Watch an Asteroid Race Across the Sky

The kilometer-wide, potentially hazardous asteroid 1994 PC1 will fly past Earth on January 18th. Good news on two counts: It won’t hit us, and it’s bright enough to see in a 4-inch telescope. The post Watch an Asteroid Race Across the Sky appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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Comet Leonard — A Gift at Christmastime

Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1), which appeared to stall out around magnitude 5 in early December, has become a surprise performer. Since transitioning to the evening sky, it’s undergone three successive […] The post Comet Leonard — A Gift at Christmastime appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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Venus Farewell, Moonless Skies for the Quadrantids

Venus presents a stunning crescent at dusk before switching over to the morning sky early next month. After dodging the Moon for the Geminids, it’s dark skies all around for the Quadrantid meteor shower. The post Venus Farewell, Moonless Skies for the Quadrantids appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 17 – 25

Dramatic Venus is becoming a dramatically thinner, larger crescent the southwestern twilight. A few people can even resolve the crescent naked-eye. Saturn and Jupiter stay lined up behind it. And the bright winter constellations officially come into their own with the turning of the solstice. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 17 – 25 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 10 – 18

Comet Leonard switches from low in the dawn to low in the dusk this week; you’ll need those binocs. The Venus-Saturn-Jupiter line slides westward. And the high full moon of December rides across the sky in Taurus, at the top of the ecliptic. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 10 – 18 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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