Skywatching | Universe Today

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Are you ready to catch the planetary action? Then get thee out into the night, because right now is the perfect time of year to catch all of our solar system bodies in the same day! Be sure to be out on Saturday night, too… Because it's "Harvest Moon"! Need a little bit more of a challenge? Then fly off to Cygnus as we take a look at two of its most beautiful (and challenging) double stars! Whenever you're ready, I'll see you in the dark… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! It's an awesome weekend forecast for many of us attending Fall Star Parties, and all over the world we're looking forward to moonless nights and the fellowship with our brother and sister amateur astronomers. If you've never been to a star party, try the Goggle pages for information… you just might find one going on near you! In the meantime, let's have us a "Snowball" fight, chase some galaxies and ponder double stars! I'll see you in the night… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Ah, yes… Full Moon. Are you ready to howl? If you didn't get a chance to watch the galiean moons do their dance last weekend, then be sure to catch the awesome video you'll find inside! In the meantime, keep your ears alert for the rise of tonight's "Full Corn Moon" and check out the Omicron gems. As the skies get darker, the Herschel challenges warm up – so dust off your optics and I'll see you in the backyard… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Are you ready for a little lunacy this weekend? Yes, it's back – but there is no other distant world whose features we can study quite so clearly and as well as the Earth's companion – the Moon. If it's been awhile since you turned a telescope or binoculars its way, why not spend an evening or two enjoying some of its features before it becomes overwhelmingly bright? There are other bright objects we often take for granted as well, too… Such as colorful and challenging double stars. If that's not enough for you – then keep your eyes wide open – because some very cool things are about to happen with Jupiter's moons! Time to dust off your optics and I'll see you in the backyard… Read more…

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July 22, 2009 Solar Eclipse Image Submitted By Bill Fish

The total solar eclipse which just occured on the 22nd of July 2009 was the longest in terms of maximum totality duration of the 21st century – lasting over six and a half minutes. Not since Saros 1991 have astronomers and eclipse chasers been treated to such a length of time! The eclipse footprint started in India along the western shore near Surat moved towards Butan and reached the southern tip of Nepal and the northern edge of Bangladesh. For other lucky astronomers, the eclipse path also took the event over the Chinese cities of Chengdu, Suining, Chonging, Wuhan, Xiaogan, Hangzhou, and Shanghai – yielding five minutes of totality. Leaving Shanghai the shadow raced across the ocean to fall across islands such as Toshima and Akusaki south of Japan and eventually the Marshall islands. Where did the longest time occur? The maximum eclipse duration of 6 minutes and 43 seconds was far off the coast in the Pacific Ocean! As I write this announcement, our readers are sending in their photos and stories to my home email (send them!!) and I just couldn't wait to show you some of the beginning results. It will take a short time to do a little translation work… But it's a small, wonderful world and this article will be updated very soon!

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Do you know this face? If you don't, then you surely know the name – Brother Guy Consolmagno, Vatican Astronomer. Ah, I hear some bells ringing in your head! So why is he important to so many of us? Then sit back and let me tell you a tale about the halcyon days of astronomy… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! "100 Hours of Astronomy" is now underway – and doesn't it just figure that most of us are enjoying clouds and rain? Apparently Murphy's Law (with it's many variations of names) works everywhere on Earth! But, keep up the good spirits. My own bags are packed and I'm ready to head towards the observatory for the next 3 days of non-stop astronomy programming and here's some features coming up this weekend I thought you might enjoy sharing as well. Are you ready? Then come on along and let's have a great time… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Ah, yes… the Moon is back in force and that will make for a rather quiet astronomy weekend – or will it? Why let a little reflected sunlight spoil the fun when we can take a look at just how important that studying sunlight really is, or just who drew the line at its studies?! How about taking a look for some very cool lunar craters and some very hot stars? More? Then waltz around the rings of Saturn and challenge yourself to a new star grouping. When ever you're ready, I'll see you in the back yard… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Are you ready for one awesome weekend? Then let's enjoy the dark skies as we take on a wide variety of challenges. For those who just use their eyes, this is a great time to spot Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and the New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms. Need more? For binoculars we have open star clusters and bright comets. Still more? Then get out your telescope and dust off your eyepieces and let's see how good you are as we take on some challenges! Whenever you're ready, I'll see you in the back yard…. Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! For some parts of the world, baby? It's cold outside… But those -23C temperatures haven't kept some of us from chasing Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin and just knowing a few bright stars and having a pair of binoculars is all it takes for you to spot it, too! Or maybe you'd just like to spot the ISS? If skies are clear, why not spot the Moon and where SMART-1 did some imaging? Better yet, how about spotting a bright star to learn about – or a fantastic lunar impact crater? If you're ready to see some "spots", then grab your observing equipment and meet me outside… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! The Moon is back again, but what a terrific target for winter studies. Why not get out your binoculars and telescopes as we take a look at strange and unusual places like the Serpent Sea, the Marsh of Sleep and the Lakes of Time, Death and Dreams? If you haven't wished upon a star lately, then there's a serious reason to take a look at Sirius this weekend! Step outside in the dark with me where we'll explore a little history, a little mystery, and just plain have us some fun… Read more…

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Are you ready for some spectacular sky scenery tonight? Then keep your fingers crossed for clear weather as the slender crescent Moon, Venus and Jupiter provide one of the finest sky shows we've seen all year – a conjunction in the west to dazzle the eye and boggle the brain! But just exactly why does seeing bright planets draw together command our attention? Step inside and let's find out… Read more…

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ATV. credit: ESA

The Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) has done its duty – it even went above and beyond its expected capabilities. But the end is nigh, and soon, on September 29 the ATV will become a fireball and burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, never to be seen again. But before it does, people in North America and Europe have the perfect opportunity to see it sail overhead this weekend in its low Earth orbit, and according to Spaceweather.com, the ATV will glow about a brightly as the North Star, Polaris. To find out when and where to look for the ATV in the evening or early morning skies, check out Spaceweather.com's great satellite tracking webpage. Just plug in your zip code and you'll be able to get tracking information for all the satellites that will be visible for the next few days. Also, Heavens Above is a great site to find tracking information, as well. So get out there and bid Jules Verne adieu. Here's some of the great things the ATV accomplished while on orbit at the ISS, and a movie of its undocking too…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! If you're enjoying a holiday weekend where you live, then start the fireworks off as we begin by remembering Deep Impact and journey towards a nearby star approaching the supernova phase. As things heat up towards one of the most spectacular conjunctions of the year, we'll also take a look at another globular cluster study, lunar features and a binocular deep sky treat! Are you ready to step in the realm of a Barnard dark nebula? The grab your optics and let's head out into the night… Read more…

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For urban and suburban dwellers, practicing binocular astronomy can sometimes be discouraging because of the lack of faint marker stars to help locate deep sky objects. Right now, early evening dark skies are the perfect opportunity to spot the brightest star in the night sky – Sirius – and let it lead you on to some deep sky gems! So print off this article, grab your binoculars and a good friend and get outside!
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