Cape Blanco State Park Unique Astronomy Site
Overview Located on the Oregon Coast on the Pacific Ocean, Cape Blanco State Park is a Bortle 2 scale site with excellent dark skies due to its distance from cities and other light pollution. Forming…
Messier 87
Messier 87 is a supergiant elliptical galaxy with about 1 trillion stars in the constellation Virgo. The elliptical galaxy Messier 87 is the home of several trillion stars, a supermassive black hole and a family…
Sextans
The Sextans constellation lies in the southern sky, near the celestial equator. The constellation represents the astronomical sextant. Sextans is located in a dim region of the sky between the constellations Hydra, Crater, and Leo. The constellation was…
Unity Lake State Recreation Site Unique Astronomy Site
Overview Unity Lake State Recreation Site is a Bortle 2 scale site with excellent dark skies due to its distance from cities and other light pollution. The site was created when the Unity Dam was constructed…
Messier 86
Messier 86 is an elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It has the highest blueshift of all Messier objects. DescriptionVisible From Pacific NorthwestDecember To MayBest Time To ObserveMayMinimum Size Of Viewing DeviceSmall TelescopeObject TypeElliptical Or Lenticular GalaxyDesignationsMessier 86, M86,…
Iowa 2024 Solar Eclipse State Park Resources
For those looking for Iowa 2024 Solar Eclipse Resources, here is a great start and guide. This article will provide state park information to provide assistance and a centralized place for this information to know…
Humbug Mountain State Park Unique Astronomy Site
Overview Offering year round camping and views of the ocean, Humbug Mountain State Park is a Bortle 2 scale park with excellent dark skies due to its distance from cities and other light pollution. The…
Messier 85
Messier 85 is a lenticular or elliptical galaxy located in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, in the constellation Coma Berenices. Messier 85 is interacting with two neighboring galaxies: the spiral galaxy NGC 4394 and the…
The Northern Cross Asterism
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…
Castle Rocks State Park Unique Astronomy Site
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…