“The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination, but the combination is locked up in the safe.”
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With so many different star charts and field guides, how do you know which one is right for you? Perhaps the best introductory book ever written for aspiring stargazers is ‘Nightwatch’ by Terence Dickinson. Get your copy from local retailer Mile High Astronomy!
Read MoreFebruary’s sky is rich with Milky Way star fields, a host of impressive star clusters and nebulae, and some of the most recognizable constellations in the entire sky. Here’s the BBC’s Sky at Night to guide you through some of this month’s highlights!
Read MoreWhy do some stars appear brighter than others? Broadly speaking the apparent brightness of a star comes down to two factors: luminosity and distance. The star Sirius is both intrinsically bright and quite close to us, making it the brightest star visible in the entire sky.
Read MoreThe innermost planet Mercury is nearing the end of its visibility in twilight as we move into the weekend. To get a last glimpse of the planet before its lost in the Sun’s glare, head out immediately after sunset (never look at the Sun!) and use a pair of binoculars to sweep the horizon.
Read MorePlanetarium software can be useful for performing a range of planning functions quickly, accurately and relatively simply. One such package is Stellarium, an open source (free!) planetarium program that can realistically simulate the night sky as seen from anywhere on Earth, any night of the year.
Read MoreOne of Winter’s seasonal highlights is the multitude of bright and rich star clusters. Star clusters come in two varieties: open and globular. Open clusters are somewhat loose groupings of stars that appear to be concentrated relative to the surrounding region of stars, and may be gravitationally involved with each other while others merely appear as a grouping because of perspective. One of the finest open clusters is The Beehive, which stands out as a favorite of beginner and seasoned astronomers alike.
Read MoreLast summer we were treated to the pleasantly surprisingly comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3). Through early detection and widespread awareness campaigns, many were finally able to see this rare visitor in the evening sky on its way around our solar system. While it’s now long gone, new comets are discovered on a regular basis, though not all reach the same threshold of visibility as NEOWISE. Thankfully we have a new comet to keep an eye on this year: Comet Leonard.
Read MoreHubble has expanded our view of the universe in ways that couldn’t have been fully imagined even by its creators, pushing the boundaries of physics and cosmology and providing a multitude of arresting images along the way.
Read MoreThe Hubble Space Telescope has offered unparalleled views of the deepest parts of our surrounding universe. Last year, a time of NASA scientists compiled 7,500 individual images taken over 16 years to create a composite mosaic which shows scale in a visually stunning way.
Read MoreJupiter and Saturn are making headlines again, this time joined by Mercury to form another rare grouping in the evening twilight known as a ‘triple conjunction’ this weekend!
Read MoreThe Winter sky is full of amazing sights, but many consider the Orion Nebula (M42) to be the crowning jewel. Forming the sheath hanging off of Orion’s famous three-star belt, this nebula is one of the brightest deep-sky objects in the entire sky and is nothing short of stunning in binoculars and telescopes of any size, especially when viewed from a dark remote site.
Read MoreLearning the night sky and the skills the associated skills can be daunting at first. Thankfully, after mastering just a few basic principles you’ll be well on your way to a rewarding lifelong pursuit.
Read MoreAs we wrap up 2020, we want to send a special thanks to our supporters on Patreon, your support is greatly appreciated and helps make this possible!
Read MoreOne of the great highlights of the Winter season is the prominent open cluster known as The Pleiades, comprised of seven stars named after the seven daughters of the mythical Greek god Titan. The Pleiades is one of the brightest, largest and most distinctive clusters in the night sky and is well placed for viewing in the early evening.
Read MoreAfter the ‘Christmas Star’ Saturn-Jupiter conjunction last week, you might be wondering how often an event like this happens. Even more interesting than how often is the why behind these occurrences. It turns out that like most things in nature, patterns emerge and are often just as intriguing as they are beautiful.
Read MoreTonight’s the night! Not only is today the Winter Solstice, marking the first day of Winter, we have the long-awaited conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, in which they’ll appear closer to each other than they have for almost 800 years.
Read MoreAs we near the exceptional pairing of the “Christmas Star” - Jupiter and Saturn closing in towards each other on the solstice (Dec. 21) - it’s only natural to wonder just why they’re moving towards each other, and seemingly quickly.
Read MoreJupiter and Saturn form a triangle with the Moon shortly after sunset, use this chart to locate this rare triad!
Read MoreThe Geminid meteor shower is a reliably active display, but this year its peak lands over a period without significant interference from the Moon, which can easily wash out faint meteor streaks. You can start catching Geminids now even as we build to the peak on December 13th.
Read MoreJupiter and Saturn are perennial favorite gas giants that are endlessly captivating to observe, and this year has been no exception. On December 21st they’ll appear closer together than they have for 800 years in what’s known as a conjunction, but you don’t have to wait to start appreciating this special pairing.
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