Classical Astronomy...the traditional practice of observing the sky, to tell time and to navigate by the Sun, Moon and stars.
Learn to follow the seasonal cycles of the celestial bodies, and to find the bright visible planets in the night sky - all from your own backyard.
Keep up with timely events in the night sky with the Classical Astronomy Update, an email newsletter especially for the benefit of homeschool families (though everyone is welcome!)
Discover the forgotten foundation of astronomy, as it had been practiced down through all human history, from the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans, through the classical Quadrivium, and up to the American Almanacks.
Also discover the astronomical basis for keeping the Hebrew calendar, as described in the Bible, and the appointed purpose for the Sun, Moon and stars... for signs and seasons, and days and years. - Genesis 1:14
The bright red planet MARS has been sharing the constellation Scorpius with the planet SATURN in 2016. These two make a pretty sight in the southern sky in the current season, as they move about through this conspicuous constellation. The scene always gets more interesting when the Moon wanders by, as it does each month. But June’s show is only … Continue reading
The planets Mars and Saturn are very close together throughtout much of 2016. Both of these planets are currently retrograding, which means they appear to be moving backwards through the constellations. The Full Moon swings through this scene this week, and this is therefore a great time to learn to identify these planets, and also the conspicuous constellation of Scorpius.
The First Quarter Moon passes near Jupiter this weekend. Watch the progress over the weekend, to see how quickly the Moon jumps across the sky from night to night
SEE THE ORION NEBULA: Warmer evenings are now at hand in early spring, and the amazing constellation Orion remains in the evening sky for at least another month. A moonless evening is a good time to look for M42, the Orion Nebula. M42 is an “emission nebula,” a patch of brightly glowing gas in deep space. M42 is easy to … Continue reading
In 2016, the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month of Nisan begins at sunset on Friday, April 22. The Full Moon of Passover rises above the eastern horizon at sunset. This evening is the “Erev Pesach, ” the Eve of Passover. The Israelites would kill the paschal lamb before the next sunset, and eat the Passover meal early after the … Continue reading
After ruling the evening skies during the winter, the constellation Orion will soon say goodbye for the season, when he disappears into the spring sunset. But friends of Orion can make a new friend with the constellation Leo the Lion, which is currently high in the evening sky of spring. You can’t miss Leo since the bright “star” Jupiter is … Continue reading
EARLYBIRD SPECIAL! On the morning of Monday, March 28, the waning gibbous Moon will align with the planet Mars. You can’t miss Mars due to its distinct rusty red color, like a new shiny copper penny! The next morning, Tuesday, March 29, the Moon will pass the planet Saturn. If you’re up before the Sun on these mornings, check out … Continue reading
JUPITER LINES UP WITH THE MOON on the evening of Monday, March 21, 2016. Many people think of Jupiter as a far-away planet, known only through NASA photos. But the fact is, Jupiter is one of the brightest “stars” in the sky, and visible nearly every single clear night. The Moon swings past Jupiter and all the other planets as … Continue reading
The evening of Tuesday, February 23 is the monthly conjunction of the Moon with Jupiter. Jupiter is famous for being a picture in a textbook and as subject of NASA exploration. However, for whatever baffling reason, it is NOT famous that Jupiter is in the sky just about every night of our lives, and that the Moon passes this blazingly … Continue reading
As if all those conjunctions aren’t enough sky excitement for you all, there will be a series of monthly lunar occultations throughout 2016 between the Moon and the bright star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus. Most of these events will not be visible from the USA or will only be visible in the daytime. But we will have a prime … Continue reading
