astronomical events

DART is NASA’s first mission not to explore space, but to defend against it. Researchers at Johns Hopkins plan to launch a spacecraft and smash it into an asteroid. BOOM! The impact, they hope, will bump the big space rock off course.

The only total lunar eclipse for 2019 will be visible from the continental United States, including Maryland, on the night of Sunday-Monday, Jan. 20-21.

The highlights of 2019 for stargazers include a total lunar eclipse some are calling a “Super Blood Wolf Moon” and a transit of Mercury. And there are plenty of sights to spot in the heavens in between.

Three and a half years after exploring Pluto, the New Horizons mission will reach another new frontier in the first hours of 2019. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory-led mission will fly past a Kuiper Belt object known as Ultima Thule, a pristine remnant of the early universe.

Wirtanen’s perihelion distance is only 8 percent greater than Earth’s average distance from the sun. This month, Earth and comet will experience a close encounter. This occurs on the morning of Dec. 16 when the comet is only 7.2 million miles from Earth.

Last month NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe, its second deep space mission in 2018. (The other was Insight, destined for a November landing on Mars.)  Parker is different from other solar missions of the past that observed the sun from far off. Parker will get up close and personal.

The Perseid meteor shower will be at its peak volume this weekend and visible to the naked eye, making this the best time all year to catch shooting stars.

The light-year is a unit of measurement for distance equivalent to the span traveled by light in one year in a vacuum. If an object is 20 light-years away, then the light from it we are seeing left that object 20 years ago during which time it rapidly traveled through space before meeting our eyes.

In this summary of fake news in astronomy, The New York Times published two erroneous facts (blue moon and blood moon) and one imprecise definition (supermoon) in a single article.

Here's a look at some of the stories that made headlines in 2017.

Despite its distance, Earth’s tidal forces dominate its moon.

People all across America put their trust in the hands of a few expert astronomers Monday, who told them that they would experience a sight that would change their sense of place in the universe.

Harford County residents found many ways to view Monday's solar eclipse, as about 1,000 gathered on the grounds of Harford Community College in anticipation of a once in a generation astronomical event.

Carroll Countians react to the 2017 solar eclipse

About 3,000 people flocked to the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore Monday to see the first coast-to-coast solar eclipse in nearly a century.

Baltimore will experience a partial solar eclipse Monday. Here are some ways you can celebrate.

Eclipse watching tips for Marylanders

The children's museum will host an eclipse viewing party Monday afternoon.

If you're staying in Carroll for the solar eclipse on Monday, here's places you can go

Jim O'Leary, senior scientist at the Maryland Science Center, talks about Monday's solar eclipse and what visitors to the center can expect as the moon passes between the Sun and Earth.

Myles McKay, a young scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, will be studying the total solar eclipse from South Carolina as part of Citizen CATE, one of many eclipse research projects.

It's been about 70 years since a total solar eclipse has been seen in the United States, so astronomers are getting excited about the celestial event this

Marylanders won't get to view the full effect of the phenomenon- the state will only reach about 85 percent totality and the skies won't completely darken, but NASA research scientist Michael Kirk said it's still worth stepping outside for a few minutes in the afternoon to view the moon partially eclipse the sun.

A total solar eclipse will be visible across the United States on Aug. 21. Here's what you need to know about it.

Monday, Aug. 21 is the date amateur astronomers have been looking forward to. It is the date of the first total solar eclipse to occur in the continental United States in more than 38 years.

The 2017 Howard County Fair opens Aug. 5 and runs through Aug.12. Visitors can enjoy the traditional displays in the home-arts building and see the myriad animals in the barns and horses at the horse-show ring, but a new exciting addition is the Howard County Fair has Talent which takes place on the evening of Thursday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Contest Area. This event is being powered by WPOC radio with Michael J. serving as master of ceremonies.

The following programs will be offered through Carroll County Public Library. Registration is required only where noted. For more information, call

Next month's solar eclipse is this year's big news in amateur astronomy. This month we continue preparations for the eclipse with a discussion of available

Scientists have been trying to figure out how to explore the sun since the 1950s — such a daring mission was on a short list that helped spur the inception of

Whether you need a new telescope to keep on eye on Saturn's rings, want to learn more about how to observe this summer's total solar eclipse without singeing

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory will be playing a role in Lucy and Psyche, missions to explore the solar system and better understand how it formed.

A new analysis by University of Maryland, Baltimore County scientists reveals that the moon's Orientale basin is more than just a big hole.

In March, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft achieved its 10th anniversary in orbit around the red planet. With six other active missions from three nations currently either on the planet's surface or orbiting it, I thought now would be a good time to review the current state of Mars exploration, and developing plans for future manned missions.

On the heels of a relatively warm fall we underwent winter's full force replete with staccato blasts of snow and ice, including January's walloping 30-inch blizzard. How fleeting this winter will be remains to be seen although last month the meteorological prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil declared a forthcoming early spring. Fooled into making an early appearance around the holidays, the daffodils' premature green shoots have struggled under blankets of snow.

There's three unique things about Sunday's total lunar eclipse to excite sky watchers: It's a super moon, a harvest moon and what some people are calling a blood moon.

A severe solar storm caught scientists by surprise when it hit Earth on Tuesday, creating dramatic shows of the Northern Lights and illustrating shortcomings in our understanding of solar winds.

The highlight of 2015 for skywatchers could be the coincidence of a "supermoon" and a late-night full lunar eclipse in September, and otherwise, there are plenty of chances to see distant planets and shooting stars.

If a bus-sized iron asteroid traveling at approximately 12 miles per second hit New York City, would Baltimore be spared? The answer to this and other space questions can be found in Discover Space, an interactive learning exhibit on display at the Baltimore County Public Library's Towson branch through Oct. 29.

A satellite that has been speeding toward Mars for the past 10 months slammed on the brakes last night, gliding into the red planet's gravity field to spend a year studying its atmosphere – and collect evidence it might once have supported life.

If a bus-sized iron asteroid traveling at approximately 12 miles per second hit New York City, would Baltimore be spared? The answer to this and other space questions can be found in Discover Space, an interactive learning exhibit on display at the Baltimore County Public Library's Towson branch through Oct. 29.