Passing Shadow

Yesterday the Moon passed in front of the Sun to produce this partial eclipse which I viewed using the Sunspotter telescope shown at the top. Some western states saw an annular eclipse where the Moon passed through the center of the solar disk to produce a “ring of fire” completely around the Moon shadow. SinceContinue reading “Passing Shadow”

Just Passing Through

Yesterday morning the Moon passed by Jupiter on its monthly trek around earth. This scene will repeat itself over the next several months as we head into fall and on towards winter. Before long, Venus will rise in the morning sky as well and provide the opportunity to see the three brightest planetary objects inContinue reading “Just Passing Through”

Not All Who Wander…

Yesterday, June 14, 2023, the Moon and Jupiter appeared close together in the morning sky. Each wanders through the sky relative to the starry background, but they are not the only ones that wander. Planets, including Jupiter, move from constellation to constellation along a narrow corridor called the zodiac, as does the Moon. Per Wikipedia:Continue reading “Not All Who Wander…”

Grinning Again

As promised last week (“Vertical Moon” at: https://eskildoodle.com/2023/04/16/vertical-moon/ ), the evening crescent Moon is grinning once again. Just a week ago it appeared nearly vertical as it approached the Sun in the morning sky, but now it appears to lay nearly horizontal like the Cheshire Cat’s grin. The astronomical explanation for this is related toContinue reading “Grinning Again”

Vertical Moon

Sometimes the crescent Moon resembles a wide Cheshire grin, nearly horizontal to the horizon, while other times, like the one in the photo, it appears almost vertical, like a partial parenthesis, due to the inclination of the Moon’s orbit. This week it will continue with its vertical appearance as it heads towards the rising sunContinue reading “Vertical Moon”