Fundamentals of Stargazing

Science of Stargazing – Emission, Reflection, and Dark Nebulae

On the menu this month we have three of the most commonly observed objects in the night sky: reflection nebulae, emission nebulae, and dark nebulae. The first two types of object are clouds of gas and dust set aglow by new stars formed within or nearby, whereas dark nebulae are opaque clouds of gas and dust that blot out the background stars along...

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Deep Sky Tours – August

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

The Swan Nebula, M17, in Sagittarius.
The Milky Way is the highlight of the night sky this month. In fact, it is the largest single celestial object in the heavens, stretching all the way around the sky as a thin, white, mottled band of unresolved stars. This month you tour the finest deep-sky objects along the plane of the Milky Way including star...

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Sky Tours (South) – August

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

Winter continues south of the equator, but the sting of cooler weather is offset by the thick band of the Milky Way nearly overhead at mid-southern latitudes. This month you examine the constellations along the Milky Way from Cygnus, just above the northern horizon to the constellation Sagittarius almost directly overhead in the early evening hours...

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Sky Tours (North) – August

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

This month, the tour of the constellations follows the arc of the Milky Way Galaxy starting from overhead, as seen in the northern hemisphere, and down towards the southern horizon. Along the way, you tour the constellations Cygnus and Aquila, Scutum and Sagittarius.
Click here to download notes for 'Sky Tours (North) - August' (PDF, 1 MB)
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Solar System Observing – Meteors and Meteor Showers

Filed Under: Fundamentals of Stargazing

The Perseid meteor shower ranks as the main stargazing event this month, as it does every August. The Perseids is the best of dozens of meteor showers that occur each year, with dozens of meteors visible every hour during the evening of August 11 and through to the morning of August 12. Observing meteor showers is an enjoyable way to spend an eveni...

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