41–60 of 88 results

Deep Sky

Deep-sky Hunting in Cancer, the Crab

As winter melts into spring, we sample both familiar and overlooked deep-sky treasures in the "empty space" between Gemini and Leo, home of the Crab.

Deep Sky

Deep-Sky Observing Without Equipment, Part II — The Winter Sky

Really want to see what your eyes can do? Leave the telescope at home and join me for a naked-eye tour of the late winter sky.

Hyades and horseshoe

Deep Sky

Happy Nights with the Hyades: Double Stars and Galaxies Await

The Hyades open cluster may stand in the shadow of its neighbor the Pleiades, but there's a wide variety of wonders here from naked-eye double stars to challenging galaxies. Let's pay a visit.

A star goes poof!

Deep Sky

Seeking Cas A, the Ghostly Remains of a Mysterious Supernova

We still don't know for sure if anyone saw the supernova explosion in Cassiopeia around 1680, but there's no question we can observe what remains of it today.

A Colorful problem

Deep Sky

Ducks in Disguise or How Stars Hide Their True Colors

Do star clusters form all at once or over several generations? A team of astronomers finds an answer among the spinning stars of an amateur favorite, the Wild Duck Cluster. 

Deep Sky

Double Your Deep-Sky Pleasure with "Two-in-the-View"

Once you've seen two, a single won't do. Enjoy this selection of multiple deep-sky objects visible in the same field of view of your telescope.

Horses head to head

Deep Sky

Equuleus, the Constellation Nobody Knows

Often passed over, the constellation of the Little Horse has charms of its own, including double stars, galaxies, and asterisms. Let's saddle up and go for a ride.

Simply extraordinary

Deep Sky

Explore the Veil Nebula

The Veil Nebula, the tattered remains of an ancient supernova explosion, is one of the most spectacular objects in the night sky. Did you know it has two dozen parts visible in amateur telescopes?

Deep Sky

Shadow Play — Summertime Dark Nebulae for Binoculars

Using only binoculars, we explore a host of inky dust clouds, the dark nebulae that smudge the Milky Way on late summer nights.

Deep Sky

The Eyes Have it — Deep-Sky Observing Without Equipment

No telescope? No problem. Just use your eyeballs! On a dark summer night at least two dozen deep-sky objects can be seen without optical aid.

Deep Sky

M13 with a Side of Galaxies, Please

The Great Hercules Cluster is on everyone's observing list this summer. But there's lots more to see within a stone's throw of this grand object — like 20 galaxies!

Deep Sky

Dusty Vistas: Best Gritty Galaxies of the Season

Stare up at the Milky Way band on a dark night and you'll see missing pieces from clouds of foreground dust that absorb the light of distant stars. There are other mottled "milky ways" just like ours, millions of light-years away.

Deep Sky

Put a Little Bit of Leo in Your Life

We lift the Lion's paw to find a bright, red variable star, a germinating planetary nebula, galaxies rarely visited, and a diversity of doubles.

Deep Sky

Budding and Ancient Star Clusters of the March Sky

Open clusters present a mystery. Some fall apart in a few hundred million years, others hang around for billions. Join me as we visit both the youngest and oldest star clusters in the Milky Way.

Orion's Belt by Bob King

Deep Sky

A Winter Night's Sojourn in Orion's Belt

Orion's Belt is a magnetic sight on February nights. Take the bait and revel in a bounty of double and multiple stars, nebulae, and more.

Deep Sky

See the Celestial Birds of the Milky Way

Summer is perfect for bird-watching whether that be in the trees or among the stars of the Milky Way. We explore the celestial birds of the season.

Deep Sky

Bright Supernova Discovered in "Fireworks Galaxy" NGC 6946

A brand new supernova in NGC 6946 is bright enough to see in modest-sized telescopes. Here's how to find it.

Deep Sky

Are You Ready, Willing, and Abell?

A cosmic rabbit hole in the tail of Leo will take you to Abell 1367, a wonderland of galaxies more than 300 million light-years from Earth. Step in and lose yourself in the vastness.

Deep Sky

Resolving Andromeda — How to See Stars 2.5 Million Light-Years Away

At 2.5 million light-years away, you might think it's impossible to see individual stars in the Andromeda Galaxy. Let its largest star cloud, NGC 206, show you the way.

New Planetary Nebula in the Making

Deep Sky

Polarized Light: From Blue Sky to Egg Nebula

Bees see polarized light and use it to navigate to honey. Learn how you can use it to crack the Egg Nebula.