Graphic courtesy NASA Night Sky Network Driftless Dark Skies: Jupiter and Mars and More (July 2024) This month begins and ends with wonderful gatherings of planets, stars, and Crescent Moon for early risers. You can measure the distances between them by using the fist...
Graphic from Astronomy Driftless Dark Skies: June Moon (June 2024) As we move from spring to summer this month, the sky is only totally dark for the four hours between 11pm and 3am. But there are almost five hours of twilight at dusk and dawn for skywatchers to enjoy....
Driftless Dark Skies: Spring Spectacles (May, 2024) This spring, I experienced two of the most awesome astronomical events of my life. I journeyed 450 miles to the path of totality in southern Illinois to watch the Moon eclipse the Sun on Monday, April 8. Just a month...
Driftless Dark Skies: North American Eclipse (March 2024) Earth, Moon, and Sun align on Monday, April 8 for skygazers to be wowed by a Solar Eclipse. Here in the Driftless Area, the show starts around 12:50pm when the New Moon takes a “bite” out of the Sun as it moves...
Driftless Dark Skies: Three Words International Dark Sky Week (April 2-8) is a worldwide celebration of the dark and natural night. This month, I would like to indulge my fascination with words from my previous careers as an English teacher and as a research assistant...
Aurora photo by Rob Steffen. Fireball photo by Pat Ladwig. Eclipse photo by John Heasley. Driftless Dark Skies: Wow! (January 2024) I love the custom of our astronomy club to begin our gatherings with a question. It’s a way to create space to hear from each of our...
