THE CELESTIAL SPHERE
Transitioning from Spring to Summer – Solar Flares Expected By Matthew Johnson We transition from spring to summer on the Summer Solstice, June 21, at 4:24 a.m. On this longest day of the year, the sun rises at 5:07 a.m. and sets at 8:25 p.m., affording us 15 hours and 18 minutes of daylight and […]
The Celestial Sphere
Star Systems and the Red Star of Spring By Matthew Johnson A prominent spring constellation is Leo. It is one of the star groups found crossing the sky from east to west during May’s later hours and is located along the ecliptic, below and to the left of Orion’s belt. The brightest star in the […]
THE CELESTIAL SPHERE
Asteroid Comes to Earth, Artemis Takes to the Sky By Matthew Johnson The last two weeks of March witnessed exceptional astronomical events. At 9 a.m. on March 17, a meteor sped across the Cleveland, Ohio, sky at 45,000 miles per hour before splitting apart in a thunderous boom that shocked and frightened residents. NASA stated […]
The Celestial Sphere
March Skies and the Vernal Equinox By Matthew Johnson It has been an unusually cold winter, even by Norfolk standards. The constellations of Orion, and Canis Major, the great hunter and his dog, must have struggled during those frigid nights to rise in the east and traverse the southern meridian to set in the west […]
The Celestial Sphere
Shine on, Harvest Moon By Matthew Johnson “October” comes from “octo,” the Latin word for eight. It was the eighth month in the first, 10-month Roman calendar, but the name stuck after the calendar expanded to 12 months. On Sept. 22, Earth reached the point in its orbit designated as the autumnal equinox. We transitioned […]
The Celestial Sphere
By Matthew Johnson Summer begins on June 20 at 10:42 p.m., the evening of the Summer Solstice. On this date the sun will reach its highest altitude of 67 degrees above the equator. The sun will rise at 5:07 a.m. and set at 8:27 p.m., providing 15 hours and 18 minutes of daylight and eight […]
The Celestial Sphere
Strong Solar Activity Predicted This Month By Matthew Johnson Auroras were viewed over Norfolk on April 16. That night, a uniform layer of thin clouds embraced much of Norfolk, causing the aurora to glow a brilliant yellow, gold and white. This strong solar activity is predicted to continue into May as the sun’s activity approaches […]
The Celestial Sphere
April Brings a Micro Moon, Return of the Morning Star By Matthew Johnson The derivation of the name April is uncertain. It may stem from the Latin Aprilis which possibly is related to the verb aperire, meaning to open, reflecting on the blossoming of nature. In Norfolk, April begins with the sun rising at 6:26 […]
The Celestial Sphere
A Total Eclipse, a Partial Eclipse and the Return of Spring By Matthew Johnson Since the December winter solstice, the frigid weather has continued in the Norfolk Icebox. But the earth’s orbit is carrying us toward the warmer and longer days where we will reach the point in our orbit termed the vernal, or spring […]
The Celestial Sphere
The Days Are Growing Longer By Matthew M. Johnson We have progressed deeper into winter, transitioned into a new White House administration and into a new year since my December/January column for Norfolk Now. And since the Winter Solstice of last December, our days have continued to grow longer if only by a few minutes. […]
