LATEST NEWS
Orbital Path Podcast:
Warning! Space May Wreak Havoc
on Your Body
Would you go into space if you knew your bones would turn into something called “pee brittle”?
Dr. Michelle Thaller explores the effects of space on the human body.
Did Betelgeuse Swallow Its Companion?
The brilliant, red supergiant star that marks Orion’s shoulder seems to be spinning too fast. Did its rotation get a boost by merging with a smaller companion star 100,000 years ago?
2016 Will Be One Second Longer
Do you think 2016 has seemed unusually long? An international agency has decided to make it even longer — by adding a “leap second” at the last possible moment on December 31st.
OBSERVING HIGHLIGHTS
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 23 – 31
It’s not too late to get in some stargazing before 2016 ends! After sunset, brilliant Venus (and much dimmer Mars) rule in the west, while Orion and the Pleiades are up in the east. Meanwhile, a thin crescent Moon graces the predawn sky on December 26-27.
Swing Low, Sweet Sun:
It’s Solstice Time
Daylight ebbed to a minimum on last Wednesday’s winter solstice. Now, the Sun has turned back north and the cycle of light begins again. Learn the geometry that governs this yearly cycle.
Observing The Great Orion Nebula
As Orion rises higher in the evening sky, it’s a perfect time to explore the constellations most famous nebula – either with a pair of binos or, if you’re lucky, the brand-new scope you got for the holidays.
Tour December’s Sky: Orion Arising
Speaking of Orion . . . Download our monthly astronomy podcast to track down Mercury in the evening sky and explore more of the Hunter as he climbs into the sky.
COMMUNITY
Sky & Telescope‘s Pluto Globe
is Here!
You watched with amazement when NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made its historic flyby of Pluto in July 2015. And you’ve seen all the terrific images of Pluto that the spacecraft captured. Now a unique, beautifully detailed 6-inch globe lets you explore Pluto’s amazing geology up close.
Ann
