The planets Jupiter, Mars and Venus put on quite an impressive display in the eastern sky before sunrise this month!  Venus is the bright ‘star’ above the eastern horizon, with bright Jupiter above.  Depending on how bright the night sky is in your area, you may also see the red planet Mars between Venus and Jupiter.

Venus and Mars are in the Name A Star Live constellation Virgo, while Jupter lies just inside Leo, the Lion.  The dim planets Uranus and Neptune are ‘visible’ in the early evening skies right now.  But again, they are dim planets that require a telescope in order to view them.  Uranus is in the Name A Star Live contellation Pisces, and Neptune is in Aquarius.

Use the Moon to Find Your Star’s Constellation

Did you know you can use the Moon to help identify constellations (areas of the night sky) like Aries, Taurus and Sagittarius?  Follow us on Twitter where we Tweet what constellation the Moon is in each night.  (Note that during certain times of the month, the Moon will not appear during the night hours, and so we do not Tweet info about the Moon at those times of the month.)

Finding your star in the night sky

Stars are located within constellations, which are just areas of the night sky. Scorpius, Aries and Taurus are examples of constellations. Your Name A Star Live Star Certificate displays the name of your constellation. Log in to the My Sky section of our website to use our Constellation Calendar to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight). Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope. You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

In late September the Moon will undergo a rare total eclipse visible to most people in the Americas, Europe and Africa.  This Full Moon will also be known by several names, including the “Blood Moon,” the “Harvest Moon,” and the “Supermoon”! Continue reading “The Super “Blood Moon” Eclipse of 2015″

The shimmering colors visible in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image show off the remarkable complexity of the Twin Jet Nebula. The new image highlights the nebula’s shells and its knots of expanding gas in striking detail. Two iridescent lobes of material stretch outwards from a central star system. Within these lobes two huge jets of gas are streaming from the star system at speeds in excess of one million kilometers (621,400 miles) per hour.

The cosmic butterfly pictured in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image goes by many names. It is called the Twin Jet Nebula as well as answering to the slightly less poetic name of PN M2-9. Continue reading “Hubble sees the wings of a butterfly: The Twin Jet Nebula”

This is a great time of the year to get out under the stars and see the Milky Way. But even if you’re located dozens of miles away from bright city lights, it can be difficult to find the beautiful, hazy band of our galaxy spanning across the nighttime sky.

But you can use the Name A Star Live constellation Sagittarius to find the Milky Way during the summertime.  Just face south and look for the “teapot,” next to the Name A Star Live constellation Scorpius.  Like steam rising from your teapot at home, the countless stars of the Milky Way will appear to rise from the Teapot and over your head. Continue reading “Exploring the wonders of Sagittarius”

Here are some beautiful space photos and videos that have been posted on the Internet recently. Enjoy!

This photo of the “Blue Moon” over the Netherlands shows July’s 2nd full moon peeking through the clouds. Continue reading “Beautiful space imagery”

Here are some beautiful space photos and videos that have been posted on the Internet recently. Enjoy!

Continue reading “Beautiful space imagery”

The planets Jupiter and Venus dominate the evening skies this month, while Saturn is clearly visible between midnight and dawn.  Moreover, there will be a total lunar eclipse on April 4. Continue reading “April’s Stars and Planets”