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Tag Archives: Lyra

In the Sky This Week – December 15, 2020

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on December 15, 2020 by Bob TrembleyDecember 15, 2020
This entry is part 175 of 185 in the series In the Sky This Week

Jupiter and Saturn appear in the southwestern sky at dusk, getting closer getting closer to the Dec. 21 conjunction with each passing day! The waxing crescent Moon joins the pair of planets on Dec. 16 & 17. Venus appears in the southeastern predawn sky all week, getting closer to the horizon with each passing day. Mars, Uranus, the Pleiades star cluster and the bright star Aldebaran appear in the east-southeastern sky after sunset this week. The constellation Lyra, with the bright star Vega appear above the western horizon after sunset this week. The Moon is a waxing crescent- visible toward the southwest in early evening. The first quarter Moon occurs on Dec, 21st – visible high in the southern sky in early evening. If you click on the Moon image above, or click this link, you will go to NASA’s Moon Phase and Libration, 2020 page – it will show you what the Moon looks like right now. If you … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged #Hubble30, Groombridge 1618, Jupiter, Lyra, Mars, Moon, Pleiades, Saturn, Venus | Leave a reply

In the Sky This Week – June 5, 2018

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on June 5, 2018 by Bob TrembleyJune 12, 2018
This entry is part 47 of 185 in the series In the Sky This Week

The Moon joins Mars and Saturn in the southern sky before sunrise. Jupiter is very close to the double-star Zubenelgenubi II (Alpha Librae) after sunset on June 5th – so close you might be able to get the double-star and Jupiter with its moons in the same view through a telescope! Venus aligns with the stars Pollux and Castor on June 10th shortly after sunset. The Moon The Moon is a waning gibbous, and will be at third quarter on June 6th. The Moon will be a waning crescent after the 6th, visible low in the eastern sky before dawn. Observing Target: M57 The constellation Lyra is high in the eastern sky after sunset; the boxed area in the image below is the location of M57 – the Ring Nebula: M57 is a planetary nebula – expanding shells of luminous gas expelled by stars at the ends of their lives. Planetary nebulae can be some of the most beautiful objects in … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged #AsteroidDay, Jupiter, Lyra, M57, Mars, Moon, Ring Nebula, Saturn, Sun, Venus | Leave a reply

In the Sky This Week – June 22, 2017

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on June 21, 2017 by Bob TrembleyJuly 7, 2017
This entry is part 8 of 185 in the series In the Sky This Week

The planet Venus appears high in the eastern morning sky; the bright star Capella, to the northwest, is the last star to fade with the oncoming dawn. The waning crescent Moon will vanish amid the morning haze to the east, to reappear in the west as a waxing crescent after dusk on June 25th. The Summer Triangle is an asterism formed from the three stars Altair, Deneb, and Vega, the brightest stars in the three constellations of Aquila, Cygnus, and Lyra. They can be see in the eastern sky before midnight. Jupiter is high in the southwestern sky after dusk, and sets in the west around 1:30 AM. Saturn appears high in the southeastern sky after dusk, is at its highest around midnight, and sets in the southwest just before dawn. Directly overhead, the Milky Way flows through the constellations Cygnus and Aquila (if you live in a city – trust me, it’s really there… drive out of the city … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged Cygnus, Hercules, Jupiter, Lyra, M13, M57, Saturn, Summer Triangle, Vega | Leave a reply
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From the V.O. Faith and Science Pages: The Road of Science and the Ways to God

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 3, 2021 by Faith and ScienceJanuary 29, 2021

Today’s featured entry from the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages: “The Road of Science and the Ways to God” (click here for it) A book by Stanley L. Jaki: “Originally presented as the Gifford Lectures for 1975 and 1976 at the University of Edinburgh, this challenging work illuminates the … Continue reading…

Posted in From the V.O. Faith and Science Pages | Leave a reply

In the Sky this Week – March 2, 2021

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 2, 2021 by Bob TrembleyMarch 2, 2021
This entry is part 185 of 185 in the series In the Sky This Week

This week, the Moon appears in the predawn sky, Mars is in a close conjunction with the Pleiades star cluster, and the planets Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn appear low above the horizon before dawn; Mercury and Jupiter appear in a very close conjunction – less than 1 degree apart, as they swap positions over the course of several days.

Continue reading...
Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged Conjunction, Eagle Nebula, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Moon, Pleiades, Saturn, Sun, The Pillars of Creation | Leave a reply

A Sinus condition

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 1, 2021 by Richard HillMarch 1, 2021
This entry is part 42 of 42 in the series Lunarcy

North and east of the great crater Theophilus (diam. 104km) is Sinus Asperitatis (“Bay of roughness”) that opens towards Mare Tranquilitatis to the north. Right in the middle of the sinus is the pear-shaped crater Torricelli (roughly 20x30km) sitting off center in the ruins of an ancient unnamed crater about … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, Moon, Science, Uncategorized | Tagged Craters, lunar mountains, Sinus Asperitatis, Theophilus, Torricelli | Leave a reply

Citizen Science And The Mars Perseverance Rover: What Could You Discover On The Red Planet?

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on March 1, 2021 by Fr. James KurzynskiMarch 1, 2021

Well, the red planet is back in the News again! And when looking at some of the initial video and images of the mission, there is much to get excited about! Mars Missions have always had a special place in my love of science. As I’ve mentioned in the past, … Continue reading…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a reply

Specola Guestbook | December 14, 1934: Fr. Coleman Nevils S.J.

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on February 28, 2021 by Robert MackeFebruary 1, 2021
This entry is part 83 of 83 in the series Specola Guestbook

Since its founding in 1891, many people have passed through the doors of the Vatican Observatory.  A quick perusal of our guestbook reveals several Names, including Popes, Nobel laureates, astronauts, actors, and saints. There is an unexplained gap in the guestbook.  One page ends with January 1925, and the next … Continue reading…

Posted in Education, History | Tagged America Press, Georgetown, Nevils, Scranton, Specola Guestbook, Vatican Observatory | Leave a reply

Faith and Science (Fiction), but Different

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on February 27, 2021 by Christopher M. GraneyFebruary 22, 2021

The Vatican Observatory Faith and Science web resource contains hundreds of entries on the broad topic of faith and science.  I am Editor of this resource, and my more recent efforts in this regard have tended toward trying to find a wide variety of different material to add to the … Continue reading…

Posted in Extraterrestrial, Popular Culture, Religion | Leave a reply
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Recent Comments

  • Fr. James Kurzynski March 2, 2021 at 8:20 pm on Georges Lemaitre – Father of the “Big Bang”You're very welcome Fr. Madley! Thank you!
  • Fr. Jeffrey Madley March 2, 2021 at 11:57 am on Georges Lemaitre – Father of the “Big Bang”Excellent article about Msgr. Lemaitre, Fr. Jim. Nice to know people in the Church have contributed to science.
  • Fr. Bruce Wilkinson February 23, 2021 at 4:05 pm on In the Sky This Week – February 23, 2021I completely agree with you that putting cameras on EVERY space mission - without question and without fail. The ability to see the accomplishments of the various robotic missions have inspired future generations to want to become part of the space exploration crowd
  • Ed Yepez February 20, 2021 at 7:51 am on The Sun Rules!Excellent! Thank you very much for presenting this in such an understandable form. Also let me appreciate the math.(a lot of which I had forgotten) With Kepler, how you can make the correct observations, yet still come to an erroneous conclusion? But the observations remain correct, even useful for further...
  • Bob Trembley February 19, 2021 at 5:16 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021I joined a NASA Night Sky Network Zoom Watch Party - it was pretty cool! When I joined, an engineer was talking about his work on the helicopter - those wings are HUGE! I watched the the landing with my in-laws; it was cool to see the same image up...
  • Richard Hill February 19, 2021 at 12:54 am on Skyward by David Levy: February 2021Very nice meteor photo! Reminds me of one Geminid I saw as I was walking to night lunch on Kitt Peak. It passed right through Orion. Burned a memory in my brain.
  • Benjamin Goodison February 18, 2021 at 5:26 pm on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021... and three days later, Perseverance finally touched down successfully and is snapping its first images!I'm sure there were more than a few spontaneous prayers in the NASA control room in those last few minutes... there certainly were at my end :) Really looking forward to the wealth of new...
  • Bob Trembley February 16, 2021 at 8:31 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021Oh my goodness! Thank you SO MUCH for the kind replies!
  • Joseph O'Donnell February 16, 2021 at 8:00 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021Thank you for this. Always so helpful and enlightening.
  • Stan Sienkiewicz February 16, 2021 at 7:47 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021Bob, another great post. Wonderful way to start the day. Thanks for putting in the time to create these posts. Educational, beautiful, and awe inspiring. I really appreciate seeing these each week. Thank you, Stan
  • Fr. James Kurzynski February 12, 2021 at 10:40 pm on Space Exploration As An Act Of Interfaith Dialogue.Thanks Joel! I greatly appreciate your insight and encouragement!
  • Fr. James Kurzynski February 10, 2021 at 10:46 am on Polar Vortex, Snowy Owls, Puffins, and Answering the Question: Fr. James, If Global Warming Is Real, Why Am I So Cold?Thanks for you response! My apologies if it came across that Wisconsin was the southernmost Snowy Owls travel. That was not my intent. In my prep, I saw articles of sightings as south as Texas. The point being that some birds go south, others don't, and its a bit of...
  • Jim Cook February 10, 2021 at 8:05 am on Polar Vortex, Snowy Owls, Puffins, and Answering the Question: Fr. James, If Global Warming Is Real, Why Am I So Cold?Wisconsin is actually NOT very far south to find Snowy Owls in winter, as you can see from its eBird range map: https://ebird.org/science/status-and-trends/snoowl1/range-map I've subscribed to eBird's Snowy Owl reports list for almost 10 years now and while some years have seen more reports of sightings than others, they typically...
  • Fr. Timothy Sauppé February 8, 2021 at 8:38 am on A telescope made by an Angel…Br. Guy: This would make a great beginning to your opening address to the Solar Eclipse Retreat in 2024 for Bishops/Priests. I am going to save this. Fr. Timothy Sauppé
  • Richard Saam February 7, 2021 at 10:20 am on JWST update – Hexagons in SpaceI want to make an additional point on hexagons: In the realm of crystallography as described in solid state physics, there is an equivalence between real(energy) and reciprocal(momentum) hexagonal space. This was mathematically presented in Charles Kittel's (recently deceased) text "Introduction to Solid State Physics". And then something to ponder:...
  • Joel Hopko February 1, 2021 at 11:23 am on Space Exploration As An Act Of Interfaith Dialogue.Fr. Kurzynski -- I too was very moved by the Emirates and the other national efforts (Japanese, Indian etc.) Like you I found in them an expression of the human spirit and even the religious wellsprings that can inspire us toward a shared destiny beyond our fear and confusion. Thanks...
  • Richard Saam February 1, 2021 at 10:33 am on JWST update – Hexagons in SpaceAdding to Fernando's comments 'hexagons are pretty much everywhere in the universe': It can be argued that universal space time can be expressed as oscillating virtual hexagonal (~50 cm, ~8 hr) lattice units conforming to the conservation of energy and momentum and the universe vacuum energy density. There is some...
  • Christopher M. Graney January 27, 2021 at 9:05 am on Faith, Science and Astronomy TextbooksGood! Glad to hear it. As for myself I still think they need more on Kepler, at least if they are going to throw in bits of history with any religion content. It would help with those many students who are afraid that science is all about being non-theistic.
  • Joel Hopko January 24, 2021 at 12:24 pm on Faith, Science and Astronomy TextbooksProfessor Graney -- Call me easily placated, but I was actually somewhat relieved that most of the texts reviewed at least attempted to provide some nuance to the Galileo narrative. Certainly an improvement over the "martyr for science" trope so frequently dispensed over popular media. Obviously much work remains, but...
  • Fr. James Kurzynski January 20, 2021 at 6:48 am on Space Missions In 2021: What Are You Most Excited To See In This New Year?Thanks Janine! I love your reflection on the Al Amal mission! I was so impressed with the video they produced and, yes, I can't wait to see the United Arab Emirates contribution to science! It's something that isn't mentioned much, but should be mentioned more: True science, by its very...

Top Posts

  • From the V.O. Faith and Science Pages: The Road of Science and the Ways to God
    From the V.O. Faith and Science Pages: The Road of Science and the Ways to God
  • In the Sky This Week – March 3, 2020
    In the Sky This Week – March 3, 2020
  • Looking for Wormwood
    Looking for Wormwood
  • Biblical Signs in the Sky? September 23, 2017
    Biblical Signs in the Sky? September 23, 2017
  • In the Sky this Week - March 2, 2021
    In the Sky this Week - March 2, 2021
  • Active Region 2781
    Active Region 2781
  • Space Visualization Software
    Space Visualization Software
  • A Sinus condition
    A Sinus condition
  • Citizen Science And The Mars Perseverance Rover: What Could You Discover On The Red Planet?
    Citizen Science And The Mars Perseverance Rover: What Could You Discover On The Red Planet?
  • The Beauty Of This Night: A Reflection On The Easter Vigil
    The Beauty Of This Night: A Reflection On The Easter Vigil

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