Tag: Algol at Minimum

Moonless Nights Provide Plenty of Planets, Meagre Meteors, a Comet, a Pulsing Eye, and Some Tricky Treats!

NGC 457, better known as the Owl Cluster, ET Cluster, and Dragonfly Cluster, was imaged by “Astrodoc” Ron Brecher of Guelph, Ontario. The bright stars are the eyes. The body and feet extend down to the right. Squint to see the upswept, curving chains of stars for the wings.This image covers a finger’s width of…
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A Comet Looms Largest, Medusa Blinks, and a Super Bright Moon Lets Bright Lights Shine!

A terrific image of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) after sunset on Saturday, October 12, shared by Paul Whitmarsh and Jane Penny, of the Lewes Astronomical Society, and our deputy director Dr Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society in the UK. The original post is at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ZT1U7DUCQsQPmRzf/ Hello, mid-October Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights…
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Northern Winter Nigh, Minimal Meteors, the Evening Moon Waxes to Yule, and Christmas Lights!

My friend Alan Dyer of Alberta captured this spectacular image of a lone Geminids meteor streaking across an aurorae-filled sky on December 13, 2023. From Collingwood, Ontario I saw two terrific Geminids in one hour on December 14. Follow Alan’s @amazingskyguy account on X.com and visit his ww.amazingsky.com page for more. Hello, Start-of-Winter Stargazers! Here…
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Betelgeuse Blinks, Moonless Maximum Meteors for 2023, Algol Alternates, and Pursuing Planets!

This terrific composite image of the Geminids meteor shower in 2017 was taken by Alan Dyer of Alberta. The winter Milky Way descends through the centre and the bright patch at right is Orion’s belt and sword. More of Alan’s images can be viewed at his website https://amazingsky.photoshelter.com/index Hello, Mid-December Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy…
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The Waxing Moon Passes Planets, Comets Continue, Gas Giants Glow, and Algol Grows Dim

This image taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the fascinating Aristarchus Plateau. The crater Aristarchus at lower right is very prominent, and can be seen even with unaided eyes as a very bright patch. To its left is the similar-sized, but darker crater Herodotus. Vallis Schröteri, the largest sinuous rille on the moon, starts…
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A Mid-Autumn Moon Leaves Evening, Planets Dance, Jupiter Peaks and the Demon Fades While the Bull Shoots Stars, and the Owl Hoots!

NGC 457, better known as the Owl Cluster, ET Cluster, and Dragonfly Cluster, was imaged by “Astrodoc” Ron Brecher of Guelph, Ontario. The bright stars are the eyes. The body and feet extend down to the right. Squint to see the upswept, curving chains of stars for the wings.This image covers a finger’s width of…
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New Moon Brings an Annular Solar Eclipse, Brightest Planets Bracket the Pre-dawn Sky, and Pegasus Points to the Celestial Centre!

This annular solar eclipse occured on June 6, 2021. Proper solar filters or image projection is required to view every part of an annular eclipse. It’s Solar Eclipse Time, Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of October 8th, 2023 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and…
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The Blue Moon is Super near Shiny Saturn, Medusa Blinks, Venus Gleams at Sunrise, and Info on Seasons!

The red ring on this simulated picture shows the size of an average full moon. The full moon on August 30 will be a lunar perigee syzygy, or supermoon – the largest for 2023. (Starry Night Pro 8) Hello, Late-Summer Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of August 27th, 2023 by Chris…
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The Half Moon Hides Antares, Algol is Active, Saturn Shines Brightest, Venus Revives, and Cygnus Sights!

This image of the North American Nebula was captured in 2018 near Thornbury, Ontario by my friend Sailu Nemana. Several of the surrounding bright stars and star clusters within it are highlighted. The Pelican Nebula (at right) is formed by the dark dust of LDN 935. The re/pink colour is produced by ionized hydrogen gas.…
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An Absent Moon Leaves Bright Evening Planets, Awesome Auriga’s Kids, Comets, and Alternating Algol!

This wonderful image was captured around 8:30 pm EST on Saturday, February 11, 2023 by Andrea Girones from her backyard in Ottawa, Canada. It shows the green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) as it slid past reddish Mars. The dusty tail is material left behind as the comet travels downwards (celestial southbound) in the sky. The…
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