Open Observing Night VII

The SVBONY SV555 is a variable aperture prime focus lens/telescope designed for wide-field astrophotography. Many of you have been requesting a review of an SVBONY telescope for years, and today, I’m excited to share my thoughts on this one. The SV555 is an interesting option in the competitive market of wide-field refractor telescopes, especially around... […]

In this article, I will share my latest wide-field astrophotography processing tutorial using star removal and advanced stretching techniques. Wide-field astrophotography opens up stunning views of the night sky, capturing vast regions of stars, nebulae, and constellations. In this guide, I’ll walk you through a game-changing technique to enhance your wide-field images using tools like... […]

This article was last updated on December 4th, 2024.  In this post, I’ll break down how to photograph the Orion Nebula, one of the most spectacular deep-sky objects in the night sky. While it may just look like a smudge to the naked eye, Orion is the nearest, large star-forming region to Earth at just... […]

NASA’s Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) assembled a small working group to review hydrogen sulfide (H2S) Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentration (SMAC) values. The group met virtually three times during February and March 2023, and panel members submitted individual opinion statements in April 2023. Toxicology subject matter experts were chosen to result […]

NASA’s Sustainable Business Model Challenge is looking for entrepreneurs, startups, and researchers to leverage the agency’s publicly available Earth system science data to develop commercial solutions for climate challenges. This opportunity, with a submission deadline of June 13, bridges the gap between vast climate data and actionable solutions by inviting solvers to transform data into […]

NASA is bringing the high-stakes world of planetary defense to the Sundance Film Festival, highlighting its upcoming documentary, “Planetary Defenders,” during a panel ahead of its spring 2025 premiere on the agency’s streaming service. “We’re thrilled that NASA is attending Sundance Film Festival for the first time – a festival renowned for its innovative spirit,” […]

Brilliant Mars, just past opposition, outshines its neighbors Pollux and Castor in the east. Venus and Saturn pull apart in the southwest. Orion dominates the high southeast after dinnertime, with searing white Sirius sparkling below it. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 17 – 26 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

A new look at small red galaxies known as “little red dots” reveals that they’re surprisingly abundant in the early universe. The post Mysterious “Little Red Dots” Give Clues to Early Black Holes’ Formation appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Join NASA and the Astronomical League in a fun new observing challenge that celebrates Hubble's 35th anniversary. The post Celebrate Hubble’s 35th Year with This Observing Challenge appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

 Anybody still coming here?

My own Hubble View! These galaxies lie between 10 to 50 million light years away. How many galaxies do you see? A pretty tricky part of the sky to image, really. You're utilizing almost your entire field of view with an 80mm scope, so dealing with all that comes with wide-field. This is the best […]

A nice clear night last night until around 12:30 when clouds rolled in. Managed to get this image of the lovely M51 Whirlpool galaxy. It lies around 23 million light years away and it is interacting with a smaller galaxy (yellow~ish bulge to the left). Three supernova (star explosions) have been detected in this galaxy […]