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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

• Tropical Storm Arthur June 19, 2026
  The first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season brought intense rainfall and the threat of flash flooding to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
• Curiosity Blog, Sols 4920-4926: Surveying the Bands June 19, 2026
  Written by William Farrand, Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute Earth planning date: Friday, June 12, 2026 Rather than going from stage to stage at a music festival to hear different bands playing different varieties of music, Curiosity has been ascending up Mount Sharp through physical bands of exposed rocks with textural and tonal differences. […]
• NASA Mission to Study Space Weather Impacts of Earth’s Atmosphere June 18, 2026
  NASA selected a mission concept to research how space weather and dynamics within Earth’s atmosphere influence the space environment and help improve prediction capabilities for impacts on crucial technology, such as GPS and low Earth orbit satellites, as well as astronauts in space. The DAPHNE (Dynamic Atmosphere-Ionosphere Explorer) mission will enter Phase B of development, […]
  Lauren E. Low

Sky & Telescope

• This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 19 – 28 June 19, 2026
  The Moon as it will appear in an amateur telescope at 10 p.m. EDT Friday the 19th. This week Venus and Jupiter continue moving apart low in the western twilight. Vega and Arcturus shine equally high after dark. And watch Beta Lyrae self-eclipse. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 19 – 28 […]
  Alan MacRobert
• “Shadow Blaster” Galaxy Might Have Sent High-Energy Neutrino to Earth June 18, 2026
  A star-forming galaxy in the early universe might have sent a ghostly particle known as a neutrino crashing into the ice at Earth’s South Pole, after an 11 billion-year journey through space. The post “Shadow Blaster” Galaxy Might Have Sent High-Energy Neutrino to Earth appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
  Govert Schilling
• See Venus Disappear in Broad Daylight on June 17th June 17, 2026
  On June 17th, much of North America can watch the Moon occult Venus in the daytime sky. All you need are binoculars. The post See Venus Disappear in Broad Daylight on June 17th appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
  Bob King

Phil’s Astronomy Blog