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Eye on the SkyWhile I enjoy looking at charts and thinking about astrology in the abstract, there is nothing more beautiful than to see celestial events in the sky! The awesome sight of the Moon close to a planet or two planets hanging out together, or the magic of an Eclipse - what can be better! These heavenly phenomena change constantly. WINTER STARGAZING The brighest object in the evening sky now is Jupiter, the biggest planet. But as the Sun gets closer to it, it will set earlier and earlier until it disappears altogether and then re-emerge in the morning sky, visible before sunrise (for you early-risers). Jupiter is in Aquarius (not the constellation but the sign) so it will "disappear" into the Sun's brilliance in February 2010. Meanwhile, Mars is in Leo all winter, and since that's a summer sign, it will be visible in all its ruddy glory, all winter long. I like to check out what's visible at this great site: www.skypub.com from Sky & Telescope Magazine. Look in the SIGHTS section for "This Week's Sky At A Glance." Their "Monthly Sky Charts" are way cool, too. NASA has an index of wonderful astronomical photos with their explanations, containing lots of links to other great pics. This is really magnificent! Plan to stay a while when you visit. Viewing some of the planets require the use of a telescope, but there is a lot you can enjoy with your naked eye. I highly recommend an excellent annual guide to the sky: the Astronomical Calendar by the very talented and brilliant Guy Ottewell, available from UniversalWorkshop.com. It has amazing illustrations along with recommendations of what to look for in the sky, and helps you understand better what you see in a chart. PLANETARIUMS are a great resource for appreciating the sky, as well. If you're able to get to Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, you can see where Pluto was discovered! I also am a big fan of the Morehead Planetarium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It's likely that a university near you has a planetarium or observatory. Home | Information Booth | Study Booth | Sales Booth | Janet Booth | Return to Top©2001-2008 Janet Booth for JanetsPlan-Its.com and AstrologyBooth.com |