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Spring Scrimmage 2016
Wha? No Blog? That’s right, friends. As usual when your faithful correspondent has been on the road, I am taking a break. You will learn about the events of the just completed Deep South Star Gaze...
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Scrimmaging
I don’t make a secret of the fact that I don’t do as many star parties as I used to. Oh, I am happy to fly in to the most distant events to give talks to my fellow amateurs in my capacity as an...
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The Messier VII: The Greatest
Before we get to the Great Nebula, let’s talk about “how.” We’ve talked about why novices (or anybody else) might want to take on the Messier list, and we’ve talked about “what,” as in what sort of...
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Here’s Exactly How You Do It: Imaging Jupiter (or Mars or Saturn)…
Jupiter under poor seeing with the setup described herein...I’ve posted articles concerning planetary imaging more than once in the past, but in them I’ve always given you alternatives, “You can buy...
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A Brief Intermission…
As usual when I am on the road (which will happen more than a few times this summer), you are mostly being cheated out of your accustomed Sunday read. That may be all to the good this time, however. It...
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At the Messier Halfway Point
After this installment’s M-objects, we’ll be a little more than halfway through The List, or maybe considerably more than halfway through depending on exactly which objects you believe are genuine...
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The Magic Ring
One of my Facebook friends asked me a question the other day. On the face of it, it was a simple and casual one, “Rod, do you still image the Messiers?” Sometimes the simplest questions turn out to be...
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Getting a Black Eye
But in a good way, as in gazing at the wondrous Blackeye Galaxy, M64. Yep, here is another Messier installment that features a showpiece, if one that’s maybe not quite as spectacular as last week’s...
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The New Deep Sky Planner
It’s the 4th of July weekend! Here just on the cusp of the late summer star party season, when I will soon be logging lots and lots of air miles to bring my particular take (ahem) on amateur astronomy...
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“Lo, there shall be an ending…”
The time has come, my fellow Baby Boomers, for us to have a talk. A rather serious talk. Yes, we’ll be back to chasing Messiers next week, but this week we need to discuss weightier matters. Matters...
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How Low Can You Go on the Messiers?
As in “How little aperture can an experienced observer use and still get rewarding views of the brighter objects from the backyard?” This is, friends, a follow on of sorts to last week’s edition. If...
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On the Road Again...
Well, cats and kittens it's that time again. What time? Star party time! The opening of the late summer/fall star party season brings with it my Annual Road Tour. First one I'll be speaking at is the...
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On the Road Again Redux...
As I told you last week, dear readers, I am now on the road for the beginning of the big 2016 star party season. That means you are again to be deprived of your customary Sunday reading material. Never...
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On the Road Part I: The Maine Astronomy Retreat
I am not a big fan of air travel as experienced in these latter days (“the world has moved on”). The complications and annoyances imposed by the TSA and the deregulated airlines, even if sometimes...
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On the Road Part II: The Northwoods Starfest
I’ve covered many a mile in the course of my restless travels back and forth across the country to bring you my brand of astronomical wisdom (ahem). However, while I’ve visited state after state in the...
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Issue 507: Messier XI
M71: it's a glob!We are now well past the halfway point and on the downhill slope of the Messier list. Finally. I know it’s been slow going lately, but here’s another batch. Unfortunately, these will...
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On the Road III
And so it was that I boarded yet another jet plane to travel to yet another wonderful star party, the famous Almost Heaven Star Party this time, in order to dispense my particular--some would say...
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Issue #508, On the Road III: Almost Heaven Star Party 2016
What is there left to say about a star party I’ve attended so many times over the last decade? That it features beautiful skies? That it’s put on in a professional manner by one of the nation’s premier...
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Issue #509, The Messier XII: Steady as She Goes
M83You know what I’d like to do? Actually look at some Messier objects instead of just talk about them. I was hoping I’d get in some time with my 10-inch Dobbie, Zelda, and my 5-inch refractor,...
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Issue #510, Conquering the Herschels
By “conquering,” I don’t necessarily mean you have to do what I did and observe all 2500 Herschel deep sky objects. While it is a worthy quest to Catch ‘em All, that’s not for everyone. On the other...
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