The Backyard Astronomer
October 2026 – The October Dark Sky Challenge
How many can you find? October 10 brings us a New Moon, giving us one of the darkest evenings of the month. In central Yavapai County, sunset will be around 6:00 PM.…
September 2026 – The Mother of Hubble
In 1925, Nancy Grace Roman was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Her family moved frequently during her childhood, but it was her mother who first introduced her to the night sky. By the…
August 2026 – The River of Light
Summer can be a frustrating time for Arizona astronomers. Afternoon thunderstorms roll across the high desert with little warning, and many evenings that begin with promise end beneath a blanket of clouds.…
The (Star)Light of Independence
Arc To Arcturus, Spike To Spica: Tracing A Line Through The Stars And American History This Independence Day– A Backyard Astronomer Special The Big Dipper is one of those patterns that seems almost…
July 2026 – Storm Season on Earth and in Space
July is storm season in Arizona. Dark clouds gather over the Bradshaw Mountains, lightning flashes across the desert, and astronomers reluctantly cover their telescopes as another monsoon shower rolls through. While thunderstorms…
Arizona’s Orbital Tow Truck: Giving a Space Telescope a Second Chance – A Backyard Astronomer Special
On Saturday, June 27, a Flagstaff, AZ Startup Will Attempt Something Never Before Done in Space: Rescue an Aging Scientific Observatory Most of us who spend time under the night sky have…
June 2026 – Keeping An Eye On Jupiter
Mythology, moons & discovery In Roman mythology, Jupiter was king of the gods, ruler of the heavens, and notorious for his wandering eye. His wife Juno knew this all too well. Often…
May 2026 – A Fire in the Asteroid Belt
Discovering a world in the asteroid belt The dawn of the 19th century marked a boom in astronomical discovery. Telescope technology improved rapidly, revealing a new class of objects orbiting between Mars…
April 2026 – Earthshine: The Da Vinci Glow
Step outside on a clear evening and look for a thin crescent Moon hanging low in the twilight. If the sky is dark enough, you may notice something unexpected: the rest of…
March 2026 – Element One: From Rocket Leaks to Starlight
During preparations for the Artemis II mission, engineers conducting a wet dress rehearsal encountered a familiar adversary: a hydrogen leak. The core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System is fueled by liquid…