Month: December 2019

Science Outreach Specialists

More Meteors Briefly, Merry Perihelion, a Paucity of Planets, and the Stunning Stars of January!

This wide field photograph of the sky shows Orion at left and Taurus to the upper right. The stars have been slightly overexposed to emphasize their colours and relative brightnesses. Normally, reddish Betelgeuse at Orion’s shoulder (left above centre) is the same brightness as blue Rigel at Orion’s opposite foot. But recent images shows Betelgeuse…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of December 29th, 2019

On Friday, January 4 from 6:36 to 6:41 am EST, the International Space Station will fly over the GTA in a bright pass, exiting from Earth’s shadow near the bright star Capella in the lower northwestern sky, and then setting at the eastern horizon. Artificial satellites are visible because they are high enough to be…
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An Ancient Yule, a Comet in the Camel Leopard, the Sun Surrounds the New Moon, and a Flight through Pegasus!

This image of the beautiful Superman Galaxy, more formally known as NGC7479 and Caldwell 44, was captured by Goran Nilsson using the 2-metre Liverpool Telescope on the Canary Islands. The galaxy is 105 million light-years away from the sun, in the constellation of Pegasus. It’s also considered by astronomers to be “peculiar”. Hello, December Stargazers!…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of December 22nd, 2019

On Wednesday, December 25 from 6:31 to 6:36 am EST, the International Space Station will fly high overhead of the GTA in a very bright pass, exiting from Earth’s shadow near the bright star Procyon in the lower west-southwestern sky, and then setting at the northeastern horizon. Artificial satellites are visible because they are high…
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‘Tis the Solstice Season, the Queen’s Treats, a Coming Comet, and the Little Dipper Spills Meteors while the Moon Wanes in the Morning!

This widefield photograph spanning about 10 degrees of of the sky near Cassiopeia was taken by Adrian Klamerius. It shows the redly-glowing Hydrogen gas clouds of the lovely Heart and Soul Nebulas, and the spectacular Double Cluster. NASA APOD for September 24, 2016. Happy Solstice, Winter Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of December 15th, 2019

If you are adept enough, or have a high-end computerized mount, you can view or photograph the space station through your telescope’s eyepiece. This sequence was taken by James Boone in Tampa, Florida on April 27, 2014 – using a 10″ Dobsonian telescope! His terrific gallery of astro-imagery is here. Artificial satellites are visible because…
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Spotting Satellites, Venus Veers past Saturn, Mars Snuggles a Double Star, and Full Moonlight Floods the Night Sky!

This long exposure image by Bill Longo of Toronto shows the trail produced by the International Space Station when Expedition 41 flew over the David Dunlap Observatory in 2014. Bill’s gallery of beautiful images can be explored at https://interceptedphotons.com/ Happy December, Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of December 8th, 2019 by…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of December 8th, 2019

On Monday, December 9 from 5:51 to 5:57 pm EST, the International Space Station will fly overhead of the GTA in a very bright pass, rising from the west-northwestern horizon, passing very close to the bright star Deneb, and then disappearing into Earth’s shadow just over the southeastern horizon. Artificial satellites are only visible because…
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The Waxing Moon Wades the Water Constellations, the Evening Bright Planet Party Continues, and Telescope Buying Tips!

Several times a year at the moon’s first quarter phase, a feature called the Lunar X becomes visible in strong binoculars and small telescopes. For a few hours starting at approximately 11:15 pm EST on Monday, December 2, the illuminated rims of the craters Purbach, la Caille, and Blanchinus will combine to form a small,…
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