Category Archives: Astronomy

Astronomy, Education, Space participation

Night sky highlights for March 2023

** What’s Up: March 2023 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL

What are some skywatching highlights in March 2023?

Following their close approach in the sky on March 1, Venus and Jupiter go their separate ways. Venus climbs higher each evening, while Jupiter exists the morning sky at month’s end. And those with binoculars of a small telescope can seek out dwarf planet Ceres, which is at its brightest this month.

0:00 Intro
0:13 Moon & planet highlights
0:59 Dwarf planet Ceres at opposition
3:20 March Moon phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatch….

** Tonight’s Sky: March 2023 – Space Telescope Science Institute – Tonight’s Sky

In March, the stars of spring lie eastward: Look for the constellations Gemini and Cancer to spot interesting celestial features like star clusters M35 and the Beehive Cluster, and NGC 3923, an oblong elliptical galaxy with an interesting ripple pattern. Keep watching for space-based views of the galaxies.

** What to see in the night sky: March 2023 – BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Astronomers Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal their pick of March’s night-sky highlights, including the 1st March Venus and Jupiter conjunction, dwarf planet Ceres at opposition, conjunctions with the Moon, and stars Castor and Pollux.

** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – March 2023 – Sky & Telescope Youtube

Our monthly Sky Tour #astronomy #podcast provides an informative and entertaining 10-minute guided tour of the nighttime sky. Listen to the March episode and mark the #equinox, watch a spectacular pairing of #Jupiter and #Venus, spent some time with #Orion, and learn what #Sirius has to do with hot #summers.

Listen and subscribe to this podcast at https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/ and don’t forget to subscribe to S&T’s YouTube channel to get alerts about new videos, including this monthly podcast.

See also

** What’s in the Night Sky March 2023 – Ramadan Moon | Venus-Jupiter Conjunction – Alyn Wallace

00:00 Intro
00:47 Venus-Jupiter Conjunction
01:56 Orion and friends
02:53 Milky Way core
04:21 Ramadan Moon
05:08 Full Moon
05:19 Equinox
05:52 Zodiacal Light
07:32 WITNS Winners

** Night Sky Notebook March 2023 – Peter Detterline

** See also:

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Stellaris: People of the Stars

Astronomy, Education, Space participation

Night sky highlights for February 2023

** What’s Up: February 2023 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL

What are some skywatching highlights in February 2023?
See Jupiter and Venus appear nearer each night, as they head for a close conjunction at the start of March. Use bright stars Capella and Elnath to identify the constellation Auriga, and then find your way to two distant star clusters using Sirius as a guidepost.

0:00 Intro
0:12 Moon & planet highlights
0:47 The constellation Auriga
1:52 Easy-to-find star clusters
3:10 February Moon phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatch….

** Tonight’s Sky: February 2023 – Space Telescope Science Institute – Tonight’s Sky

In February, the Winter Triangle is your guide to the night sky: The northern hemisphere is treated to views of the stars Procyon, Sirius, and Betelgeuse. Keep watching for the awe-inspiring space-based views of the Orion Nebula, which is sculpted by the stellar winds of central bright stars.

** What to see in the night sky: February 2023 – BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see in the night sky this month, including Mercury, Venus, Comet C/2022 E3, Orion, Gemini and the Moon.

** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – February 2023 – Sky & Telescope Youtube

Our monthly Sky Tour #astronomy #podcast provides an informative and entertaining 10-minute guided tour of the nighttime sky. Listen to the February episode and explore the #Moon’s phases, watch three #planets in the evening sky, take stock of winter’s brightest #stars, and track down two lesser-known #constellations.

Listen and subscribe to this podcast at https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/ and don’t forget to subscribe to S&T’s YouTube channel to get alerts about new videos, including this monthly podcast.

See also

** Night Sky Notebook February 2023 – Peter Detterline

** The Night Sky February 2023 | What To Photograph In N. Hemisphere – AstroFarsography – YouTube

The Night Sky February 2023 is here and we begin saying farewell to our emission nebulae as galaxy season begins to rear its head.

The Night Sky is a curated list of deep sky targets, planets and other events that happen in our night skies during February in the Northern Hemisphere.

All targets are split into focal length ranges and are based off of a full frame camera sensor. However equivalent focal lengths are provided.

To use equivalent sizes is simple. Find the camera you’re using and see what focal length I’ve supplied. This is the focal length of telescope you need to match the example I’ve suggested.

All planets are from my latitude in the United Kingdom of about 52° North and I only include them if they rise above 20° altitude for a decent amount of time during the month. So depending on how high or low you are will vary your seeing conditions!

Clear skies everyone, keep looking up and keep them cameras clicking.

** See also:

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Stellaris: People of the Stars

Astronomy, Education, Space Science

ESO: Stellar nursery revealed with visible and infrared survey telescope

A new report from the European Southern Observatory (ESO):

Serpent in the sky captured with ESO telescope

This image of the spectacular Sh2-54 nebula was taken in infrared light using ESO’s VISTA telescope at Paranal Observatory in Chile. The clouds of dust and gas that are normally obvious in visible light are less evident here, and in this light we can see the light of the stars behind the nebulae now piercing through. Credit: ESO/VVVX

A myriad of stars is revealed behind the faint orange glow of the Sh2-54 nebula in this new infrared image. Located in the constellation Serpens, this stunning stellar nursery has been captured in all its intricate detail using the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) based at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile.

When the ancients looked up at the night sky they saw random patterns in the stars. The Greeks, for instance, named one of these “constellations” Serpens, because of its resemblance to a snake. What they wouldn’t have been able to see is that at the tail end of this constellation there is a wealth of stunning astronomical objects. These include the Eagle, the Omega and the Sh2-54 nebulae; the last of these is revealed, in a new light, in this spectacular infrared image.

Nebulae are vast clouds of gas and dust from which stars are born. Telescopes have allowed astronomers to identify and analyse these rather faint objects in exquisite detail. The nebula shown here, located about 6000 light-years away, is officially called Sh2-54; the “Sh” refers to the US astronomer Steward Sharpless, who catalogued more than 300 nebulae in the 1950s.

As the technology used to explore the Universe progresses, so too does our understanding of these stellar nurseries. One of these advances is the ability to look beyond the light that can be detected by our eyes, such as infrared light. Just as the snake, the namesake of this nebula, evolved the ability to sense infrared light to better understand its environment, so too have we developed infrared instruments to learn more about the Universe.

Whilst visible light is easily absorbed by clouds of dust in nebulae, infrared light can pass through the thick layers of dust almost unimpeded. The image here therefore reveals a wealth of stars hidden behind the veils of dust. This is particularly useful as it allows scientists to study what happens in stellar nurseries in much greater detail, and thus learn more about how stars form.

A visible-light image of the Sh2-54 nebula, captured by the VLT Survey Telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. At these wavelengths the structure of the nebula is clear and the clouds of dust and gas block the light of stars within and behind it. [See side-by-side interactive comparison of Sh2-54 in visible and infrared light] Credit: ESO

This image was captured in infrared light using the sensitive 67-million-pixel camera on ESO’s VISTA telescope at Paranal Observatory in Chile. It was taken as part of the VVVX survey — the VISTA Variables in the Via Láctea eXtended survey. This is a multi-year project that has repeatedly observed a large portion of the Milky Way at infrared wavelengths, providing key data to understand stellar evolution.

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Astronomy, Education, Space participation

Night sky highlights for January and 2023

** What’s Up: January 2023 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL

** Tonight’s Sky: January 2023 – Space Telescope Science Institute – Tonight’s Sky

In January, the northern hemisphere features beautiful views of Capella, a pair of giant yellow stars; Aldebaran, a red giant star; and two star clusters—the Hyades and the Pleiades. Keep watching for the awe-inspiring space-based views of the Crab Nebula, the remains of a star that exploded as a supernova.

** What to see in the night sky: January 2023 – BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal what’s coming up in the night sky this month, including Mercury, Venus and the other planets of the Solar System; Comet E3/2022 (ZTF); Orion; Sirius and the Winter Triangle asterism.

** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – January 2023: January: Goodbye, Saturn (Hello, Venus):

[ Update Jan.5.2023: Here is the video version of the podcast:

]

See also

** What’s in the Night Sky January 2023 – Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) | Mars Occultation – Alyn Wallace

00:00 Intro
00:40 Northern Hemisphere Night Sky
03:22 Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
04:52 Southern Hemisphere Night Sky
06:10 Full Moon
07:21 Lunar Occultation of Uranus
07:54 Lunar Occultations of Mars
08:46 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
11:20 #WITNS Winners

** Night Sky Notebook January 2023 – Peter Detterline

Start the year out right by seeing what to observe in the night sky for January 2023.

** See also these posting for January:

** Night sky highlights for all of 2023:

** 2023 Unmissable Night Sky Events! – Alyn Wallace

** More at:

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Stellaris: People of the Stars

Astronomy, Education, Space participation

Night sky highlights for December 2022

** What’s Up: December 2022 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL

What are some skywatching highlights in December 2022?
The Moon sweeps past Jupiter twice this month, and actually covers Mars completely, in an event called an occultation, on Dec. 7. The event is visible across the U.S., except for the Southeast and East Coast, where the Moon will graze closely past Mars. And throughout the month, you can find Pegasus, the winged stallion, high overhead in the south.

0:00 Intro
0:11 Moon & planet highlights
0:38 Occultation: Mars disappears
1:54 The constellation Pegasus
3:12 December Moon phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatch….

** Tonight’s Sky: March – Space Telescope Science Institute – Tonight’s Sky

Step outside on a cold December night when the stars shine bright to find the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus. They will help you locate a binary star system, a fan-shaped open star cluster, and a variable star. Stay tuned for space-based views of a ragged spiral galaxy, an open star cluster, and an edge-on galaxy.

** What to see in the night sky: December 2022 – BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal this month’s night-sky highlights, including Mars at opposition, a lunar occultation of Mars, the Geminid meteor shower, the Ursid meteor shower and the best targets to see in the Orion constellation.

** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – December 2022 – Sky & Telescope Youtube

Our monthly Sky Tour #astronomy #podcast provides an informative and entertaining 10-minute guided tour of the nighttime sky. Listen to the December episode and learn about the #solstice, #Mars, the #Geminids #meteor shower, and winter’s bright #stars.

Listen and subscribe to this podcast at https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/ and don’t forget to subscribe to S&T’s YouTube channel to get alerts about new videos, including this monthly podcast.

Learn more about #observing and #stargazing on our website, https://skyandtelescope.org/ and subscribe to our monthly magazine at https://skyandtelescope.org/subscribe.

This video is sponsored by Celestron – https://www.celestron.com/.

See also

** What’s in the Night Sky December 2022 #WITNS – Alyn Wallace

00:00 Intro
00:52 Northern Hemisphere Night Sky
04:45 Southern Hemisphere Night Sky
06:25 Trade In!
07:26 Lunar Occultation of Mars
08:25 Geminid Meteor Shower
10:16 Ursid Meteor Shower
11:00 #WITNS Winners

** Night Sky Notebook December 2022 – Peter Detterline

Astronomical events to see when you look up in December 2022.

** See also:

=== Amazon Ads ===

Celestron
70mm Travel Scope
Portable Refractor Telescope
Fully-Coated Glass Optics
Ideal Telescope for Beginners
BONUS Astronomy Software Package

==

Stellaris: People of the Stars