Observing Basics | Astronomy.com

Beginner’s guide: How to photograph comets

Damian A. Peach — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 20:17:53 +0000

These fleeting beacons from the outer solar system make for fantastic shots.

The post Beginner’s guide: How to photograph comets appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

How to choose the right focal length for your astrophotos

shill — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:00:00 +0000

On the first night out with my brand-new Celestron NexStar 8SE back in July 2015, I knew little about the relative sizes of astronomical objects. I was bowled over by my first view of Saturn — an impressive sight through an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT) — and I was eager to see more. I knewContinue reading "How to choose the right focal length for your astrophotos"

The post How to choose the right focal length for your astrophotos appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Why aren’t the constellations always drawn the same way?

Astronomy Staff — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

When using my astronomy software or looking at various books, I notice that not everyone draws the constellations the same way. Why? John HinkampAndros Island, Bahamas Imagining familiar images in the sky has always been an easy way to track the annual progress of the stars. Around the second century C.E., the Greek astronomer ClaudiusContinue reading "Why aren’t the constellations always drawn the same way?"

The post Why aren’t the constellations always drawn the same way? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

How do light pollution filters work?

Astronomy Staff — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 14:45:00 +0000

How do light pollution filters work? Do they actually help? Kyle NorrisPeoria, Arizona Light pollution reduction (LPR) filters work because many outdoor lighting sources do not shine evenly across the visible spectrum. Instead, they emit radiation at only a few distinct wavelengths. For instance, a high-pressure sodium streetlight radiates principally in yellow wavelengths. LPR filtersContinue reading "How do light pollution filters work?"

The post How do light pollution filters work? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

How to take Hubble-like photos: Filters and post-processing guide

shill — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 14:29:21 +0000

Since the early 1990s, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured breathtaking images of tens of thousands of celestial objects, inspiring a generation of professional scientists and amateur astronomers. Some of its most captivating images are of nebulae like the famous Pillars of Creation at the heart of the Eagle Nebula (M16), rendered in vibrant greens,Continue reading "How to take Hubble-like photos: Filters and post-processing guide"

The post How to take Hubble-like photos: Filters and post-processing guide appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Some of the the science behind why you should never look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection

mnewman — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 15:45:39 +0000

A solar eclipse is a rare and beautiful astronomic phenomenon as the orbiting moon blocks out the sun, making twilight out of a sunny day. A total solar eclipse is even more special, like the one on April 8 that can be observed along a narrow swath of land from Mexico, through the United States and Canada in Niagara, the St.Continue reading "Some of the the science behind why you should never look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection"

The post Some of the the science behind why you should never look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Here are a few targets Messier missed that are worth a visit

shill — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 15:00:00 +0000

In 1781, French astronomer Charles Messier published a catalog of 103 objects in the heavens. He was primarily interested in comets, but kept finding fuzzy smudges that did not move against the background stars — so he published a list of objects to avoid while comet hunting. The list includes diffuse nebulae, planetary nebulae, openContinue reading "Here are a few targets Messier missed that are worth a visit"

The post Here are a few targets Messier missed that are worth a visit appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

10 great telescopes to use in the city or any place with lots of light

Phil Harrington — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 21:05:44 +0000

Don’t let bright lights prevent you from exploring cosmic sights.

The post 10 great telescopes to use in the city or any place with lots of light appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Observing Basics: How you can take sharp pictures of the planets

shill — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:00:00 +0000

How do astroimagers get such sharp images of the Sun, Moon, and planets? The answer is a technique called lucky imaging. As every astronomer has witnessed, the atmosphere roils with waves as hot and cold air mix, causing our neighboring celestial bodies to blur at the eyepiece or in the camera. Fortunately, lucky imaging canContinue reading "Observing Basics: How you can take sharp pictures of the planets"

The post Observing Basics: How you can take sharp pictures of the planets appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

How to observe planets with a small telescope

Astronomy Staff — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 19:13:24 +0000

With just a small or medium-sized telescope, skygazers can easily observe planets. You’ll be surprised how much of our solar system you can see! And you don’t need a dark sky to view all of our solar system’s planets; even under city lights, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can be easy to see with a telescope. AContinue reading "How to observe planets with a small telescope"

The post How to observe planets with a small telescope appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.