Aquila – Astronomy Now

Track down the Triangle

15 August 2022 Mark Armstrong

The Summer Triangle is arguably the most popular multi-constellation asterism in the entire sky.

See the Moon join a dawn planetary parade from 7–11 March

1 March 2018 Ade Ashford

Three naked-eye planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – grow in prominence in the dawn sky this month. If you wish to identify them for yourself, let the waning Moon be your celestial guide from 7–11 March. We also show you what to look for in binoculars and telescopes.

Seeing double in the summer sky

24 June 2017 Ade Ashford

With astronomical twilight lasting all night around the Northern Hemisphere summer solstice for stargazers in the UK, what does the deep-sky observer do when the sky never gets truly dark? Fortunately, there are many beautiful double and multiple stars to seek out while most nebulae are off limits.

Catch Mars and Venus in the early evening sky of late November

25 November 2016 Ade Ashford

Find a location that offers you an unobstructed view of the horizon from south to southwest an hour after sunset. With clear skies, you’ll be able to follow Venus and Mars from night to night on their celestial peregrinations through the constellations of Sagittarius and Capricornus. The two planets almost keep pace with each other throughout the remainder of November.

Hubble views face-on spiral galaxy NGC 6814

10 May 2016 Astronomy Now

In this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image we see the striking face-on spiral galaxy NGC 6814, whose luminous nucleus and spectacular sweeping arms are rippled with an intricate pattern of dark dust. The galaxy was discovered by William Herschel in 1788. NGC 6814 lies 74.4 million light-years away in the constellation of Aquila.