Sky Wise

That Bright Star in the Western Sky

Picture Credit:  NASA

I get this question almost daily right now.  Shrouded in cloud, a poisonous atmosphere and temperatures close to the melting point of lead, Venus is an example of the Greenhouse Effect gone crazy.  When you look in the west after sunset tonight, you will see this planet shining brighter than any other "star-like" object.  For Venus, it's all reflected light.  Our Sun's rays bounce off the highly reflective clouds to make the planet a bright jewel in our skies.  This image is taken in ultraviolet light to reveal cloud patterns but to the naked eye Venus appears featureless.

International Sidewalk Astronomy Night Update

Last Saturday, amateur astronomers around the world brought out their telescopes and showed views of the Moon, Venus, Saturn and other celestial objects to the general public. The first video we received was from our astronomer friends in Byron Bay, Australia.  They submitted their video on-line to AstroShorts.com.

Another Earthlike Planet

An exciting discovery was announced recently by a team of international astronomers with the European Southern University. Gliese 581C is a planet just a little bit bigger than the Earth and it resides in its star's "Goldilocks Zone" where life could exist.  The planet orbits a Red Dwarf star only 20.5 light years away.  I produced this clip for AstroShorts.com.

Volcanoes in Space, NEAF and Life

Image Credit: NASAJHUAPL

The New Horizons spacecraft took this incredible picture of Jupiter's moon IO recently.  See the volcanic plume at the top of the moon?  Io is massaged by the planet Jupiter as the little moon's orbit takes it closer and then further away.

The New Horizons spacecraft is on its way to Pluto and is scheduled to arrive in the summer of 2015.

I've been a little tardy with my posts lately.  A lot has been happening.  First there was International Astronomy Day and then the North East Astronomical Forum which takes place in Suffern, New York.  I went down with my friend Casey to interview participants and record the event for everyone.  Soon we'll have some video ready to air on AstroShorts.com.