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Nov 6, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Jennifer Willis
Sometimes the obstacles in our path — such as clouds and light pollution — steer us not away from our goals but on a more meaningful path toward them. Sometimes the obstacles in our path steer us not away from our goals but on a more meaningful path toward them. It turns out cloudy skies, blocked horizons, and some neighborhood light pollution were precisely what I needed.
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Oct 7, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Jennifer Willis
October is my favorite month. Cooler nights are growing longer and daylight is waning with every rotation of the planet. The Sun traverses the sky at a lower angle, highlighting the changing leaves. We’re also fast approaching my favorite holiday: Halloween!Halloween is (almost) an astronomical holiday, falling close to one of the four cross-quarter days that come between the solstices and equinoxes.
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Aug 5, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Jennifer Willis
Amateur astronomers are all life-long learners — and this “back to school” time of year provides just the right motivation. As the local stores are already promoting “back to school” supplies, I find myself nostalgic and excited at the approach of late summer. I was the quirky kid who loved school and couldn’t wait to dive into new classes. And I’ve been feeling a yearning to to fill in the large gaps in my astronomical knowledge.
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Jul 8, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Jennifer Willis
Several weeks ago, I was packing up my little robotic telescope after imaging Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) when I beheld a heartening sight: peeking above the trees was the head of the constellation Scorpius, with Antares at its heart. My breath caught, and I was pinned to the spot. The red-orange star was on the rise. Antares and I had just spotted each other for the first time this year.
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Jun 6, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Jennifer Willis
The experience of stargazing stretches far beyond the time I spend beneath the open sky. Just like the “star glow” of a clear night lingers into the following day, the lead-up to an observing session can fill me with expectant delight — especially when a major astronomical event is imminent. Anticipation is inextricable from amateur astronomy. It’s present when I’m tooling around in observation apps and reading “star facts” to pick targets for observation.
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May 6, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Jennifer Willis
I’ve been thinking lately about stargazing while traveling. Some of the benefits are obvious: I’ve learned that constellations and their legends differ between cultures, that looking into the sky can ground me when I’m feeling disoriented away from home, and that local stargazing can complement and offer a deeper perspective on daytime activities. But then a new thought occurred:Many people travel to broaden their horizons; there's no broader horizon than the cosmos.
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Apr 3, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Jennifer Willis
It’s finally here — the total solar eclipse that so many in North America have been waiting for! To stand beneath the shadow of the Moon is to experience celestial mechanics in action, and in community with fellow Earth-dwellers. Most of us in North America will find ourselves well outside the path of totality on April 8th. But a partial eclipse — Eclipse Lite, if you will — can also offer a sense of wonder, albeit on a smaller scale. Weather permitting, of course.
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Apr 3, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Monica Young |Jennifer Willis |Richard Tresch Fienberg |Bob King
Why We Look Up with Jennifer Willis A partial solar eclipse visible from Houston, Texas, in October 2014. gpenner / S&T's Online Photo Gallery It’s finally here — the total solar eclipse that so many in North America have been waiting for! To stand beneath the shadow of the Moon is to experience celestial mechanics in action,…By: Jennifer Willis April 3, 2024
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Mar 6, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Jennifer Willis
Space is hard, even when you don’t leave the ground. Sometimes you reach your target, but you land sideways, as the recent SLIM and Odysseus lunar landers did. Sometimes you shoot for the Moon and miss altogether. But you can’t fail if you never try. Back in January, we rode the wild rollercoaster that was the Peregrine One lunar lander mission.
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Feb 5, 2024 | 
skyandtelescope.org | Jennifer Willis
There’s a tiny asterism that never fails to mesmerize. For centuries, the Pleiades cluster has enticed storytellers, even showing up in the cave paintings at Lascaux. That little smudge features in diverse mythologies across the globe. Many cultures around the world have looked to the Pleiades and seen a group of seven young women — or sometimes six with a seventh missing or trailing behind. I remember the night I first became aware of the Pleiades. I don’t remember the date, nor how old I was.
