This long exposure image of the Triangulum Galaxy, also known as Messier 33 and NGC 598, was captured by Steve McKinney of Toronto in 2012. His photo covers a thumb’s width of the sky, but it has been rotated by 180 degrees from a binoculars view. Look for the 2.7 million light-years-distant galaxy climbing the…
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On Saturday, September 3, 2022, the moon will reach its first quarter phase. (Starry Night Pro) Hello, September Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of August 28th, 2022 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and send me your comments, questions, and suggested topics. You can also…
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This spectacular Perseids meteor was captured by RASC member Don Hladiuk of Calgary at 3:53 am MDT on August 13, 2022. Follow Don on Twitter at @Astrogeo (Yes – we’re each other’s doppelganger!) Hello, mid-August Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of August 14th, 2022 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to pass…
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An image of globular the star cluster Messier 10, also known as NGC 6254, by Höcherl. The cluster spans about 40% of the full moon’s diameter. At magnitude 6.4, it can be seen with unaided eyes at a dark location, and in binoculars and through any size of telescope. It is estimated to be 14,300…
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This terrific image by Amir H. Abolfath shows a deep exposure of the sky surrounding the bright reddish star Antares, the heart of Scorpius, which shines over the southern horizon on late June evenings. Antares is within the bright orange region at lower left. To its right is the enormous globular star cluster Messier 4.…
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A high resolution image of the moon’s Imbrium Basin, captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. From Monday to Friday this week, the lunar terminator will march across this huge feature in the moon’s northern hemisphere, showing off its best aspects. Hello, June Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of June 5th, 2022…
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This beautiful composite image, taken by Michael Watson of Toronto during the Total Lunar Eclipse of April 15, 2014, closely resembles what observers in most of the Americas will see starting on Sunday night, May 15, 2022. Michael has arranged the images to show the round shape of Earth’s shadow, as expressed during the partial…
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This terrific image by Benjamin Law of Stouffville, Ontario shows the Leo Quartet of galaxies, which is located in the neck of Leo, the Lion. Leo is visible high in the western sky in evening during May. Other names for this group are Hickson 44 and the NGC 3190 Group. The north-up image covers 20…
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A sampling of galaxy forms. Clockwise from upper left: Messier 87 “Virgo A” (elliptical), Messier 102 “Spindle” (lenticular), NGC 1365 (barred spiral), NGC 4656 “the Crowbar” (irregular), and Messier 81 “Bode’s Nebula” (spiral). All except NGC 1365 are visible on spring evenings from mid-northern latitudes. Hello, late-April Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the…
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The glorious face-on spiral galaxy Messier 101, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, is located near the bright star Alkaid, at the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle. Visible even in binoculars, it is nearly overhead on April evenings. (Deep Sky Survey image from Stellarium) Hello, mid-April Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the…
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