With so much going on in our lives, the wonders of the cosmos can often provide some relief. In the words of author and educator, "Astro" Bob King, "life has a sparkly edge when you look up."
Part of that "sparkly edge" comes from the moon, which over the course of the week will be at the center of much astrological action; the celestial body will pass by five different planets: Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars.
"We have these passings, these parings of moon and planets happening in the evening sky," says King. "It's kind of a dance. The moon is changing dance partners."
However, the moon can't shine on its own and the sun is also vying for attention. There is a massive amalgamation of sunspots forming, 39 times bigger than the size of the earth. These spots emit solar flares, leading to a low, but hopeful chance for auroras.
"I am hopeful that perhaps by the weekend we'll get some auroras in the forecast from all this solar activity," says King.
You can hear Astro Bob's Backyard Astronomy every other Tuesday at 8:20am on Northland Morning.