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AstroBackyard

• I Captured The Same Nebula with a DSLR, Astro Camera, & Smart Telescope May 23, 2026
  Recently, I captured the same deep-sky object using three very different camera systems. A full-frame mirrorless DSLR-style astrophotography setup. A dedicated astronomy camera rig with autoguiding. And a smart telescope that handled almost everything on its own. The target was the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula, a beautiful emission nebula in the constellation Cepheus. Each setup collected... […]
  Trevor Jones
• ToupTek StellaVita Review: Better Than Ever, But Not Perfect May 15, 2026
  The ToupTek StellaVita is a control box that can run an entire astrophotography setup from your phone or tablet.   It supports a wide range of cameras and accessories, so you’re not locked into a single ecosystem, and that alone makes it one of the more interesting alternatives to systems like the ASIAIR.   After... […]
  Trevor Jones
• Dark Sky Camping: RV Lighting Etiquette and Setup April 28, 2026
  Dark sky camping has become a big part of how we travel. Whether we’re heading to a remote site or setting up at a star party, the goal is always the same: get away from artificial light and experience the night sky the way it’s meant to be seen. What we’ve learned, though, is that... […]
  Ashley Northcotte

NASA Solar System & Beyond

• Painting the Growing Season in the Maize Triangle May 29, 2026
  Radar data from an agricultural area in South Africa, shown in a vivid color palette, reveal crop types and how they changed during the Southern Hemisphere’s growing season.
• NASA’s X-59 Prepares for First Supersonic Flight   May 28, 2026
  NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is preparing for some of its most significant flights yet. The X-plane is about to begin a new block of test flights that will include its first time flying faster than the speed of sound and other mission-critical objectives. “What comes next is the first time this one-of-a-kind aircraft […]
  Dede Dinius
• I Am Artemis: Daniel Stubbs May 28, 2026
  Listen to this audio excerpt from Daniel Stubbs, NASA aerospace engineer: If you’ve driven through a cloud of dust and dirt that temporarily obscured your view, you’ve gotten a partial picture of a potential problem that NASA’s human landing systems for Artemis will face when they land on the Moon. Daniel Stubbs, an aerospace engineer […]
  Lee Mohon

Sky & Telescope

• This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 29 – June 7 May 29, 2026
  Venus and Jupiter grab your eyes in the west in late twilight. The Summer Triangle marks the dark in the east. So will the subtler Milky Way once the glary Moon is gone. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 29 – June 7 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
  Alan MacRobert
• Lost in the Star Clouds — A Milky Way Odyssey May 27, 2026
  I share my "discovery" of a new Milky Way star cloud that's been staring at me for ages. The post Lost in the Star Clouds — A Milky Way Odyssey appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
  Bob King
• NASA's Psyche Sends Back Amazing Images of Mars May 26, 2026
  NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission made a course adjustment via a flyby past Mars en route to its final destination. Here's what it saw. The post NASA's Psyche Sends Back Amazing Images of Mars appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
  David Dickinson

Phil’s Astronomy Blog