The Urban Astronomer

The deepening darkness of winter has arrived and with it the beautiful winter skies. The earliest sunset has already passed, but the longest...

Over the last three weeks a minor and otherwise dim comet has suddenly flared and become bright. Comet Holmes has been sighted many times si...

Last weekend I was at Ocean Beach as the sun set. Minutes after sunset I spotted a thin crescent moon hovering low on the western horizon. I...

As the days grow shorter and the nights longer and the Fall weather brings clearer skies to San Francisco, I find myself with more opportuni...

Welcome back to another year of astronomy tips and news from the Urban Astronomer . I enjoy the opportunity to share astronomy with the Wal...

While giving a tour of the sky, I am often asked how I know which "stars" in the sky are planets and which are real stars. The sho...

I spent last week at the Live Power Farm in Covelo with the 3rd grade. The sky there was clear and beautiful and we had two opportunities to...

Now that the days are getting longer, it is getting more challenging to see the night sky in the morning. This week I was outside at 5:45 am...