SUNSET: 
Fall Begins with Equinox on September 22nd
At 12:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, September 22nd, fall begins in Earth's Northern Hemisphere — astronomically speaking. That's when the Sun passes over Earth's equator heading south.
Astro News Briefs: August 30–September 5
Fred Whipple (1906–2004) and Beagle 2's Postmortem
Astro News Briefs: August 16–22
Two New Moons for Saturn August 18, 2004 | Saturn's family just got a little bigger. While examining Cassini images on his laptop computer during vacation, Sebastien Charnoz (University of Paris) discovered two small Saturnian moons, raising the ringed planet's tally to 33. The moons, temporarily designated S/2004 S 1…
Astro News Briefs: August 2–8
MARSIS Delayed August 4, 2004 | Europe's Mars Express orbiter completed its formal scientific commissioning on June 3rd, but the mission has run into a problem with one of its main science instruments. The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) was set to use long radio waves…
Sunspots Visible
After weeks of having a face free of large blemishes, the Sun now sports a Jupiter-sized spot, large enough to be visible without magnification if you use a safe solar filter.
Is the July 31st Full Moon Really "Blue"?
Is July 31st full Moon, the second one in the month, really a Blue Moon?
Blue Moon to Rise on July 31st
July 27, 2004 Contacts: Roger W. Sinnott, Senior Editor 855-638-5388 x146, [email protected] Richard Tresch Fienberg, Editor in Chief 855-638-5388 x144, [email protected] Note to Editors/Producers: This release is accompanied by a publication-quality photograph; see details below. On Saturday evening, July 31st, a full Moon will rise for the second time…
Astro News Briefs: July 5–11
Mount Graham Fire Stabilizes July 9, 2004 | The wildfire threatening the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) at Mount Graham, Arizona came within 650 meters of the observatory on July 6th, but firefighters halted its progress by carrying out a controlled burn ahead of the fire's path. Now, the worst seems…
Astronomers Unravel Marathon Mystery
Runners at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, will retrace one of the most famous runs in history. But when did the Battle of Marathon and the ensuing race really occur?
Astronomers Unravel Marathon Mystery
If you received a press release concerning the date of the Battle of Marathon and the ensuing run to Athens, please be advised that the online version of the release — complete with two publication-quality illustrations and captions — will appear here at 2 a.m. EDT on July 19th, when…
Two Comets Head North
Early in June midnorthern observers can see Comet NEAT high in the western evening sky at about 4th magnitude and LINEAR emerging low in the west-southwest a little past its prime.
Worldwide Astronomical Community Expresses Sympathy for September 11th Tragedy
Letters from around the globe.
Five Planets In a Twilight Sky
Until early April, all five planets that are ever visible to the unaided eye shine at once during dusk.
Solstice Signals a New Season
On Sunday evening, June 20th, the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky for the year, marking the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Astro Image in the News:
Venus Transit in a New Light
Hydrogen-alpha light provided a new view of the Venus transit.
Venus Has Its Day in the Sun
A fog bank created a natural solar filter for this image of the just-risen Sun over Cambridge, Massachusetts. Venus is clearly visible under the clouds, as seen in this image taken through a 70-millimeter refractor.Courtesy Jessica Dawn Tytell. People all over the world watched Venus pass in front of the…
Venus to "Eclipse" Sun for First Time in 122 Years
On June 8th the planet Venus will pass directly across the face of the Sun. It's an astronomical event so rare that no one now alive has ever seen one.
