Cosmic Watch Review: A Unique Perspective on the Night Sky

By David Dickinson - August 23, 2018 09:36 AM UTC | Observing
Watching the heavens on a nightly, or even casual basis? The web and modern technology has certainly altered the landscape of modern astronomy, (mostly) for the better. Once, we all huddled around cardboard planispheres, illuminated by red flashlights; now, it's now a common sight to see illuminated smartphone apps accompanying telescopes at star parties, all waving skyward with virtual planetarium programs guiding users around the night sky.
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Catch Comet 21/P Giacobini-Zinner at Its Best

By David Dickinson - August 16, 2018 10:32 AM UTC | Observing
A periodic comet may put on a fine show for northern hemisphere viewers over the next few months. Comet 21/P Giacobini-Zinner is currently a fine binocular comet shining at +8th magnitude and cruising across the constellation Cassiopeia. This places it above the horizon for the entire night for observers north of the equator in August, transiting the local meridian at local dawn.
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