Joe Bergeron

Mars Meditations

July 31, 2018 By Joe Bergeron Filed Under: Solar System

A composite image of Mars from the Viking Orbiter (image credit: NASA)

The planet Mars is coy. It spends most of its time as a relatively inconspicuous star-like object, only moderately bright, drifting barely noticed though the sky, little seen, or sometimes hiding behind the Sun.

Once every two years it grows bolder. It decides to put on a show. But even then, it’s sneaky about it, gathering its glory in the late hours of the night, seen mainly by dedicated astronomers, those who know what to expect and where to look.

And then, at the apex of its splendor, it rises at sunset, blazing across the sky all night for a few brief weeks, revealing itself in a level of detail far beyond what it will normally display [Read more…] about Mars Meditations

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A Northern Observer Discovers the Southern Skies

June 20, 2018 By Joe Bergeron Filed Under: Stargazing

The Southern Cross and the Coalsack. Image credit: Joe Bergeron.

Imagine a young stargazer living at a latitude of 42 degrees north.

Polaris, the fabled North Star, shines far above the northern horizon. Around it wheel the circumpolar constellations of Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, Draco, and Cepheus, ancient landmarks of the northern sky.

In the south, the tail of Scorpius brushes low along the horizon for a few brief months of Summer. Those stars are among the most southerly he can see. But from his star maps, the young stargazer knows that farther south lie some of the greatest wonders of the entire celestial sphere, all the way down to the obscure South Celestial Pole. Yet the poor lad can never see them. The obstinate bulk of the spherical Earth hides them forever [Read more…] about A Northern Observer Discovers the Southern Skies

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The Blue-Green Beauty of Planetary Nebulae

May 16, 2018 By Joe Bergeron Filed Under: Deep Sky

A long-exposure image of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) shows far more color than can be observed visually, even through a large telescope. Image credit: Terry Hancock.

New and would-be amateur astronomers are often mystified and disappointed by the lack of color in things they see through their telescopes. And why shouldn’t they be? Popular astronomy shows, magazines, and web sites encourage people to believe that celestial objects are rich with blistering, saturated color, much like the image above. Why doesn’t that new $400 8-inch Dobsonian show bright pink nebulae, and galaxies of blue and gold? [Read more…] about The Blue-Green Beauty of Planetary Nebulae

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