Skywatch

Plan A Star Party!

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This weekend should be a great time to host a star party, with the waning moon providing opportunities for dark skies.

Andromeda and Orion

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Don’t have a telescope? That’s okay! Around this time of year, The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and The Great Orion Nebula (M42) should be visible through a powerful pair of binoculars, under favorable sky conditions.

Special Thanksgiving!

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This year, Thanksgiving is more special than usual. Today, the comet ISON is said to reach its closest approach to the Sun. Obviously the question still remains, will ISON survive its close encounter with the Sun and prove to be the ‘comet of the century’, or will it be completely disintegrated? Guess we will just … Read More

Andromeda Galaxy in November

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High in the eastern sky, around 9-9:30 PM, you should be able to see the famed Andromeda Galaxy. As the closest galaxy to our own Milky Way, it is also known as our ‘sister galaxy’. So, pull out your telescope and see if you can’t get some awesome views of this breathtaking creation in the … Read More

Leonid Meteor Shower 2013

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Get ready for this year’s Leonid meteor shower! The shower can be seen on the nights of November 16th and 17th. Unfortunately the full Moon will keep us from seeing anything but the brightest meteors this year, but go on out and see if you can spot a few! ——————————————- DID YOU KNOW? November is … Read More

Jupiter in November!

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Are you ready for some amazing views of the planet Jupiter? Four of Jupiter’s largest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, should be visible as well. Pull out your telescope or a good pair of binoculars and check out this awesome ‘gas giant’!

‘Messier’ Objects in October!

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Messier 8, 16, 17, 20, 27 and 57 could all be seen at some point during the month of October. Did you see any of these magnificent creations? Comment on our Facebook page and tell us what you saw!

Uranus in October

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During October, we find the faint planet Uranus lying within the constellation known as “Pisces” Check it out with a good pair of binoculars, or if you have a scope, pull it out to get some views of the 7th planet from our Sun – Uranus! Happy Stargazing!

Jupiter in October

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As we enter the month of October, get ready for Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System, to make its 2013 debut appearance. If you want to check out some of the planets moons, use a decent sized scope to see Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, orbiting the gas giant!

Four Nebulae In September

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Four eye-catching nebulae should be visible this month. Look for M27 “The Dumbbell Nebula”, M57 “The Ring Nebula”, NGC 6572 and NGC 6826. These are slightly more difficult objects, and you will need a decent telescope. An “Oxygen 3” filter is not necessary but would definitely make things look a little better. Have fun and … Read More

Planetary events in September

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On September 8th and 9th, look for the planets Venus and Saturn to be about 3.5 degrees distance from each other. The planet Mars will also cross over the “Beehive Cluster” on these very same dates. So pull out your equipment and have fun gazing into our Creator’s breathtaking heavens!

Messier 27 in August

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Pull your telescope out before the end of August and check out M27 “The Dumbbell Nebula” in the constellation “Vulpecula” Until next week….or should we say until next month, HAPPY VIEWING!

The planet Venus in August

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The planet Venus will shine brightly throughout the month of August. Aim your telescope at Venus, the 2nd planet from the Sun and take a look. Until next week, Happy Viewing!

Perseid Meteor Shower 2013

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Are you ready for this year’s Perseid Meteor Shower? We certainly are! Look for the shower to peak on the nights of August 12th and 13th. The best time to go out and look is between 10:30 PM and 4:30 AM local time to see the best show. Reports are saying that we could be … Read More

Star Clusters in July

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M6 “The Butterfly Cluster” and M7 are known as ‘open star clusters’, because they are not as tightly packed as globular star clusters. A pair of 50mm or larger binoculars will bring out the beauty of these two amazing star clusters, both of which were included in Charles Messier’s catalog of 110 astronomical objects.

Saturn in the Summer

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The ringed planet Saturn is perhaps one of the most unique and recognizable planets in our Solar System! As we enter the month of July, this awesome creation continues to be a great target for astronomy enthusiasts. Look for Saturn in South to Southwestern skies around 10 P.M. and use at least a 40x lens … Read More

Virgo Cluster in June

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As we near the end of June, don’t miss the opportunity to see many breathtaking galaxies. If you own a larger telescope, aim it at M87, (the main galaxy) in the Virgo Cluster and then move around the region to see how many you can you spot… Don’t be shy, send us an email and … Read More

Saturn in June

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Throughout the month of June, you should have great opportunities to see some really spectacular things in our Creator’s Universe. One of these objects is the ringed planet Saturn. Pull out your telescope on a clear night and pop on a powerful eyepiece to get a good view of the planet’s rings, as well as … Read More

Spiral Galaxies in June

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The middle of June should offer great opportunities to see two of the most spectacular spiral galaxies in our Creator’s Universe – M51 “The Whirlpool Galaxy” and M101 “The Pinwheel Galaxy” While these can be seen with a decent refractor, a 10″ or larger scope will bring out more breathtaking detail!

Spiral Galaxies in the month of May

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This month, four breathtaking spiral galaxies are on display. Look for M51, M99, M100, M101 to shine through the heavens with extreme detail using a fairly large telescope.

Planet Conjunction

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Shortly after nightfall between May 10th and May 30th, look for a conjunction between Jupiter, Venus and Mercury along with the Moon. This phenomena can be seen in the Western Sky. The month of May will also bring awesome opportunities to check out one of the most spectacular planets in our solar system…The ringed planet … Read More

April’s Astronomical Events

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When we reach the mid to latter part of the month of April, look for the planet Jupiter to drop low on the horizon in the early hours after sunset. The month of April should also provide us with many great opportunities to see some of the most famous galaxies in our Creator’s Universe. Don’t … Read More

Skywatch: March 17th, 2013

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With the arrival of the Spring season comes the soon departure of the famed winter constellation of Orion. On Friday, March 22nd, as the three famed belt stars are now nearly horizontal, the constellation is flanked to the right by the planet Jupiter and to the left by the bright star known as “Sirius” Sirius, … Read More

Comet Pan-STARRS visible til end of March?

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By now we have all gotten wind of the ‘buzz’ about comet Pan-STARRS. If you have not yet seen the spectacle, you may have another opportunity to see it. Reports tell us that the comet may be visible with binoculars through the end of the month of March. Please send us an email if you … Read More

Giant Sunspot Photographed

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NASA Cameras took photos of a massive sunspot. It has been estimated that the sunspot could be at least 6 times the diameter of the Earth.

Massive asteroid to streak past Earth

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On Friday, February 15th an asteroid estimated to be half the size of a football field will fly past Earth. It has been said that the encounter will be closer than that of our orbiting GPS satellites.

JWST Optics Testing

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Many optics tests necessary for imaging from space have been completed on the James Webb Space Telescope. The James Webb Telescope will focus on the infrared spectrum and will have the capability of producing amazing photos.