Anthony Licata
Author's posts
Clear Dark Sky Forecast
AstroBackyard
- How to Photograph the Orion Nebula December 4, 2024This 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... […]Trevor Jones
- What To Consider When Buying a Telescope November 29, 2024If you’re looking to buy your first telescope—or your first good telescope—this guide is for you. I’ll cover the most important aspects of a telescope, how much you should expect to spend, and provide four excellent examples to consider. The following choices are obviously not the only ones to choose from, but they offer a... […]Trevor Jones
- Dwarf 3 Smart Telescope Review November 23, 2024The Dwarf 3 smart telescope is a compact, ultra-portable device that was designed to make astrophotography easy and fun. While this device is in its third iteration, it is the first DwarfLab product I’ve ever used. It combines a small telescope, an astronomy camera, and a computerized mount to track and photograph objects in space.... […]Trevor Jones
NASA Solar System & Beyond
- NASA to Test Technology for X-59’s Unique Shock Wave Measurements December 5, 2024NASA will soon test advancements made on a key tool for measuring the unique “sonic thumps” that its quiet supersonic X-59 research aircraft will make while flying. A shock-sensing probe is a cone-shaped air data probe developed with specific features to capture the unique shock waves the X-59 will produce. Researchers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight […]Dede Dinius
- NASA Invites Media to Administrator Flight in Electra Hybrid-Electric Aircraft December 5, 2024NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will fly in aircraft manufacturer Electra’s EL2 Goldfinch experimental prototype aircraft on Sunday, Dec. 8. Members of the media are invited to speak with Nelson and Electra leaders just prior to the flight at 11:45 a.m. EST at Manassas Regional Airport in Manassas, Virginia. Electra designed the experimental aircraft with the […]Tiernan P. Doyle
- 10 Years Ago: Orion Flies its First Mission December 5, 2024A new American human-rated spacecraft made its first foray into space on Dec. 5, 2014. Under contract to NASA, Lockheed Martin builds Orion as the vehicle to take American astronauts back to the Moon and eventually beyond. Orion’s overall shape harkens back to the Apollo Command and Service Modules, but using today’s technology is a […]Heather Kinney
Sky & Telescope
- This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 6 – 15 December 6, 2024The Moon this week shines with Saturn at first quarter, then with Jupiter when full. No surprise; the two giant planets are almost exactly 90° apart. Jupiter is at opposition, and Saturn is at quadrature. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 6 – 15 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.Alan MacRobert
- More Unusual Jovian Satellite Lineups December 5, 2024In the coming weeks, Jupiter’s four Galilean satellites will arrange themselves in some unusual geometric patterns that will be fascinating to observe. The post More Unusual Jovian Satellite Lineups appeared first on Sky & Telescope.Joe Rao
- Proba 3 Mission Launches to See the Solar Corona December 5, 2024The pioneering observatory will use two spacecraft to create artificial solar eclipses from Earth orbit in order to study the solar corona. The post Proba 3 Mission Launches to See the Solar Corona appeared first on Sky & Telescope.David Dickinson
Phil’s Astronomy Blog
- Hello out there? October 12, 2021Anybody still coming here?Phil
- Markarian's Chain in Virgo April 13, 2018My 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 […]Phil
- M51 Whirlpool Galaxy April 9, 2018A 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 […]Phil