Q-90.1's Backyard Astronomer

Spring is when the Big Dipper climbs high into the north, making it an excellent guidepost in the sky.

Twice each year the Earth crosses the orbit of Halley’s Comet. Each time we do, a meteor shower is created from the tiny flecks of ice and dust the comet leaves behind in its orbit.

The week of April 26 begins with the Super Pink Moon. This is also the best time to look for the splashes of material emanating from craters called "rays".

After three months of what people call the meteor drought, the annual Lyrid meteor shower comes to a peak this week.

If you look high into the northeast after dark, you can find the seven bright stars of the Big Dipper. One of the most famous double stars in the sky is there, too.

The giant planets Jupiter and Saturn are making their return into the morning sky this month.

Each season has that one constellation that serves as a signpost to the sky. In spring, many stargazers use the zodiacal constellation of Leo the Lion.

All this week, the phase of the moon grows as the nearside becomes more illuminated by the sun. Look for the large impact basin in the upper left portion of the moon called the Sea of Rains.

While many sky wonders can be observed in suburban skies with binoculars and telescopes, there are several things you can do to improve the view.

The Beehive is one of the best examples of an open star cluster, a loose gathering of young stars that all formed about the same time and move together through space.

All during the first week of March, the red planet Mars makes a close pass by the Pleiades Star Cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters.

Under a clear dark sky, look for Lepus the Hare just underneath the knees of Orion the Hunter.

The Red Planet, Mars, has dimmed considerably since its close approach to Earth last fall, but it’s still visible high in the west after dark. Three space probes arrive there this month, including NASA's Perseverance rover.

Near Orion are his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Minor, anchored by the bright stars Sirius and Procyon.

About 90 minutes after sunset, the legendary constellation of Orion the Hunter shines about halfway up the southern sky. Underneath the three stars of his belt shines the Orion Nebula, one of the closest stellar nurseries to Earth.

This year, the January Full Moon occurs on the 28th. Look for it to rise slightly north of east soon after sunset. There are many different names for the January Full Moon, especially by the Native Americans.

The week of January 18 offers a perfect opportunity to follow what’s called “the waxing moon.” It's also a good time to look for the Sea of Tranquility, where the Apollo 11 astronauts landed in 1969.

This is a good week to start looking for the close approach of Mars and Uranus in the sky.

The orange star Aldebaran – the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull – is a great target for the January sky.

The heads of Gemini the Twins, Pollux and Castor, lie low in the east-northeast after dusk at the end of December. They will start higher in east as we get into January.