Open Observing Night

A total lunar eclipse is a celestial event that anyone can appreciate. Amateur photographers and astrophotographers alike are preparing to photograph a lunar eclipse using a wide range of camera equipment. The best part? You don’t need expensive gear or special filters to capture a great shot. You can get impressive results with the right... […]

I’ve recently been made aware of the Seti Astro Statistical Stretch standalone tool for astrophotography image processing. This is a simple and free tool you can use as a part of your image processing workflow that I think you will find very handy.  Frank is an extremely generous developer and amateur astrophotographer who has released... […]

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 Petzval lens is an interesting option in the competitive market of wide-field refractor telescopes,... […]

NASA and its partners will discuss the upcoming Expedition 73 mission aboard the International Space Station during a pair of news conferences on Monday, Feb. 24, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Mission leadership will participate in an overview news conference at 2 p.m. EST live on NASA+, covering preparations for NASA’s SpaceX […]

In 2023 and 2024, two eclipses crossed the United States, and the NASA Science Activation program’s Eclipse Ambassadors Off the Path project invited undergraduate students and amateur astronomers to join them as “NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassadors”. This opportunity to partner with NASA, provide solar viewing glasses, and share eclipse knowledge with underserved communities off the […]

Earth is but a tiny light blue dot in this 30th anniversary version of the iconic “Pale Blue Dot” image. The original photo, taken by NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft on Feb. 14, 1990, is now 35 years old. Voyager 1 was 3.7 billion miles (6 billion km) away from the Sun, giving it a unique […]

New research explores how the cracking of a neutron star’s crust might determine how fast these extreme stellar remnants can spin. The post Cracking Crusts Might Set Neutron Star Speed Limit appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Jupiter makes a triangle with Aldebaran and the Pleiades. Mars makes a nicer triangle with Pollux and Castor. The pre-dawn Moon hangs with Spica, then Antares. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 14 – 23 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

So far, searches for archival images that could confirm or rule out the asteroid's impact have come up dry, but Webb observations in May could help pin down the orbit. The post Webb Telescope to Weigh in on Impact Odds for Asteroid 2024 YR4 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 […]