Never pass up a chance to sit down or relieve yourself. -old Apache saying

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

August stargazing

Full Moon - August 7
New Moon - August 21
Solar Eclipse - August 21

Look up! Look out!


The Great American Eclipse

The skywatching event of the decade here in the United States takes place August 21, when a total solar eclipse will darken the skies along a path from Oregon to South Carolina. The rest of the country will see a partial eclipse. We have full coverage in the July/August issue of StarDate magazine, the August 14-21 episodes of StarDate radio, and on our special eclipse coverage on our website. Enjoy the show, but be safe! It's safe to look at the Sun only when it's fully eclipsed, but at no other time.

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More stargazing information » 

Free One Month Trial
For the first two weeks of August, the StarDate podcast will be brought to you by The Great Courses Plus video learning service. Get unlimited access to watch thousands of fascinating lectures, including Experiencing Hubble: Understanding the Greatest Images of the Universe. SkyTips readers can sign up today to get a FREE Month trial at thegreatcoursesplus.com/stardate

Radio Program Highlights
If you want to start hearing the StarDate program in your area, you can request a station to carry our program by emailing the request to stations@stardate.org.

July 31-August 6: Canals. Mars put on a great display 125 years ago, and some astronomers took advantage of it to map the Red Planet's "canals." Join us for Martian canals, plus a giant canyon on an icy moon and much more.

August 7-13: Giants. The giant Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory is returning to service, and we'll have details. And an even bigger telescope is taking shape in Chile. Join us for giant telescopes and much more.

August 14-20: Eclipse week. The most spectacular of all skywatching events is almost here: a total solar eclipse. It'll streak across the United States next Monday, and we'll get you prepared with tales of this and other eclipses all week long.

August 21-27: Swallowed star. A black hole in another galaxy may have swallowed the star that gave it birth, and we'll have details. We'll also talk about a bright light in the lunar night, and new moons for a giant planet. Join us for this and much more.

August 28-31: Zone of death. If a supernova erupts within a few dozen light-years of Earth, it could be bad news for life on our planet, and we'll tell you just where the danger zone is. Join us for exploding stars, plus a distant discovery and more.

Hear StarDate every day on about 400 radio stations in the United States. Find an affiliate »

Skywatching Adventures for Less
The year may be more than half over, but plenty of stargazing adventures are still ahead. Find out about all of them in our 2017 Sky Almanac issue, which offers skywatching tips, charts, Moon phases, and much more. And we've reduced the price to $4, which is almost half off the cover price. Order online or call 1-800-STARDATE during regular business hours.

About SkyTips
SkyTips is a monthly email newsletter for visitors to McDonald Observatory and StarDate Online. Each issue features stargazing highlights, upcoming StarDate radio program descriptions, and other news. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and family.

SkyTips is a publication of the University of Texas McDonald Observatory Education and Outreach Office, 2515 Speedway C1402, Austin, TX 78712. Reproduction of SkyTips content is permitted with proper credit given to McDonald Observatory.

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