Observing
Notes from an Amateur Telescope Maker’s Journal, Part 1
A home-made equatorial wedge used with an off-the-shelf telescope, just one of the ways you can improve your telescope experiences.…
Mysterious Noctilucent Clouds as Seen from the International Space Station
Mysterious “night shining” or noctilucent clouds are beautiful to behold, and this stunning image offers an unusual view of these…
Astronomers View Asteroid 2012 LZ1’s Bright Flyby
As reported, asteroid 2012 LZ1 came about 5.3 million km (3.3 million miles) from planet Earth on its closest approach…
Ring of Fire! Annular Solar Eclipse on May 20
[/caption] There’s a great reason to look up this weekend and hope for clear skies! On May 20-21 an annular…
Crowdsourcing the Hunt for Potentially Dangerous Asteroids
[/caption] What’s the best way to look for potentially hazardous asteroids? Get as many eyes on the sky as you…
M55 — Or a Swarm of Angry Bees?
[/caption] Globular clusters are my absolute favorite telescope targets. Okay, Saturn, and then globular clusters. And that's why I've absolutely…
See Big and Bright Saturn at Opposition This Weekend
[/caption] Now is the time to take a look at the planet Saturn, as the ringed planet will be at…
Thierry Legault: Astrophotography is an ‘Adrenaline Rush’
[/caption] During one of the final space shuttle missions, photographer Thierry Legault traveled nearly 4,000 km across various locations in…
See Venus in Daylight This Weekend
[/caption] The planet Venus is so bright that when conditions are right, it can be visible in full daylight. This…
What Can You See in the Night Sky in January 2012?
Jane Houston Jones from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory provides an overview of what is in the night sky this month,…