Cosmic Pursuits

Basic astronomy and night sky information

Recent Astronomy Articles at Cosmic Pursuits

New Collection of Apollo Moon Images

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

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NASA has released an astonishing cache of more than 11,000 images from all 12 manned Apollo missions from 1968-1972. These images, which are scanned versions of the original 35 mm and Hasselblad film are not corrected or enhanced, so their colors are reminiscent of old vacation photos from the 1960s. Their tint and subject matter call forth a strange pang of nostalgia, I must admit.

The project to scan these images was the idea of Kipp Teague, a volunteer with the NASA History Office in Washington, D.C. The project began in 2004 and concluded recently. You can access all of these newly-released Apollo images at Flickr at the link below. As you will see, they are conveniently organized by mission:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/projectapolloarchive/albums/

Here are a few to whet your appetite… [Read more…] about New Collection of Apollo Moon Images

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Moon Joins Planets at Sunrise

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

Venus, Jupiter, Mars, the crescent Moon, and the bright star Regulus in the eastern sky on the early morning of October 8, 2015
Venus, Jupiter, Mars, the crescent Moon, and the bright star Regulus in the eastern sky on the early morning of October 8, 2015

Set your alarm to wake early on October 8, 2015 to see three bright planets, a bright star, and a waning crescent Moon stacked up along the ecliptic in the eastern sky before sunrise. Over the next few weeks, the planets will bob and weave among the stars of the constellation Leo. As the early mornings turn colder in the northern hemisphere and warmer in the south, the planets will slowly converge. First, Mars and Jupiter will approach within a degree of each other on October 17-18, then Venus will join the two on October 26-27. Find a view of the eastern sky and see the solar system in action before the sun rises. It’s a good way to start the day.

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Saturn and Antares Fade in the Western Sky

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

Saturn, the bright star Antares, and the Milky Way as seen in early October 2015.
Saturn, the bright star Antares, and the Milky Way as seen in early October 2015.

If you want to see planets this month, you’re best to look in the eastern sky before sunrise. There you’ll see Mars, Venus, and Jupiter congregating and brightening over the next many weeks, along with a visit next week by the waning crescent Moon. But the planet Saturn still lingers in the western evening sky in early October after sunset, tangled among the claws of the fearsome scorpion represented by the constellation Scorpius and its next-door neighbor Libra [Read more…] about Saturn and Antares Fade in the Western Sky

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Harvest Moon Eclipse

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

Total lunar eclipse of April 15, 2014 (credit: Alfredo Garcia, Jr.)
Total lunar eclipse of April 15, 2014 (credit: Alfredo Garcia, Jr.)

On the night and morning of September 27-28, 2015, skywatchers will enjoy a total lunar eclipse at Harvest Moon, the first full Moon of northern autumn. This eclipse will be particularly striking because it peaks just an hour after the Moon makes its closest monthly approach to Earth, so it will appear 13% larger than the last total lunar eclipse on April 4, 2015. This “supermoon” eclipse will be visible for all of North and South America, western Europe, and western Africa. From extreme western North America, the Moon will rise during the eclipse. From South Africa, the Moon will set during the eclipse. For observers in Australia and New Zealand, the eclipse will not be visible [Read more…] about Harvest Moon Eclipse

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The Helix Nebula

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

NGC 7293, the Helix Nebula, is a planetary nebula in the constellation Aquarius. Image credit: Warren Keller at Billionsand Billions.com. Additional credit: Piermario Gualdoni and Alessandro Cipolat Bares.
NGC 7293, the Helix Nebula, is a planetary nebula in the constellation Aquarius. Image credit: Warren Keller at Billionsand Billions.com. Additional credit: Piermario Gualdoni and Alessandro Cipolat Bares.

The showpiece of the constellation Aquarius is the grand and elusive Helix Nebula, NGC 7293. One of the closest and apparently largest of all planetary nebulae, the Helix is one of the few sights that’s easier to see in a small telescope than in a large one. In images, like the excellent collaboration above led by Warren Keller at BillionsandBillions.com, the nebula looks like an expansive eye in deep sky. Some refer to the Helix as the “Eye of God” [Read more…] about The Helix Nebula

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