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Ask A Scientist©
Astronomy Archive
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Observing planets and blue moons
Author: rachael mccullough and wildman jackson
In my magazine Natural History, it said that it is possible to see Saturn,
Jupiter, and Mars. I have seen Venus, and is very easy to spot. Do you
have any tips on spotting the others without a telescope? Do you know when
the next blue moon will occur?
Response #: 1 of 3
Author: hawley
WHERE IS JACK HORKHEIMER WHEN WE NEED HIM?!?!?!
Sorry about that. Jack does a 5 minute fill spot for amateur astronomers
that is broadcast on many PBS TV stations; he lives for questions like
these. As for observing the planets, look for bright stars that do not
twinkle, also, Mars is reddish. (extra-credit: Why do stars twinkle but
not planets?)
Response #: 2 of 3
Author: rcwinther
Check out Astronomy and Sky & Telescope magazines (often available at the
public library) for directions on where to look for the planets month-by--
month. Mercury is currently in the glare of the Sun, so it cannot be seen
with the naked eye. It is seldom easy to spot anyway; you usually have to
know just where to look.
The expression "once in a blue moon" means "very seldom". It is not a
regular occurrence. According to Jearl Walker's book "The Flying Circus of
Physics", the Moon can appear bluish when the upper atmosphere contains dust
from a volcanic eruption, or smoke from a forest fire, with particles of a
size that preferentially scatter light from the red end of the spectrum,
leaving the remaining light relatively enriched in blue.
Response #: 3 of 3
Author: unterman
The dictionary definition of blue moon is when two full moons occur in a
single solar (secular) calendar month. This periodically occurs every 4 or
so years.
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