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…
Read more
This terrific image of Mars was taken by Andrea Girones of Ottawa on November 23, 2022 at 11:35 pm EST. The large bright area at upper left is named Aeria. the dark region below that is Sinus Sabaeus, and the dark feature to the right is Mare Acidalum. Dark features on Mars tend to be…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
The scene viewed from Mexico City on Sunday, June 5 at 10:37 pm CDT, just before the moon begins to move in front of the bright star Al Jabhah, aka Eta Leonis. Timings vary by latitude and the hour varies with time zone. (From Stellarium) Hello, Stars and Planets Fans! Here are your Astronomy Skylights…
Read more
Michael Watson of Toronto captured this trio of images of the April 15, 2014 lunar eclipse. He carefully positioned the moon to show its east to west motion and the circular shape of Earth’s shadow. For the total lunar eclipse of Wednesday, May 26, 2021 the moon will instead cross through the upper half of…
Read more