Brian Ventrudo

About Brian Ventrudo

Brian Ventrudo is a lifelong stargazer, writer, former scientist, and the publisher of Cosmic Pursuits.

A Trip Through the Summer Milky Way

September 22, 2026 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

I haven’t had a change for much stargazing this summer. At my latitude, it doesn’t get dark enough for visual stargazing from late May to late July, and clouds, smoke, moonlight, and the vicissitudes of life disposed of the remaining late summer nights. But this week delivered what I’ve long awaited – a promising forecast of two nights with a crystal-clear atmosphere and no moon. The excuses were over – it was time to drive an hour west of town to my favorite dark-sky site with a binocular telescope, a bag of eyepieces, and a star map in the back seat. If I was going to see the Milky Way before winter comes, it was now or never.

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Guide to Observing Saturn in 2026

September 20, 2026 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

This composite image, taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope on 6 June 2018, shows the ringed planet Saturn with six of its 62 known moons.

Many casual observers get hooked on amateur astronomy after a first look at Saturn through a telescope. More than a few have looked through my small refractor on a night of good seeing and asked of Saturn, “Is it real?”

Oh, it’s real, all right. And incredibly beautiful… the color, the proportions, the apparent 3D perspective of this grand icy world. It is arguably the finest sight accessible with a small telescope. The planet reaches opposition on the October 4, 2026 and will remain bright and large in a telescope over the next few months. Here’s how to find it and see it in a small telescope.

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Where is Amateur Astronomy Going?

August 31, 2026 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Astronomy Equipment

Ed Ting offers his well-considered views on the trends in amateur astronomy, especially the advent of powerful and easy-to-use smart telescopes and the decline of visual observing.

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Contemplating the “Harp Star”

August 26, 2026 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra.

“Out on the lawn I lie in bed, Vega conspicuous overhead…” -W.H. Auden

All stars are good stars. But if I had to choose a favourite, it would be the dazzling star Vega, the jewel of the tiny constellation Lyra, the Lyre. Intensely bright and blue-white in colour, Vega conjures memories of pleasant summer evenings spent stargazing and offers astronomers a remote stellar laboratory to help understand how stars evolve [Read more…] about Contemplating the “Harp Star”

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Touring the Tiny Constellations of Summer

July 30, 2026 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

In my latest article in Sky & Telescope magazine, we take a tour of deep-sky sights on a side road off the summer Milky Way. Through the tiny constellations Sagitta, Vulpecula, Delphinus, and Equuleus, we find star clusters, nebulae, and fine double stars that make for splendid summer viewing with a small scope.

Click on the thumbnail to read the article (PDF format, 12MB). And consider getting your own subscription to the magazine to stay up to date on developments in the latest equipment, techniques, and research in astronomy.

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