights, when gazing at the starry sky is always enjoyable. This year the Perseids will peak on the night of Aug. 12-13. The moon will be almost new, so moonlight will not interfere with observing meteors.
Star Trak: July 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The shorter nights of summer will still offer a variety of sights for skywatchers.Mercury and Venus, the two innermost planets, will put on an evening show. Try to spot them soon after sunset in July.
Star Trak: June 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The planets Venus and Mars will pass through the Beehive Cluster of stars in June. Binoculars will make the scene especially attractive.
Star Trak: May 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Venus will put on its best show of the year during May, shining brilliantly in the western evening sky until very late. At the start of the month it will be easy to spot between the horns of the constellation Taurus the Bull.
Star Trak: April 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Mercury and Venus will offer their best display of the year in April. Look for the two planets each evening, with Mercury at its best in the first two weeks of the month.
Star Trak: March 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- As March begins, Venus will be visible even before sunset if you look carefully 30 degrees high in the west. Jupiter will appear soon afterward less than a degree from Venus.
Star Trak: February 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Three bright planets will be visible every evening in February.
Star Trak: January 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- As the new year begins, the evening sky will offer fine views of the planets.
Star Trak: December 2022
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury will all be on display in the evening sky during December.
Star Trak: November 2022
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Jupiter and Saturn will highlight the evening sky during November. The best time to begin viewing them will be as soon as the sky darkens.
Star Trak: October 2022
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Saturn will be a fine sight each evening in October, especially for observers with telescopes. The planet will be easy to spot 30 degrees high in the southern sky during the first few hours of darkness, and it won't set until 3 a.m. early in the month and 1 a.m. at month's end. Titan, Saturn's largest moon, will be north of the planet on the mornings of Oct. 8 and 24 and south on Oct. 16. Titan will be a good target for small telescopes.
Star Trak: September 2022
Jupiter will be the brightest object in the night sky after the moon during September. The giant planet will rise around 8:30 p.m. local time on Sept. 1 and by sunset at month's end. The best time to view Jupiter will be when it is highest above the southern horizon, in the few hours on either side of midnight. Any telescope will show magnificent features in its turbulent and dynamic atmosphere
Star Trak: August 2022
The annual Perseid meteor shower is one of the most popular because it happens on warm summer nights, when gazing at the starry sky is always enjoyable. This year the Perseids will peak on the night of Aug. 12-13. Unfortunately the moon will be full just one day before that, so moonlight will strongly interfere with observing meteors. Even in a clear dark sky only the brightest meteors will be visible.
Star Trak: July 2022
The shorter nights of summer will still offer a variety of events for skywatchers, with all five major planets on display.
Star Trak: June 2022
The five planets visible with the naked eye will be on display from east to south along the horizon at dawn on June 4. They will appear in the same sequence in the sky as in their orbits around the sun. From left to right, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will form an arc spanning 91 degrees. It's been about 100 years since a similarly compact group of planets marched across our sky, and there won't be such a gathering again until 2041.
Star Trak: May 2022
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A total eclipse of the moon lasting 85 minutes will be the highlight of May for skywatchers. In the Midwest, the full moon will rise on the evening of May 15-16 with the eclipse already beginning. Observers on the East Coast will see the entire eclipse in a dark sky. On the West Coast, the total eclipse will begin in evening twilight and continue in a dark sky.
Star Trak: April 2022
Four bright planets will be strung out in a row above the east-southeastern horizon 45 minutes before sunrise on April 18. Evenly spaced from left to right will be Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn in a line nearly 32 degrees long.
Star Trak: March 2022
Venus will be the first planet to appear in the morning sky during March, rising two hours before the sun and dazzling 20 degrees high in the southeast a half hour before dawn.
Star Trak: February 2022
Mars will join Venus in the morning sky, much fainter and glowing a dull orange. The Red Planet will start the month 9 degrees southwest of Venus, and by Feb. 12 it will be 6 degrees south of the brilliant white planet. The two planets will remain roughly this distance apart as they cross the constellation Sagittarius.
Star Trak: January 2022
As the new year begins, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, and Venus will form a straight line 40 degrees long in the southwestern sky a half hour after sunset. In a single view you'll be able to see four of the five bright naked-eye planets! Jupiter will be highest, about 20 degrees above yellow Saturn. Venus will be lowest, near the horizon.
Star Trak: December 2021
Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter will be on display in the evening sky soon after sunset at the start of December.
Star Trak: November 2021
Venus will be visible within half an hour after sunset, low and bright in the southwest. The brilliant white planet will cross the broad expanse of the Milky Way during the first two weeks of the month. Venus will be just 3 degrees south of the Lagoon Nebula on Nov. 6 , a fine target for astrophotographers.
Star Trak: October 2021
Mercury will make its best morning appearance of the year during the last two weeks of October. The smallest planet will pass closest to the sun on Oct. 8 and then appear in the morning sky.
Star Trak: September 2021
The two giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, will be well placed for viewing during September. Saturn will be first to appear, standing 14 degrees high in the southeast at sunset. Jupiter will follow Saturn across the sky 18 degrees farther east in the constellation Capricornus. Both planets will be best viewed from 10 p.m. onward when they will be high in the south, bright and large enough for detailed viewing with telescopes.
Star Trak: August 2021
The annual Perseid meteor shower is one of the most popular every year because it happens on warm summer nights, when gazing at the starry sky is always enjoyable. This year the Perseid shower will peak on the night of Aug. 12-13. The moon will set around 10:30 p.m. local time, providing ideal conditions for observing meteors. In a clear dark sky as many as 60 meteors per hour may be visible.
Star Trak: July 2021
On July 11 Venus and Mars will be less than 1 degree apart low in the western sky in the constellation Leo. Venus will be about 1 degree north of Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, on July 21. Mars will pass near Regulus on July 28 and 29.
Star Trak: June 2021
Venus will be the first planet to appear after sunset in June. This brilliant "evening star" will be low in the western sky but still bright enough to see easily in the glow of twilight on June 1. It will remain visible until nearly 10 p.m. local time. As the month passes, Venus will drift across the constellation Gemini the Twins until it is about 6 degrees below the constellation's bright stars Castor and Pollux on June 24.
Star Trak: May 2021
Mercury and Venus will be visible above the western horizon soon after sunset this month in the constellation Taurus the Bull. This will be Mercury's best evening display of the year. On May 2 the small planet will be less than 3 degrees below the Pleiades star cluster, a fine sight in 7x50 binoculars. Mercury will reach its greatest separation from the sun on May 17, when it will be 22 degrees from the solar disk
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