Ursa Minor
Located in the northern sky, Ursa Minor which is Latin for “Lesser Bear”, is also known as the Little Bear. Like with Ursa Major, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle…
4 Reasons Why The Western US has Dark Skies
Not every US state is equal, which provides unique identities and fun things to learn about. Today, let’s look at some reasons why the Western USA seems to have a plethora of potential dark sky…
Aries
Located in the northern celestial hemisphere, Aries is one of the constellations of the zodiac. The name Aries is Latin for ram, and can trace its history to Ptolemy’s 48 constellations described by the 2nd century. In regards to size, the constellation…
Top 5 Largest Maria On The Moon
The lunar Maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth’s Moon, formed by ancient asteroid impacts on the far side on the Moon that triggered volcanic activity on the opposite, otherwise known as the near,…
Taurus
Located in the northern celestial hemisphere, Taurus, which is Latin for “the Bull”, is a constellations of the zodiac. Taurus is a large and prominent in the winter sky for observers in the Pacific Northwest. The history of the constellation…
Gemini
Located in the northern celestial hemisphere, Gemini is a constellation of the zodiac and is 1 of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century AD astronomer Ptolemy. The name Gemini is Latin for twins, and it is associated with the twins Castor…
Top 5 Smallest Maria On The Moon
The lunar Maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth’s Moon, formed by ancient asteroid impacts on the far side on the Moon that triggered volcanic activity on the opposite, otherwise known as the near,…
What COVID Took: Astronomy Imaging With Friends
As a famous proverb says, “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” What does that have to do with amateur astronomy and COVID? Other than the obvious loss of life, supply chain issues,…
Hercules
Named after Hercules, the constellation Hercules was 1 of 48 constellations listed by astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Hercules was the Roman mythological hero adapted from the Greek hero Heracles. It is the 5th-largest…
IDA Recognized US Dark Sky Places
Curious about which places in the US are already applying to become a dark sky site? Have an idea for a new dark sky site and unsure if there’s already an active application? Looking to…