Many times, we are at the telescope waiting for the sky to get darker. The Sun had set about a half hour to go, but with light pollution the sky is still not dark enough for targets to come out. Are you in your yard with family waiting to share your hobby with them? Or, are you on the Riverwalk supporting NAA’s outreach to the community? Wherever you may be, the wait for a target makes you nervous as expecting faces, whether friend, family, or visitor to your telescope, are staring at you to show them an out-of-this-world object.
Interested in learning what you can find in the twilight, when the moon or bright planets are not in view? The choice is easy, come to this month’s Fundamentals, where long-time member and outreach veteran Rick Gering will show you how to use a pair of binoculars, an app like Sky Safari, your telescope’s optical finder, and a little advance planning to find “wow” targets while the sky is still in twilight. Our September Fundamentals Program will be held on September 16th at 7:30 pm, at the Naperville Municipal Center, located in downtown Naperville, at Aurora Ave. & Eagle St. The location is downstairs, in Meeting Room B. The public is welcome to attend, free of charge.
March ’26 Rick’s Picks
Transient Events That Can Give Us a Good Enough Reason to Get Outside and Do a Little Observing All month: Mercury begins the month barely hanging on in the evening sky: on March 1 it sets 57 minutes after the Sun and is less than 5° above the horizon a...
February ’26 Rick’s Picks
Transient Events That Can Give Us a Good Enough Reason to Get Outside and Do a Little Observing All month: the planets have abandoned the morning sky. In the evening, Jupiter continues to dominate the scene like a playground bully, overpowering Uranus (who...
January ’26 Rick’s Picks
Transient Events That Can Give Us a Good Enough Reason to Get Outside and Do a Little Observing All month: nearly half the planets are on vacation this month, hidden from sight in the Sun’s glare. Mercury might still be a viable (but difficult) target New...
December ’25 – Rick’s Picks
Transient Events That Can Give Us a Good Enough Reasonto Get Outside and Do a Little Observing All month: the sunrise sky becomes a less lively place this month, as Venus ends its long morning apparition and joins Mars in the solar glare as they both head...