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September Skies 2018

Viewing almost straight up in Denver at 9:00 PM on September 15th. Telrad circles are shown positioned to put NGC 6871 near the center of a finderscope field, after centering on Eta (η) Cygni and slewing toward Sadr. From here, a 1° slew to the southeast (perpendicular to the swan’s “neck,” or the line from Sadr to Albireo) will get the cluster in or near your low-power eyepiece field. Note position of Eta Cygni at trailing edge of the 4° Telrad circle. Also note the dotted line showing the alignment of M29, Sadr, and Omicron1 Cygni.
The Cygnus Rift, illustrated above, is an area of dust and gas that obscures the Milky Way’s stars and nebulae. It is the same type of structure as the “dust lanes” often seen in edge-on galaxies.
–Object positions, constellation and meridian lines charted in SkySafari, and then enhanced. (Tap on image above for larger version.)

© Zachary Singer

The Solar System

If you’ve been watching the sky after sunset in August, then you’ve likely noticed the striking vista of four bright planets—Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars—lined up from southwest to southeast. Even without a telescope, their sweep makes a memorable view, and the arrangement will continue well into September Continue reading “September Skies 2018”

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August Skies 2018

August 2018 Skies as seen from Denver Colorado.
Viewing southward in Denver at 10:00 PM on August 15th. Telrad circles are centered on the Lagoon Nebula, M8; note position of the Trifid Nebula, M20, just inside the 4° circle, and thus in most finderscopes’ field of view (remember that M20 will be shown at the bottom of an inverted finderscope view). Vesta passes between b Ophiuchi and C Ophiuchi this month, as illustrated by the thin curving arrow at center-right. Look at last month’s chart to get a feel for this area of Ophiuchus, located right above Scorpius (just off this month’s chart at bottom-right). –Object positions, constellation and meridian lines charted in SkySafari, and then enhanced. (Tap on image above for larger version.)

© Zachary Singer

The Solar System

If you follow the planets, you’re likely aware that Mars is just past opposition at the beginning of August, and thus more or less at its biggest and brightest for the year. Dust storms, though, have blanketed the planet, cloaking surface details that should’ve been visible even in moderately sized telescopes. Recent NASA reports suggest Continue reading “August Skies 2018”

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The Colorado Trail

I had the chance to make a short hike on the Colorado Trail near the Kenosha Pass about 10 days ago…   It was a relief to get away from the city (and national politics) and take a special friend for some fresh air and green trees. I didn’t plan the trip to make landscape photos, but I did take my camera!

Columbine, Kenosha Pass.

Continue reading “The Colorado Trail”

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July Skies 2018

July 2018 Skies as seen from Denver Colorado.
Viewing due south in Denver at 10:30 PM in mid-July. Note position of M19 (shown just right of center) slightly above the imaginary line that runs between 36 Ophiuchus and Sigma (σ) Scorpii. (Some labels use “Oph,” the standard abbreviation for Ophiuchus/Ophiuchi, for clarity.) –Object positions, constellation and meridian lines charted in SkySafari, and then enhanced. (Tap on image above for larger version.)

© Zachary Singer

The Solar System

The big news for July is that Mars comes to opposition on the 27th, meaning that it will be at its highest in the south on that date around 1 AM, and also Continue reading “July Skies 2018”