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Articles by Geoff Chester
October’s sky puts on a show: The moon hides Jupiter, and Saturn shines
October brings a changing cast of characters to the night sky. Summer constellations gradually slip westward, while winter’s bright stars begin climbing above the eastern horizon as midnight approaches. The nights are also growing longer. DC loses more than an hour of daylight during October, leaving roughly 10½ hours between sunrise and sunset by Halloween—and more time to enjoy the celestial sights. The month begins with the moon waning in the morning sky, reaching its third-quarter phase Oct. 3.
Photos: Moon hides Jupiter in a spectacular early-morning show
Early risers had a special treat Tuesday morning, when the waning crescent moon passed in front of Jupiter, briefly hiding the giant planet from view. Astronomers call this an occultation. For observers in the DC area, Jupiter began disappearing behind the moon’s bright edge around 4:20 a.m. Eastern time and reappeared from behind its dark edge around 5:24 a.m. Jupiter with the moons Io (right) and Ganymede (left) early Tuesday, imaged through a telescope.
The Harvest Moon is coming. Here’s what makes it special
The Harvest Moon is, among other things, the inspiration for the well-known song penned in 1908 for the Ziegfeld Follies and popularized by scores of artists ever since. (My personal favorite is Leon Redbone’s rendition.) It’s the popular name for the first full Moon of autumn, widely recognized across the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. But it’s more than just a name: The Harvest Moon is associated with a phenomenon that occurs only around this time of year.
September is my favorite month for stargazing. The haze and humidity of summer are swept away by cooler evenings, summer’s major constellations are well-placed for viewing in the early evening, and the brilliant constellations of winter dominate the early morning hours. And I don’t quite need to break out the Polartec outerwear and heated boots to enjoy a night of observing. As the month opens, the Moon wanes in the morning sky, reaching its third-quarter phase on the morning of the 4th.
The full Moon will nearly disappear into Earth’s shadow Thursday night during a deep partial lunar eclipse. At mid-eclipse, about 95 percent of the Moon’s disc will be inside Earth’s dark central shadow. Skywatchers across nearly the entire U.S., except extreme western Alaska, will be able to see the eclipse. Unlike solar eclipses, which are visible from relatively limited areas of Earth’s surface, lunar eclipses can be seen across an entire hemisphere.
Photos: DC-area skywatchers catch a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse
Between 1:18 and 2:27 p.m. Wednesday, the DC area was treated to a partial solar eclipse. At the maximum eclipse, at 1:53 p.m., the moon obscured just 3.5 percent of the sun. To see the total solar eclipse, you needed to travel to the east coast of Greenland, western Iceland or northern Spain. Eclipse viewed from Alexandria, Virginia at around 2:06 p.m. through a hole in the clouds.
Wednesday brings a solar eclipse by day, Perseid meteors by night
This Wednesday will be a busy one for skywatchers, with celestial events during both the day and night. The first comes in the afternoon — a partial solar eclipse — followed late at night and into the first light of Thursday by the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. The more impressive local event requires nothing more elaborate than a dark sky, a beach chair and your eyes. During the overnight hours of Aug. 12-13, the annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak.
Space is very, very big, and it is mostly empty. Occasionally, though, two objects will find themselves occupying the same space at the same time. This is perhaps best demonstrated every summer around Aug. 12 when thousands of dust particles from a comet try to occupy the space that the Earth is in, and Earth inevitably wins. This week, though, in the early-morning hours of Wednesday Aug. 5, a very different kind of interaction will take place.
August's night sky: The Milky Way, Perseids and two eclipses
For many of us, August is the last full month of summer. It's the time when we begin to notice the days growing shorter, while occasional hints of autumn briefly interrupt the summer heat. For stargazers, earlier sunsets mean more evening time to enjoy the season's signature celestial sights. I always look forward to August as a chance to escape the city and take in the spectacle of the Milky Way.
Finding tranquility on the moon
Today marks the 57th anniversary of the first human footprints on the moon. At 10:56 p.m. Eastern time, Neil Armstrong stepped off the footpad of the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle and took that "one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind" as some 600 million people watched live on television here on Earth.
Capital Weather
Our Forecast & Updates DC-area forecast: Heat to intensify through midweek as storm chances build Published: Today, 5:00 am Last updated: Today, 10:57 am 0 | {shareOpen = false}, 2000)"> Share to X {shareOpen = false}, 2000)"> Share to Bluesky {shareOpen = false}, 2000)"> Share to Facebook {shareOpen = false}, 2000)"> Share to LinkedIn {shareOpen = false}, 2000)"> Share by email | Sign in Sun setting Saturday behind the Air Force Memorial.
Bright planets and three full moons: When to look to the night sky this winter
Bright planets and three full moons: When to look to the night sky this winter (washingtonpost.com) Bright planets and three full moons: When to look to the night sky this winter By Geoff Chester 2025122110000400 As the year nears its end, the winter solstice brings the year's longest nights for those of us who reside in the Northern Hemisphere. And through the season, Mother Nature has seen to it that our overnight hours are lit by bright stars and a pair of bright planets.
Fall begins this week. Here’s a guide to sky watching this season.
Fall begins this week. Here’s a guide to sky watching this season. (washingtonpost.com) Fall begins this week. Here’s a guide to sky watching this season. By Geoff Chester 2025092010000000 Autumn nights bring clear skies — unencumbered by the haze and mists of summer. That makes it a great time for stargazing. This fall we can enjoy the return of Saturn and Jupiter to the sky, along with a couple of good meteor showers.
A guide to sky-watching from summer to autumn
A guide to sky-watching from summer to autumn (washingtonpost.com) A guide to sky-watching from summer to autumn By Geoff Chester 2025062110002900 Now that we've marked the summer solstice, it's the shorter nights of the year for the Northern Hemisphere that usher in a variety of celestial delights for sky-watchers who don't mind staying up until the early morning hours.
As the spring equinox arrives, a look at the season’s celestial delights
The George Mason University Observatory offers free public lectures and telescope tours every week. You can visit the Analemma Society Observatory every Friday night (weather permitting) at Turner Farm Park in Great Falls, Virginia. The Astronomical Society of Greenbelt hosts Greenbelt Star Party nights and Astronomy Day activities. The National Air & Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center will host stargazing events on April 4, May 10 and June 7 in Chantilly, Virginia.
This fall in space, see 3 planets, a solar eclipse and a possible comet
Jupiter as seen through a telescope on Oct. 13, 2023. (Geoff Chester) By Geoff Chester September 23, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDT Autumn brings longer, cooler and clearer nights. Summer’s bright constellations and dense star clouds of the Milky Way give way to the more subtle star patterns that highlight fall evenings. This fall we see the return of Saturn, Jupiter and Venus, and the possibility of a glimpse at a recently discovered comet.
Summer nighy sky features Perseids, blue moon, planets, milky way Original
Summer nights are the shortest but also the warmest — making them particularly appealing for skywatching. The upcoming months feature the year’s best meteor shower in August, the return of multiple planets and a partial lunar eclipse before the season ends. Here are five things to watch for as you’re out and about in the balmy summer nights ahead … The Perseid Meteor shower — Aug.
May’s magnificent night sky begins with a meteor shower
Democracy Dies in Darkness WeatherExtreme Weather Climate Capital Weather Gang Environment Climate Lab WeatherExtreme Weather Climate Capital Weather Gang Environment Climate Lab The Eta Aquariids meteor shower reliably produces up to 30 meteors per hour May 1, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDT Markarian's Chain, the heart of the Coma-Virgo galaxy cluster, seen from Mollusk, Va., in May 2022. (Geoff Chester) Comment Save May is the perfect month to celebrate astronomy.
April sky boasts solar eclipse, Saturn and spring constellations
The astronomical event of the yearoccurs this month, when the last total solar eclipse visible for more than 20 years sweeps the country on April 8. April brings other celestial delights, too: winter’s constellations give way to those of spring, Saturn starts to creep into the morning sky and the comet Pons-Brooks will faintly glow in the evening sky. But when the total eclipse occurs it will produce what is, in my opinion, the most spectacular event one can see in the natural world.
Spring is in the air - and in the night sky if you look closely
The point in the sky that defines the equinox is sometimes referred to as the “first point of Aries,” a term still widely used in astrology. The constellation of Aries, the Ram, was the location of the equinox back in Babylonian times, when the basic tenets of astrological practice were established.
Year’s shortest month touts the ‘snow’ moon and winter’s brightest stars
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Year’s shortest month touts the ‘snow’ moon and winter’s brightest stars
The shortest month is a little longer this year, thanks to rules that date back to the time of Julius Caesar. It’s also when we have our best views of winter’s brightest stars and when we ask a large rodent when spring will come. Want to know how your actions can help make a difference for our planet? Sign up for the Climate Coach newsletter, in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday.
Spectacular stars and Wolf Moon: What to spy in January’s night skies
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The night sky forecast: From the Wolf Moon to Sirius to meteor shower
Comment Save The new year begins with lengthening days, Earth’s closest approach to the sun, a quirky meteor shower and the spectacular constellations of the winter sky. The moon begins the year brightening the morning sky, with the last quarter falling on Jan. 3 and the new moon on Jan. 11. Luna will then entertain evening skywatchers as it waxes to its full phase, which occurs Jan. 25.
It’s the month of the year’s best meteor shower. Are you ready?
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It’s the month of the year’s best meteor shower. Are you ready?
Comment Save The December sky brings the longest nights, the brightest stars, the year’s best meteor shower and sundry celebrations to mark the passage of the winter solstice. It’s a magnificent month to look skyward — just be sure to bundle up. The night sky highlight of the month and possibly the year is the annual Geminid meteor shower, which peaks on the night of Dec. 13. These meteors are associated with an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, which is likely the dusty remnant of an extinct comet nucleus.
November’s night sky: Notoriously unpredictable meteor shower returns
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November’s night sky: Notoriously unpredictable meteor shower returns
Comment Save November’s sky features long nights, a fickle meteor shower, bright planets and the “beaver moon.” It’s a time to bid farewell to the last of summer’s stars and to welcome the bright, colorful stars of winter. The first week of November finds the moon waning in the morning sky. The new moon occurs on Nov. 13, then waxes to the full moon on the Nov. 27. November’s full moon is popularly called the “beaver moon” in North America.
October offers ‘ring of fire’ eclipse, hunter’s moon, delightful stars
October’s sky is full of myths and legends as well as bright planets and other cosmic delights. The crisp evenings offer clear skies and cool temperatures for stargazers. Highlights include the “ring of fire” solar eclipse on Oct. 14 and the hunter’s moon two weeks later. A ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse Your friends at SciJinks are counting down the days to the next annular eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023.
Brilliant Venus and harvest moon light up a delightful September sky
September is a great month for stargazers. The nights are getting longer, the humidity is lower and the splendors of the summer sky grace the evenings hours. Early risers can get a preview of the rising bright winter constellations and the brilliant glimmer of Venus. We start September with the moon passing several obscure constellations in the early morning sky.
August night sky highlights: The Perseid meteor shower and a blue moon
Comment August is going to be a busy month in the heavens. We’ll have two full moons, the year’s best meteor shower, and, although we will lose sight of two planets, two more swing into view. Twice in a month, or once in a blue moon? The month’s first full moon happens Tuesday at 2:32 p.m. Eastern time. August’s full moon is traditionally known as the Sturgeon Moon here in North America, because the continent’s largest freshwater fish are beginning their spawning season.
July opens with a full moon and brims with celestial delights
July brings sultry nights but also brims with celestial delights. Highlights for the month are the Thunder Moon, the rising summer Milky Way, the return of Saturn and Venus dropping out of sight. Look for the Thunder Moon July opens with the aptly named full Thunder Moon, which occurs on July 3 at 7:39 a.m. Eastern time. As with the full moon each month, there are a number of other names based on the traditions and folklore of different cultures.
July opens with a full moon and brims with celestial delights
Comment on this story Comment July brings sultry nights but also brims with celestial delights. Highlights for the month are the Thunder Moon, the rising summer Milky Way, the return of Saturn and Venus dropping out of sight. Look for the Thunder Moon July opens with the aptly named full Thunder Moon, which occurs on July 3 at 7:39 a.m. Eastern time. As with the full moon each month, there are a number of other names based on the traditions and folklore of different cultures.
June’s short nights bring big sights for sky-watchers
Comment on this story Comment Late spring gives way to summer in June, bringing mild nights to explore the starry sky. Unfortunately, these are the shortest nights of the year, but, if you’re an avid sky-watcher, sleep is overrated. It’s time for the Strawberry Moon A bright moon greets sky-watchers as June begins, with a big orb skirting the southern horizon during the month’s first weekend. The moon is full at 7:39 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday.
From East Asia via Great Britain: the Story of Estonia and Latvia’s National Game
Novuss is the national game of Latvia; Koroona is the national game of Estonia. But what are these games and where did they come from? Geoff Chester explains… By 1927, the Republics of Latvia and Estonia had 9 years of independence behind them. During these years, the governments of these two countries had reoriented their trade towards Western Europe, exporting agricultural and timber products, principally to the United Kingdom, and importing modern technology, primarily from Germany.
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