Explore every episode of the podcast Western Slope Skies

Throughout history, a belief in the “fixed” and changeless stars was held by many cultures. But at the beginning of the 19th Century, Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi repeatedly measured the position of a star called 61 Cygni. Piazzi’s work overturned such long-held beliefs and led to research that ultimately allowed astronomers to accurately measure the scale of the Milky Way Galaxy and to learn of our location within it.

The Sun has been ‘in the news’ these days. You may have read about various phenomena associated with the Sun, including sunspots, flares, and auroras or Northern Lights. So why all the interest in the Sun now?

AstroFest 2024 will feature dark night skies along the entire Gunnison River corridor from Curecanti National Recreation Area (certified Dark Sky in 2021) all the way to Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area – celebrating their recent certification as a Dark Sky Place.

Every year, right in the middle of August, my cousins and I drag all our sleeping bags andpillows up to their roof and wait for the sky event that goes highly unnoticed every year: the Perseid meteor shower.

Halos arise from sunlight refraction through microscopic ice crystals, usually aloft in cirrus clouds.

A star begins its life as a cloud of gas and dust. These are called molecular clouds, and they can range between 1,000 to 10 million times the mass of the sun.

A planetary alignment means that 3 or more planets line up in a row, as seen from the Earth, in the same area of the sky, that is, a “parade of planets”. The planets lie ROUGHLY on a line called the ecliptic, the path that the Sun appears to follow against the background of stars as we on Earth orbit the Sun. The parade can be tens of degrees in length.

When a star dies what is left behind is called a stellar remnant. The type of stellar remnant is dependent upon the star’s mass.

Saturn's rings are one of the most astonishing things to see with your own eyes.

This year’s Lake City Star Fest will be held June 7-9. We invite the public to celebrate the incredible starry night skies in our area along with some of Lake City’s rich and colorful cultural heritage.

While gazing at that mystical point of light, time and space seem to disappear, if only for a moment. Even us older stargazers can still find plenty to wonder about when it comes to twinkling stars.

On Monday, April 8, 2024, we’ll be able to see a total solar eclipse from parts of Mexico, the U. S., and Canada. Another such eclipse won’t be visible from the 48 contiguous States for 20 years.

The Coalition, a 501c3 non-profit, is an umbrella organization dedicated to supporting Dark Sky Places.

The Sun is a star that provides Earth with the energy that drives most of our diverse and amazing biology. But where and how do stars form?

On clear, dark nights, we can see dozens of satellites with our eyes alone. Most satellites travel within a zone called Low Earth Orbit that ranges in altitude from 150 to 1200 miles.

Today, we explore a curious solar phenomenon that occurred from 1645 to 1715.

What if I told you that you could travel through time with a telescope? No, a telescope cannot take you back to 1955 to fix your parent’s relationship. However, through a telescope, the possibilities to discover events that happened eons ago are opened by gazing at the colossal night sky.

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, there exists a mysterious force that challenges the very fabric of our understanding — dark matter. Let's embark on a journey into the cosmic unknown, exploring the enigma that comprises 85% of the universe's mass.

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and the surrounding Hill Country will be offering many events over eclipse weekend.

In December, it’s tempting to stay inside and avoid the cold night air. But the December night sky is impressive! Find a star chart or planetarium App, then go out on a clear night, at least briefly, to enjoy the spectacle!