by Jim Stratigos | Dec 21, 2020 | Balsam skies
Looks like the weather will cooperate so I plan to set up a small scope at the Boarding House late this afternoon. Best times to stop by and view or to view from your location will be between twilight (6:00 PM) and 8:00 PM when they set below the horizon. Both planets...
by Jim Stratigos | Dec 20, 2020 | Balsam skies
We drove around the mountain today looking for a good place to observe the conjunction and the only spot with a reasonable view of the southwest without trees or mountains is the back deck at the Boarding House. There are likely other favorable spots like the 9th hole...
by Jim Stratigos | Dec 16, 2020 | Balsam skies
Our Sun goes through a roughly 11 year cycle in which the number of sunspots and overall activity waxes and wanes. Astronomers have been observing this phenomenon for over a hundred years. We are entering cycle 25 based upon direct observations but cycles for the past...
by Jim Stratigos | Jul 14, 2020 | Balsam skies
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...
by Jim Stratigos | Nov 29, 2019 | Balsam skies
Well the clouds are not looking good for seeing the planets at sunset. If by some miracle the western sky is clear around 5:30 I plan to head up to the helicopter pad to try and see Venus, Saturn and the crescent moon. It’s about the only accessible place on the...
