Did you know that NASA has a Planetary Defense Coordination Office? Thank goodness they do, along with many other government agencies and scientific institutions that track the sky for potentially hazardous asteroids. As much as we might love meteor showers (from innocent 'stardust' and bits of asteroids), we fear a large impactor that could cause significant damage to our planet. 

In this episode of the Translunar podcast, I talk about this agency and the many others who are on the lookout 24x7 to ensure we can identify, track, assess the risk, and be prepared should we ever find an outer space threat. It's an amazing story of how agencies and scientists work together to keep our planet safe.

This NASA video is an excellent overview of the PDCO. 

Image courtesy of NASA. 

Daytime Astronomy

Can we see the Moon, Planets, even stars during the daytime? The answer is a resounding Yes, but it is more nuanced and subtle thing and it takes some practice to know where to look and what to look for. In my new podcast on the Translunar series, I talk extensively about finding the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and more.

You can listen to all episodes of Translunar from your favorite podcast player (Spotify, Apple, etc.) and you can hear both my episodes in English and astrophysicist Jana Steuer in German. 

Image courtesy of NASA. 

The Late Summer Sky

Summer into Fall Sky

As summer comes to a close and the days begin to shorten, the weather is often quite favorable for good astronomy viewing. Join me on a tour of the night sky in this special time of year, a chance to bid farewell to the Summer Triangle and Milky Way and to welcome new constellations and planets to the scene. My podcast, part of the Translunar podcast series from the Volkssternwarte München (Munich Public Observatory) provides a guided tour of the highlights in the sky.

Image courtesy of SkySafari. 

August 12, 2026 Solar Eclipse

It's Eclipse Season, that magical time when the Sun, Moon and Earth line up to remind us of how special we are here on planet Earth ... because we are the only planet in our Solar System that has a Moon that perfectly covers our Sun. Every six months the two distant bodies align and give us eclipses, sometimes lunar, sometimes solar, sometimes partial, sometimes total. 

On August 12, 2026 we will have a Total Solar Eclipse visible from a narrow band that stretches from the North Pole through Greenland and Iceland, across the North Atlantic Ocean, and then across Portugal, Spain and the Balearic Islands. And for 100s of millions of people across Europe, they will experience a dramatic partial eclipse at sunset. The image (above) shows how it will look for many observers. 

There are many factors to consider when viewing an eclipse, from timing to weather to eye safety. My latest Translunar podcast recording entitled The Sunset Solar Eclipse covers all of this and more. 

This page on Instagram from the creators of the Star Walk App is a very fine summary of what to expect from different locations across Europe. Good luck with this eclipse and I'll send my report from the Balearic Islands (specifically Mallorca). 

Moonbase

NASA's Vision of a Moonbase

We are building a Moonbase. A place on our own Moon where human will be able to live and work. NASA is hard at work creating the infrastructure, logistics and missions to deliver the materials to the Moon and later to have humans land at the same place to build a base. It's our first attempt to live on another planet in our Solar System and I am thrilled to see us do this. It's going to take time, will require phases of development, but in the next decade should be ready to house us and provide a dramatic step in our evolution as a species that can live on more than one planet.  

In my Translunar Podcast entitled "The Moon Base is Coming," I talk about the many facets of this significant project. 

Image courtesy of NASA.  

The June 2026 Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus

We have a wonderful opportunity to watch a grand spectacle of nature, a close encounter of two of the brightest objects in the night sky. A rare conjunction of Jupiter and Venus which will reach its peak on Tuesday June 9th. These two objects are so bright, they will be easy to spot in the western sky after sunset and will put on a show for many days. They will start with a very close encounter on June 9th and continue for the next week with the planet Mercury and additional close encounters with the Moon on June 16th and 17th. 

Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus 

My detailed explanation of this conjunction can be found on my latest Translunar Podcast episode from the Volkssternwarte München, detailing what to look for today and for the next week. 

This article from Sky and Telescope Magazine provides much details where to look and what to expect.

Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope. 

The Big Dipper

Ursa Major and The Big Dipper

We all love the Big Dipper, don't we? It's a constellation that nearly everyone can identify. And it is a helpful aid to find other things in the night sky. 

I recorded a podcast for the Translunar series that covers this topic. You can find it here. Give it a listen and enjoy the lovely Big Dipper, high in the night sky right now. 

This article from the Adler Planetarium is quite helpful as well. 

Image courtesy of the Adler Planetarium. 

Moon Watching: It's just a Phase

Lunar X and V

The Moon is a wonderful object to behold. It brings us ever-changing patterns as it orbits our home planet every 29 days. Each seven days, we reach a new phase and a new and different way to see the Moon. Just after new Moon, it's a fun challenge to find a young Moon. At the first quarter, there is a special window of time to see the Lunar X and V. At full Moon, libration reveals edges that we don't normally see, and special views on the surface. And at last quarter, we can see the Moon guiding our way around the Sun. 

On the March edition of the Translunar podcast, I talk in depth about these four unique ways to see the Moon. Each of these visual experiences are quite challenging yet bring new perspectives on our good friend, the Moon. Enjoy!