Peter Burkey News Today

The Shoreline Amateur Astronomical Association plans to bring out a special telescope to view the eclipse as it's happening.

From 'The Lincoln Lawyer' to 'Mad Men,' here's a list of seven shows like 'Suits' for your next binge

Whats Up in the Sky: Things are looking up Peter Burkey With all the safety precautions, vaccine news, and conflict over COVID-19, it’s nice to think about a truly non-partisan topic, and astronomy is just that. Most people simply enjoy the night sky without arguing about it. This month offers a number of opportunities to enjoy some peaceful time. Let’s begin with some planetary observing. Venus and Mercury are visible near the western horizon after sunset with Mars higher above them. Jupit...

Whats Up in the Sky: A historic mission on the Red Planet Peter Burkey As winter turns to spring, the “Winter Hexagon” and the popular constellations of Orion and Taurus sink lower in the west, leaving an arc of stars formed by Procyon, Pollux, Castor, and Capella. All month the planet Mars is easily visible, appearing between the two constellations. In the coming months, Mars, along with all its neighbors, will continue to sink lower in the west. If you have trouble picking out which “st...

Last month we focused on one of the most prominent and popular constellations, Orion. Now, as if bright nebulae, stars of all sizes and colors, and a sword and belt recognizable by all weren’t enough, Orion’s brightest and most famous (they named a movie after it) star, Betelgeuse, is once again in the news.Most readers are familiar with Betelgeuse and its position as Orion’s right shoulder as well as its reddish color (hence the designation, "red giant"). Some might ...