Final Approach
Mars Science Laboratory prepares to enter the Martian atmosphere in this artist's concept. The mission, which consists of the nuclear-powered Curiosity rover, is scheduled to land on Mars on the night of August 5.
Stargazing Summary
Multi-partner conjunctions continue to highlight summer's skies. Venus and Jupiter remain close together in the early morning, with some of the most famous features of Taurus nearby: his orange eye, Aldebaran, and his sparkly shoulder, the Pleiades star cluster. In the evening sky, Mars passes between Saturn and Spica, which have huddled close together all year. Two signature constellations of summer, Scorpius and Sagittarius, scoot low across the south during the evening. On dark, moonless nights, the shimmering band of the Milky Way arcs high overhead.
Perseid Meteor Shower
The next meteor shower is the Perseids on the night of August 11. The Moon is a thin crescent that rises about three hours before the Sun, so it will provide little interference. At the shower's peak you might see a few dozen meteors per hour.
More information »
Radio Program Highlights
Hear StarDate every day on more than 300 radio stations nationwide.
Premium Audio: Listen to today's program today on-demand with a paid subscription to StarDate premium audio.
August 1-5: The swan. Cygnus, the swan, soars gracefully through the Milky Way on summer evenings. The constellation is home to one of the most appealing double stars in the night sky, as well as one of the first confirmed black holes.
August 6-12: Moon, Mars, and meteors. The Moon has some bright companions this week, and so does the planet Mars. We'll have details. We'll also talk about a summer meteor shower, and an exhibit of artworks inspired by the stars.
August 13-19: Intimate stars. Many stars have close companions — other stars in tight orbits. But a few take companionship to extremes. The stars actually touch each other, and even trade some of their gas.
August 20-26: A new Dawn. A spacecraft like no other will depart the first of its two destinations this week — the asteroid Vesta. We'll have details on the Dawn mission, its journey, and its next destination.
August 27-31: Colorful skies. One of the most colorful stars in the night sky is on display in the early evening right now, and we'll have details. We'll also tell you about some other star colors, plus a colorful Moon — a blue one.
August Program Schedule »
Find an Affiliate »
Coming Up In StarDate Magazine
In the September/October issue of StarDate, author Bradford Behr updates us on the bounty brought in by WISE, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. And we'll look back on efforts to communicate with inhabitants of other planets in the early days of radio.
News From the Observatory
Why the Higgs Boson Matters
Nobel prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg holds a joint appointment in the astronomy and physics departments at The University of Texas at Austin. In this article, he explains the recent announcement out of CERN, the particle collider lab in Switzerland, that physicists are fairly certain they have proved the existence of the Higgs boson. The sub-atomic particle, sought for decades, is thought to be what gives all objects in the universe their mass. The discovery could have major implications for astronomy and cosmology.
Show Your Support for Science Education
At every level of government, civic and elected leaders speak in agreement about the need to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities in elementary and secondary schools nationwide. McDonald Observatory has worked for decades with this mission in mind, giving teachers the tools they need for lesson planning and classroom instruction. Please help us continue this work by making a donation to McDonald Observatory's 2012 Annual Fund. Gifts are 100% tax-deductible and any amount helps.
Donate now »
Perseid Meteor Shower The next meteor shower is the Perseids on the night of August 11. The Moon is a thin crescent that rises about three hours before the Sun, so it will provide little interference. At the shower's peak you might see a few dozen meteors per hour.
More information »
Radio Program Highlights
Hear StarDate every day on more than 300 radio stations nationwide.
Premium Audio: Listen to today's program today on-demand with a paid subscription to StarDate premium audio.
August 1-5: The swan. Cygnus, the swan, soars gracefully through the Milky Way on summer evenings. The constellation is home to one of the most appealing double stars in the night sky, as well as one of the first confirmed black holes.
August 6-12: Moon, Mars, and meteors. The Moon has some bright companions this week, and so does the planet Mars. We'll have details. We'll also talk about a summer meteor shower, and an exhibit of artworks inspired by the stars.
August 13-19: Intimate stars. Many stars have close companions — other stars in tight orbits. But a few take companionship to extremes. The stars actually touch each other, and even trade some of their gas.
August 20-26: A new Dawn. A spacecraft like no other will depart the first of its two destinations this week — the asteroid Vesta. We'll have details on the Dawn mission, its journey, and its next destination.
August 27-31: Colorful skies. One of the most colorful stars in the night sky is on display in the early evening right now, and we'll have details. We'll also tell you about some other star colors, plus a colorful Moon — a blue one.
August Program Schedule »
Find an Affiliate »
Coming Up In StarDate Magazine
In the September/October issue of StarDate, author Bradford Behr updates us on the bounty brought in by WISE, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. And we'll look back on efforts to communicate with inhabitants of other planets in the early days of radio.
News From the Observatory
Why the Higgs Boson Matters
Nobel prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg holds a joint appointment in the astronomy and physics departments at The University of Texas at Austin. In this article, he explains the recent announcement out of CERN, the particle collider lab in Switzerland, that physicists are fairly certain they have proved the existence of the Higgs boson. The sub-atomic particle, sought for decades, is thought to be what gives all objects in the universe their mass. The discovery could have major implications for astronomy and cosmology.
Show Your Support for Science Education
At every level of government, civic and elected leaders speak in agreement about the need to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities in elementary and secondary schools nationwide. McDonald Observatory has worked for decades with this mission in mind, giving teachers the tools they need for lesson planning and classroom instruction. Please help us continue this work by making a donation to McDonald Observatory's 2012 Annual Fund. Gifts are 100% tax-deductible and any amount helps.
Donate now »
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