Brian Ventrudo

Messier 13 Returns

April 21, 2015 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

Like an old friend returning after a long absence, the dazzling globular cluster Messier 13 in the constellation Hercules rises in the eastern sky a little earlier each night, a welcome sight along with the bright stars constellations of northern spring and summer.

Location of M13 in the Keystone of Hercules. Click to enlarge. (image created with SkySafari4)

M13 is one of the finest showpieces of the northern spring and summer skies. It’s located along one edge of the “Keystone” shape of Hercules (see image below). Just at the limit of human eyesight, M13 holds a million stars some 12-13 billion years old, nearly as old as the universe [Read more…] about Messier 13 Returns

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April 30 – A Big Day for Mercury

April 17, 2015 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

A photo mosaic of Mercury's northern plains, taken from orbit by NASA's Messenger spacecraft. (Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University) — A photo mosaic of Mercury’s northern plains, taken from orbit by NASA’s Messenger spacecraft. (Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University)

Just as the planet Venus passed close to the Pleiades last week, the smaller and more elusive planet Mercury will also skim this star cluster on the evening of April 30. The planet and cluster will be low in the northwestern sky after sunset, about 10º above the horizon in the northern hemisphere. This is a golden opportunity to spot the little planet before it heads back towards the Sun. And more remarkably, on the same day, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mercury for four years, will crash into the planet at more than 8,000 mph and end its long mission.

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Guide to Choosing Binoculars and Telescopes

April 15, 2015 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Free Guides

The free e-book “Choosing Binoculars and Telescopes for Stargazing” takes you through the basics of selecting a good beginner telescope and a pair of binoculars for visual observation of the night sky. In this 50-page guide, you find out how to select the right stargazing tools for your situation, tools that will let you see thousands of dazzling celestial objects few people ever get to see. In this guide, you discover…

Why binoculars are better than a telescope for finding your way in the night sky
The best binocular configurations and brands for stargazing
Why you don’t need to spend a fortune on a good pair of stargazing binoculars
A concise and easy-to-understand primer on telescope terms and concepts
Time-tested guidelines for choosing a good telescope to match your budget and interests
The 10 things you must know before you invest in a new telescope
The pros and cons of the three main types of telescopes
Recommendations for first telescopes for new stargazers for a wide range of budgets and situations
Must-have (and nice-to-have) accessories for new stargazers

You can download the e-book in PDF and MP3 format at the links below:

Choose Binoculars and Telescopes (PDF)

1 file(s) 1.16 MB

Download

Choose Binoculars and Telescopes (Audio)

1 file(s) 22.90 MB

Download

Or listen to the streaming audio here:

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Extraordinary Sights: What You Can See in the Night Sky

April 15, 2015 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Free Guides

You can see much more in the night sky than just stars. From the Moon and rings of Saturn, to comets and meteor showers, from diamond-dust star clusters to swirling galaxies far outside our own, the contents of the night sky visible in a small telescope is as varied as the wildlife in a tropical jungle. In the e-book called “Extraordinary Sights: What You Can See in the Night Sky”, you discover…

Features visible on the major planets with binoculars or a small telescope
The best meteor showers of the year and how to observe them
The two easiest craters on the Moon to see with a pair of binoculars
Three celestial objects even new stargazers can see that are linked to the birth, life, and death of stars
The critical difference between the two main types of star clusters and how it affects what to look for when you observe them
The layout of the Milky Way and the main types of galaxies visible in a small telescope
Plus you’ll come to understand the sometimes confusing systems astronomers use to name stars and other deep-sky objects

Click on the links below to download this free 35-page e-book PDF and audio MP3 format:

Extraordinary Sights E-Book (PDF)

1 file(s) 1.30 MB

Download

Extraordinary Sights E-Book (Audio)

1 file(s) 17.58 MB

Download

Or listen to the streaming audio here:

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Stargazing 101 – A Beginner’s Guide to Stargazing

April 15, 2015 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Free Guides

This is the download page for the free guide “Stargazing 101: The Night Sky for Beginners”. This 35-page PDF guide takes you through the basics of how the sky moves from day to day and how to find the bright stars and major constellations in all four seasons. It includes on-page maps and diagrams to help you find your way around the major guideposts of the heavens, as well as tips on how to read a star chart.

There’s one guide for northern hemisphere and one for the southern hemisphere.

There’s also a free audio version to download to your audio player so you can listen to these short guides while you’re under the stars.

Simply download the PDF files and print the maps to take outside on your first stargazing ventures. No telescope or binoculars required.

Northern Hemisphere Downloads: