This image of the Lunar Straight Wall or Rupes Recta in Mare Nubium was captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. While the feature can be seen through binoculars, a backyard telescope will reveal more detail. (Adapted from NASA LRO) Hello, Autumn Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of October 6th, 2024 by…
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This Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter image shows the major features of Mare Imbrium “the Sea of Rains”, including its eastern ring of mountain ranges, the dark crater Plato, the “islands” in the north, Archimedes, partially submerged ghost craters, and subtle wrinkles. NASA Hello, September Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of September 8th,…
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Hello, mid-August Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of August 11th, 2024 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and send me your comments, questions, and suggested topics. You can also follow me on Twitter as @astrogeoguy! Unless otherwise noted, all times are expressed in Eastern Time.…
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I captured this handheld smartphone image of the young crescent moon and the strong auroral display of May 10, 2024 behind my home in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. Conditions are again favorable for another spectacle if the sun sends a mass ejection in our direction over the next few days, before the moon brightens too much.…
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I captured this image of the once-in-a-lifetime aurora borealis on May 10, 2024 at 10:41 pm, from the trail behind my house in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. Despite somethin cloud we were able to see the aurorae in motion. The green glow is from singly ionized oxygen. The blue arises from nitrogen and the purples come…
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My friend Denise Chilton took this terrific image of the completely eclipsed sun from southeastern Quebec on April 8, 2024. The shape of the white corona will be replicated in all the totality photos from that day. Her image also captured the large pink prominence that extended beyond the southern pole of the moon. Hello,…
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This Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter image shows the major features of Mare Imbrium “he Sea of Rains”, including its eastern ring of mountain ranges,dark crater Plato, the “islands” in the north, Archimedes, and the subtle wrinkles. Other lunar maria are out of frame below the large crater Copernicus (botton centre). NASA Hello, Spring Stargazers! Here are…
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Malcolm Park captured this terrific widefield image of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks on March 4 2024. The Andromeda Galaxy is prominent at the upper right, and the triangulum galaxy is fuzzy at top left. This week the comet will travel between the two widely separated bright stars Mirach (above centre) and bluish Alpheratz (below centre). Enjoy more…
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Adrien Klamerius took this image of the Heart (upper left) and Soul (lower right) nebulas in Cassiopeia, also known as IC 1805 and IC 1848, respectively. The Double Cluster as at top centre. The area of sky covers about 10 degrees, or a fist diameter. NASA APOD for Sep 24, 2016 Hello, Night Sky Lovers!…
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On Tuesday evening, January 16, the lunar terminator will fall to the west of three prominent craters Theophilus, Cyrillus, and Catharina and throw into stark relief many other craters in the lunar highlands. The features will be visible in quality binoculars and through any telescope. (from 2024 NASA Lunar Visualization tool) Hello, Mid-January Stargazers! Here…
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