Western Slope Skies
Every other Friday at about 8:10 am, repeats the following Wednesday at 7:00 pm
Western Slope Skies is produced by members of the Black Canyon Astronomical Society, who take a look at our local night sky. Hear it every other week at 8:10 am, after the Friday morning regional newscast, and on the following Wednesday night at 7 PM, just before Global Express.
Do you have a question about the night sky or other astronomical topics? Ask it in our comments section below, or email us!
Latest Episodes
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In December, it’s tempting to stay inside and avoid the cold night air. But the December night sky is impressive! Find a star chart or planetarium App, then go out on a clear night, at least briefly, to enjoy the spectacle!
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2024 is almost here, and in astronomy, a lot will be happening.
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You may fondly remember the classic Eighties science program Cosmos, narrated by the late great astrophysicist Carl Sagan. In the episode “The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean”, he famously uttered “we’re made of star stuff”. We are the products of nucleosynthesis, a set of processes that created the chemical elements, the building blocks of all we see and are.
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Dark matter. You’ve probably heard of it, maybe in a Sci-Fi novel or movie, and you’ve probably wondered what it is exactly. Well, welcome to the club. Scientists have been asking themselves this question since its discovery in 1933. Dark matter is an invisible, mysterious substance that makes up 22% of the universe, but we know very little about it.
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Ring nebulae and the rings of Saturn are among some familiar rings that exist in space. But consider ring galaxies!
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In a total eclipse, the moon covers the sun completely and the sky darkens as if it were dawn or dusk.
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On the night of October 5, 1923, using the 100-inch Hooker telescope on Mt. Wilson, Edwin Hubble captured a photographic plate image of M31, the Andromeda “Nebula”.
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This year’s festival will run from September 14 through 16th, to coincide with the September new moon.
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If you’ve been paying attention to the news in the past year you’ve no doubt heard about the James Webb Space Telescope. However, there is another space telescope that still deserves your attention.
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One of the best meteor showers of the year will peak during the second weekend of August, presenting the perfect opportunity to spot shooting stars streaking across the sky.