Arc To Arcturus, Spike To Spica: Tracing A Line Through The Stars And American History This Independence Day– A Backyard Astronomer Special The Declaration of Independence, John Trumbull. The Big Dipper is one of those patterns that seems almost permanent once you learn it. Tonight, it is easy to pick out from a backyard in Arizona.ContinueContinue reading “The (Star)Light of Independence”
Tag Archives: Astronomy
July 2026 – Storm Season on Earth and in Space
Arizona Monsoon – Courtesy Wikimedia Commons. 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 rage overhead, another kind of storm is raging 93 million miles away. On the surface of theContinueContinue reading “July 2026 – Storm Season on Earth and in Space”
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 Katalyst Space Technologies rendition of a servicing mission. Courtesy Katalyst Space Technologies Most of us who spend time under the night sky have watched a satellite drift overhead. Sometimes it’s the International Space Station blazing acrossContinueContinue reading “Arizona’s Orbital Tow Truck: Giving a Space Telescope a Second Chance – A Backyard Astronomer Special”
February 2026 – Back to the Moon
The Moon, taken by the Apollo 8 crew – Courtesy NASA, Wikimedia Commons. Outside of space enthusiasts, Apollo 8 is an almost forgotten mission. On December 21, 1968, three astronauts launched aboard a Saturn V rocket from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. Just 68 hours later, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders became the firstContinueContinue reading “February 2026 – Back to the Moon”
November 2025 – Lunar Peculiarities
Imagine watching the formation of our Solar System some 4.5 billion years ago. From an omniscient view, dozens—perhaps hundreds—of planetoids are jockeying for position, carving out orbits around a newborn Sun. Smaller asteroids and comets ricochet through the chaos, colliding by the millions and leaving behind scars that will last for eons. Artist Rendering ofContinueContinue reading “November 2025 – Lunar Peculiarities”
October 2025 – Lions and Comets and Bears, OH MY!
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) as captured 9/24/2025 by Dimitrios Katevainis, courtesy Wikimedia Commons. Nearly every evening, the Steward Observatory’s 60-inch Cassegrain reflector takes thousands of photos, the same as it has for almost two decades. From their perch atop Mount Lemmon at over 9,100 feet of elevation, just a few miles north of Tucson, Arizona,ContinueContinue reading “October 2025 – Lions and Comets and Bears, OH MY!”
September 2025 – In the Shadow of Titan
Titan shadow on Saturn, Hubble Space Telescope, Courtesy NASA. It seems that discoveries across the Universe are announced almost daily. The Hubble Space Telescope, launched into low Earth orbit in 1990, has been a workhorse in this effort, capturing and analyzing light in multiple wavelengths to probe the unknown. A growing suite of other instrumentsContinueContinue reading “September 2025 – In the Shadow of Titan”
August 2025 – Early Risers
The early bird may get the worm, but the early astronomer gets the universe. August 2025 belongs to the early risers—when the Moon leads the dance and the planets shine their brightest in the hours before sunrise. Watch as our lunar guide sweeps across the sky, spotlighting celestial wonders along the way. Beginning around theContinueContinue reading “August 2025 – Early Risers”
July 2025 – Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower
As summer unfolds over Prescott, Arizona, July brings two celestial events that promise to captivate both seasoned astronomers and casual skywatchers alike: the New Moon on July 24 and the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, peaking around July 30. These occurrences offer ideal conditions for stargazing, with dark skies and minimal moonlight interference. The New MoonContinueContinue reading “July 2025 – Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower”
May 2025 – Life In The Cosmos
Mars 10-02-2020, courtesy Prescott Astronomy Club member Joel Cohen. Humans have likely always looked at the sky and wondered if we are alone in the universe. From the classical Roman god messenger Mercury to the angelic hosts of the Abrahamic religions, ancient belief systems often referred to Gods and other visitors as omnipotent beings capableContinueContinue reading “May 2025 – Life In The Cosmos”
The Backyard Astronomer 