• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cosmic Pursuits

Basic astronomy and night sky information

  • Subscribe
  • Start Here
  • Articles
  • Sky This Month
  • Courses
  • About
  • Contact

milky way

Touring the Backbone of Cygnus, the Swan

September 16, 2016 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

The Milky Way through the constellation Cygnus. The dark cloud bisecting the Milky Way is the Great Rift.
The Milky Way through the constellation Cygnus. The dark cloud bisecting the Milky Way is the Great Rift.

In the late days of northern summer, the constellation Cygnus lies nearly overhead in the mid-evening hours. A long, conspicuous constellation, Cygnus stretches along the diffuse arc of the Milky Way and is packed full of lovely deep-sky objects for stargazers of all skill levels.

Cygnus is an ancient star group and goes back at least 2,000 years. In Greek legend, Cygnus was a friend of Phaeton, the son of Helios, the Sun god. Phaeton met his demise while foolishly trying to drive his father’s sun-chariot across the sky. When Phaeton fell into the river Eridanus, Cygnus begged Zeus to turn him into a swan so he could fly down to retrieve his friend’s body. In doing so, however, he gave up his immortality. Zeus was touched by the selfless act of Cygnus in honoring his friend, so he cast the swan in a place of honor in the night sky [Read more…] about Touring the Backbone of Cygnus, the Swan

Share This:
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Filed Under: Deep Sky constellation, cygnus, milky way

Almost Heaven (Star Party), West Virginia

September 8, 2016 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Stargazing

The late summer Milky Way from the Almost Heaven Star Party, West Virginia, on Sept. 4, 2016.
The late summer Milky Way from the Almost Heaven Star Party, West Virginia, on Sept. 4, 2016. Click image to enlarge.

Once in a while, you have to get yourself to dark skies. Forget the excuses, the lost sleep, the long drive. Just go. It will regenerate you, reconnect you to the cosmos, and help you remember why you became a stargazer in the first place.

Which is why I powered down the computer and packed a simple Dobsonian telescope, a binoviewer, and a couple of eyepieces and headed out to the Almost Heaven Star Party (AHSP) in West Virginia, an event held this year on September 2-6, 2016 [Read more…] about Almost Heaven (Star Party), West Virginia

Share This:
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Filed Under: Stargazing amateur, milky way, star party

The Castaway Cluster

September 4, 2015 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

The open star cluster NGC 6520, the "Castaway Cluster", and the dark foreground nebula Barnard 86. Credit: NOAO
The open star cluster NGC 6520, the “Castaway Cluster”, and the dark foreground nebula Barnard 86. Credit: NOAO

The Castaway Cluster, catalogued as NGC 6520, is located just above the spout in the “Teapot” of Sagittarius. This is a rich region of the Milky Way containing many gas clouds and star clusters, including the Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae. NGC 6520, a tiny jewel of a cluster, is often forgotten amongst these more famous sites [Read more…] about The Castaway Cluster

Share This:
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Filed Under: Deep Sky deep sky, milky way, sagittarius, star cluster

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Cosmic Pursuits

Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter for free astronomy tips and updates

Featured Astronomy Course


Search This Site

Recent Posts

  • Our Sun’s Lost Sibling
  • Galaxy Hopping with a 2-Inch Telescope
  • The Winter Milky Way
  • Winter Reflection Nebulae
  • Gaia Space Telescope Simulation of the Milky Way

Copyright © 2025 Mintaka Publishing Inc.