The area around the small, bright crater Aristarchus (left of centre) in Oceanus Procellarum is one of the most colourful portions of the lunar surface. The large ragged ray systems at lower right surround the craters Copernicus and Kepler. (Rolf Hempel via Planetary.org) Hello, Mid-November Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of…
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This composite image of Perseid Meteors streaking across the Milky Way was captured by Ali Hosseini Nezhad from Shiraz, Iran in 2023. The three bright stars of the Summer Triangle asterism frame the galaxy. NASA APOD for August 24, 2023 Hello, August Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of August 4th, 2024…
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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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My friend Lisa Ann Fanning of New Jersey captured the spectacular morning conjunction of the crescent moon and Venus from the Cape May Lighthouse on November 10, 2023. Hello, November Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of November 12th, 2023 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to pass this along to your friends…
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Mirach’s Ghost aka NGC404 is the elliptical / lenticular galaxy sitting to the upper left of the bright star Mirach in Andromeda. Other smaller galaxies are scattered around the region. This terrific image by Kent Wood of Utah was the NASA APOD for Oct 27, 2017. Kent’s original image with details of his equipment is…
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Andrea Girones of Ottawa captured this amazing image of Saturday’s annular solar eclipse from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She used a Lunt 40mm solar telescope, an ASI 174MM camera on a Skywatcher Star Adventurer tracker. Hello, Autumn Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of October 15th, 2023 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to…
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Bill Longo of Toronto captured this amazing sequence of images on August 15, 2014. The International Space Station climbs the sky through the Big Dipper at left, while a Perseids meteor briefly streaks across the sky at right. Hello, Meteor Lovers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of August 6th, 2023 by Chris…
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Geminids Meteors viewed from Chile, a four-hour composite imaged by Yuri Beletsky at Las Campanas Observatory in 2013. Orion is upside-down at left and the twin stars Castor and Pollux sit near bright Jupiter at centre. NASA APOD for December 8, 2019. Hello, mid-December, Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of December…
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A detailed map of the lunar region around Copernicus, which is best viewed as the moon is within several days of full. (Stellarium) Hello, August Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of August 7th, 2022 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and send me your comments,…
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This spectacular long exposure composite combines twenty photographs of the Orionids Meteor Shower taken on October 21, 2006 near Bursa, Turkey by Tunc Tezel. It was NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 23, 2206. Orion, with his distinctive belt, shines at top centre. The shower’s radiant is at top left. Happy, mid-October, Stargazers!…
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