Entries filed under 'stargazing'

Death Valley Named World's Largest Dark Sky Park; to Host 2nd Annual 'Mars Fest' March 1-3

Wondering where to visit for good views of the night sky? The nonprofit International Dark-Sky Association just added Death Valley National Park to its “gold tier” list, the group’s loftiest designation for sites that provide star-filled nighttime canopies. ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on February 21, 2013 9:00 AM & Tagged International Dark Sky Association, International Dark Sky Park, Mars, dark skies, death valley, night sky and stargazing | permalink | Comments



Heads Up: Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight

One of the year’s 2 biggest meteor displays, the Geminid meteor shower, reaches its peak tonight (Dec. 13) and Friday (Dec. 14). Is it worth stepping outside to view it? A USA Today article quotes Mark Hammergren, an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. “The Geminids are one of the best performers among the meteor showers of the year," he says. ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on December 13, 2012 12:15 PM & Tagged Geminid Meteor Shower, NASA, astronomy, night sky and stargazing | permalink | Comments



Life, Death, Wine and Meteor Showers

They’re coming—swarms of alien rocks traveling on a collision course with Earth’s middle atmosphere where they’ll burst into pyrotechnic displays. Meteors. Summer is prime gawking season for them. And while the light show from a marquee shower such as the Perseids can inspire oohs and aahs aplenty, stimulus for deeper reflection lurks behind the visual dazzlement. Before I meander into the metaphysics, let’s begin on terra firma. There’s an art to meteor watching. First and foremost, you’ll ...

Posted by Craig D. on July 7, 2010 7:54 PM & Tagged Perseid meteors, astronomy, meteor showers, meteors and stargazing | permalink | Comments