Astronomy

Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

August 18: Catch the waning crescent Strugeon Moon next to a trio of open clusters in Auriga—M36, a compact cluster about 4,100 light-years away with roughly 60 hot, young blue stars; M37, the brightest and richest of the three, boasting several hundred stars and a sprinkling of striking red giants about 4,500 light-years distant; and M38, a looser, X-shaped cluster about 4,200 light-years away that contains dozens of stars of varying brightness, offering a gorgeous contrast in the eyepiece: 4:00 AM August 19: Look for the slender crescent Sturgeon Moon sharing the constellation Gemini with a host of other bright objects—brilliant Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system glowing steadily white; dazzling Venus, the brightest planet, shining like a tiny beacon in the evening sky; and the constellation’s twin jewels, Castor, a white multiple star system about 51 light-years away, and Pollux, a golden-hued giant star roughly 34 light-years distant and the brightest star in Gemini: 4:00 AM Mercury reaches its westernmost elongation: 4:00 AM August 20: Check out the waning crescent Sturgeon Moon resting between Venus and Pollux—Venus, the dazzling “Evening Star” and brightest planet in our sky, and Pollux, a warm golden giant star about 34 light-years away that marks the head of the twin in the constellation Gemini.… Continue reading.

Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

August 11: DAS Monthly General Meeting: “Footloose Astronomer in Europe: On the Trail of Telescope History” presented by Dr. Phil Kelton McDonald Observatory (Retired): In-person at Regis University’s Peter Claver Hall, Room 315 or Zoom (check your membership email): 7:00 – 9:00PM August 12: Catch the conjunction of our two brightest planets – Venus and Jupiter are within a degree of each other – low in the early morning eastern sky in Gemini: Around 4:30 AM Look for the waning gibbous Sturgeon Moon next to Saturn in Pisces from about midnight until sunrise.… Continue reading.

What Is a Meteor Shower?

A meteor shower happens when Earth travels through a stream of debris left behind by a comet or asteroid. When these tiny bits of rock and dust enter our atmosphere, they burn up and create bright streaks of light in the sky.… Continue reading.

Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

August 4, 5 & 6: Look for the Waxing gibbous Sturgeon Moon to visit the Teapot asterism in the constellation Sagittarius low in the southern sky on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of August around 11:00 PM.… Continue reading.

Last month, we discussed the Hubble’s Night Sky Observing Challenge and the July targets announced by the Astronomical League and NASA to celebrate 35 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope. These organizations have announced a new set of targets for the month of August.… Continue reading.

Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

July 28: Catch the waxing crescent Sturgeon Moon near the red planet Mars low in the constellation Virgo in the western sky after sunset. Moon reaches its Descending Node as it crosses the earth’s orbital plane from north to south.… Continue reading.

Over the past few months, we’ve explored some of the most engaging ways to get involved in NASA Citizen Science, spotlighting projects like Galaxy Zoo (now with JWST data!), Cloudspotting on Mars, Active Asteroids, Are We Alone in the Universe?, ExoAsteroids, and Backyard Worlds: Planet 9.… Continue reading.

Meteor Shower – Photo by DAS Member Bart Scully

What Is a Meteor Shower?

Meteor showers happen when Earth passes through a trail of debris left by a comet or asteroid. These tiny bits of rock and dust enter our atmosphere and burn up, creating bright streaks of light across the night sky.… Continue reading.

Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

July 21: Catch the waning crescent Buck Moon near “the morning star” Venus low in the early morning eastern sky July 22: NSN Webinar Series: Lucy Mission: An Asteroid Investigation with Alena Gavrilenko: Youtube Livestream or Zoom (registration required): 7:00 PM Catch the waning crescent Buck Moon near M35 – the Shoe-Buckle Cluster low in the eastern skies in Gemini before sunrise.… Continue reading.

Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

July 14: DAS General Meeting – Dr. Roger Clark presents “Aurora and Airglow”: In-person at Regis University’s Peter Claver Hall, Room 315: 7:00 – 9:00 PM July 15:

DAS Astrophotography Special Interest Group (ASIG) Meeting – Advanced Image Processing: Virtual on Zoom (check membership email or Slack for link): 7:00 – 9:00 PM July 16: Look for the waning gibbous Buck Moon hovering right next to the ringed gas giant Saturn high in the southern sky in Pisces.… Continue reading.