Brian Ventrudo

Science of Stargazing – Variable Stars

While not as visually dazzling as nebulae, star clusters, or galaxies, variable stars are fascinating physical systems with enormous importance in astronomy. Variable stars are all over the sky, and you’ll visit a few of the more famous variables in the coming months. You’ve already met perhaps the most important variable star, δ Cephei, in the sky...

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Deep Sky Tours – September

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

Much of the tour of the deep sky this month takes you around the small but amazingly rich northern constellations Cassiopeia and Cepheus. These star groups lie along the northern reaches of the Milky Way, so like Sagittarius, they are packed with open star clusters and nebulae along with a few interesting and astronomically important stars. Deep-so...

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Sky Tours (South) – September

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

This month you tour the small and sparse zodiacal constellation Capricornus, just east of the much richer Sagittarius. You also look into the deep southern sky to see the small and intriguing constellations Indus, Pavo, and Octans.
Click here to download notes for 'Sky Tours (South) - September' (PDF, 1 MB)
Click here to download audio for 'Sky To...

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Sky Tours (North) – September

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

This month, the tour of the constellations moves northward along the plane of the Milky Way into the small but rich constellations Cassiopeia and Cepheus, then southward along the ecliptic into the sparse but intriguing constellation Capricornus.
Click here to download notes for 'Sky Tours (North) - September' (PDF, 1 MB)
Click here to download au...

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Solar System Observing – Zodiacal Light; Lunar Mountains

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

This month it’s time to examine the zodiacal light, a white, wedge-shaped spear of light thrusting up above the horizon along the zodiac. The light is visible in very dark sky all year, but September and March are the best times of year to see this glow, which is caused by reflection of sunlight from tiny dust particles in the plane of the solar sy...

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