Wonders · free, outside, Greater Boston
Look up. It's free.
What's in the sky tonight, what nature is up to this season, and the days worth marking. No tickets, no sign-up. Worked out for Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Lexington and Winchester, and we only say what the data backs up.
Tonight · Tue, Oct 27
Moon night.
The Moon is waning gibbous, 95% lit. Binoculars show its craters best along the shadow edge.
- MoonWaning gibbousRises 6:20 PM
- Dark skyNot this weekBack Fri, Oct 30
- CloudsClearNWS, 7:24 AM
Coming up
The next three months, soonest first.
Now
- usually mid-September to mid November Peak fall color Maples first, oaks last. Pick one tree and check it every few days. On the Nature pathway
- through early March Saturn in the evening The steady dot that doesn't twinkle. Binoculars show it isn't round. On the Science pathway
- through late November Taurid fireballs Few, but slow and bright. Worth a look on any clear night. On the Science pathway
- to Fri, Nov 13 Dark evenings No bright Moon from dusk to 9 PM: the best stretch of the month for stars. On the Science pathway
November
- to Sun, Feb 28 Venus at the bus stop The brilliant morning star in the east before sunrise. Easy to spot on the way to school. Highest around Sun, Dec 13. On the Science pathway
- Mon · 2:02 AM New Moon: the darkest night of the month No Moon in the sky all night. How many stars can you count? On the Science pathway
- Tue · 6:48 AM Half Moon: craters in binoculars Look along the line between light and dark, where the craters cast shadows. On the Science pathway
- Wed · before dawn Leonids Swift meteors from the Lion, best in the hours before dawn. The Moon sets 11:41 PM, so it's dark after that. On the Science pathway
- around Fri · dawn Mercury before sunrise Low in the east in the half hour before sunrise. A rare chance; it's hard to catch. On the Science pathway
- Tue · full 9:54 AM Full Beaver Moon November's full Moon, when beavers finish their winter lodges. 360,754 km away. On the Science pathway
December
- Sun night Geminids The best shower of the year, and good from mid-evening. Dress warmly. Hardly any Moon: a dark sky for them. On the Science pathway
- to Tue, Jan 5 Christmas Bird Count Volunteers count every bird they see in one day; the counts go back to 1900. On the Nature pathway
- Mon · 3:50 PM Winter solstice The shortest day of the year. From tomorrow, the days get longer. 9 h 4 m of daylight. On the Math pathway
- Wed · before dawn Ursids A minor shower near the winter solstice, from near the Little Dipper. The Moon is 99% lit, so only the brightest will show. On the Science pathway
- Wed · full 8:28 PM Full Cold Moon, the closest of the year December's full Moon rides highest of the year and stays up all night. 356,729 km away. On the Science pathway
January
- Mon · before dawn Quadrantids A short, sharp peak. Look northeast in the hours before dawn. Hardly any Moon: a dark sky for them. On the Science pathway
- Fri · full 7:17 AM Full Wolf Moon, the closest of the year The first full Moon of the year rises at sunset, opposite the Sun. 357,635 km away. On the Science pathway
Up there
What's up on clear evenings this season. No telescope needed; binoculars where it says so.
Positions calculated for Arlington Center
Up nowIN SEASON THIS FALL · 11
- Saturn in the evening Now – early March The steady dot that doesn't twinkle. Binoculars show it isn't round.
- Big Dipper (Ursa Major) All year Seven stars in a ladle. From here it never sets; it swings around the North Star.
- Polaris and the Little Dipper All year Follow the two stars at the end of the Big Dipper's bowl to the North Star.
- Cassiopeia All year A W, or an M, depending on the time of night.
- Summer Triangle Jul – Nov evenings Three bright stars, Vega, Deneb and Altair, high overhead after dark.
- Cygnus, the Northern Cross Jul – Nov evenings A swan flying down the Milky Way, its tail at Deneb.
- Lyra and Vega Jun – Nov evenings Vega is the bright blue-white star high in the west; a small box of stars hangs from it.
- Square of Pegasus Sep – Dec evenings A big square of four stars, high in the south on fall evenings.
- Andromeda Sep – Jan evenings Two curving lines of stars off a corner of the Great Square.
- Andromeda Galaxy Sep – Jan evenings, binoculars A faint smudge of a trillion stars, the farthest thing you can see without a telescope.
- Perseus Oct – Feb evenings The hero with the winking star Algol, which dims every three days.
Eclipses: circle these now
The next three you can see from here.
- Penumbral lunar eclipse Earth's shadow slides across the Moon. Safe to watch with bare eyes. The Moon is 9° up.
- Partial lunar eclipse Earth's shadow slides across the Moon. Safe to watch with bare eyes. The Moon is 68° up.
- Partial solar eclipse (40%) The Moon takes a bite out of the Sun. Eclipse glasses needed. Never look at the Sun without them.
The best few, every Thursday
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