by Shaphan Shank | Jul 1, 2023 | 2023, 07 July, Articles & Stories, Astronomy, In Our Skies, Meteors, Moon, Planets
View the July 2023 Nature Friend Magazine The Perseid meteor shower is the most popular meteor shower of the year. This is partly because it always peaks during the warm nights of summer, and partly because it is the second-strongest shower of the year, with a zenith...
by Shaphan Shank | Jul 1, 2022 | 2022, 07 July, Articles & Stories, Astronomy, Conjunctions, In Our Skies, Meteors, Moon, Planets
Moon. Photo © Shaphan Shank. This month, nearly all the bright planets are strung across the early morning sky. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are all easy to find, thanks to their brilliance. Venus and Jupiter are brighter than any star in the night sky, and Mars...
by Kelsey, 8, and Blake, 6, Stoutjesdyk | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Astronomy, Contest, Galaxies, Meteors, Story Contest
Once upon a cool August evening, our family happened to be camping in a dark, open area near Jasper, Alberta, Canada, where we had an amazing view of the sky.One evening, something caught our dad’s eye. He looked up to see a shooting star streak through the sky....
by Angela B. Fischer | Jul 27, 2021 | 2021, 08, August, Articles & Stories, Astronomy, Meteors
I turned over from my back to my side. My husband was soundly asleep beside me, and yet I couldn’t drop off. Suddenly, a thought awakened me even farther. This was August 11, and I had read earlier today that the Perseid meteor shower peaked tonight. I slipped from...
by Kevin Shank | Jun 17, 2021 | 2021, 07, July, Astronomy, Conjunctions, In Our Skies, Meteors, Planets
Throughout July, Venus and Mars will be visible low in the west just after sunset. The planets will start and end the month a little distance from each other, but on the evening of July 12, they will pass about 0.5° from each other. On the same night, the Moon will be...
