Backyard Astronomer - Delta College Public Radio

By September 13, the Moon will look a little more than half illuminated in the south. This is when the Delta College Planetarium in Bay City will celebrate this year’s International Observe the Moon Night!

From late August through September, Sagittarius the Archer will appear low in the south at evening twilight. With the Milky Way running through it, Sagittarius is a treasure trove of deep sky wonders for binoculars.

Away from city lights and bright moonlight, this is the time of year to see the faint band of the Milky Way stretching right over the top of the sky.

For decades now, amateur astronomy continues to be one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world. Why is that? What gets people so hooked on space and the night sky?

On August 19, the moon will be full, but this won’t be just any ordinary full moon. It’s the first "super moon" of 2024.

One of the best meteor showers of the year comes to a maximum on the evening of August 11th and morning of the 12th.

After a long hiatus, the planets Jupiter and Mars are making their way back into the pre-dawn sky.

After dusk, look about a third of the way up the eastern sky for Altair, the brightest star in Aquila the Eagle and part of the Summer Triangle.

Now is a good time to see the dark round plains called “maria,” and bright splashes of lighter material called “rays.” The southern maria offer some interesting sights in a small telescope.

Hercules, the strong man of ancient mythology, rides high overhead in early summer. While its stars are not particularly bright, its most distinctive shape are the four stars in its center known as the Keystone. Within its borders lies one of the most famous globular star clusters of the entire night sky.