The Northern Cross is an astronomical asterism in the northern hemisphere of the celestial sphere, corresponding closely with the constellation Cygnus The Swan. It is much larger than the Southern Cross and consists of the brightest stars in Cygnus, Deneb, Sadr, Gienah, Delta Cygni and Albireo. The ‘head’ of the…
Overview Attracting rock climbers from around the world due to its challenging landscape, Castle Rocks State Park is a great outdoors location. The park is a Bortle 2 scale with excellent dark skies due to…
DescriptionVisible From Pacific NorthwestDecember To MayBest Time To ObserveMarch and AprilMinimum Size Of Viewing DeviceSmall TelescopesObject TypeElliptical or Lenticular GalaxyDesignationsMessier 84, M84, NGC 4374, PGC 40455, VCC 763, UGC 7494, ASB 33, 3C 272.1, 4C…
Welcome to the introduction to the topic of neutron stars. This article will be more of a general overview to provide a sense of what these objects are, how they form, and where they reside….
Overview Located 90 miles to the northeast of Idaho Falls, Henrys Lake State Park is situated in a wide, flat basin, and surrounded by 10,000-foot peaks. The lake is a shallow alpine lake is as…
Messier 83 or M83, also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy and NGC 5236, is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 15 million light-years away in the constellation borders of Hydra and Centaurus. DescriptionVisible From Pacific…
We spent another article talking about solar eclipse planning, but realized that there is a lot to talk about in regards to eye protection that can take its own article. The American Academy of Ophthalmology…
A solar eclipse is an amazing and wonderful sight to see! Make sure to do it safely! With the upcoming 2023 annular solar eclipse directly passing through parts of the Pacific Northwest, we wanted to…
Messier 82, or the Cigar galaxy, shines brightly at infrared wavelengths and is remarkable for its star formation activity. The Cigar galaxy experiences gravitational interactions with its galactic neighbor, M81, causing it to have an…
Overview Located along the Sunset Highway (US Route 26) a bit further towards the Coast than Sub Stewart, Saddle Mountain State Natural Area is a hidden gem. Cherished for the rare wildflowers and stunning viewpoint…