Fundamentals of Stargazing

Sky Tours (South) – May

This month you continue following the arc of the southern Milky Way from Carina and Vela into the famous constellations Crux, the Southern Cross and Centaurus, the Centaur. You also peer over the northern horizon, where bright stars are scarce, to see the ancient constellations Bootes, Coma Berenices, and Canes Venatici. These constellations are wo...

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Sky Tours (North) – May

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

This month you continue the tour of the northern night sky with a look at the relatively star-poor skies around Ursa Major and the Big Dipper asterism, Ursa Minor, and the small but important constellations Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici. You also meet the great celestial Herdsman, the constellation Bootes, and the brilliant star Arcturus, the b...

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Solar System Observing – Tour of the Planet Saturn

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

The planet Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun on Feb. 28, 2024, then emerges slowly in the early-morning sky in March and April in the constellation Aquarius where it remains throughout the year. It grows in apparent size and rises a little early each day until it reaches opposition on September 8, 2024. The month before and after this date will...

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Stargazing Tools – Choosing and Using Binoculars

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

This month you get a practical overview of binoculars and how to choose a good pair for astronomy. If you use the advice in this section, you may save yourself quite a bit of money and end up with the very best pair of binoculars for your personal situation. And every stargazer needs a pair of binoculars. Audio and notes are below…
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Science of Stargazing – Star Brightness and Names

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

In this lesson on the science of stargazing, you get a clear explanation of the sometimes confusing “magnitude” system that astronomers use to describe and compare the brightness of stars and other celestial objects. You also learn how to decipher the systems that astronomers use to name stars. To many beginners, the star-naming system is literally...

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