AstroEvent: A Close Binary Occultation.

 
 Astronomical occultations are always fun to catch. Unlike other astronomical events that often happen over glacial time scales, occultations happen with abrupt swiftness. And besides just being plain cool, occultations can produce real scientific value, data that you can contribute to from your own backyard… and there’s no bigger occulting body in the night sky [...]

U Scorpii is Currently in Outburst.

This is a quick shout out for all variable star watchers to catch a rare object; recurrent nova U Scorpii is currently in outburst. Followers of this space will recall that we blogged about this flare star last September; the AASVO issued Alert Notice 415 earlier today stating that U Sco is currently at +8 magnitude [...]

14.9.9:U Scorpii:A Nova in Waiting?

(Image credit & copyright courtesy of Mark A. Garlick; used by permission.
Please do not use this image in any way whatsoever without first contacting the artist).
Recurrent novae are among the rarest of beasts. While one-off galactic nova come and go throughout the year, recurrent novae are among those very few stars that have been known [...]

Astro-Event of the Week; 02.06.09: An Antares Occultation.

About 10PM EDT Looking East..(Credit: Stellarium).
An occultation of a bright star is well placed for observers in the Americas this weekend. The waning gibbous Moon will occult (i.e. pass in front of) the bright star Antares, also known as Alpha Scorpii. The action begins around 10:00 PM EDT and the Moon will cover up [...]