Astronomy Magazine

Astronomy is a monthly magazine from the United States that focuses on the wonders of astronomy. Aimed at amateur astronomers, it features sections on stargazing, showcases astrophotographs submitted by readers, and includes articles on astronomy and astrophysics that are easy for anyone to understand, even those without a science background.

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The Sky Today on Saturday, June 21: The Queen’s colorful double star

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Alison Klesman

The W of Cassiopeia hangs in the sky above Yosemite Valley in this gorgeous moonlit photo. Eta Cassiopeiae is indicated with an arrow. Credit: Kunal Mehta (Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Cassiopeia the Queen swings in a wide circle around the North Celestial Pole, visible much of (if not all of) the night for most northern observers.
How to see the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's first images unveiled

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Alison Klesman

The National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy’s Vera C. Rubin Observatory has been under construction atop Cerro Pachón in Chile since 2015. Housing an 8.4-meter telescope coupled with a 3,200-megapixel camera, the now-completed facility will soon undertake the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a 10-year survey promising unprecedented insight into the cosmos.
What is there to observe in Serpens?

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich

Serpens the Serpent is unique among the constellations because it’s separated into two parts with Ophiuchus the Serpent-bearer between them. Serpens Caput (the head of the serpent) lies to the west of Ophiuchus, and Serpens Cauda (the tail of the serpent) lies to the east. Serpens Caput is the larger of the two, taking up roughly 67 percent of the area. Together, they comprise the 23rd-largest constellation, which takes up about 1½ percent of the sky. But size doesn’t equal brightness.
Michael’s Miscellany: 10 Cool Things About the Moon

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich

Here’s a fun list of facts about the Moon. It’s not just for lovers, you know. #1. The Moon is not a star or a planet, it’s a satellite. In fact, it’s Earth’s only natural satellite. (We distinguish the Moon from the vehicles we launch into space by calling them artificial satellites.) So, planets (like Earth) orbit stars (like the Sun), and satellites orbit planets.
The Sky This Week from June 20 to 27: The summer solstice

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Alison Klesman

Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, June 20The summer solstice occurs at this evening at 10:42 P.M. EDT. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the official beginning of the summer season. (For those south of the equator, of course, this is the winter solstice and marks the official beginning of winter.) On this date, the Sun appears to sit directly above Earth’s Tropic of Cancer, which marks 23.5° latitude north.
The Sky Today on Friday, June 20: The summer solstice and noctilucent clouds

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Alison Klesman

Noctilucent clouds appear to glow in the nighttime sky long after the Sun has set. Credit: pompiainen (Flickr, CC BY 2.0) The summer solstice occurs at 10:42 P.M. EDT, marking the official beginning of summer for those in the Northern Hemisphere. On this date, the Sun is located directly above the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5° north, taking its most northerly path through the sky. It is also the longest day of the year north of the Tropic of Cancer.
The Sky Today on Thursday, June 19: Saturn and Neptune share the morning with the Moon

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Alison Klesman

Saturn and Neptune rise together just before 1:30 A.M. local daylight time, with the waning Moon nearby. You can catch them in the few hours before local sunrise — the pair of planets is 23° high in the east two hours before dawn, with the Moon close by to their left. The crescent Moon is now just over 40 percent lit. First-magnitude Saturn is visible to the naked eye, but 8th-magnitude Neptune is not.
Welcome to Summer!

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich

Summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere on Friday, June 20, at 10:42 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. This annual event, known as the June solstice, marks a specific point in Earth’s orbit. And it happens because our planet is tilted. Earth maintains a tilt of approximately 23.5° on its axis. As the planet orbits the Sun, this tilt causes different hemispheres to receive varying amounts of direct sunlight throughout the year.
The Sky Today on Wednesday, June 18: Vesta sits stationary

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Alison Klesman

Asteroid 4 Vesta is stationary at 3 P.M. EDT. Now located in the constellation Virgo, Vesta is mid-6th-magnitude — easy to find in just a few minutes from any location using binoculars or a small telescope. Step outside this evening an hour or two after sunset to find the large constellation Virgo hovering above the southwestern horizon. The Maiden’s brightest star is magnitude 1.0 Spica, easy to pick out some 30° above the horizon.
Michael’s Miscellany: Celebrating William Parsons

1 week ago | astronomy.com | Michael E. Bakich

William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, was born on the date I’m posting this article (June 17) way back in 1800, in York, England. Astronomers know him as the person who built (OK, he supervised the construction) and used the largest telescope in the 19th century. It wasn’t surpassed in aperture until the construction of the 100-inch Hooker Telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory in 1917.