Night Sky

Blue Snowball Nebula

What Are NGC Objects?

The New General Catalog of objects is one of the best known collections of observed objects known to mature astronomers.  The New General Catalog of Nebula and Clusters of Stars or NGC is a list of deep space objects collected and recorded by John Louis Emil Dreyer in 1888. It was expanded by Dreyer twice…
Photograph of the Moon in Full Phase

Can You Do Astrophotography During a Full Moon?

Astrophotographers tend to hate the moon. As a major light source in the night sky, the moon washes out faint objects such as galaxies and nebulae. Many of us don’t even bother taking our equipment outside if the moon is too bright. Astrogphotography is possible during the full moon if you choose the right targets…
Models of the Universe

Tycho Brahe’s Greatest Contributions to Astronomy

Tycho Brahe was an astronomer and mathematician who lived before the invention of the telescope. Through careful observation of the night sky he accurately mapped over 1,000 stars. He described a more accurate model of the movement of the Earth, Sun and Planets, and his notes led to the discovery of elliptical orbit paths by…
Andromeda Galaxy by Mike Ducak

Do Telescopes Really See Back In Time?

You might already know the answer, but I’m here to offer a different perspective on how we think about the present moment and what is objectively real.  With all the hubbub about the James Webb Space Telescope and how it will be able to see the earliest epochs of star formation, many people I’ve spoken…
Red Head Lamp

How to Build a DIY Telescope Pier

Backyard observatories are great for spending more time with your telescope, and having it permanently mounted on a telescope pier makes it fast to start observing.  What is a telescope pier? A telescope pier is a permanent mounting location for a telescope and they are installed in observatories, professional and backyard.  Telescope piers are available…
M42 photo with a smartphone

What Do Stars Look Like Through a Telescope? (With Pictures)

Expectations are a really important part of astronomy. Stars are beautiful and mysterious and you can see quite far into space with a telescope.  Stars look the same through a telescope, but brighter. Stars will look like bright dots of light with no color in most cases. There are some especially bright stars that will…
Jupiter Capture by Corey Dallmeyer

How to Find Jupeter with a Telescope

Jupiter is one of the brightest objects in the sky and makes a great target for observing with your telescope.  The easiest way to find Jupeter is to find it with your eye first. Refer to a star map if you are unsure where to start. Jupiter is visible in the night sky for most…

Can You See Venus Without a Telescope?

Venus is the third brightest object in the sky, it is visible for much of the year and it is a great way to start exploring the sky.  Venus is visible without a telescope, but it can be difficult to identify. Venus rises and sets very close to the sun so it can be seen…

Can You Convert Arc-Minutes to Meters?

In astronomy, we often describe the size of celestial objects, or the spacing between them, using a measurement called angular separation. The units of measure may look familiar: degrees, minutes, and seconds of arc. (For a detailed explanation, see this article.) It seems natural to wonder if we can convert these measurements into more familiar…
Venus Through a Telescope

What Does Venus Look Like Through a Telescope?

Venus is the third brightest object in the sky and it is very easy to find. I recommend Venus as a good first object for new observers, it is out very early in the night and visible for much of the year.  Venus looks like a mini moon when observed through a telescope. Venus goes…