Archive – Page 34 – Astronomy Now

Binocular vision: Helios Lightquest HR 28 x 110

22 April 2022 Steve Ringwood

Helios’ new large and extremely powerful binoculars are like twin light-buckets that give wide and deep views of the night sky, but does their design match their optical capability? Steve Ringwood finds out.

Link-up with the Lyrids

20 April 2022 Mark Armstrong

The return of the yearly April Lyrids meteor shower is very welcome for meteor observers, breaking the roughly 15-week hiatus since the maximum of the Quadrantids meteor shower on 3 January.

Markarian’s Chain -the eyes have it!

19 April 2022 Mark Armstrong

The Virgo Cluster of galaxies reigns supreme for galaxy enthusiasts on spring nights.

Observe the iconic Sombrero Galaxy

18 April 2022 Mark Armstrong

If you were to take a poll of the top galaxies that amateur astronomers can observe and image, I bet you wouldn’t need to look far to see the name of the magnificent and striking Sombrero Galaxy (Messier 104 in Virgo).

Observe a great globular – Messier 3

15 April 2022 Mark Armstrong

Messier 3 (NGC 5272), which shines brightly at magnitude +5.9, is easily seen through 10 × 50 binoculars and is a stunning sight through a telescope.

Choosing and using a CMOS camera

15 April 2022 Astronomy Now

The CMOS astro-camera revolution is here, and astrophotographer Martin Bradley is on hand to explain what makes these cameras stand out.

The largest comet ever seen has been measured – and it’s a whopper

14 April 2022 Keith Cooper

The nucleus of the largest known comet in the Solar System, C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli–Bernstein), has been measured by the Hubble Space Telescope to be 129 kilometres across.

Observe spring’s radiant sunflower in April

14 April 2022 Mark Armstrong

Messier 63 (NGC 5055), the Sunflower Galaxy in Canes Venatici, sits comfortably with its reputation as one of the great galaxies visible in the night sky at springtime.

Observe Messier 81 this April

13 April 2022 Mark Armstrong

Messier 81 (NGC 3031) in Ursa Major is one of the finest galaxies in the entire sky.

Choosing the best eyepiece for you

8 April 2022 Ade Ashford

If the optics of your telescope are well aligned but the views are still lacklustre, maybe it’s time for some new eyepieces. Ade Ashford helps you choose them.