This star map shows the Houston sky at 10 pm CDT on May 1, 9 pm CDT on May 15, and dusk on May 31. To use the map, put the direction you are facing at the bottom. A swath of brilliant winter stars sets in the west at dusk. Orion, the Hunter, is […]
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Source: http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1431a/ This star map shows the Houston sky at 10 pm CDT on April 1, 9 pm CDT on April 15, and dusk on April 30. To use the map, put the direction you are facing at the bottom. Jupiter, near Spica in Virgo, is up virtually […]
This star map shows the Houston sky at 8 pm CST on November 1, 6:30 pm CST on November 15, and dusk on November 30. To use the map, put the direction you are facing at the bottom. The Summer Triangle is high in the west. The ‘teapot’ of Sagittarius sets in the southwest. How […]
Jupiter is now in the west at dusk. It outshines all stars we ever see at night, so you can’t miss it. Mars and Saturn are now in the south at dusk. As you watch them, Mars is to the right and is much brighter. Although Mars continues to fade each night as Earth leaves […]
Jupiter is now high in the southwest at dusk. It outshines all stars we ever see at night, so you can’t miss it. Mars and Saturn are now in the southeast at dusk. As you watch them rise, Mars is to the right and is much brighter. In fact, this month Mars outshines all of […]
Jupiter is now high in the south at dusk. It outshines all stars we ever see at night, so you can’t miss it. Mars and Saturn become late evening objects this month. Tonight, May 2, Mars rises in the southeast at 9:48 p.m. while Saturn comes up soon afterwards, at 10:24 p.m. By May 15, […]
Jupiter is now high in the east-southeast at dusk. It outshines all stars we ever see at night, so you can’t miss it. Mercury is visible just after sunset this month. Face west at twilight, and look low in the sky over the point where the sun sets. Mercury isn’t as brilliant as Venus or […]
Jupiter comes to opposition on March 8, which is when Earth aligns with Jupiter and the Sun. That is why Jupiter is up all night long in early March. Face east in evening twilight to watch Jupiter rise. It outshines all stars we ever see at night, so you can’t miss it. Early risers will […]
The Burke Baker Planetarium and Friedkin Theater renovation project reached a milestone this week, and we at the museum are brimming with anticipation! Okay. That’s an understatement. When we first heard the news, we all ran around screaming, “The dome is finished! The dome is finished!” That’s what really happened. The dome is indeed complete, […]
In July of 1964, the Houston Museum of Natural Science opened its new museum in Hermann Park with modest exhibit space and the Burke Baker Planetarium. A state-of-the-art Spitz Space Transit Planetarium dominated the theater’s center with its flat floor and a few slide projectors. Two star balls connected by cages, swinging in a yoke, […]
