This image of the pretty waxing crescent moon shining to the left of the Pleiades Star Cluster aka Messier 45, Matariki, The Seven Sisters, Bugonagiizhig, and Subaru was captured by Jerry Lodriguss and shared as the NASA APOD for April 14, 2005. The passes near the cluster, and sometimes directly through it, on a monthly…
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This image of the Fossil Footprint Nebula NGC 1491 in Perseus was captured by Adam Block at Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona. This image is nearly one degree wide, or about one finger’s width. (Wikipedia) Happy December, Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of December 1st, 2024 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free…
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This image taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the fascinating Aristarchus Plateau. The crater Aristarchus at lower right is very prominent, and can be seen even with unaided eyes as a very bright patch. To its left is the similar-sized, but darker crater Herodotus. Vallis Schröteri, the largest sinuous rille on the moon, starts…
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This annular solar eclipse occured on June 6, 2021. Proper solar filters or image projection is required to view every part of an annular eclipse. It’s Solar Eclipse Time, Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of October 8th, 2023 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and…
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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…
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This image of the North American Nebula was captured in 2018 near Thornbury, Ontario by my friend Sailu Nemana. Several of the surrounding bright stars and star clusters within it are highlighted. The Pelican Nebula (at right) is formed by the dark dust of LDN 935. The re/pink colour is produced by ionized hydrogen gas.…
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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 image by Michael Watson of Toronto shows the beautiful and large Elephant Trunk Nebula, and the massive, red star Mu Cephei, aka Herschel’s Garnet Star, on its northern edge. The area of sky shown here covers about six by 12 times the diameter of the full moon, with north (towards Polaris) on the left.…
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The Double Cluster in northwestern Perseus makes a fantastic target for binoculars at this time of year. This wide field image was taken by Volker Wendel and was NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day on December 7, 2007. Hello, October Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of October 20th, 2019 by Chris…
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