December's Full Moon rises dramatically over the eastern mountains at around 4:15pm -- some 25 minutes before the time of sunset -- on Tuesday, December 1. The same full moon will set about 14 hours later over the ocean at …

"Rainbow Season" Arrives with the first rains of late fall. Scattered showers are best for rainbow watching: sunlight refracting and reflecting through the raindrops causes two bows to appear -- an intense circular arc at 42°, and a bigger, but …

Jupiter, the "king" of the planets, appears high in the southern sky after sunset. Note its creamy yellow-white color and unblinking brightness. Aim a small telescope at Jupiter anytime during the next few weeks to see the cloud-belt-banded planet flanked …

The Fremont Cottonwoods along the San Diego River in Mission Gorge are now showing their best tawny foliage. You can park at the Old Mission Dam historic site or the Mission Trails Regional Park visitor center and explore the riparian …

November's and December's Picturesque Sunsets and sunrises are no accident. This is the time of year when high cirrus clouds, often the precursors of storms, sweep through our area with some regularity. When cirrus or other lofty clouds are present, …

Liquidambar Trees, or sweet gums, the deciduous trees gracing front yards, parks, and campuses throughout the San Diego area, have been putting on an exceptionally colorful show. The leaves of some varieties turn to purple or red; the leaves of …

The Annual Leonid Meteor Shower, famous for its outbursts over the period 1998-2002, has now settled down to a modest display of only about 10-20 visible events per hour (as seen under clear, dark skies in a remote mountain or …

Santa Ana Winds in San Diego County often reach their greatest intensity during November, particularly at the mountain passes, where dry air from a high-pressure area over the interior deserts swoops coastward toward a low-pressure area offshore. The subsiding air …

Acorn Dropping reaches a crescendo early this month in the Cuyamaca, Laguna,and Palomar mountains. Wiry scrub oaks, massive canyon live oaks, and the golden-leaved black oaks all contribute to the growing collection of acorns littering the ground. Acorn woodpeckers are …

Local Temperatures should be declining most rapidly during this time of year, according to more than a century of local meteorological records. With every successive week, daily maximum temperatures are declining by about 3/4° Fahrenheit, and daily minimum temperatures are …

The Taurid Meteor Shower, featuring about 10-15 visible events per hour -- as seen under clear, dark skies -- peaks this year around Wednesday, November 4. Best times for viewing are approximately 10pm to 3am. Individual meteors belonging to this …