Last Minute Astronomer

Send us Fan MailSocial Media LinksFull text available at the Cosmos Safari Blog     Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and the Eta Aquarid Meteor shower shine during May 2025.I’m Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  We’ll start by talking about this month’s big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me.  EVENTS5th – ETA AQUARID METEOR SHOWERNaked-eye PLANETSSunset Jupiter - About 30˚ up the sky in the W after sunset, above Taurus’ head, in between its horns, setting around 11pm.  Later in the month, Jupiter is lower in the sky and sets around sunset.Mars - Almost straight above us after sunset, but toward the SW, between Gemini and Leo (in Cancer), setting by 2am. Throughout the month, Mars will move away from Cancer and toward Leo, a little lower in the sky, setting around 1am.MorningVenus, Saturn – A GREAT little challenge for the month!  In the beginning of May, get out up to an hour before sunrise, and look over a clear horizon to the East.  The easiest one to find will be Venus, hovering 10-15˚ above the horizon, and very bright.  It’ll be the last “star” to fade from view.  Saturn will be just 4˚ down and to the left of Venus.  Throughout the month, you’ll have to get out earlier and earlier since the Sun will rise earlier and earlier each day.  Venus will slowly get a little higher each day.  Saturn will also get higher, in fact higher than Venus, and further to the right, but will remain dimmer.LUNAR CYCLEEvening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 4th Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 12thWaning Gibbous Last Quarter Moon – 20th Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)New Moon – 26th LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS 3rd - Find the Waxing Crescent Moon just 1.5˚ above Mars and the M44 star cluster, which can be seen with binoculars, setting around 2:30am.21st - 25th - Get out before between 4:30am and sunrise and look East over a fairly clear horizon.  Venus and Saturn will be hanging out directly East, less than 15˚ above the horizon.  The Moon will be a nice crescent on the 21st, off in the SE, 15˚ to the right of Saturn, which is 15˚ to the right of bright Venus.  On the 22nd, the Moon will be just 4˚ to the right of Saturn. On the 23rd, the Moon will move between the two planets, a little closer to Venus on the left than Saturn on the right. On the 24th, a VERY thin crescent Moon is just as high off the horizon as Venus is just 7˚ to the right. Lastly, on the 25th, find Venus, and the Moon will be as far to the left of Venus as Saturn is to the right of Venus.28th - Coming back around again, the VERY thin crescent Moon is just 7˚ above Jupiter, setting around 11pm.31st - A second May encounter for Mars, being 5˚ up and to the left of the Moon.And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailSocial Media LinksFull text available at the Cosmos Safari Blog     April of 2025 brings us the annual Lyrid meteor shower, all the naked-eye planets, and plenty of lunar close encounters.I’m Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  We’ll start by talking about this month’s big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me.  EVENTS22nd – LYRID METEOR SHOWER – Around 10-20 meteors per hour, the Lyrids are a minor shower, but a meteor shower indeed.  And this year, the Moon will rise very early in the morning, meaning we have clear skies until that point, and even then, it’s not so bright. The shower is greatest on the 22nd, but you might see some on the 21st and 23rd as well.  Just remember each meteor is a piece of debris left over from a comet, and we’re crashing into it at over 100,000 miles per hour, which crushes the atmosphere it hits, heating it up and causing the bright flash.  There is no real best time to see these this year, but the later, the better.  You never know when you’ll see something awesome. Some advice for watching: Find a dark location and lie down in a reclining chair or something that insulates you from the ground.Check the weather to see if the skies will be clear Adapt your eyes to the dark by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.  Naked-eye PLANETSSunset Jupiter - Halfway up the sky in the W after sunsetMars - Almost straight above us after sunset=MorningVenus, Saturn, Mercury – A GREAT little challenge for the month!  LUNAR CYCLEEvening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 4th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 12th (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night)Last Quarter Moon – 20th (Visible midnight into the morning)Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)New Moon – 27th (darkest skies)LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS The Moon will be traveling across the sky as normal, passing by some planets at particular times. 2nd - Find the Waxing Crescent Moon just 5˚ above bright Jupiter, setting around midnight.5th - The just-past-first-quarter Moon will be just 3˚ above Mars, setting around 3:30am.22nd - 26th - Get out before 6am and look East over a fairly clear horizon.  Venus, Saturn, and Mercury will be hanging out directly East, less than 15˚ above the horizon. 30th - Coming back around again, the VERY thin crescent Moon is just 6˚ above Jupiter, setting around midnight.And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailSocial Media LinksFull text available at the Cosmos Safari Blog     March 2025 says goodbye to Saturn, welcomes a total lunar eclipse, and continues hanging out with the rest of the planetsHi everybody, I’m Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  We’ll start by talking about this month’s big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me.  BIG EVENTS14th - Total Lunar Eclipse -1:09am EST – Partial Eclipse Begins 2:26am EST – Totality Begins with maximum eclipse right before 3am.3:32am EST – Totality ends, Partiality begins again4:48am EST – Partial Eclipse EndsOther things to look forAs the Moon gets darker, more and more stars will be visibleThe Moon is right between Leo and Virgo - Virgo is usually tough to find, so take advantage of the darkened Moon.20th – Spring Equinox - Astronomically the first day of Spring, even though meteorologically Spring starts in the beginning of March.  Here’s some more info. 29th - Partial Solar Eclipse - Technically, this is happening, but it’ll be very hard to see even if you are in the NE US.  Northern Europe has the best views.Naked-eye PLANETSSunset - Venus (first 2 weeks), Mercury (first 2 weeks), Jupiter, Mars Middle of the night - Jupiter, Mars Morning - Maybe Venus (last week) LUNAR CYCLEEvening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 6th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 14th (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night)Last Quarter Moon – 22nd (Visible midnight into the morning)Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)New Moon – 29th (darkest skies)LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS The Moon will be traveling across the sky as normal, passing by some planets at particular times. 1st - 2nd - Mercury & Venus 5th - 6th - Find the Waxing Crescent Moon right nearby Jupiter. To the right of Jupiter on the 5th, to the left and up on the 6th. 8th - The Moon will start out the night just 2˚ from Mars, moving further away throughout the night, setting around 5am.26th - Get out between 6:30am and 6:50am and see if you can see Venus coming out on the other side of the Sun.  Look East.  Venus will be super bright, but only a few degrees above the horizon.  The Moon will be similarly high, but about 45˚ to the right in the ESE.And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailFebruary 2025 is a phenomenal continuation of January’s planetary-ness! You’ll get chances to see all the planets before going to bed and a conjunction of Mercury & Saturn.FULL TEXT WITH PICTURES HEREHi everybody, I’m Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  We’ll start by talking about this month’s big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me.  BIG EVENTS24th - CONJUNCTION of Mercury & Saturn 25th - 28th - Mercury, Saturn, Venus Naked-eye PLANETSSunset - Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury (last week)Middle of the night - Jupiter, Mars Morning - Mars LUNAR CYCLEEvening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 5th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 12th (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night)Last Quarter Moon – 20th (Visible midnight into the morning)Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)New Moon – 27th (darkest skies)LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS The Moon will be traveling across the sky as normal, passing by some planets at particular times. 1st - 2nd - Saturn has dipped below Venus in the sunset sky by about 12°, and a very thin crescent Moon joins in on the 1st, within 3° of Venus. Then, on Feb 2nd, the Moon, Venus, and Saturn make a string of objects just after sunset in the SW.6th - Find the Waxing Gibbous Moon just about 5° above bright Jupiter moving West throughout the night, setting just before 3:30am.9th - The Moon will start out the night just 2˚ from Mars, moving further away throughout the night, setting around 6am.And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailSocial Media LinksFull text available at the Cosmos Safari BlogJanuary 2025 is a PLANETARY month! Mars gets big, Mars gets occulted, Mars gets outshined by Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter, then Venus and Saturn pass right by each other, and a brief but intense meteor shower shows up. Hi everybody, I’m Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  We’ll start by talking about January’s big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me.  BIG EVENTS2nd - 3rd – Quadrantid Meteor Shower13th - Occultation of Mars15th - Opposition of Mars 17th - 18th - CONJUNCTION of Venus & Saturn Naked-eye PLANETSSunset - Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, MarsMiddle of the night - Jupiter, MarsMorning - Mars, MercuryLUNAR CYCLEEvening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 6th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 13th (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night)Last Quarter Moon – 21st (Visible midnight into the morning)Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)New Moon – 29th (darkest skies)LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS The Moon will be traveling across the sky as normal, passing by some planets at particular times. 3rd - Thin Waxing Crescent left of Venus by 3°, SW sky after sunset, starting 30° above the horizon, sets around 8:30pm.  Saturn is also nearby, just 10° up and to the left.4th -  Slightly thicker crescent Moon about 3° up and to the left of Saturn, in the SSW after sunset, setting in the West before 10pm.  10th - Find the almost Full Moon just about 5° above bright Jupiter moving West throughout the night, setting just before 5am.13th - MORE than a close encounter, Mars will be right next to the Moon all night, except for about an hour when the Moon occults Mars.  Around Philadelphia, the occultation starts at 9:17pm, when the Moon passes right in front of Mars.  This lasts until about 10:32pm, when Mars pops back out on the other side of the Moon.31st - Feb 2nd - Moon, Saturn, VenusAnd that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailSocial Media LinksFull text available at the Cosmos Safari Blog     Get out under the stars in December of 2024 to see ALL THE PLANETS!  Especially on Christmas night.  Plus a bunch of close encounters between the Moon and those planets, and the annual Geminid meteor shower.I’m Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  And joining me today is my son, Soccorso.We’ll start by talking about this month’s big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me.  BIG EVENTS7th - Opposition of Jupiter13th – 14th – Geminid Meteor Shower21st - Winter Solstice - Longest night of the year, shortest day of the year.  25th - Christmas - FOUR PLANETS, and MORE!  Check them all out in your new telescope!Venus will still be up until about 8:30pm, in the SW. (In the scope - it’s in its half phase)Saturn is only 15° up and to the left of Venus, setting before 10:30pm. (In the scope - slightly tilted rings, and a couple of moons like Titan and Dione nearby)Jupiter. Look in the other direction (SE-ish), right above Taurus’ head for super bright  (In the scope - check for all four Galilean Moons after 8:30pm, and the great red spot later after midnight)After 7pm, Mars will be rising in the ENE between Gemini and Cancer. (In the scope - pretty small, probably just a red smudge)For an extra challenge, see if you can get Uranus and Neptune in your scope early in the night (sorry, scopes only), and then get Mercury rising low in the SE right before sunriseLUNAR CYCLENew Moon – 1st (darkest skies)Evening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 8th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 15th (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night)Last Quarter Moon – 22nd (Visible midnight into the morning)Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS 4th - VERY thin Waxing Crescent, below Venus by 3°, SW sky after sunset, less than 15° above the horizon, sets around 7:30pm7th - 8th -  First quarter Moon about 6° to the right of Saturn, in the S after sunset, setting in the West around 11pm.  On the 8th, the Moon moves to the other side of Saturn, by about 7°  14th - Find the basically Full Moon just about 5° to the left of Jupiter moving West throughout the night, setting just before sunrise.17th - Rising in the ENE after 7:30pm, the Gibbous Moon will start the night about 4˚ above Mars.  It’ll move higher into the South and toward the West as the night goes on, but the best part is at 4:45am, when Mars and the Moon are separated by only ½°.And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailSocial Media LinksFull text available at the Cosmos Safari Blog     What is gracing the November 2024 skies?  A couple occultations, a meteor shower, and a veritable parade of planets, especially on Thanksgiving. We’ll start by talking about November’s big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me.  BIG EVENTS5th - Daylight Saving Time Ends10th - Occultation of Saturn?17th - 18th – Leonid Meteor Shower27th - Occultation of Spica 28th - Thanksgiving (US) - With sunset at 4:40pm, Thanksgiving provides us a cornucopia of opportunities to show our families how awesome astronomy is. Naked-eye PLANETSSunset  - Venus, SaturnMiddle of the night - Saturn, Jupiter, Mars Morning - Jupiter, Mars LUNAR CYCLENew Moon – 1st (darkest skies)Evening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 9th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 15th (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night)Last Quarter Moon – 22nd (Visible midnight into the morning)Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS The Moon will be traveling across the sky as normal, passing by some planets at particular times. 4th - VERY thin Waxing Crescent, below Venus 4°, SW sky after sunset, less than 15° above the horizon10th -  Gibbous Moon about 2° to the right of Saturn, in the SE after sunset, setting in the West before 1:30am.  Closest (about 1/2°) around 10pm.  16th - 17th - Find the just-past-full Moon just about 10° up and to the right of Jupiter on the 16th, and just about 10° to the left of Jupiter on the 17th, moving West throughout the night, looking awesome in the West around sunrise.24th - Rising in the East after 9:30pm, the Gibbous Moon will be about 4˚ to the left of Mars, moving West until it’s almost straight above us by sunrise.And that’s the sky for this month.  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission.  And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailFull text available at the Cosmos Safari BlogWhat is gracing the September 2024 skies?  A juuuuust barely partial lunar eclipse, the best viewing for Saturn, 5 lunar close encounters, and the transition to fall.Hi everybody, I’m Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  We’ll start by talking about September’s big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me.  BIG EVENTS7th – 8th – Opposition of Saturn 17th - Just Barely Partial Lunar Eclipse 8:41pm - Penumbral Eclipse Starts10:12pm -  Partiality Starts10:44pm - Maximum Eclipse (8%)11:15pm - Partiality Ends12:47pm - Penumbral Eclipse EndsNaked-eye PLANETSSunset - VenusMiddle of the night - SaturnMorning - Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Mercury LUNAR CYCLEMorning Crescents (look East in the AM)New Moon – 3rd (darkest skies)Evening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 11th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 17th (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night)Last Quarter Moon – 24th (Visible midnight into the morning)LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS The Moon will be traveling across the sky as normal, passing by some planets at particular times. 1st - VERY thin Waning Crescent Moon 4˚ left of Mercury, after 5:15am, low in East5th - VERY thin Waxing Crescent just 6˚ left of Venus, after sunset & before 8:45pm, low in West16th - Full Moon 5˚ to the right of Saturn, after 6:30pm, SE, moves West throughout the night17th - Full Moon 10˚ to the left of Saturn, after 7:00pm, SE, moves West throughout the night22nd - First encounter with the lineup of Mars, Jupiter, Taurus, & Pleiades.  Waning Gibbous right next to the Pleiades, after 9pm, and crosses through the Pleiades before dawn23rd - Waning Gibbous Moon between the Pleiades and Jupiter, with Taurus just below,  after 10pm until dawn24th - Last Quarter Moon 7˚ left of Jupiter, and 16˚ above Mars, after 10:30pm until dawn25th - Waning Crescent Moon 5˚ above Mars, after 11:30pm until dawn, ENE26th - Waning Crescent Moon 10˚ below and to the left of Mars,  after 12:30am until dawn, ENEAnd that’s the sky for this month.  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailFull Details at Cosmos Safari Blog, quick details below:    What is gracing the August 2024 skies?  A rare conjunction of Jupiter & Mars, great conditions for the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, and all the naked-eye planets visible. BIG EVENTS11th – 12th – Perseid Meteor Shower – EXCELLENT year for the Perseids, given the first-quarter Moon sets before midnight.  In decent skies, you could watch 60 meteors per hour. Make a game of it! Get the kids counting and do a scientific meteor count14th - CONJUNCTION OF MARS & JUPITER - The morning of August 14th is the time to see Mars and Jupiter get as close as they’re going to get for a long while.  Less than half a degree apart! Look ENE after 1am, or directly East by sunrise, and see the brighter Jupiter juuuuust below the dimmer and redder Mars.  This is a GREAT binocular target, naked-eye target, and telescope target. Naked-eye PLANETSSunset Venus - Venus is slowly starting its evening apparition that’ll last until Mid-March, never getting more than 10° above the horizon, but be patient.  Look W and low on the horizon.   Middle of the night Saturn - In the beginning of the month, Saturn rises in the East around 10:30pm, earlier every day, until it rises on the 31st just after 8pm.  The later you stay up and the later in the month it is, the higher it’ll get, up to 45°, and the further South and West it’ll go.MorningJupiter, Mars, Saturn – Starting out the month, at sunrise, Jupiter and Mars are about 45° above the ESE horizon. Saturn is just about directly SW, 30° up the sky.  By the end of August, Mars and Jupiter switch positions (conjunction on the 14th). Oh, and let’s add Mercury to the list here, but only the last 2 days of the month, where it’s 14° above the Eastern horizon at sunrise.  Go out around 5:30am, look East, and see if you can find the dim planet, below the waning crescent Moon.LUNAR CYCLEMorning Crescents New Moon – 4th Evening Crescents First Quarter Moon – 12th Evening Gibbous Full Moon – 19th Waning GibbousLast Quarter Moon – 26thLUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS 5th - VERY thin Waxing Crescent just above Venus, Mercury down to the left, NNW just after sunset, less than 10° above the horizon6th - Still thin Waxing Crescent up and to the left of Venus, West, about 10° above the horizon20th - Less than a degree below Saturn, after 9pm25th - First encounter with the lineup of Mars, Jupiter, Taurus, & Pleiades.  Waning Gibbous up and to right of these, after midnight and into the morning26th - Last Quarter Moon just below the Pleiades, well above Jupiter, after midnight and into the morning27th - Moon 6° above Jupiter, after 1am and into the morning, Mars down and left of Jupiter28th - Moon 6° directly left of Mars, after 1am and into the morningAnd that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailJuly’s fireworks include Saturn coming back around closer to being an evening planet, Mercury and Venus dancing low in the evenings, and some magic between the Moon and Spica.Naked-eye PLANETSSunset Mercury, Venus - Finally a little excitement in the evenings.  Mercury will be around 10-15° above the W horizon all month right at sunset, challenging you to find it in the glare of the setting Sun.  If you don’t find it this month, you’ll have to wait until some mornings in August.  Venus, on the other hand starts its evening apparition that’ll last until Mid-March.  It won’t get any higher than 10° at sunset this month, so it’ll be challenging you as well, but should be a little easier than Mercury, given its brightness.  Again, look W, but about 10° to the right of Mercury.  Use these next 9 months and your telescope to watch Venus go through its phases.  It’s almost full right now, will then go half, crescent, and then pass between the Sun and Earth in March. Middle of the night Saturn - You’ll still have to stay up late this month to catch it, but we’re getting closer to the ringed planet being visible all night.  In the beginning of the month, Saturn rises in the East around 12:30am, earlier every day, until it rises on the 31st just after 10pm.  The later you stay up and the later in the month it is, the higher it’ll get up to 45°, and the further South and West it’ll go, but always gorgeous through the scope with its rings just about edge-on.MorningJupiter, Mars, Saturn – Jupiter and Mars get closer together, as Saturn moves far away from the both of them. LUNAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS 1st - Waning Crescent Moon is just above Mars in the AM3rd - Up and to the left of Jupiter in the AM6th - Above Venus, to the left of Mercury, NNW just after sunset7th - Above Mercury, NNW just after sunset24th - To the right of Saturn, after 11pm, waning gibbous25th - To the left of Saturn, after 11pm, waning gibbous30th - Above Mars and Jupiter, ENE after 2am, waning crescent31st - Left of Jupiter, ENE after 2am, waning crescent13th – Lunar Occultation of Spica – Not so common to be able to see a star stop shining and then start back up again…sort of. Check https://is.gd/july2024spica for timings for your area, but the gist is that North and Central America, particularly on the Eastern side, will be able to watch Spica wink out as the dark side of the Moon crosses in front of it.  As an example, if you live near Harrisburg, PA, look WSW for the Moon after 11pm.  Right around 11:24pm Spica will disappear.  Unfortunately, this happens only about 10° above the horizon, leaving the reappearance invisible to us.  Reappearance will be visible before the Moon hits the horizon if you live approximately west of the Mississippi.And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan Mail     With April being SUCH a packed month of events that were dependent on precise timing, May brings us reliable sights with slow-rolling changes. Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and the Moon all dance in the morning twilight all month as we gear up for Spring and Summer constellations. Naked-eye PLANETSSunset - NoneThroughout the night - NoneMorning - Saturn, Mars, Mercury – These three planets start the month off pretty close to each other.  Saturn is up in the SE, with Mars about 15° to the left, and Mercury about 15° to the left of that, very low on the horizon.  Through the month, Saturn moves far to the right, and Mercury to the left.  On the 31st, they are 30° away from each other. EVENTSLast Quarter Moon – 1st (Visible midnight into the morning)Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)New Moon – 7th (darkest skies)Evening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 15th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 23rd (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night)Last Quarter Moon – 30th (Visible midnight into the morning) 2nd - 6th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Saturn, Mars, Mercury – Get out between 5:00am and 6:00am and get a very clear look at the Eastern horizon.  During that hour, you should be able to see the Moon as a VERY thin crescent.  On the 2nd, the Moon will be to the right of the planets, which, moving from right to left, are Saturn, Mars, and Mercury, each about 15° apart from each other.  Each day the Moon will move to the left about 12° toward and then through the planets. On the 3rd, it will be closer, but still to the right of Saturn. On the 4th, right in between Mars and Saturn. 5th, between Mars and Mercury, and right next to Mercury on the 6th.  You’ll need some very clear views to pick up all of the planets, but it is doable.31st – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Saturn – Only 1­° apart! You’ll be able to fit your pinky in between Saturn and the 3rd quarter Moon this night.  Just look SE, find the Moon, and Saturn will be right above it. And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailSocial Media LinksApril of 2024: Finally the month of the eclipse! A wonderful experience for North America, the Lyrid Meteor Shower, and lots of planetary action makes April of 2024 one of THE best months in a LONG time.Naked-eye PLANETSSunsetJupiter – LAST CALL FOR JUPITER!  SUPER bright in the SW, about 30˚ up in the sky, setting before 10:30pm at the beginning of April, but sinking all the way down to being lost in the twilight by month’s end. MorningMars, Saturn, (Mercury?) – On the 1st, Saturn will be about 10˚ above the ESE horizon, and Mars about 5˚ up and to the right of that.  The challenge will be how bright the sky gets at sunrise at 6:50am and how low the planets are.  But, as the month goes by, Mars will stay relatively the same distance from the Sun, while Saturn moves to the right, and passes Mars on the 10th.  Eventually, on the 30th, Saturn will be 20˚ above the horizon at sunrise, with Mars 12˚ to the left, and perhaps an appearance of Mercury 17˚ left and down from Mars.  The clearer your view, the better your chances. EVENTS 5th - 6th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Mars, Saturn– Get out between 5:30am and 6:30am and get a very clear look at the ESE horizon.  During that hour, you should be able to see the Moon as a VERY thin crescent, with Saturn bright and 14 ̊ to the left of the Moon, with Mars up and to the right of Saturn a little bit.  Then, on the 6th, the Moon will move to be below both Saturn and Mars, making a thin triangle.8th – TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE – We’re going to skip over that, not because it’s not important.  I’ve been preparing for it for 6 years now.  But we’ve had PLENTY of coverage of it so far and there are better places to give you more information that you’re looking for.  In fact, I’ll link some videos I’ve created or participated in for better info.10th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Mars, Saturn – Get out again between 5:30am and 6:30am and get a very clear look at the ESE.  Mars and Saturn will be as close as they’re gonna get, about ½˚ apart, with Mars on top. It’ll be tough to see, all that more rewarding when you do. 10th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Jupiter – Get out after sunset, look W, and the Moon will be only 4˚ to the right of Jupiter.  22nd – LYRID METEOR SHOWER – At only 10-20 meteors per hour, it is a minor shower, and we have essentially a Full Moon to get massively in the way of observing.  The shower is greatest on the 22nd, but you might see some on the 21st and 23rd as well.  All you need to know to prep for the 2024 Eclipse (in Lancaster County)S2 E1 Preparing For The Eclipse - Cosmos Safari Podcast - Presented by Celestron And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan Mail Last Minute Astronomer March 2024Social Media LinksMarch of 2024: Spring will start, Venus gets real close to Saturn, Jupiter is on its way out, and the mornings tease us with some challenging encounters between 3 planets.  I’m Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  As usual, we’ll start by talking about where the naked eye planets are this month, move on to the lunar phases, and finish up with a calendar of events, so you can plan ahead better than me.  Naked-eye PLANETSSunsetJupiter – SUPER bright in the SW, about halfway up the sky, setting before 11pm.  Just find the brightest point of light in that direction, and you’ve got it.  By month’s end, it’ll only be 30˚ above the W horizon and set around 10pm.MorningMars, Saturn, Venus – MAYBE by March 31st, you’ll be able to see all three of these planets in the morning before sunrise.  On the 31st, Venus (the brightest) will be 5˚ above the horizon, Saturn about 5˚ up and to the right, and Mars about 5˚ up and to the right of that.  The challenge will be how bright the sky gets at sunrise at 6:50am and how low the planets are. EVENTS7th - 8th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Venus, Mars – Get out between 5:30am and 6:30am and get a very clear look at the SE horizon.  During that hour, you should be able to see the Moon as a VERY thin crescent, with Venus very bright and 20˚ to the left of the Moon on the 7th.  It’ll probably be too bright, but Mars will be in between the two, a little closer to Venus. Then, on the 8th, the Moon will move to be below Venus and Mars, making a very nice almost equilateral triangle.13th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Jupiter – Get out after sunset, look W, and the Moon will be only 3˚ to the right of Jupiter.  20th – Spring Equinox - Astronomically the first day of Spring, even though meteorologically Spring starts in the beginning of March.  Here’s some more info. 22nd – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Saturn, Venus – Just after 6:30am, if you can catch Venus rising in the East, Saturn will be less than 2˚ to the right.25th – Penumbral Lunar Eclipse – Only a very slight dimming of the Moon. And that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailJanuary of 2024  has some slight changes to Saturn and Jupiter in the sky, 4 visible naked-eye planets, and a couple of close encounters.Naked-eye PLANETSSunsetSaturn – Starts off January about 30˚ above the horizon in the SW, and sinks to about 15˚ by month’s end. Fairly dim, but still brighter than all the stars around it.Jupiter – SUPER bright in the SSE, about halfway up the sky.  Just find the brightest point of light in that direction, and you’ve got it.   Throughout the nightSaturn & Jupiter – With Saturn starting about 30˚ above the horizon in the SW and Jupiter in the SE, these two march westward through the night.  Saturn sets in the West around 9:30pm at the beginning of the month and 7:30 at the end.  Jupiter sets in the West around 2:30am at the beginning of the month, 12:30am at the end. MorningVenus – Venus again is on its slow, slinky, sinking way out.  Getting lower and lower every morning, as it orbits behind the Sun, with Earth trailing it.  Probably too low to see starting February, and not really visible in the evening until maybe July.  But this month, between 4:30am and 5:30am, Venus will be above the horizon, rising to about 20˚ above the horizon by sunrise, in the beginning of the month, 10˚ at the end.  Brilliant, brighter than everything around it.Mercury – Barely visible the first 2 weeks of January.  Get out between 6am and 7:30am, and look SE.  Find super bright Venus, and then down and to the left, about halfway toward the horizon (15˚), is Mercury.  You’ll need a very clear and low horizon. Last Quarter Moon – 3rd (Visible midnight into the morning)Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)New Moon – 11th (darkest skies)Evening Crescents First Quarter Moon – 17th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 25th (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous  7th - 9th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Venus, Mercury – The main catch here is a very thin crescent Moon and bright Venus, but Mercury is also around, but very low and hard to see.  Get out around 6am and find a very clear view of the SE.  If you can see below Venus, you’re probably good.  On the 7th, the Moon will be up and to the right of Venus about 16˚, with Mercury down and to the left of Venus about the same distance.  The next morning, the 8th, the Moon will have moved to be about 7˚ down and to the right of Venus.  Technically, you might be able to catch the Moon on the morning of the 9th, but it will be quite difficult without the clearest of horizons after 6:30am.  The Moon, Mercury, and Venus will make a beautiful triangle. 13th - 14th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Saturn – Get out after sunset, look SW, and the Moon will be about 8˚ below Saturn.  Then on the 14th, the Moon will be roughly on the opposite side of Saturn.18th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Jupiter – The Moon is only about 3˚ above bright JupiterAnd that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission. 

Send us Fan MailSome slight changes to Saturn and Jupiter in the sky, the start of a big change for Venus, and even more rocks fall from the sky this December here on the Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  Let’s start by talking about the naked eye planets visible this month, the lunar phases, and then the meteor shower and other events, so you can plan ahead better than me. Naked-eye PLANETSSunsetSaturn – About 30˚ to 35˚ above the horizon in the South. Fairly dim, but still brighter than all the stars around it.Jupiter – SUPER bright in the SouthEast, about halfway up the sky.  Just find the brightest point of light in that direction, and you’ve got it.  Throughout the nightSaturn & Jupiter – With Saturn starting about 30˚ above the horizon in the South and Jupiter in the East, these two march westward through the night.  Saturn sets in the West around 11pm at the beginning of the month and 9:30 at the end.  Jupiter sets in the West around 4:30am at the beginning of the month, 2am at the end.MorningVenus – Venus is on its way out!  Getting lower and lower every morning, as it orbits behind the Sun, with Earth trailing it.  Probably too low to see starting February, and not really visible in the evening until maybe July.  But this month, between 3:30am and 4:30am, Venus will be above the horizon, rising to about 30˚ above the horizon by sunrise, in the beginning of the month, 20˚ at the end.  Brilliant, brighter than everything around it.LUNAR PHASESLast Quarter Moon – 5th (Visible midnight into the morning)Morning Crescents (look East in the AM)New Moon – 12th (darkest skies)Evening Crescents (look West after Sunset)First Quarter Moon – 19th (Visible until midnight)Evening Gibbous (Mostly lit, after Sunset)Full Moon – 26th (Visible all night)Waning Gibbous (Mostly lit, rises later at night)EVENTS9th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Venus – The Waning Crescent Moon is 4˚ away from Venus.  Visible in the East by 4am until the sun rises. 13th – 14th – Geminid Meteor Shower – A VERY good year for this shower, as there is only a thin crescent Moon which sets early.  So get out there and take advantage of the possible 100 meteors per hour!  When? Really, any time of the night is good, though the closer you are to dawn on the 14th, the better.But be well prepared…Commit yourself to staying out at least 20 minutes.Find a dark location and lie down in a reclining chair or hammockCheck the weather to see if the skies will be clear Adapt your eyes to the dark by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.  You never know when a nice meteor will burn up, to take a nice look at the sky in general17th – CLOSE ENCOUNTER – Moon, Saturn – The Moon is just 3˚ below Saturn.  Visible toward the South after sunset, setting in the SW around 10pm.21st – Winter Solstice - The longest night and shortest day of the yeaAnd that’s the sky for this month!  If you find this advance notice of the night sky helpful, please support this work by finding Last Minute Astronomer on Patreon, and don’t forget to follow Last Minute Astronomer on Facebook and Instagram.  Till next month, I’m the Last Minute Astronomer wishing you fruitful plans and clear skies. Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission.