Q-90.1's Backyard Astronomer

The moon will get brighter this week as the sunlit shape grows from gibbous to full. On May 31 we'll see the second full moon in the calendar month, something known as a Blue Moon. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

Observe the night sky long enough and you’re bound to see something strange that’s hard to identify, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s an alien spaceship. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

At the end of evening twilight, look about halfway up the northeast sky for a bright bluish star. This is Vega, the second brightest star in the summer sky. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

Spring is when the Big Dipper climbs high into the north, making it an excellent guidepost in the sky. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

With the warmer nights of spring, a great outdoor activity is to do some binocular viewing. And now is a good time to use them on the moon! Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

After three months of what people call the meteor drought, the annual Lyrid meteor shower comes to a peak this week. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

Spring is the time of year when the Big Dipper climbs higher into the northern sky. But the Big Dipper is not itself a constellation. It’s only part of a much larger group called Ursa Major, the Great Bear. And it makes for an excellent guidepost to the North Star and Little Dipper. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

After more than a year, the planet Venus finally makes its way back into the evening skies, but you’ll have to look low in the west during dusk to see it. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

As the phase of the moon grows steadily from first quarter to full, it’s a good opportunity to explore the contrasts of light and dark on its surface. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

No matter the time of year, under a clear dark sky you can expect to see four or five little streaks of light each hour. Sometimes called shooting stars or falling stars, these are meteors that burn up in our atmosphere. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

This year, the March equinox arrives on the 20th which marks the first day of spring for the northern hemisphere. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

It’s often said that the best conditions for stargazing are under dark skies with minimal light pollution. But in this modern age of excessive LED lighting, it can be hard to find such places. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

Before Saturn disappears in the sun’s glare altogether, you’ll have a rare chance to see it meet up with the brighter planet Venus, a close pass known as a conjunction.

The March full moon is known as the “Sap Moon” because March marks the tapping of the maple trees. It also coincides with a total lunar eclipse. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

Under a clear dark sky, this is the best time of year to look for a lesser known constellation called Lepus the Hare. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

What’s the brightest star in the entire nighttime sky? It’s called Sirius – seriously. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

As the moon wanes and rises later each night, the early evening skies are dark again, allowing us to see the faint deep sky marvels of the winter sky. The Great Orion Nebula is perfectly positioned to view this month. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

As the Gibbous Moon grows larger, you can see new details coming into view as the day-night line progresses across the lunar surface each night. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

Betelgeuse, a star in Orion the Hunter, will eventually collapse into a supernova, which would bright enough to see in the daylight for weeks or even months. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/

Low in the east, soon after dark, you’ll find a star so bright that it looks like a fiery beacon in the sky. It’s actually the planet Jupiter, and it’s making its closest approach to Earth this week. Support this podcast: https://www.deltapublicmedia.org/donate/