Author Archives: liam

Monday Night Total Eclipse of the Moon – Come to the Griffith Observatory to View – Open Until 2am Tuesday

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Tomorrow night (Monday April 14th) there will be a SPECTACULAR opportunity to view the total lunar eclipse.  It’s visible just about everywhere in North America – and we have great viewing opportunities in So Cal.

Below is a photo I took at a lunar eclipse in 2011 from the Griffith Observatory.

Lunar Eclipse 2011 at the Griffith
Tomorrow the Griffith will be open until 2AM to allow the public to fully experience this event. I’ll be there too.

The eclipse won’t begin to be visible until about 10:30pm our time Monday night.. and it won’t be total until about 12am. The moon will take on a deep red tinge as the light from a million million sunsets from around the world converge on the moon.

More information here->
April’s Total Eclipse of the Moon | Sky & Telescope.

Get your own ISS-Above device that lights up whenever the International Space Station is nearby

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Become-A-Backer-SQUAREIf you have enjoyed the updates/reminders from Look Up Tonight about upcoming passes of the International Space Station you might appreciate getting the ISS-Above. I developed this clever little gadget to help raise awareness of just how frequently the ISS passes us by… it happens a lot more frequently than you would probably imagine (it’s not always visible however).

Check out the Kickstarter – and if you choose to become a backer you could get your own.

Here is a video showing what the ISS-Above does.

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Jupiter is UP!!!

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Tuesday 1/14

Tuesday 1/14

Jupiter becomes extremely easy to spot over the next few days as the Moon moves on by it in the East. Tonight (Monday) Jupiter is the brightest “Star” in the East below and to the left of the Moon. Tomorrow the Moon gets even closer – being a tad to the right and below it.

Extra credit question! When you look at Jupiter… do you notice what is different about it when you compare it to any of the other stars in the area (not it’s brightness)?

Another bright pass of the ISS tonight! (5:46pm)

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The International Space Station The International Space Station will be making another great visible overflight of Southern California tonight. Tonight will be a spectacular “fly-over” as it will be almost as bright as is possible (the brightness is determined by how the space station – and particularly their football-pitch sized solar panels – happen to be aligned with the sun).

For those of you who may be new to viewing it the ISS will be visible as one of the brightest (mostly the brightest) star-like object in the sky as it passes approx 285 miles overhead at over 17000 mph. It will start low in the NW at 5:46pm where it will start getting higher (and brighter) as it crosses the sky towards the SE. At about 5:50 pm it will be at it’s highest above. Then it will head lower in the SE when it sets at about 5:53pm.

Be sure to wave to the SIX astronauts/cosmonauts who are calling the ISS home right now.

More details on the pass here.

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