Seasonal Stories
Astro Advent 2018 - Days 1 to 12 
Northern lights, space probes, astronomers, astronauts, stars, planets and other interesting things in space and astronomy. All of these and more are in the astro countdown to Christmas that began on the Bellaonline Astronomy Forum.
Astro Advent 2018 - Days 13-24
Aurorae, Moon visitors, stars, planets, and more are in the astro countdown to Christmas. Here are the days from mid-Advent to Christmas Eve.
Astro Advent 2019 – Days 1-12
Northern lights, space probes, astronomers, astronauts, stars, planets and other interesting things in space and astronomy. They're in the astro countdown to Christmas on the Bellaonline Astronomy Forum.
Astro Advent 2019 – Days 13-24
A mysterious purple arc across the sky, a shower of meteors, a rare transit, a Christmas comet – and more – complete the astro countdown to Christmas. Here are the days from mid-Advent to Christmas Eve on the Bellaonline Astronomy Forum.
Astro Advent 2020 - Days 1-12
Christmas 2020 is past now, but you can still enjoy the astro advent calendar of daily images posted in the Bella Online Astronomy forum. Here we revisit the first twelve days which included a space probe, atmospheric phenomena, skyscapes and deep-space objects.
Astro Advent 2020 - Days 13-24
Meteors, colorful moons, an alien landscape and more – they're in the 2020 astro countdown to Christmas on the Bellaonline Astronomy Forum. Here are some notes about the final twelve days plus a Christmas bonus.
Astro Advent 2021 Days 1-8
Christmas 2021 is past now, but you can still enjoy the daily astro advent images posted in the Bella Online Astronomy Forum. The first eight days of the countdown included the return of Comet 67P, a beautiful aurora in Canada, a strange spiral in the constellation Pegasus, and vivid skyscapes.
Astro Advent 2021 – Days 17-25
Christmas 2021 is past now, but you can still enjoy the daily astro advent images posted in the Bella Online Astronomy Forum. The final days of the countdown included images of a prize-winning aurora, a nebula that looks like a dolphin head and the Moon looking like an eyeball.
Astro Advent 2021 – Days 9-16
Christmas 2021 is past, but you can still enjoy the Astro Advent images posted in the Bella Online Astronomy Forum. The second eight days included a funny face, an Arctic fireball, and some winners from the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021 competition at the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
Astro Advent 2022 17-25
Christmas 2022 is past, but the daily "astro advent" images in the Astronomy Forum are still there to enjoy. The final eight days – plus a Christmas bonus – included a fire rainbow, ice halos and a spectacular comet.
Astro Advent 2022 Days 1-8
Christmas 2023 is past, but the daily “astro advent” images in the Astronomy Forum are still there to enjoy. The first eight days included the Carina Nebula, a smiley face on the Sun from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, and a breathtaking skyscape from Norway's Lofoten Islands.
Astro Advent 2022 Days 9-16
Christmas 2022 is past, but the daily "astro advent" images in the Astronomy Forum are still there to enjoy. The second eight days included both a magnificent aurora and an awesome meteor shower.
Astronomical Valentines
Valentine's Day. Is it a romantic day or one invented by greeting card companies and sellers of luxury goods? It certainly isn't an astronomical holiday, but whatever your view of the day, you can enjoy this selection of cosmic valentines.
Astronomy April Fools
Mercury has a moon? Could the Jovian-Plutonian Gravitational Effect give you a floating feeling? Virgin Galactic has bought Pluto and has plans for getting it reinstated as a planet? Nope. April Fool hoaxes and jokes.
Autumn Equinox
Autumn begins on the equinox, the day the Sun crosses the equator. The earliest known civilizations celebrated the equinoxes, and they're still celebrated in many places. One of the biggest autumn celebrations is the Chinese Moon Festival. A traditional Chinese garden has a moon-watching pavilion.
Christmas in the Skies
For many people Christmas is a special day with a magic of its own. A Christmas eclipse is a great treat and centuries ago a long-awaited comet finally showed up on Christmas day. But imagine spending the holidays a quarter of a million miles from home, as the crew of Apollo 8 did.
Cosmic Father's Day
Which tie would you give a cosmic father? What food would you serve him? Where might he find challenging mountaineering, make an astounding golf shot, or get up an interstellar soccer game?
Cosmic Ghosts Ghouls and Vampires
Astronomers use colorful language for cosmic objects. But unlike ghosts, ghouls and vampires in horror stories, the cosmic ones aren't scary late at night. Here are tales of the birth, evolution and death of stars, a blinking demon and a star that, at Halloween, seems like the Sun's ghost.
Cosmic Halloween Tour
Join me - if you dare! - on a Halloween astronomical tour. See a cosmic witch and cosmic ghosts, spiders and snakes, and a fiery skull. And you don't really have to be afraid. It's a virtual tour and all these things are interesting astronomical objects a very long way away.
Cosmic Valentines
Valentine's Day is no assurance that love is in the air. Hearts and flowers aren't guaranteed to come your way. You may or may not get one of the billion valentine cards that are sent each year. But heart shapes are everywhere and anyone can admire them. Here is a cosmic selection.
Cosmic White Christmas
If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, the cosmos may have something of interest. How about deep snow on one of Saturn's moons, a gigantic Christmas tree whose lights are baby stars, a snowman on an asteroid, or an Einstein ring?
Galactic Winter Games
Welcome to the Galactic Winter Games, a starry tribute to Earth's Winter Olympic Games. It's a tour of some really cool cosmic sights – as well as some hot ones, such as one of the biggest explosions in the Universe.
Groundhog Day
February second is Groundhog Day, a day that's a mystery to people outside North America. Even in the USA and Canada, it's more a bit of fun than a holiday. Yet however superficial it is now, it's the offshoot of traditions that began in Europe thousands of years ago.
Halloween
Halloween falls midway between an equinox and a solstice. In the ancient Celtic world it was the new year's eve and start of winter - time to prepare for survival in the darkening days. But also a time when the boundary between our world and the otherworld weakened. Who knew what might cross it?
Mother's Day - an Astronomy Bouquet
Flowers from the florist are popular for Mother's Day. But for really stellar mothers, here is a cosmic floral tribute with links to some dazzling astronomical images.
Saint Patrick's Day – Wearing the Cosmic Green
Saint Patrick's Day is associated with the shamrock and the color green. Although there don't seem to be any cosmic shamrocks, there are many green phenomena in the skies. Discover a beautiful green nebula, what excites electrons, and why con men sold “comet pills”.
Spring Equinox
You've made it through the winter and watched the food stores diminish. But the days are getting longer and green shoots are appearing. Spring is on the way. The festivals of the vernal equinox emphasize rebirth and renewal. In many cultures the equinox is also the New Year.
Summer Solstice - St John's Day
Each day for six months after the winter solstice, the Sun rises a bit higher in the sky. It reaches the maximum height at the summer solstice, the longest day. Evidence of rituals and festivals at the times of the solstices goes back thousands of years.
Thanksgiving in Space
Many foods are associated with a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. But what do you suppose would be on the menu for Thanksgiving in space? Would you have to squeeze turkey paste out of a tube and get gelatin-covered dessert cubes? No. Food has improved since the early days of space flight.
What Was the Star of Bethlehem
The Star of Bethlehem is a lovely symbol of Christmas. Was it based on an actual astronomical happening? Or perhaps an inspired idea to emphasize the spiritual importance of the story?
When Does the New Year Begin
Imagine midnight on December 31 – fireworks, friendship and celebration greet a new year. But only if you follow the Gregorian calendar. In the past, a year often didn't start on January 1, and for nearly two billion people it still doesn't. So when does a new year begin?
Winter Solstice
For six months, each day has been shorter than the last, the Sun lower in the sky. Will it disappear altogether and leave the people bereft in the dark cold winter? The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and is associated with more festivals than any other astronomical event.
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