Cloud cover has been a menace to astronomers lately. "We've been trying for three weeks," says Bob King, "to bring our telescopes out to show a Girl Scouts group the night sky." Alas, the clouds continue to linger today, but if the skies clear, there will be plenty to see after dark.
The Full Wolf Moon will be a bright spot amid the dark January nights this Thursday, the 25th. If you're looking for more of a morning event, this Saturday, Mercury and Mars will be crossing paths about 40 minutes before sunrise in the southeastern sky.
And some big international news... a Hungarian astronomer spotted an asteroid that was on course to collide with Earth's atmosphere about 3 hours after its discovery. NASA astronomers crunched the numbers and predicted that it would be visible over Berlin, Germany. The video of the fireball was captured by a man out walking his dog.
For the sake of the scouts and stargazers alike, hope for clear skies.
You can hear Astro Bob's Backyard Astronomy every other Tuesday at 8:20am on Northland Morning.