Fundamentals of Stargazing

Sky Tours (South) – October

The only bright star near the zenith in October is Fomalhaut, the chief star of the constellation Piscis Austrinus. The exotic southern birds—Phoenix, Grus, Tucana—are visible, as well as Pavo, which you met last month. Capricornus lingers, and its zodiacal neighbor Aquarius approaches the zenith. North of Aquarius, you find the prominent northern ...

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Sky Tours (North) – October

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

You will recall the stars of spring were fainter than the stars of northern winter. So it is with the stars of northern autumn. The plane of the Milky Way, which contains many bright stars visible in northern summer and winter, moves westward and is replaced by the sparse and somewhat bleak sky of northern autumn rising in the northeast. As you loo...

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Solar System Observing – Uranus and Neptune

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

Beyond Saturn, in the icy reaches of the outer solar system, orbit the giant planets Uranus and Neptune. Uranus is the 3rd-largest planet by radius and the 4th largest by mass in the solar system, while Neptune is a little smaller but more massive than Uranus. Both planets were once considered gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. Now astronomers und...

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Stargazing Tools – Binoviewers; Urban Observing; Bortle Scale

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

This month, you look at binoviewers, a tremendously useful accessory that gives you an opportunity for a new way of observing. But binoviewers are often misunderstood, so this review gives you everything you need to know about getting started with binoviewing. You also get tips for urban observing and a look at the Bortle Dark Sky scale.
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Science of Stargazing – Variable Stars

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

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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