Happy Space Science Saturday! The Geminids, often called the strongest meteor shower of the year, are back! The shower lasts from Dec 7 - 17 and will peak tonight, Dec 13 with up to 120 meteors per hour! Despite a bright second-quarter Moon, the display should still be worthwhile since the Geminids are so active. Watch from a dark spot after midnight. The meteors appear to originate from Gemini but can flash across the whole sky.
Image Credit: Thilina Kaluthotage | Getty Images
#Gemini #MeteorShower #Geminids #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! On December 7, Mercury appears at its greatest western elongation, positioned 20.7 degrees away from the Sun. This is an ideal opportunity to observe the planet in the early morning.
Look toward the eastern horizon just before sunrise.

#Planets #GreatestWesternElongation #Mercury #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! Did you know that Deneb and Vega (shown in these images) and Altair (not shown) make up an asterism called the Summer Triangle? An asterism is a well-known pattern or group of stars. These stars are also the alpha (brightest) stars of their constellation and are very prominent in the summer night sky.

#Asterism #Deneb #Vega #Altair #SummerTriangle #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! Did you know that NGC 2174 (shown in this image) is also known as the Monkey Head Nebula? This is because, when seen in visible light, it can resemble the face of a monkey. NGC 2174 is an Emission nebula which means it emits its own light.
#MonkeyHeadNebula #Emission #Nebula #NGC2174 #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy (late) Space Science Saturday! Did you know that NGC 936 is also known as the Darth Vader Galaxy because it looks like the Twin Ion Engine starfighters flown by the Darth Vader and his crew in the movie Star Wars. NGC in the name stands for the New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars tars which was compiled by Danish astronomer Johan Ludwig Dreyer.

#StarWars #NGC936 #JohanLudwigDreyer #NGC #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! Did you know that the Pleiades, seen in this image, is also known as the Seven Sisters or Messier 45? The cluster is estimated to be 150 million years old, with its brightest stars forming within the last 100 million years. The Pleiades are visible to the naked eye, as they are one of the clusters nearest to Earth., and can be seen from most parts of the world, except the Arctic Circle.

#SevenSisters #Messier45 #Cluster #Pleiades #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! This Wednesday, October 29, Mercury will be at its greatest eastern elongation which is the best time to view the planet from Earth’s surface. During this period, Mercury will be at its highest point above the horizon in our evening sky and farthest away from the Sun. The best chance to view Mercury will be just after sunset.
#ClearSkies #Elongation #Mercury #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! We have stellar news for stargazers; the Orionids Meteor Shower peaks this week between October 20-21! Better yet, we will have a New Moon which means minimal moonlight and optimal meteor viewing conditions
Image credit: Mountain Light Photography Inc via Getty Images


#Meteor #Orionids #MeteorShower #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Bathed in the harsh ultraviolet light of nearby bright stars, the Horsehead Nebula is slowly being eroded away. Along its top ridge, two young stars emerge from their exposed stellar nurseries, while the surrounding gas clouds have already dissipated. The tip of the pillar, however, remains dense enough with hydrogen, helium, and dust to cast a protective shadow that shields material behind it from photo-evaporation, preserving its distinctive shape. Astronomers estimate that the Horsehead has about five million years left before it disintegrates completely. It is part of the vast Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, which also contains other iconic regions such as the Great Orion Nebula (M42), the Flame Nebula, and Barnard’s Loop.

#Nebula #Orion #Horsehead #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! The Draconids Meteor Shower peaks on the night of October 7! This is a minor shower, which produces only about 10 meteors per hour, caused by dust from comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner. Unlike most showers, the Draconids are best viewed in the early evening.
This year, unfortunately, the Moon’s light will block most of the display, so only very patient observers may be lucky. The shower runs annually from October 6–10, with meteors radiating from the constellation Draco but visible anywhere in the sky.

Image Credit: Getty
#Draconids #MeteorShower #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! Polaris, also known as Alpha Ursae Minoris, seen in this image is in the constellation Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper). It is about 433 light-years away from Earth and has a magnitude of around +1.98, making it the brightest star in Ursa Minor. Polaris lies almost directly above Earth’s North Pole, only about 0.65° off from true north. That’s why it has been used for navigation for centuries.

#AlphaUrsaeMinoris #UrsaMinor #Polaris #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! Tomorrow night, September 21, Saturn will be at opposition! This makes it an ideal time to observe the planet as it is directly opposite the sun and will be visible all night, from sunset to sunrise. Fun fact, Saturn is the furthest planet that is easily visible to the naked eye.

#Saturn #Opposition #YorkUObservatory #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #Astronomy #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! NGC 6946 lies 25 million light-years away and is a face-on galaxy, meaning it faces us, which makes it easy to observe. In the last century, it’s had 10 supernovae (vs. the Milky Way’s 2), earning it the nickname the Fireworks Galaxy!
#NGC6946 #Fireworks #Galaxy #YorkUObservatory #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #Astronomy #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

This weekend brings a total lunar eclipse, but it won’t be visible from Toronto, unfortunately. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. During a total eclipse, the Moon often turns a reddish hue, earning the nickname “blood moon.” The celestial event will be visible for our friends across Asia and Australia and the central and eastern parts of Africa and Europe.
This September Full Moon is also traditionally called the Corn Moon from Native American tribes harvesting their corn around this time.

#CornMoon #BloodMoon #LunarEclipse #YorkUObservatory #Stargazing#Pollux #Castor #Gemini #Constellation #SpaceScienceSaturday #Astronomy #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! A rare Black Moon is coming the night of August 22-23, 2025! This seasonal Black Moon is the third new moon of summer, and while you won’t see it (its sunlit side faces away from Earth), its absence means the darkest skies for stargazing. Catch more stars than usual this weekend and enjoy one of the sky’s rare folklore events! Happy Viewing!

#BlackMoon #SpaceScienceSaturday #Astronomy #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! Did you know that today Saturn begins its retrograde motion? Normally, Saturn moves eastward against the background of stars, but during retrograde it appears to pivot and move westward through the constellations. This apparent backward motion isn’t because Saturn actually reverses its orbit, but rather because of Earth’s own motion around the Sun. As Earth passes Saturn in its orbit, our changing perspective makes Saturn appear to move backward in the night sky.


#Orbit #Retrograde #Saturn #SpaceExploration #Space #Astronomer #Astronomy #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkU #Observatory #AllanICarswellObservatory #Stargazing #YorkUniverse #Telescope #Planets #Stars #Science #Physics #Toronto #YorkUObservatory #AICO #Cosmos #LearnAstronomy #SpaceFacts

Happy Space Science Saturday!
The Moon and Venus will be in conjunction tonight, June 21, into tomorrow night, June 22, as they will share right ascension. This means the two bodies will appear close to each other in the sky, as seen in the image above.


#Venus #Moon #Conjunction #SpaceExploration #Space #Astronomer #Astronomy #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkU #Observatory #AllanICarswellObservatory #Stargazing #YorkUniverse #Telescope #Planets #Stars #Science #Physics #Toronto #YorkUObservatory #AICO

Happy Space Science Saturday!
Caldwell 20, also known as the North America Nebula, is about 1800 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. Its shape is said to resemble the North American continent, hence the nickname. This region is actively forming stars, particularly in a dense area called the Cygnus Wall.

#Caldwell20 #NorthAmericaNebula #NGC7000 #CygnusConstellation #DeepSky #Nebulae #StarFormation #SpaceExploration #Space #Astronomer #Astronomy #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkU #Observatory #AllanICarswellObservatory #Stargazing #YorkUniverse #Telescope #Planets #Stars #Science #Physics #Toronto #YorkUObservatory #AICO

Happy Space Science Saturday!
Experience the Strawberry Moon on June 11! This Full Moon does not get its name from its hue or appearance but from the Native American Algonquian tribes as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota who would harvest their ripened strawberry crop around this time of year.

#FullMoon #StrawberryMoon #Moon #SpaceExploration #Space #Astronomer #Astronomy #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkU #Observatory #AllanICarswellObservatory #Stargazing #YorkUniverse #Telescope #Planets #Stars #Science #Physics #Toronto #YorkUObservator

Happy Space Science Saturday!
Tonight, Venus reaches its greatest western elongation, meaning it is at its furthest point from the Sun in the sky, about 46 degrees. This is an ideal time to observe the planet because it will be at its highest point above the horizon before sunrise. So, get out your telescopes and have a good time stargazing!


#Sun #GreatestWesternElongation #Venus #SpaceExploration #Space #Astronomer #Astronomy #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkU #Observatory #AllanICarswellObservatory #Stargazing #YorkUniverse #Telescope #Planets #Stars #Science #Physics #Toronto #YorkUObservatory #AICO