In this long exposure composite during the Geminids Meteor Shower by Yin HaoC, the bright “twin” stars of Castor and Pollux are framed by the meteors, which appear to radiate from that point in space. (NASA APOD for December 15, 2017) Hello, Early-December Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of December 8th,…
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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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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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This image by Kent Wood was NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 27, 2017. It shows the bright star Mirach aka Beta Andromedae and the distant background elliptical galaxy NGC 404 positioned just to its north-northwest (upper left of centre). The galaxy, which is nick-named Mirach’s Ghost, can be seen in 6″ or…
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This image of Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) was taken recently by Dan Bartlett from a dark sky site above the Eastern Sierras Mountains in California. The coma’s greenish glow should be apparent in a telescope. The dust tail may be a challenge. The image was featured as NASA’s APOD for November 21, 2021 Hello, Stargazers!…
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This gorgeous patch of sky spans 6 by 11 degrees, or about a palm’s width by a fist’s diameter, held at arm’s length. The red nebulas at right are the Heart and Soul (IC 1805 and IC 1848) in Cassiopeia, 2500 light-years distant. The two bright star groups at left, in next-door Perseus, is collectively…
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Ron Brecher captured this image of Messier 31, plus Messier 110 and Messier 32 on December 5, 2016. Ron’s original image is and more information are at https://astrodoc.ca/m31/ Hello, Evening Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of November 29th, 2020 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to pass this along to your friends…
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This widefield photograph spanning about 10 degrees of of the sky near Cassiopeia was taken by Adrian Klamerius. It shows the redly-glowing Hydrogen gas clouds of the lovely Heart and Soul Nebulas, and the spectacular Double Cluster. NASA APOD for September 24, 2016. Happy Solstice, Winter Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week…
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