Page 5

Bummer! A nearly full moon will interfere with viewing of this show. Plonk yourself somewhere dark after midnight and you might still see some good shooting stars. The bold, bright white and slow moving Geminids give us one of the Northern Hemisphere’s best showers. They’re also visible, at lower rates,[...]

A nearly full moon will outshine all but the brightest Leonid meteors this year. For the best view, find a very dark spot and watch after midnight. Here's a bit of history: The Leonids, typically an average shower, occasionally produces extraordinary meteor storms. In 1966, observers witnessed thousands of meteors[...]

The term "Sturgeon Moon" refers to the full moon in August and originates from Native American tribes in North America. They named it after the sturgeon fish, which was abundant and most easily caught in the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water during this time of the year.[...]

In July, the Full Moon is the Buck Moon, named after the new antlers that emerge from a buck’s forehead around this time of the year. It is also called Thunder Moon, Hay Moon, and (from pagan/medieval times) the Wyrt Moon.

The Eta Aquarids meteor shower, peaking annually from April 19 to May 28, is known for producing up to 60 meteors per hour in the Southern Hemisphere and about 30 per hour in the Northern Hemisphere. Originating from comet Halley, these meteors radiate from the constellation Aquarius but are visible[...]

The Delta Aquarid meteor shower, active from July 12 to August 23, is best viewed in the pre-dawn hours, especially around its peak on July 28-29. While the second quarter moon may obscure fainter meteors, find yourself a dark locations after midnight for a better chance to see the brighter[...]

This is the closest "supermoon" of the 4 supermoons in 2024. Known as the "Hunters Moon" because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt.

The Farmer's Almanac described this as the Harvest Moon because it gave farmers several extra evenings of moonlight to allow them to finish their harvests before the frosts of fall arrived. Tender vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, winter squash, and pumpkins must be picked before the first frost. It is[...]

Lantern Festival, always celebrated on a full moon, marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities. The night sky is filled with colorful lanterns, symbolizing good fortune and family reunion. Traditionally, people celebrate by displaying lanterns, solving riddles written on them, and eating sweet rice balls (tangyuan), symbolizing unity and[...]

The waning gibbous moon will block out the fainter meteors this year. The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. The shower runs annually from December 17-25. It[...]