1101–1120 of 1,279 results
Scorpius closeup

Observing

Two Novae in Scorpius

A naked-eye nova erupted in the pre-dawn sky in early February and peaked at magnitude 3.8 on February 16th. As of the 27th it was still an easy binocular target at magnitude 5.4. And in the midst of the excitement, a second, fainter nova went off just below it.

Helix Nebula

Astronomy & Observing News

Comet Chaos in the Helix's Heart

Colliding solid bodies, probably comet nuclei, have created a dusty debris disk near the center of the Helix planetary nebula in Aquarius, as revealed in infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

Astronomy & Observing News

Life with a Red Dwarf

The commonest stars in the universe aren't very Sun-like — but they could still have life-bearing planets. However, those worlds aren't like anything you've ever seen. Imagine a home world where half of the planet basks in eternal day, the other cloaked in eternal night.

Celestial News & Events

Comet SWAN Still Glows After Dusk

Comet SWAN remains a nice but fading target for telescopes in early evening. Follow it using our chart.

foam-pad dew shield

DIY: Astronomy Projects & Guidance

Dealing With Dew: Dew Heaters, Dew Shields and More

How to keep your optics dry and clear even on the dampest, dewiest nights.

Celestial News & Events

An Atlantic Solar Eclipse

On Friday, September 22nd, the Sun will rise as a shining ring of light for lucky skywatchers in South America and Africa.

Variable Stars

Chi Cygni's Record-Breaking Maximum

The red, Mira-type variable star Chi Cygni has had a very unusual maximum. It's one of the brightest such variables to begin with (typically peaking at about magnitude 5.2), but in late July and early August 2006, it peaked at about magnitude 3.8.

Sun Spot

Celestial News & Events

Catch a Naked-eye Sunspot

There's a nice big naked-eye spot on the Sun today, even though we're near the minimum of the 11-year sunspot activity cycle. Of course, when we're talking about the Sun, "naked-eye" means looking through a safe solar filter.

warm air from mirror

Choosing Your Astronomy Equipment

How to Successfully Beat Atmospheric Seeing

"Seeing" — the atmospheric quivering that fuzzes out high-power views — is the bane of every telescope user. Here's how to minimize its impact.

a yellow circle is partially covered by black on a black background

Eclipses

How to Safely See a Partial Solar Eclipse

Looking at the Sun is harmful to your eyes at any time, partial solar eclipse or no. Fortunately, there are many easy ways to watch the show safely.

Astronomy & Observing News

Mars Hoax Returns

Don't be misled. Once again, an e-mail chain letter making the rounds of the Internet suggests that Mars will look as big as the full Moon to the naked eye in late August. Nonsense! Even at its closest and brightest, Mars never looks like anything more than a bright, orangish star unless you view it through a telescope.

Perseid Meteor

Meteors

Observing the Perseids - A Perennial Guide

The Perseids meteor shower is one of the year's top astronomical highlights. Learn how best to see the meteors.

Choosing Your Astronomy Equipment

The Art of Using a Telescope

Congratulations — you've followed our advice and bought the telescope that's best for you. Now learn how to get the most out of it.

Spectral types of stars

Stargazing Basics

The Spectral Types of Stars

Without its spectral type, a star is a meaningless dot of light.

Stargazing Basics

The Stellar Magnitude System

Why do larger numbers mean less light? Here's the story of astronomy's odd but beloved scheme for describing star brightnesses.

The constellation Leo

Celestial Objects to Observe

The Lure of Variable Stars

Studying and recording the ups and downs of variable stars is a pleasant pastime that can also be scientifically rewarding. Here's a simple project to get you going.

Stargazing Basics

Binoculars: Halfway to a Telescope

All you need to enjoy the wonders of the night sky is a pair of binoculars.

Stargazing Basics

The Setting Circles on Your Telescope

Beginners should ignore them and learn to navigate the sky by eyeball instead. However, setting circles do have their uses -- if you make all the right adjustments first.

Stargazing Basics

Using a Naked-Eye Star Map

Just a couple hours spent learning to read a star map can open up the heavens for a lifetime of exploration.

Celestial Objects to Observe

A Galaxy-Hop in Leo

Even with a modest telescope and a poor sky, you can ferret out many faint, far galactic wonders by using a good map.

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