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6 days ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
Congratulations to all Catholics. Yesterday, your College of Cardinals elected a new pope. In honor of him taking the name Leo XIV, I thought this would be a good time to tell you some facts about the constellation Leo the Lion. Actually, to commemorate the new pope, 14 facts. I) Leo is a springtime constellation in the Northern Hemisphere. It lies south of the Big Dipper, the most recognized asterism in the constellation Ursa Major the Great Bear.
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1 week ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
Today I want to talk about something beginning observers tend to overlook. It a process of the human eye called dark adaptation. In terrestrial terms, it helps us see better at night and in dark places. That makes it important for our safety. For amateur astronomers, however, it’s important because it allows us to see fainter celestial objects. During dark adaptation, the eyes increase their sensitivity to low levels of light.
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1 week ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
On May 7, 1617, the German astronomer David Fabricius passed away. A contemporary of Johannes Kepler, the two frequently corresponded. I thought about him the other day when I was observing the Sun. And although I’d rather celebrate his birthday (March 9, 1564), I didn’t want to wait another 10 months to do so. Fabricius is famous for making two discoveries in astronomy. His first discovery was that the brightness of the star Mira in the constellation Cetus the Whale was variable.
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1 week ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
I hope this series of thoughts (can I call them blogs?) help you become better observers. I’ll include observing tips and techniques, facts about constellations, reviews of books or websites, and trivia. Because there’s no right way to order this series, I’m just going to do the one I’m thinking about on that day. Some will be short, others longer. Some will be for beginners and others will be a bit more advanced.
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1 month ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
In late March, three amateur astronomers discovered Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN). Immediately, predictions began appearing online stating the brightness this object might reach. But, as comet discoverer David Levy says, “Comets are like cats. They have tails and do what they want.” In other words, don’t bet the house that current predictions will come true.
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1 month ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
I’m leading another eclipse trip. No surprise there. I’ve traveled to observe 16 total solar eclipses, and on all but two of them I was the official astronomer. But this one’s special, even for me. First, it boasts the longest totality — 6 minutes 23 seconds — that anyone alive will be able to witness. Second, it occurs in a location where, at the time of year the eclipse happens, the forming of clouds is almost impossible.
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1 month ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
You know, after decades of pointing optics toward the sky, I consider myself a knowledgeable observer. But while researching the Pleiades a few months back, I was surprised to learn that it wasn’t the brightest star cluster. And there were other surprises when I started comparing overall brightnesses of deep-sky objects.
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2 months ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 22. That’s when the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) will be out in force to show you the wonders of the heavens at the annual Tucson Astronomy Festival. The event will be held at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, Ramada 1, 3482 E. River Road, Tucson. Things will get started at 3 P.M. MST. From then until 6:30 P.M., TAAA members will conduct safe solar observing. If you’ve never seen the Sun through a telescope, this is your chance for an up-close look.
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2 months ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
Another great celestial event is coming. And this one’s really easy to observe because you can see it with just your eyes. Not only that, but anyone in the U.S. under a clear sky will be able to watch it. On Thursday, March 13 (and continuing into the 14th), the Moon will pass through the darkest part of our planet’s shadow, creating a total lunar eclipse. These events occur when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon line up in that order. Such events are unusual, but not rare.
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2 months ago | 
astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich
If I’m being honest, the title of this story should be “When is T CrB going to explode again?” T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) is classified as a recurrent nova — a star that blows its top over and over. Such objects are rare; fewer than a dozen have been identified in our galaxy. And despite predictions that it would explode last year, we’re still waiting. For now. T CrB is part of a binary system where a white dwarf and a red giant orbit one another.
