BIGGEST Full Moon of the Year Tonight!!!

Tonight, look over to the eastern horizon around sunset to find the moon. The moon will be the biggest it is going to be all year! This is because the moon's orbit around the earth is not simply circular, it is elliptical. The point where the moon comes closest to the Earth which occurs tonight is called perigee. And... Next to the moon... The bright orange star is Mars! It will travel across the sky side by side with the moon tonight. So get your telescope, your binoculars, or just your eyes to witness this spectacular and stunning event!

How to Choose a Good Telescope and ISS

This is the Ehow article I wrote on how to choose a good telescope: How to Choose a Good Telescope

Also, the ISS (International Space Station) crosses the southwest sky tonight from 6:14 to 6:16 PM for viewers in New Mexico.

Happy Holidays!

We'd like to wish all of you stargazers out there a happy holidays from all of us at Lucid Orbs. If it's snowing where you live like it is in Albuquerque, don't try to stargaze. Just light your fire (if you have one) and relax with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Once again, happy holidays from Lucid Orbs!

Geminids Coming up!

One of the best meteor showers of the year, the Geminids, are coming up! Viewers can begin to see one an hour on December 6. On December 13 and 14, there are 60-80 meteors visible per hour! These seem to radiate from the constellation Gemini.

9:00 PM, Northern Hemisphere

Screen shot from Stellarium, 9:00 PM in ABQ

Once in a Blue Moon!!!

Yesterday, December 1, we had a large, grand full moon. On December 31, another fabulous full moon is expected. This phenomenon is called a blue moon. It is considered extremely rare, which is why some people might say something happens "once in a blue moon." Have fun viewing the moon on New Year's Eve and stay warm!

International Space Station Flew over Albuquerque

The ISS flew over Albuquerque at approximately 5:49 PM today. The space shuttle was tailing it across the night sky, creating a stunning view.

Water on moon!!!

Significant amounts of water have been discovered on the moon by NASA's LCROSS mission.

Water on the Moon

Lucid Orbs goes on Twitter and goes International

Lucid Orbs is now on twitter with the username LucidOrbs. Feel free to follow! Also, Lucid Orbs has been international for a while now! Check out the map further down the page! Visits from US, Canada, England and Australia.
LucidOrbs Twitter

The Sky's Best Tonight

Tonight, the Pleiades are a great cluster to look for over in the east, except the moon's light pollution makes it hard to see. This means that it is also a great night to observe the moon. Also, Uranus is in the South but it is NOT visible with the naked eye. Cygnus is currently overhead and is a nice and easy constellation to view. Please download Stellarium, a great user-friendly astronomy program for amateurs and experts alike, to learn more:
Stellarium
This program does NOT contain a virus. I have it and my computer is working fine.

What would the Earth be like without a moon?

There would be little or no tides if Earth had no moon. This means that there could have possibly never even been life on Earth or that life would have developed in a drastically different way because tides and waves have had a great impact on life, biology, and evolution. Also, our days would be a lot shorter because the moon helps to pull us in our circular rotation, and so, without the moon, the Earth would slowly lose momentum and our days would be much longer. It is also hypothesized that there may be no seasons, which would also make the world a worse place for life, because the moon stabilizes Earth’s axis.

Theories of the Moon's Formation

One theory of the moon's formation is The Giant Impactor theory. This theory states that a planetesimal crashed into the Earth just after it was created. Debris was formed from this collision and this "space junk" eventually stuck together to form the moon.

The Great Impactor Theory

Other theories include the Fission Theory, which states that the moon was once part of the Earth and somehow broke off just after its formation. Also, there is the Capture Theory, which shows an opposite point of view. This theory says that the moon was formed somewhere away from Earth and eventually, under the influence of Earth's gravitational field, came to orbit around our planet. Finally, there is the Condensation Theory, which explains that the Earth and the moon were both initially formed when the solar system was being formed from its original nebula.

Other Theories

My full credit goes to the linked sites.

Follow with Google Friend Connect!!!

If you liked this site, please follow with google friend connect. You will find this farther down the page in the sidebar where it says follow. This will help to promote the site, making it easier to find for others.

Jupiter and The Moon

Pictures of the moon and Jupiter, both great objects for the beginning astronomer and the expert astronomer alike. Both are also visible with the naked eye and are visible to the south.

 

The Orionids!!!

Look out for the Orionids between now and October 22. They are visible between the east and southeast sky though there are stray meteors as well. They will be best seen by the constellation Orion and are most active in the early morning. Check out this link: The Orionids

Gamma Cassiopeiae

I went outside tonight and I took a picture of Gamma Cassiopeiae for all of you viewers to look at. Gamma Cassiopeiae is located in the constellation Cassiopeia, said to be a Greek queen. You can view this constellation in the east as soon as it gets dark, and, right now it looks great. Gamma Cassiopeiae is the bright star where the two v's of the w intersect.

(Sorry about the bad quality, I took this picture with my own telescope)
Cassiopeia
Gamma Cassiopeiae

Lucid Orbs

Books

I recommend Astronomica by Fred Watson and DK'sUniverse for stargazing. These are great books with lots of pictures.If you've never done stargazing before, there's never been a bettertime to start. Also, check out my other website at smallbookreviews.webs.com and abqstargazing.webs.com

Choosing a Telescope

Remember, the light-gathering capacity is most important for an amateur telescope. Buy the telescopes that have a large end and are fatter.

Andromeda Galaxy and Moon

Here in Albuquerque, the Andromeda Galaxy is visible in the constellation Andromeda over in the east. I saw this deep sky object with a low power lense on my six inch telescope. It is a lot of fun to view even though it just looks like a smudge on your telescope! Also, the moon is big and full for viewing!

Pics of Moon

Stargazing in Albuqerque Blog Starts

This blog is now in session! It's a great sight for stargazing in Albuquerque or anywhere else in the Northern hemisphere. It also has great pictures of stars, nebulae, galaxies, planets, jupiter, and the moon. Whats in the sky tonight?