Recent Stories
Jimmy Westlake: Partial lunar eclipse on horizon
In an eerie re-creation of last December’s sunrise lunar eclipse, the full moon once again will slip into the Earth’s dark shadow by the dawn’s early light on the morning of June 4.
Jimmy Westlake: The Centaur peeks in
Centaurs figured heavily in the mythology of the ancient Greeks — so much so that two of them are immortalized in the stars as our constellations of Sagittarius the Archer and Centaurus the Centaur.
Jimmy Westlake: ‘Super moon’ or super hype?
I can’t help but chuckle a little when the news media pick up on a rather mundane celestial event and blow it way out of proportion. Such was the case with this past weekend’s so-called “super moon.”
Jimmy Westlake: May’s magnificent ring eclipse
Not since May 10, 1994, has a central eclipse of the sun been seen from the 48 contiguous United States. It has been a long eclipse drought, but come May 20, folks living in the southwestern U.S. will have a ringside seat for an annular eclipse of the sun.
Jimmy Westlake: The Crow and the Cup
Winging his way across our springtime sky is a delightful little constellation named Corvus the Crow. In most constellations, the designation Alpha is bestowed upon the brightest star, but Corvus is a notable exception.
Jimmy Westlake: Saturn and a shower of meteors
April not only brings snow and rain showers to the mountains of Northwest Colorado, it also brings the annual Lyrid meteor shower.
Jimmy Westlake: Bootes, the Bear Watcher
There are 88 constellations in our sky, and only one of them begins with the letter B: Bootes the Herdsman, and it could be the most ancient of our constellations.
Jimmy Westlake: Look into infinity and beyond
In space, there is no up or down, no top or bottom. On Earth, gravity defines our “down” as toward the center of the Earth and our “up” as the direction opposite that, but these have no meaning once you are away from the Earth’s influence.
Jimmy Westlake: My favorite stars: Mizar, Alcor
One of the sure signs that spring has arrived is the return of the Big Dipper to our early evening sky. Look toward the northeastern sky at about 9 p.m. to find the seven bright stars of the Big Dipper, propped up on its handle.
Jimmy Westlake: Easter and Equinoxes
Ah, springtime. The early signs are all here: the mud, the blackbirds, the return of the Big Dipper to our early evening sky, more mud and the gradual lengthening of our daylight hours.
