Articles
- Focal Plane (26)
- One Good Target (32)
- Rick's Picks (33)
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March ’25 – Rick’s Picks
All month: the evening sky becomes less dramatic this month, as Saturn and Neptune spend the entire month hidden in the Sun’s glare, reaching…
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Europa Clipper: NASA Investigates an Icy Ocean
Europa, one of Jupiter’s four biggest moons, appears to harbor a liquid ocean not far beneath its bright, icy surface. Is there life there?…
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Astronomy Fundamentals: The Last Trillionth of the Journey
As stargazers, we look out across space at objects floating in what is mostly vast emptiness. The light we see travels at its breathtaking…
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A Trio of Open Clusters in Northern Puppis (including a hidden planetary nebula)
February 2025 · With side trips to a couple easy doubles and supergiants
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February ’25 – Rick’s Picks
All month: the solar system overwhelmingly favors evening observers again this month, but very early risers can still spend quality time with Mars, and…
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Artemis Program: Returning to the Moon After More Than 50 Years
The Artemis project is our follow-up to the Apollo missions. In Greek mythology Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. The goal is to…
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Astronomy Fundamentals: Exploring the Winter Sky – Going Beyond the Usual Suspects
The Winter season brings some of the brightest stars in view. And with those stars, some bright deep sky objects. The season brings a…
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Three Open Clusters in Auriga
January 2025 · With side trips to a couple useful asterisms, a few doubles, and yet another carbon star
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January ’25 – rick’s picks
All month: the solar system is primarily an evening show again this month. Mercury is one of the exceptions: its gibbous disk graces the…
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Astronomy Fundamentals: Sparkling Winter Star Clusters
December brings a mix of emotions for amateur astronomers. The nights are longer, so there is more time available for viewing. In addition to…
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Celebrate the Centennial of Planetariums with a Visit to the New Shanghai Astronomy Museum
The history of planetariums can be traced back to ancient civilizations. In Greece, Archimedes created mechanical devices to illustrate celestial movement. In 1229, Emperor…