Podcasts by Weekend Sky Report
Matt Pelsor is an astronomy geek. He loves observing the stars, planets and other celestial objects that fill our night sky. With his help, you'll discover the magic of the skies, from streaking comets to harvest moons, in the Weekend Sky Report archives.
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First Quarter Moon from 2020-11-20T16:22:03
This weekend, if we're lucky to get clear enough skies, check out one of the best moon phases for lunar observation.
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Halloween Full Moon from 2020-10-30T17:15:29
This weekend, two rare lunar treats. And the trick is, they always happen at the same time.
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Globular Cluster M22 from 2020-10-16T16:59:25
While the moon is pretty to look at and easy to find, its light outshines a lot of deep sky objects. Galaxies, star clusters, nebulae. So moonless nights are what amateur astronomers live for.
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Planet Parade from 2020-10-09T17:42:09
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, AND Neptune will all be in the evening sky this weekend. And so will Pluto, if you still consider it to be a planet, but most amateur telescopes won't have a chance o...
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Mars and The Moon from 2020-10-02T17:40:06
On Friday night October 2nd, Mars hangs out with the nearly full Moon.
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Gibbous Moon and Planets from 2020-09-25T18:05:57
This weekend, the gibbous moon steals the show, but there's plenty more to see nearby.
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Owl Cluster from 2020-09-04T17:08:04
Hiding in the constellation Cassiopeia is a star cluster that goes by many names. Its most official name is NGC 457 for its place in Danish astronomer John Lewis Emil Dreyer's New General Catalogue.
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Gibbous Moon&Planets from 2020-08-28T17:59:04
This weekend, the gibbous moon lights up the night.
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Perseid Meteor Shower from 2020-08-14T18:21:17
The Perseid Meteor Shower is great not only because it falls among the warmest nights of the year, so you don't really have to bundle up to see it. But also because it's one of the most frequent sh...
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Moon, Jupiter and Saturn from 2020-07-31T17:01:46
The weather doesn't look great this weekend, but if we're lucky enough to have clear or clear-ish skies, look the southeast after sundown... so around 9:30.
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Moon, Comet NEOWISE, Jupiter and Saturn from 2020-07-24T17:59:16
There's a lot in the sky this weekend for anyone with binoculars or a cheap telescope. Comet Neowise is still in the northwestern sky, but turn around and you'll see two slightly more permanent fi...
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Comet NEOWISE from 2020-07-17T16:36:51
If you have dark skies, you can see Comet Neowise with the naked eye, but urban and most suburban observers will probably need some help spotting it.
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Lunar Geography from 2020-07-03T18:48:10
Looking at the moon with the naked eye, you'll notice a few big features. The so-called "seas," the large 'Ocean of Storms' to the west, Even the Tycho crater to the south. But look clos...
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Jupiter and Saturn from 2020-06-26T17:08:18
Jupiter and Saturn will be low to the southeast late evening. The later it is, the higher they'll be. They're right next to each other too, so if you find one, you can find the other.
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Summer Triangle from 2020-06-19T17:43:39
The stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair form what's called the summer triangle, which sweeps overhead all night during the warmer months of the northern hemisphere.
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Messier 10 and Messier 12 from 2020-06-12T17:37:39
Ophiuchus was one of the original 48 constellations listed by the second century Greek astronomer Ptolemy.
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Strawberry Moon from 2020-06-05T18:28:43
It's called the Strawberry Moon because June is the month when strawberries are ripe for the picking in much of the US.
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M13 (Hercules) from 2020-05-29T18:20:40
The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, or M13 was discovered by astronomer Edmund Halley in 1714, and found its way into Charles Messier's catalog of comet-like objects fifty years later.
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The Virgo Cluster from 2020-05-22T16:10:48
Some amateur astronomers in the northern hemisphere say that Spring is galaxy season. Basically what that means is that the Virgo Cluster is high in the evening sky.
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Procyon and Vega from 2020-05-15T18:33:46
To the West, the last remnant of the Winter Triangle. To the East, the first stellar sign of the coming summer.
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The Great Diamond from 2020-05-08T13:59:19
We're halfway through Spring. A perfect time to look for what some call the "Great Diamond."
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Lyrid Meteor Shower from 2020-04-17T10:27:03
The Lyrids are active all weekend, so you may see some tonight under dark skies, but the big peak comes early this coming Wednesday morning April 22, 2020. This year we're expecting 10 to 15 meteor...
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Venus in The Pleiades from 2020-04-03T16:41:17
As Venus continues its rise in the evening sky through the end of April, it will travel through many constellations. Tonight, Friday, April 3rd, it will be in the middle of the Pleiades star cluster.
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Early Morning Planets from 2020-03-27T17:57:22
If we're lucky enough to get clear skies in the early morning--before 7am Eastern, look to the south and you'll see three bright points of light. From left-to-right, it's Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter.
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Leo (Regulus) from 2020-02-28T16:21:06
Leo sweeps across the southern sky all night this time of year. In the evening, it's to the east. To find it, look for the Big Dipper. It'll be straight up and down with the cup at the top. Connect...
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Orion's Dogs from 2020-02-21T18:21:11
Every good hunter needs support. Orion and his two dogs have reigned the evening sky in the winter since before human civilization. One of the earliest representations of Orion appeared in cave art...
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Lunar Occultation of Mars from 2020-02-14T17:19:39
On Tuesday morning, February 18, 2020, just after 7am Eastern, Mars will disappear behind the moon. An event known as a lunar occultation.
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Triangulum Galaxy from 2020-01-24T16:49:57
The Triangulum Galaxy gets its name from the constellation where it's found. It's a small constellation and, as the name suggests... it's a triangle.
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Winter Triangle from 2020-01-03T15:03:46
Around 9pm, look low to the southeast to find the brightest star in the night sky. Bright white, twinkling Sirius. Above it, you'll see that iconic winter constellation Orion the Hunter. The orange...
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Auriga Messiers from 2019-12-13T19:03:29
Auriga is home to three Messier objects, named after 18th century French astronomer Charles Messier, famous for his catalog of deep-sky objects. The three objects are all open clusters, which can b...
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Messier 15 from 2019-11-29T18:31:54
A globular cluster is a densely-packed group of stars bound by their own collective gravity. The globular we're looking for tonight is Messier 15 -- also known as the Globular Cluster in Pegasus.
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Orion's Belt from 2019-11-22T16:53:17
Lots of people can see just those three stars of Orion's belt and know what they're looking at. But look a little closer at the belt with a telescope, or even a good pair of binoculars, and you'll ...
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Gibbous Moon&Alpha Monocerotid Meteor Shower from 2019-11-15T00:00
There was a full moon this past Tuesday, which means this weekend the moon is in the waning gibbous phase. Waning moons are out in the morning, and this week's mostly clear skies have given us a go...
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International Observe the Moon Night from 2019-10-04T17:20:11
International Observe the Moon Night was started in 2010 by NASA. Specifically, the group responsible for its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Launched in the summer of 2009, it continues to deliver i...
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Alpha Persei Cluster from 2019-09-20T17:03:55
The brightest star in the constellation Perseus is Mirfak, and it's where you need to look to find this weekend's target.
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Friday the 13th Micro Moon from 2019-09-13T17:39:35
The moon won't officially be full until early morning Saturday, but by most definitions, tonight will be a full moon. It's also Friday the 13th. This coincidence hasn't happened since 2006, and won...
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Moon and Saturn from 2019-09-06T17:01:46
Many people aren't even aware that the rings of Saturn are visible from Earth--much less from our own backyards with simple consumer telescopes.
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Andromeda Galaxy from 2019-08-23T17:29:37
Hiding in the northeastern sky this evening (August 23, 2019) is one of the most distant objects visible to the naked eye.
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Rho Cassiopeiae from 2019-08-16T17:22:55
Hiding in the constellation Cassiopeia is one of the brightest stars of its kind we've ever found.
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Crescent Evening Moon from 2019-07-05T16:59:16
This weekend's western sky shows off a crescent evening moon.
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Vega, Deneb, and Altair from 2019-06-28T17:29:46
This large triangle sweeps overhead all Summer.
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Moon and Jupiter from 2019-06-14T17:37
The full moon and a very bright Jupiter pair up Sunday night.
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Waxing Crescent Phase Moon from 2019-06-07T00:00
The moon is amazing with even a little magnification.
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Lyra and the Ring Nebula from 2019-05-31T20:49:50
Use bright Vega to find an ancient constellation.
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Use the Big Dipper to Identify Two Bright Evening Stars from 2019-05-24T00:00
Arcturus and Spica are two of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere, so they're not hard to see... but if you're new to Astronomy, you can use this mnemonic device to find them: Arc to Arc...
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Messier 92 from 2019-05-03T17:12:26
Use Vega to find that other globular cluster in Hercules.
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M87 Galaxy from 2019-04-12T18:05:28
See the galaxy that gave us our first look at a black hole.
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Beehive Cluster from 2019-03-22T18:36:04
There's a brilliant star cluster hiding in Cancer, The Crab.
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Antares B (St Patricks Day Green Star) from 2019-03-15T17:59:53
Leprechaun eyes can trick us into seeing green stars.
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Winter Triangle (Sirius) from 2019-01-25T17:24:37
The brightest star in the sky leads us to the Winter Triangle.
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Super Wolf Blood Moon from 2019-01-18T16:31:13
Sunday night, endure the cold for the last lunar eclipse of the decade
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Christmas Tree Cluster from 2019-01-04T17:00:08
As you take down your Christmas tree, reward yourself with some celestial decorations.
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Betelgeuse from 2018-12-28T13:08:01
Tonight, gaze up at one of the largest stars we've ever discovered.
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Longest Night of the Year from 2018-12-21T15:39:11
A full moon lights up the longest nights of the year.
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Comet Wirtanen from 2018-12-14T17:12:17
This weekend, spot a comet near another popular target.
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NASA InSight Lander from 2018-11-23T19:10:24
Celebrate the upcoming Mars landing by finding the Red Planet this weekend.
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Gibbous Moon from 2018-11-16T16:40:04
If the clouds don't break this weekend, take this virtual look at the evening moon.
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Pleiades Cluster from 2018-11-09T17:08:41
This weekend, find a classic cluster you can easily see with the naked eye.
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Aries and Pisces from 2018-10-26T16:05:37
This weekend, use the constellations Aries and Pisces to find a distant ice giant.
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Messier 13 (Hercules) from 2018-10-19T17:29:43
Celebrate the upcoming finale of PBS's Great American Read with a literary reference to this weekend's star target.
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Messier 22 and Saturn from 2018-10-12T17:42:35
This weekend, use Saturn to find a popular deep sky target.
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Double Cluster from 2018-10-05T16:15:40
This weekend, find the popular "Double Cluster" below Cassiopeia to the northeast. Listen to find out how...
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Alpha Persei from 2018-09-28T15:58:58
This weekend, Spetmeber 29, 2018, step into the early Autumn chill for a glance at a popular, easy-to-find star cluster.
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Crescent Venus from 2018-09-21T17:37:11
Our closest planetary neighbor shows itself in a unique way during early evening. Matt shares how to find it in this Weekend Sky Report.
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Moon Dances from 2018-09-14T18:49:22
This weekend, the moon dances between Jupiter and Saturn. How to find the planets is the focus of this Weekend Sky Report.
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The Star Arcturus from 2018-09-07T18:48:40
Cloudy skies don't change the fact that the star Arcturus is prominent in the western sky this weekend... even if we can't see it.
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