science
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…
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…
May 2025 – Life In The Cosmos
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,…
April 2025 – Clear Skies and Comet Tails
Astronomers love to get lucky. It’s a true art of patience, “waiting for the stars to align”, both metaphorically and physically speaking. Despite Arizona’s more than 300 days of Sun each year,…
The Backyard Astronomer – March 2025 – An “Edgy” Perspective
By Adam England, The Backyard Astronomer Stuck on Earth, we essentially get one viewpoint of the cosmos. From a nearly fixed location in the universe, it doesn’t seem like other objects move…
February 2025 – Planetary Alignments
“The planets are aligned for the first and last time in 396 billion years!” Well, not quite. Headlines like the above have become common click-bait in the last few weeks, as most…
November 2024 – The Great Square of Pegasus
The ancients clearly had two things going for them: wonderfully dark skies and fantastic imaginations. It can often be difficult for the modern backyard astronomer to pick out constellations and imagine a…
October 2024 – Wandering Stars, The Oort Cloud and Comets
In space, everything is in motion. From a spacecraft orbiting the Earth, to moons dancing around planets, or star systems on an epic voyage across our galaxy, nothing ever truly “stops” moving. …
Sept/Oct 2024 – Aliens!
Earth is a cool place. It has oceans, forests, and mountains galore. These different environments serve as host to millions of different types of animal and plant life, including us, humans. Earth…
September 2024 – The History of Saturn
September gives us prime viewing of two of our Solar System’s four ringed planets. Yes, you read that correctly; our Solar System has four planets with rings. You’re certainly familiar with Saturn,…