Tag: Ursa Major

The Full Harvest Supermoon Covers Saturn and Dips into Earth’s Umbra, Evening Neptune Peaks near Saturn, the Big Bear Prepares to Nap, and Autumn Arrives!

The bright rays that surround the small bright crater Proclus are missing to the left of the two yellow lines, evidence that the Proclus impactor arrived at a shallow angle from that direction and tossed debris in front of it, partly onto dark Mare Crisium. This feature on the moon is easy to see in…
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Morning Zodiacal Light, The Great Bear Bows Down, and the Moon Passing the Sun Grants Views of Great Galaxies!

This terrific image of Jupiter was captured by my friend Claudio Oriani from his home in Richmond Hill, Ontario on September 5, 2023. More of his work can be enjoyed at his website https://www.wondersofthesky.com/about/ Hello, mid-September Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of September 10th, 2023 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to…
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Mars and Bright Jewels Crown Venus in Evening, and the Moon’s Move to Morning Gives Galaxies Again!

This terrific Wikipedia image by Hunter Wilson from March 28, 2008 shows the Leo Triplet of Galaxies, which is located south-southeast of the bright star Chertan in Leo. The photograph, with celestial north up and East toward left, covers a pinky-finger-width (or 0.6 degrees) of the sky left-to-right. The Hamburger Galaxy is at the top…
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Mid-Spring’s Full Milk Moon Spoils Stargazing and Attenuates the Eta-Aquariids, Evening Venus and Mars, and Ursae Musing!

This colour image of the moon during the penumbral lunar eclipse of September 16, 2016 was taken by Robin Lee in Hong Kong. It was the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for Oct 12, 2016. Welcome to mid-Spring, Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of April 30th, 2023 by Chris Vaughan.…
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The Moon Waxes to Hunter Full, But We Can Still See Paired Stars and Pretty Planets!

During evening in early October, the Great Square of Pegasus is visible in the eastern sky. the horse’s nose star, Enif, shines about two fist diameters to the right of the square. Orange-tinted Enif has a tiny companion star visible in binoculars and backyard telescopes. The spectacular globular star cluster named Messier 15 (upper right)…
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Morning Mars Kisses Saturn, A Waxing Moon Travels Taurus, and Some Bright Delights!

The moon at its first quarter phase, imaged by Michael Watson of Toronto in mid-twilight on April 22, 2018. The nights surrounding first quarter on Saturday, April 9 are the best ones for evening views of the moon through binoculars and any size of telescope. Welcome to International Astronomy Month, April Stargazers!l Stargazers! Here are…
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Morning Mercury, Evening Venus Leaves Antares, Orionids Meteors at Max, and Jupiter Sports Spots!

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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Mercury Joins Evening Venus, the Old Moon Moves Past Pre-dawn Planets, and Dark Night Skies Bring Galaxies Galore!

This image of the LeoTrio of Galaxies was captured by Marcus Bauer. It was a NASA APOD for April 18, 2019. Top to bottom, the image spans one degree of the sky. The Hamburger Galaxy (NGC 3628) is at centre left. M65 is at top centre and M66 is at centre right. Happy Mother’s Day!…
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Spotting Satellites, Venus Veers past Saturn, Mars Snuggles a Double Star, and Full Moonlight Floods the Night Sky!

This long exposure image by Bill Longo of Toronto shows the trail produced by the International Space Station when Expedition 41 flew over the David Dunlap Observatory in 2014. Bill’s gallery of beautiful images can be explored at https://interceptedphotons.com/ Happy December, Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of December 8th, 2019 by…
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