Mars, meteors and a conjunction
After several attempts at getting a good shot of Mars with a new camera, I managed to capture a so-so image last week. You can see the south polar ice cap and portions of Syrtis Major, the dark band just shout of the equator. Due to atmospheric turbulence caused by...
Buzzard attack!
I was working in the observatory last week and looked and saw what looked like a large flock of buzzards circling. After a couple of minutes they all headed off to the south west. Do they migrate for the winter?
Mars!
If you haven't noticed already, Mars is making itself noticed in the southeast after sunset. Mars reaches opposition in October when in its roughly 26 month orbit around the Sun, it appears on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. Mars' orbit is elliptical like...
Two Space Station passes tonight!
See a comet!
This week is a great time to see comet NEOWISE. It's visible before sunrise (I saw it at 5:00 AM this morning) in the northeast and just after sunset (around 10PM) in the northwest. See links here and here for detailed finder charts and rise/set times. The helipad is...
Comet NEOWISE 2020/F3
A comet visible to the naked eye is a rare occurrence. A comet approaching the Sun was recently discovered by NASA's NEOWISE satellite. Today is its closest approach to the Sun where it is heating up and brightening rapidly. Observers in Arizona have been able to...
Bear and service berries
Mr. (or Mrs.) bear paid us a visit early Tuesday morning. There are four service berry trees around the house and they are loaded with ripe berries. I have been picking them - they taste like blueberries - or shaking the limbs to get them off so bears will leave them....
Hail storm!
Baslam was pounded by an intense hail storm yesterday starting around 1:00 PM and lasting for a good 30 minutes. We had piles of hailstones in the yard, on the deck and especially around the downspouts. Leaves on trees were shredded to bits and it sounded like it was...
Raging waterfall
Licklog Creek was flowing brown and over the roadway this past Monday after a downpour at BMP. The Dogstar rain gauge was off line but judging by water levels it was several inches per hour.
Upcoming ISS Passes
We are finally getting some clear skies and the International Space Station will be visible the next few nights. Tonight's pass at 9:36 is especially good since it's almost directly overhead and will be very bright.