General

September Equinox

March Equinox

Known as the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and as the autumnal equinox in the Southern, the March Equinox marks the beginning of spring and the end of winter in the Northern Hemisphere but marks the beginning of autumn and the end of summer in the Southern…


Perseid Meteor Shower Milky Way

Milky Way 2020 Viewing Dates

It’s time to start planning for Milky Way Season! The reason being that camping locations fill up quickly! Everyone has their favorite time to shoot in regards to the moon. No moon, half moon, or…


Winter Triangle

Winter Triangle

The Winter Triangle is an astronomical asterism, a popularly known pattern or group of stars that can be seen in the night sky, formed from three of the brightest stars in the winter sky. This triangle forms an imaginary equilateral triangle drawn on…


Barlow Lens

Barlow Lens

Named after Peter Barlow, the Barlow lens is a diverging lens which, which is used in series with other optics in an optical system to increase the effective focal length of an optical system. This increased focal length of the optical…



Dew Shield

Dew Shield

A dew shield is a device used to prevent moisture or condensation buildup on the lens of a camera or telescope collector during night observations. There are two general ways that a dew shield can work, which is by either just providing shade for the lens in use…



The Discovery of Pluto 90 Years Later

2020 marks the 90 year anniversary of the discovery of Pluto. Pluto was officially discovered on February 18th, 1930, by Clyde W. Tombaugh of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona. Founded by Percival Lowell in…


Japanese Space Program

50th Anniversary Of Japan’s First Satellite

On February 11th 1970, Japan became the fourth space power after launching the satellite Ohsumi into orbit from Uchinoura Space Center, Japan. Launched on a Japanese Lambda 4-S booster at 04:25:00 UTC, the Ohsumi spacecraft…


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Polar Alignment

Polar alignment is the act of aligning the rotational axis of a telescope’s equatorial mount or a sundial’s gnomon with a celestial pole to parallel Earth’s axis. There are a variety of alignment methods and equipment to help amateur astronomers to assist with polar alignment of their…