James

James is the Planetarium Astronomer at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. He teaches students every school morning in the planetarium, and also answers astronomy questions from the public.

Seeking Summer Solstice | June 2023 Sky Happenings

Editor’s Note: We are looking up as HMNS Astronomer James Wooten explains the sky happenings for the month of June and the upcoming Summer Solstice. Venus remains high in the evening sky this month. It is high in the west at dusk each evening. Mars is now high in the west at dusk. As Earth […]

Milky Way Evenings | May 2023 Sky Happenings

Editor’s Note: We are looking up as HMNS Astronomer James Wooten explains the sky happenings for the month of May and the collision of our Milky Way against the horizon. Venus is even higher in the evening sky this month.  It is slightly higher in the west at dusk each evening.  Mars is now high […]

New Moon Marks End of Ramadan | April 2023 Sky Happenings

Editor’s Note: We are looking up as HMNS Astronomer James Wooten explains the sky happenings for the month of April and a New Moon that helps mark the ending of the celebration of Ramadan. Venus is even higher in the evening sky this month.  It is slightly higher in the west at dusk each evening.  […]

Daylight Savings Time | March 2023 Sky Happenings

Editor’s Note: We are looking up as HMNS Astronomer James Wooten explains the sky happenings for the month of March with a reminder that Daylight Savings Time is upon us. Jupiter is still in the evening sky as March begins.   However it appears a little lower in the west at dusk each evening as Venus […]

Comet ZTF Remains | February 2023 Sky Happenings

Editor’s Note: It is a new year and we continue looking up as HMNS Astronomer James Wooten explains the sky happenings for the month of February, including Comet ZTF that remains in the sky. Jupiter is still in the evening sky; look for it in the southwest at nightfall.  Jupiter is brighter than any star […]

Look Up | Comet ZTF Nears Earth

As January ends and February begins, a comet enters the northern evening sky, and it may become bright enough to see with the unaided eye! The comet is C/2022 E3 ZTF. ZTF is the discoverer, the Zwicky Transient Facility, an astronomical survey of the sky using a camera attached to a telescope at Palomar Observatory […]

Perihelion | January 2023 Sky Happenings

Editor’s Note: It is a new year and we continue looking up as HMNS Astronomer James Wooten explains the sky happenings for the month of January, including the science behind perihelion. Jupiter is still in the evening sky; look for it in the south southwest at nightfall.  Jupiter is brighter than any star we ever […]

Winter Solstice | December 2022 Sky Happenings

Editor’s Note: Look to the skies as HMNS Astronomer James Wooten explains the sky happenings for the month of December, including the science behind our winter solstice. Jupiter is still in the evening sky; look for it in the south at nightfall.  Jupiter is brighter than any star we ever see at night. Saturn remains […]

Artemis has arrived at the Moon!

At 12:47 am CST on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, the Artemis I mission successfully launched from Cape Canaveral. Thus begins NASA’s return to the Moon, as we approach the fiftieth anniversary of our last manned mission to the Moon, Apollo 17. Early Monday morning, November 21, Artemis passed behind the far side of the Moon. […]

Eyes on Artemis | November 2022 Sky Happenings

Editor’s Note: Look to the skies as HMNS Astronomer James Wooten explains the sky happenings for the month of November, including the highly anticipated rescheduled Artemis I launch. Jupiter is still up most of the night; look for it in the southeast at nightfall.  Unless the Moon is up, Jupiter is the brightest thing in […]