Archive – Page 30 – Astronomy Now

The monster stars in the monster’s hand

20 May 2022 Keith Cooper

In 2014, a quite remarkable collage was released by scientists who used NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope to image the entirety of the Milky Way in infrared light.

Get ready for Jupiter and Mars’ close confrontation

19 May 2022 Mark Armstrong

Keep the diary free towards the end of May to witness another very close conjunction between two of the major planets in the Solar System.

A hidden giant

18 May 2022 Keith Cooper

The star hidden inside this spectacular dusty cocoon is not only a red giant, but also a rare stellar breed known as a carbon star.

StellaLyra 250mm, f/5 Dobsonian: The light-bucket with a touch of class

16 May 2022 Ade Ashford

First Light Optics’ StellaLyra-branded fleet of Dobsonian telescopes combine high-performance with some excellent accessories, writes Ade Ashford.

Don’t miss out on Messier 51, the wonderful Whirlpool Galaxy

16 May 2022 Mark Armstrong

Magnificent Messier 51 (NGC 5194), the Whirlpool Galaxy in Canes Venatici, is without doubt the best and most famous example of a spiral galaxy that is presented face-on to our perspective.

See a total eclipse of the Moon

13 May 2022 Mark Armstrong

On the 15/16 May (Sunday into Monday) there’s a total eclipse of the Moon visible primarily in the Western Hemisphere, with UK observers catching just the start of totality as the Moon is very close to setting.

Milky Way’s supermassive black hole shines in stunning first portrait

12 May 2022 Keith Cooper

The black hole in the centre of our Milky Way Galaxy has been imaged for the first time, showing a ring of gas encircling the event horizon, beyond which no light can escape.

Observe the Moon occulting Porrima, Virgo’s celebrated second star.

11 May 2022 Mark Armstrong

On the morning of 13 May (12/13), the Moon occults Porrima (gamma Virginis), Virgo’s celebrated binary star, in an event that’s visible across the UK.

Webb optical alignment complete and virtually perfect

9 May 2022 Astronomy Now

NASA says the James Webb Space Telescope’s optical system is now in virtually perfect alignment, setting the stage for instrument commissioning and science operations later this summer.

The Sky Imaging Edition Part 1: TPoint modelling

6 May 2022 Astronomy Now

Software Bisque’s latest edition of The Sky software isn’t just a digital planetarium, but makes for an excellent assistant for imagers, allowing computer control of all facets of the imaging process.