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Articles by Angela Ridgeway
You “Woodn’t” Want to Miss the Beaver Moon, Last Supermoon of 2024
By Serena Whitfield Skywatchers can see the next full Moon, the Beaver Moon, on Nov. 15, starting at 4:29 p.m. EST. This Moon is extra special as it’s the final Supermoon of 2024, meaning the Moon will appear bigger and brighter than usual. The term “supermoon” was coined in 1979 and occurs when a full Moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth. The Moon doesn’t orbit in a perfect circle.
Orionids Meteor Showers May Offer Treat for Stargazers
By Wayne Smith From a total solar eclipse in April to a partial lunar eclipse of September’s Harvest Moon, 2024 has been sweet for skywatchers – professionals and amateurs alike. And just in time for Halloween, stargazers can anticipate another treat in the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 20 and 21 thanks to the Orionids Meteor Showers. That is unless the Moon or cloudy skies don’t provide too many tricks.
Ancient Oort Cloud Comet to Make First Documented Pass By Earth in Mid-October
An ancient celestial traveler will make its first close pass by Earth in mid-October. Mark those calendars – because it might not be back. The Oort Cloud comet, called C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, was discovered in 2023, approaching the inner solar system on its highly elliptical orbit for the first time in documented human history.
Harvest Moon Will Bring Partial Lunar Eclipse on Sept. 17
By Wayne Smith Ahh, fall is almost upon us. Autumn officially begins Sept. 23 and for many, it will mean cooler temperatures – a welcome reprieve from the summer heat. Fall also brings football, pumpkins, and a Harvest Moon to watch for in the sky. Save the date of Tuesday, Sept. 17. With a clear sky, people in the Northern Hemisphere will see a partial lunar eclipse, making the full supermoon on Sept. 17 extra super.
NASA to host International Observe the Moon Night 2024
Everyone everywhere is invited to join fellow sky-watchers Saturday, Sept. 14, for International Observe the Moon Night – a worldwide public event encouraging observation, appreciation, and understanding of the Moon and its connection to NASA exploration and discovery. This celebration of the Moon has been held annually since 2010, and this year NASA’s Planetary Missions Program Office will host an event at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville, Alabama.
Betelgeuse! Betelgeuse! Betelgeuse! Stargazers Won’t See Ghosts but Supergiant Star for Spooky Season
Stargazers seeking familiar points of interest in the night sky are likely to point out Betelgeuse, the red supergiant star sometimes identified as “the shoulder of Orion.” Even some 400-600 light-years distant, it’s typically one of the brightest stars visible in the night sky, and the brightest of all in the infrared spectrum. Fewer space enthusiasts may know that Betelgeuse’s nickname may have been mistranslated from the Arabic phrase Ibṭ al-Jauzā’ in the 13th century.
Six Planets to be Visible Before Dawn June 3
On June 3, stargazers will have an opportunity to look for six planets in Earth’s solar system. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will appear, from some dark, weather-free vantage points on Earth, to form a more-or-less straight line in the night sky – but it’ll take some optical assistance to see them all. The alignment is a bit of an illusion, astronomers are quick to point out, given the widely varying elliptical path of each planet’s orbit around the Sun.
Eta Aquariids Outburst This Weekend – Next One in 2046 - Watch the Skies
The eta Aquariid meteor shower should put on a spectacular sky show this year with meteor rates up to one per minute! The typical peak viewing time would normally be the night of May 4 into the morning of May 5. However, due to the outburst, May 2-6 could provide excellent skygazing opportunities.
Enjoy the Warming Weather Under These 3 Upcoming Meteor Showers
Still basking in that post-eclipse celestial glow? We’ve got great news – there is plenty of reasons to look up again and we are here to share in the skywatching excitement as meteor showers top the upcoming headlines. It’s been a quiet few months for meteors, but the Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight April 21-22. Unfortunately, the Moon will be at greater than 90% waxing gibbous so a lot of light interference will outshine the fainter meteors.
When and How to Spot the ‘Devil Comet’
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is one of the brightest known periodic comets. It earned the nickname of “devil comet” in 2023 when an outburst caused the comet to have an asymmetrical appearance, like having horns. It comes around every 71 years and is currently getting brighter as it flies toward the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, the comet is best viewed with binoculars or a small telescope – right after the Sun dips below the horizon, look West just beneath the Moon, and just right of Jupiter.
March’s Lunar Eclipse Before April’s Solar Spectacle
April’s solar eclipse has stolen the headlines for many months now, and rightfully so with millions of Americans in the path of totality. But did you know there is also a lunar eclipse before the solar eclipse? As the full moon rises during the late evening of March 24 into the early morning hours of March 25, it will travel through the Earth’s penumbra, or the faint outer part of its shadow. This is called a penumbral eclipse.
View Nova Explosion, ‘New’ Star in Northern Crown
A star system, located 3,000 light-years away from Earth, is predicted to become visible to the unaided eye soon. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity as the nova ouburst only occurs about every 80 years. T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, last exploded in 1946 and astronomers believe it will do so again between February and September 2024. The star system, normally magnitude +10, which is far too dim to see with the unaided eye, will jump to magnitude +2 during the event.
Mars, Venus Appear Very Close to Each Other this Month
February is a great month for the early rising skygazers. Venus has been bright in the morning sky all year, rising just before the Moon. In the minutes before dawn this week, Venus will rise to the upper left of the waning crescent Moon and will be joined by Mars. Over the coming weeks, Venus will shift towards Mars until they appear to merge into one another, just a half a degree apart, on Feb. 22.
2024 Highlights: When & Where to Watch the Skies
If your New Year’s resolution included more skygazing, you’ll have many fantastic opportunities to view some showstopping astronomical events. Kick off the year by watching the skies on Jan. 17 as the Moon pairs up with Jupiter, appearing high in the southwest, for two evenings. After a near year-long fade from the naked eye, Mars is also becoming brighter in our sky as the month progresses and will be visible low on the eastern horizon before sunrise.
Gorgeously Green: Geminids Peak Next Week
The Geminid meteor shower is active for much of December, but the peak occurs the night of the 13th into the morning of the 14th. Meteor rates in rural areas can be upwards of one per minute this year with minimal moonlight to interfere. Bill Cooke, lead for the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, shares why the Geminids particularly excite him: “Most meteors appear to be colorless or white, however the Geminids appear with a greenish hue.
Spooky Season of the Skies
The NASA All-sky Fireball Network is a network of cameras set up by the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) with the goal of observing the brightest meteors called fireballs. However, sometimes creepy, crawly, spooky, strange, and mysterious images also get picked up by their cameras. Do you see the jack-o-lantern in the clouds? Long-legged creepy crawler. Hooded visitor of the night? Not all tree frogs live in trees. Broomstick convention or birds? I bet those talons could grab a lot of candy.
The Solar Eclipse Experience
On Oct. 14, 2023, and April 8, 2024, the entire United States and millions around the world will be able to view a solar eclipse. There are three different kinds of solar eclipses: total, annular, and partial. When the Moon is far from the Earth, its size is too small to completely cover the Sun, thus an annular eclipse is observed, like what is expected on Oct. 14, 2023.
Coming Soon: A “Ring of Fire” in the Sky
On Oct. 14, 2023, an annular total solar eclipse will be visible to millions across the globe as it sweeps through the skies of the northwestern United States through Mexico and Central America and into South America, exiting the continent in Brazil. Even if you are not in the path of annularity, you will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse if weather conditions are right.
Saturn Shines This Week - 3 Ways to View the Planet’s Opposition
Saturn will be located directly opposite of the Sun – at opposition – on August 26-27, 2023, as the Earth orbits between the two. From our vantage point, the Sun’s illumination will allow Saturn to appear bigger and brighter in the sky in the weeks leading up to and after the opposition. In fact, Saturn remains visible until February 2024, so don’t worry if your local weather doesn’t cooperate with your viewing plans on any particular day.
Best Meteor Shower of the Year Peaks This Weekend
The NASA All Sky Fireball Network is already detecting the first meteors of this year’s Perseid meteor shower! The meteor shower peaks on the night of August 12 as the Earth passes through the dustiest debris of comet Swift-Tuttle’s trails. The Perseid meteor shower is often considered to be the best meteor shower of the year due to its high rates and pleasant late-summer temperatures.
Venus’s Brilliance Begins July’s Celestial Celebration
Fireworks won’t be the only bright objects lighting the sky this month. The next full moon will appear on the morning of Monday, July 3, although it will seem full for up to three days. The July full moon is also called the “Full Buck Moon,” according to the Farmers’ Almanac, as this is the time of year when male deer antlers are in full growth.
Welcome June with a Full Strawberry Moon and Summer Solstice
Sky enthusiasts, start off summer by witnessing two extraordinary celestial events in June – the Full Strawberry Moon and the summer solstice. These events hold both historical and cultural significance. The Full Strawberry Moon, depending on one’s time zone, will illuminate the night sky on June 3. Although the exact moment of full moon occurs when the Moon is opposite the Earth from the Sun, its full appearance will extend for about a day before and after the event.
May’s Sky Show: Top Planetary Events to Observe in May
May is a great month for stargazing with a host of celestial events happening in the morning and evening skies. On May 17, a slim crescent moon will rise about an hour before the Sun. From much of the United States and Canada, you’ll be able to see Jupiter appearing very close to the Moon. In some southern U.S. states, Jupiter will pass behind the Moon as the pair rises in morning twilight. From western states, Jupiter will be behind the Moon, in occultation, as the duo rise.
The eta Aquariid Meteor Shower Outburst to Peak the Night of May 4-5
The eta Aquariid meteor shower is active throughout April and May, peaking in the pre-dawn hours of May 5. This year could be particularly impressive as an outburst year with 120-160 meteors per hour expected. “A meteor shower is like a normal rain shower, with 50-60 meteors per hour,” said Bill Cooke, lead of NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Heads Up! Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks April 22-23
This year’s Lyrid meteor shower will peak in the predawn hours of April 23. On average, the shower can produce up to 15 meteors per hour under ideal viewing conditions. The Lyrids occur every year in mid-April, when Earth crosses the trail of debris left by the Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. These bits of comet burn up when they hit Earth’s atmosphere and produce this shower of shooting stars.
LCMH make changes to visiting policy
The Lawrence County Memorial Hospital has announced some changes to the visitor policy guidelines. The medical/surgical floor visiting hours will remain the same, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and there is no longer a two person at a time limit. No visitors under the age of 12 years of age will be allowed on the medical/surgical floor. COVID patients can not have any visitors. All visitors must continue to follow the hospital screening and masking guidelines.
American Legion offering scholarships
The American Legion Auxiliary 28 is offering several scholarships and contest opportunities to students. The Ada Muckelstone Memorial Scholarship is for graduating high school seniors, children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren of veterans who served in the Armed Forces during WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada and Lebanon, Panama Canal or Persian Gulf. Applicants must be a resident of Illinois or a member in good standing of the American Legion Family.
Sumner receives EPA grant for water lines
Sumner will be receiving an Environmental Protection Agency grant in the amount of $25,200. The EPA announced that 48 communities across Illinois will receive the Lead Service Line Inventory grants that range from $20,000-$50,000. The grant coincides with the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act and requires owners and operators of community water supplies to submit a complete water service line material inventory for the EPA to approve in April.
Oblong police warn of scammers
Scammers are on the prowl again in Oblong. During the past several months, Oblong residents have noticed a rise of incidents involving individuals knocking on doors or ringing door bells looking for small jobs to do around resident’s homes. The individuals are asking for the work in exchange for money. Oblong Police Chief Colton Williamson, said that is not against the law, however, the situation can escalate and turn into harassment or intimidation.
Data program will help planning services
The State of Illinois is collecting data on children ages birth to five year to help with planning future services for children. Illinois has a goal of becoming the best state in the nation for families raising young children by improving and expanding the delivery of child care and early learning programs.
Murbarger gets 50 years
Brody Murbarger was sentenced Friday for killing his former girlfriend, Megan Nichols in 2014. Brody Murbarger was sentenced Friday for killing his former girlfriend, Megan Nichols in 2014. Murbarger received a 50 year sentence to the Illinois Department of Corrections by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Michael Molt, following an hour long deliberation by the jury.
The 2022 Geminids Meteor Shower Is Approaching
The cosmos’ annual gift to sky watchers, the Geminids Meteor shower, will peak on Dec. 13-14 this year. During peak activity and perfect weather conditions, which are rare, the Geminids produce approximately 100-150 meteors per hour for viewing. However, this year a waning gibbous moon will make it harder to view most of the shower, resulting in only 30-40 visible meteors per hour at the peak in the Northern Hemisphere, depending on sky conditions.
Last Chance to See Total Lunar Eclipse Until 2025!
For the second time in 2022, stargazers will have the opportunity to view a total lunar eclipse on Nov. 8. At least a portion of the phenomenon will be visible throughout eastern Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and North America. The previous total lunar eclipse happened in May. According to Alphonse Sterling, astrophysicist from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, total lunar eclipses occur approximately once every 1.5 years on average.
September Equinox Marks the Start of Fall 2022
Complemented by cooler temperatures and falling leaves, the September equinox marks the beginning of the fall season for the Northern Hemisphere. This year’s autumnal equinox (for the Northern Hemisphere) or spring equinox (for the Southern Hemisphere) occurs on Sept. 22 at 8:04 p.m. CDT.
Jupiter to Reach Opposition, Closest Approach to Earth in 59 Years!
Stargazers can expect excellent views of Jupiter the entire night of Monday, Sept. 26 when the giant planet reaches opposition. From the viewpoint of Earth’s surface, opposition happens when an astronomical object rises in the east as the Sun sets in the west, placing the object and the Sun on opposite sides of Earth. Jupiter’s opposition occurs every 13 months, making the planet appear larger and brighter than any other time of the year. But that’s not all.
Saturn to Reach Opposition Aug. 14
Saturn will have one of its best viewing opportunities of the year in the period surrounding Sunday, Aug. 14. Or it would, if the nearly Full Moon doesn’t spoil our fun. On that date, Saturn will reach opposition – the point where it lies directly opposite the Sun in our night sky – around midnight local time for most stargazers, with the constellation Capricornus behind it. Saturn will be visible for much of the night, rising above the southeastern horizon and lingering high in the southern sky.
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