This image of the pretty waxing crescent moon shining to the left of the Pleiades Star Cluster aka Messier 45, Matariki, The Seven Sisters, Bugonagiizhig, and Subaru was captured by Jerry Lodriguss and shared as the NASA APOD for April 14, 2005. The passes near the cluster, and sometimes directly through it, on a monthly…
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This image of the beautiful open star cluster around the bright star Mirfak in Perseus was taken by Martin Gembec of the Czech Republic in 2007. Mirfak dominates the centre, with the stars of the cluster, also known as Melotte 20, the Alpha Persei Moving Group, and the Little Cloud of Pirates, sprinkled mainly to…
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NGC 7479 aka the Superman Galaxy and the Propeller Galaxy is located below (south of) the bright star Markab in Pegasus. One of my favourite galaxies, it is considered peculiar due to its asymmetrical arms. It spans about 1/15th the diameter of a full moon and is visible in larger telescopes on dark nights. This…
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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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