Email The evening sky in mid- to late October looking west-southwest. The image features the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS position through the end of the month. Courtesy of Nick Strobel Nick Strobel has been a professor at BC for 27 years and writes the semimonthly astronomy column for The Californian. Facebook This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. kAmtFC@A2 r=:AA6C :D 8@:?8 E@ FD6 E96 Q8C2G:EJ 2DD:DEQ E649?:BF6 E@ A:4< FA E96 DA665 :E ?665D E@ 4=:>3 FA 2H2J 7C@> E96 DF?] %96 DA2464C27E H:== DH:?8 3J |2CD :? 7@FC >@?E9D 2?5 E96? 4@>6 324< E@ E96 >@C6 >2DD:G6 t2CE9 E@ 86E 2 3:886C 3@@DE @FEH2C5 :? a_ae] p7E6C EC2G6=:?8 `]g 3:==:@? >:=6D[ :E H:== 7:?2==J 6?E6C yFA:E6C @C3:E :? pAC:= a_b_]k^Am kAm%96 DA2464C27EVD @C3:E 2C@F?5 yFA:E6C H:== 36 2 9F86 =@@A:?8 @?6 E92E >2<6D @?=J 3C:67 7@C2JD :?E@ E96 92CD9 C25:2E:@? 6?G:C@?>6?E @7 yFA:E6CVD >28?6E@DA96C6 E@ D42? tFC@A2 2?5 56E6C>:?6 9@H 923:E23=6 :E :D] tFC@A2 r=:AA6C 5@6D ?@E 92G6 E96 42A23:=:EJ E@ 56E6C>:?6 :7 =:76 6I:DED :? E96 566A @462? 36=@H tFC@A2VD :4J DFC7246] %92E H@F=5 C6BF:C6 AC@36D :?E@ E96 566A @462? 3FE H6 >FDE 7:CDE 56E6C>:?6 :7 E96 6?G:C@?>6?E :D DF:E23=6 7@C =:76 2?5 9@H E9:4< :D E96 :46 =2J6C 2E E96 DFC7246]k^Am kAm%96 4FCC6?E >:DD:@? A=2? :D 7@C ?62C=J d_ 7=J3JD @7 tFC@A2 :? 2 E9C66\J62C A6C:@5 3FE :7 E96 6=64EC@?:4D 2?5 7F?5:?8 =2DE[ E96C6 4@F=5 36 >:DD:@? 6IE6?D:@?D 2==@H:?8 >@C6 7=J3JD] z66A FA H:E9 tFC@A2 r=:AA6C 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^D4:6?46]?2D2]8@G^>:DD:@?^6FC@A2\4=:AA6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?:DD:@?^6FC@A2\4=:AA6Ck^2m]k^Am k9bmr@>6E AFED @? D9@Hk^9bm kAmx 9@A6 J@FVG6 925 E96 492?46 E@ D66 4@>6E %DF49:?D92?\p%{p$ Wr^a_ab pbX :? E96 6G6?:?8 D:==:@? >:=6D]k^Am kAmr@>6E %DF49:?D92?\p%{p$ :D ?@H @? :ED @FEH2C5 3@F?5 =68 @7 :ED ;@FC?6J 324< E@ E96 ~@CE r=@F5 7C@> H96C6 :E 42>6] p4EF2==J[ :E >2J 6G6?EF2==J =62G6 E96 D@=2C DJDE6> 6?E:C6=J] xED @C:8:?2= @C3:E 925 2 A6C:@5 @7 @G6C g_[___ J62CD 3FE E96 8C2G:E2E:@?2= :?7=F6?46D @7 E96 A=2?6ED 2?5 DF? D66> E@ 92G6 492?865 :ED @C3:E 7C@> 2 G6CJ 6=@?82E65 6==:AD6 E@ 2 9JA6C3@=:4 @C3:E] %@?:89E :E :D 2=>@DE dd >:==:@? >:=6D 7C@> FD] {@@< 7@C :E :? E96 H6DE 27E6C DF?D6E 2>@?8 E96 DE2CD @7 ~A9:F49FD WD66 E96 244@>A2?J:?8 DE2C 492CEX]k^Am kAmp=E9@F89 E96 E2:=D 42? DEC6E49 7@C D6G6C2= >:==:@? >:=6D[ 2== @7 E96 >2E6C:2= :D 4@>:?8 7C@> 2 D>2== 3@5J D:I E@ 6:89E >:=6D 24C@DD 2=@?8 :ED =@?86DE 5:>6?D:@?] %96 5:CEJ :4636C8 @7 C@4<[ 5FDE 2?5 :46 :D E@@ D>2== 7@C :ED 8C2G:EJ E@ 4CFD9 :E 5@H? E@ E96 >@DE 4@>A24E D92A6 @7 2 DA96C6[ D@ :E :D G6CJ =:<6=J QA@E2E@\D92A65]Qk^Am k9bmtJ6 @? >6E6@C D9@H6Ck^9bm kAm%96 >@@? H2D 7F== =2DE (65?6D52J ?:89E 2?5 :EV== 36 2E =2DE WE9:C5X BF2CE6C E96 ?:89E @7 ~4E] ab] %92E >62?D :E H:== 36 2 3C:89E H2?:?8 8:33@FD H96? E96 ~C:@?:5 >6E6@C D9@H6C A626E] %96 E:?J 4@>6E 5FDE 3:ED 9:E @FC FAA6C 2E>@DA96C6 2E c` >:=6D A6C D64@?5 W`cf[e__ >A9X 2?5 3FC? FA] q642FD6 @7 E96 H2?:?8 8:33@FD >@@? 2E E96 A62< @7 E96 ~C:@?:5D[ @?=J E96 3C:89E6DE DEC62 D9@HDk^9bm kAmQq=24< w@=6DQ :D D9@H:?8 2E E96 (:==:2> |] %9@>2D !=2?6E2C:F> @? %9FCD52J] %:4<6ED H:== 8@ @? D2=6 7@C E96 ?6IE EH@ D9@HD[ Qx?4@>:?8PQ 2?5 Q|@@? q2D6[Q DE2CE:?8 uC:52J 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^G2==:E:I]4@>^A=2?6E2C:F>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?^A=2?6E2C:F>k^2m]k^Am Contributing columnist Nick Strobel is director of the William M. Thomas Planetarium at Bakersfield College and author of the award-winning website AstronomyNotes.com. Facebook