Cosmic Pursuits

Basic astronomy and night sky information

Recent Astronomy Articles at Cosmic Pursuits

If You Could Have Only One Reflector…

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Astronomy Equipment

In a previous video, Ed Ting discussed what refractor he would have if he could have only one refractor. In this follow-up, he turns to a discussion of reflectors. These telescopes, of course, have more varied designs than refractors and offer the potential for far more aperture which enables brighter images and higher resolution. What does Ed choose? Well, it’s a bit of a head scratcher and one you can’t buy anymore. But his reasoning is well worth following in this enjoyable video.

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Ambling Through Auriga

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

The carbon star UU Aurigae in the constellation Auriga.

In this month’s sky tour, we grab our optics (or our favorite smart telescope) and tour of a few of the deep-sky highlights of the constellation Auriga, the Charioteer. Auriga lies along the relatively rich path of the northern Milky Way. And while it’s not Sagittarius, to be sure, the constellation has an eclectic selection of open clusters, nebulae, and interesting stars.  Southern-hemisphere stargazers can also spot the constellation over the northern horizon in December through February [Read more…] about Ambling Through Auriga

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The Many Names of the Pleiades

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

A wide view of the Pleiades star cluster.

The Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus is one of a handful of objects in the heavens that never fail to amaze and inspire even the most experienced observers. As beautiful in an inexpensive pair of binoculars as in images from big professional telescopes, this star cluster presents visual observers an especially lovely sight with stars of an unearthly blue ensconced amid a faint frost of nebulosity. If there were more objects like it in the night sky, there would be a lot more amateur astronomers in the world [Read more…] about The Many Names of the Pleiades

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If You Could Have Only One Refractor…

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Astronomy Equipment

While big-aperture reflectors have their place for visual observing and astro-imaging, it’s hard to beat the view through a good apochromatic or ED refractor. The pinpoint stars, the superb contrast, and relative ease of use make this scopes extremely popular among amateur astronomers.

But what is the best refractor? Or to put it a different way, if you could choose only one refractor, which would it be? For me, it’s my Tele Vue 85mm – what the late Al Nagler called the ‘goldilocks’ telescope because it’s just right for nearly everything. In the video above, Ed Ting takes a personal view of which refractor he would choose if he could have only one (hint – it’s made in Japan).

 

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Observing Stars, From Birth to Death

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Science, Stargazing

In my latest article in Sky & Telescope magazine, we take a tour of sights along the northern Milky Way that highlight some key phases of a star’s life, both large, massive stars that burn hot and die young, as well as smaller, average-size stars like our Sun that live more stable, measured lives. Along the way, we see some spectacular sights for a small telescope for visual observing or astrophotography.

Click on the thumbnail to read the article (PDF format, 8MB).

 

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