Observing | Universe Today

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Yep. The Moon is back, but this weekend can still present some great opportunities for enjoying astronomy. If you're up early or out late? Well, hey… The Leonid meteor shower is still producing activity! Why not take a few minutes to learn about a great variable star you can follow without optical aid or study a new lunar feature? There's plenty to do for binoculars and small telescopes – and perhaps even a clever new study you haven't looked at yet! Whenever you're ready, I'll see you in the dark… Read more…

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Hello, Cosmic Kids! As the seasons change, not only do the Earthly birds migrate, but so do the celestial ones. In the Northern Hemisphere, it's not unusual to see large flocks of our feathered friends moving on to warmer climes, but did you know that there are bird constellations that are migrating, too? Instead of flying south for the Winter, these ancient avians are headed west… Read more…

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The annual Leonid Meteor Shower is about to light up the night… And the time to start watching is now. The year 2009 will not see a Leonid storm, but an outburst for sure. There are still some uncertainties regarding the time of maximum of the 1466 trail. For those of you seeking a definitive date and time, it isn't always possible, but we can learn a whole lot about when and where to look. Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! It's a dark sky weekend and for many of us, the weather scene is improving greatly. Are you ready to enjoy some astronomy? Then take the chance to get out in the early morning and admire the alluring dance of the "Old Moon in the New Moon's Arms" as it silently changes planetary partners over the next few days and catch some bright and early Leonid meteors. You won't need gigantic optics to enjoy this weekend's studies as we have a look at some very impressive double stars, galaxies and open clusters. Dust off those optics! And meet me in the backyard…. Read more…

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It's not often that both hemispheres of the Earth get treated to an annual meteor shower, but in a matter of hours the complex Orionid stream is heading to dark sky your way! Where and when do you watch? Will it be as good as this year's Perseids as filmed by John Chumack above? Try even better! Follow me… Read more…

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Further to AAVSO Alert Notice 367 and Special Notices 127 and 141, the AAVSO requests twilight observations of the recurrent nova U Scorpii prior to its solar conjunction in late 2009. These observations are in support of the long-term campaign by Dr. Bradley Schaefer (LSU) to catch this very fast nova during its rise. Read more…

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Greetings, fellow Stargazers! Were you up early this morning? If so, you were greeted by an awesome scene, much like this one captured by Danilo Pivato. There's nothing more eyecatching the a close appearance of Venus and the Moon! With dark skies this weekend, it will be a good opportunity to broaden your astronomical horizons by chasing lesser known objects in both binoculars and telescopes. Of course there are challenges, too! Whenever you're ready, I'll see you in the back yard…. Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! It's a much darker weekend – and just in time for the Draconid Meteor Shower! If you haven't been watching the early morning trio of Venus, Mercury and Saturn, there's still time… Just as there is time to chase a couple of Caldwell Objects and a very challenging galaxy study for more practiced observers. But we're not forgetting small scopes and binoculars either as we take a look at "What was Charles Messier thinking when he recorded M73?" It's time to turn your eyes to the skies and I'll see you in the dark… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Are you ready to catch the planetary action? Then get thee out into the night, because right now is the perfect time of year to catch all of our solar system bodies in the same day! Be sure to be out on Saturday night, too… Because it's "Harvest Moon"! Need a little bit more of a challenge? Then fly off to Cygnus as we take a look at two of its most beautiful (and challenging) double stars! Whenever you're ready, I'll see you in the dark… Read more…

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When it comes to the Moon, there are times when I feel like the "Queen of Selene". In just a few short weeks there will be a whole new style of lunar observing book out on the market, and just when I thought I'd heard it all and seen it all… along comes something new! While the header photograph on this article is absolutely spectacular, you're going to go about your day (and night) smiling if you stop to take a look at what's inside… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! We're back and recovered from a star party – and what an awesome time! (I felt like Dorothy in the "Land of Oz"… Comets and meteors and galaxies… oh, my!) I am sure that many of you also enjoyed a great time and although the Moon is back on this weekend scene, why not celebrate it? Just how long has it been since you've kicked back and relaxed with a little lunacy in your scope? Pick up a sketchbook, or get creative with a camera! Lunatic fringe? I know you're out there. And I'll see you inside… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! It's an awesome weekend forecast for many of us attending Fall Star Parties, and all over the world we're looking forward to moonless nights and the fellowship with our brother and sister amateur astronomers. If you've never been to a star party, try the Goggle pages for information… you just might find one going on near you! In the meantime, let's have us a "Snowball" fight, chase some galaxies and ponder double stars! I'll see you in the night… Read more…

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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Now that the Moon is backing off the early evening skies, it's time to enjoy some more elusive targets – like ones that are gone in the "blink" of an eye, or "veiled" in mystery… While you might think all of these are telescope-only domain, if you've got dark skies and eyes, you might be surprised! Why not take some time this weekend to get out your telescopes or binoculars and have some fun? There's some tasty summer treats waiting on you, and I'll see you in the backyard… Read more…

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Paolo Beltrame from Italy sent us this amazing montage of images he took of space shuttle Discovery docked to the ISS on September 1, 2009. See the incredible details visible of the space station and docked shuttle! Paolo is with the Circolo AStrofili Talmassons (Amateur Astronomers Club in Talmassons, or CAST) who have an impressive observatory (take a look at Paolo's website). He took these selected images from a 2-minute movie taken with a TourcamPro webcam. As impressive as Paolo's astrophotos are, however, he says his real passion is viewing the night sky with the naked eye. His motto is "Lasciate che i fotoni vengano a me!" (Let the photons come to me!) See a close up of Paolo's best shot of the ISS/shuttle below, as well as images from other astrophotographers of Tuesday evening's pass of the shuttle and ISS as they flew in tandem after Discovery undocked from the station on Tuesday afternoon. There's also video from the shuttle's flyaround.
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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Ah, yes… Full Moon. Are you ready to howl? If you didn't get a chance to watch the galiean moons do their dance last weekend, then be sure to catch the awesome video you'll find inside! In the meantime, keep your ears alert for the rise of tonight's "Full Corn Moon" and check out the Omicron gems. As the skies get darker, the Herschel challenges warm up – so dust off your optics and I'll see you in the backyard… Read more…

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