The Backyard Astronomer
August 2023 – Celestial Neighbors
August hosts a plethora of lunar and planetary events, perfect for the Backyard Astronomer. Even the most basic binoculars or telescope will allow one to enjoy our celestial neighbors as they put…
Stories in the Stars
By Adam England, the Backyard Astronomer The Greeks coined the term planetes – meaning “wanderer” – to describe the objects they saw in the sky that regularly moved against the background of…
Scorpions and Rabbits
By Adam England, The Backyard Astronomer One of my personal favorite constellations is Scorpius. It is very easy to identify in the summer months when it rises in the Southeast and sways…
NameExoWorlds2022 Winning Submissions Press Release
IAU Selects Names for 20 Exoplanetary Systems — The NameExoWorlds global contest names the next set of exoplanets and host stars The International Astronomical Union’s NameExoWorlds 2022 contest has selected 20 pairs…
Buzzing Bees Birthing Planets
Spring also brings with it the pollinators that make our world possible, and the Beehive Cluster shines prominent in the sky this month. You may be able to spot these industrious little…
Spring Serpents and Clusters
Spring has sprung in Northern Arizona, and with it comes the return of budding flora and emerging fauna. In like fashion, the sky also graces us with clusters in bloom, and the…
Planetary Demotions
When I was growing up, we remembered the names of the planets in order with the mnemonic My Very Excellent Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas. However, on August 24th, 2006, the…
Bullish About Astronomy
The Red Planet shines bright this month, transiting between the horns of Taurus, the bull, and up towards Gemini, the twins, at just over one AU from Earth. One Astronomical Unit is…
An Ancient Visitor From The Outer Solar System
The Upper Paleolithic is a segment of human prehistory starting around 50,000 to 12,000 years ago, and is characterized by the first known organized settlements, advancements in tools and weapons, and artistic…
Fusion – The Lifeblood of Stars and Science Fiction
The first and most basic element on the periodic table is hydrogen. A single atom of hydrogen consists of one positively charged proton in the center or nucleus, and one negatively charged electron…