The Sky in August

Cygnus the Swan

July 2002 : By Dave Huestis

Cygnus the Swan (also known as the Northern Cross), can be found in one of the richest star regions in the sky.

A Selection of Double Stars in Corona Borealis

April 2007 : By Glenn Chaple

It’s time to come out of hibernation! After two months of intense cold weather here in the Northeast, mild temperatures are returning. Celebrate spring with a visit to one of the season’s loveliest constellations, Corona Borealis. The Northern Crown is home to a splendid collection of double stars. Here are ten of the most noteworthy.

Summer Double Stars

June 1997 : By Nan D'Antuono

The same hazy summer skies that provide excellent views of the planets also bring many double stars within reach of the small-scope user, some of which are close pairs. Here are just a few of these stars, waiting to be observed before the Square of Pegasus rises to announce that fall is but three months away.

Some Bright Summer Double Stars

June 2005 : By Glenn Chaple

In this modern era of the huge galaxy-gulping Dobsonian reflector, double stars have become the neglected children of the cosmos. That’s too bad, because few heavenly objects have the visual appeal of double stars.

A Selection of Double Stars in Boötes

July 2006 : By Glenn Chaple

During the warm summer evenings, the constellation Boötes is perched high in the sky after sunset. The Herdsman is a rich hunting ground for double stars.

A Selection of Double Stars in Scorpius

July 2007 : By Glenn Chaple

Our summer double star adventure takes us to the southern skies and the constellation Scorpius. The region north and west of, and including, Antares contains a remarkable array of showpiece double and multiple stars.

A Selection of Double Stars in Cygnus

October 2007 : By Glenn Chaple

Although it’s a Summer Triangle constellation, Cygnus remains well-seen throughout the autumn months. Located in the star-rich fields of the Milky Way, the Swan is home to numerous double stars. Here are eight of the most noteworthy (data from the Washington Double Star Catalog.

A Selection of Double Stars in Draco

July 2008 : By Glenn Chaple

A hazy summer evening may prevent you from observing nebulae and galaxies, but it could afford ideal seeing conditions for high power targets like double stars.

A Starhop Through Scutum

August 2008 : By Craig Cortis

The Wild Duck Cluster, M11 is one of the many highlights to be seen in and around the Scutum Star Cloud using binoculars and small telescopes.

The Heart of our Milky Way Galaxy

August 2009 : By Craig Cortis

Now we come to the very best that summertime observing has to offer us: the areas around the actual center of our home Galaxy, the Milky Way.

β Cygni (Albireo)

October 2011 : By Glenn Chaple

I’m a big fan of “off-the-beaten-path” sky objects. One of my favorites is the little-known double star Struve 817 - the 817th double star catalogued by the German-born Russian astronomer F. G. W. Struve during a survey conducted between 1824 and 1827.

Mizar, The First Double Star

May 2009 : By Glenn Chaple

The middle star in the handle of the Big Dipper, Mizar is the easiest double star for the novice to locate. It boasts historical importance as the first double star discovered.

Chaple’s Arc

August 2009 : By Glenn Chaple

Forgive me for the apparent ego trip, but this month I’m going to introduce you to an amazing little asterism called “Chaple’s Arc.” I stumbled upon the Arc in the mid-1970s while looking for the double star h1470.

Epsilon Pegasi: The Pendulum Star

September 2009 : By Glenn Chaple

Epsilon Pegasi (Enif) is an optical double star comprised of magnitude 2.5 and 8.7 component stars separated by 144 seconds of arc. Pairs this wide usually don’t merit much consideration, but wait! Epsilon Pegasi has a surprise for us.

Cygnus X-1: A Black Hole You Can Find!

September 2009 : By Craig Cortis

Unusual celestial objects having bizarre or extreme astrophysical properties often make highly desirable observing targets for amateur astronomers wishing to find things outside the scope of the usual, customary star party “menu”. So how do you find something that even the Hubble Space Telescope can’t image in visible light? The answer is surprisingly simple and is my topic for this month.

Taking the Broad View: Skywatching with your Naked Eyes

November 2009 : By Craig Cortis

You are unnecessarily shortchanging yourself if you’ve come to believe that astronomy can only be enjoyed by viewing everything in the very limited confines of telescopes or binoculars.

The “Little Big Dipper”

September 2010 : By Jim Hendrickson

An asterism in Cepheus that is easy to find in small telescopes or binoculars is comprised of 10 stars between magnitude 6.0 and 9.5 and very closely approximates the shape of the northern sky’s most famous asterism-the Big Dipper

It’s Full of Stars!

June 2010 : By Dave Huestis

This month Dave Huestis examines the 5th largest constellation in the sky - Hercules. While there are many mythological stories about this giant, one of the most beautiful objects in the heavens resides within its borders. It's full of stars!

Corona Australis & the Southern Limits of Sagittarius

August 2010 : By Craig Cortis

I’ve written about this subject in past issues, but it occurs to me now that it might be of interest to mention just the few bright stars that lie way down near the southern border of Sagittarius, only a few degrees above our local horizon limit of -48° in declination. The small constellation of Corona Australis, known as the Southern Crown, lies just west of these stars and is a worthwhile section of sky for those who might wish to become better acquainted with the more southerly parts of the summer Milky Way as presented to our view in August.

A Star-Hop that Finally Worked!

September 2010 : By Craig Cortis

Craig Cortis describes an adventure in star-hopping to one of the lesser-known Messier objects, globular cluster M75 in Sagittarius.

The Milky Way

September 2010 : By Glenn Chaple

Many astronomers regard the Milky Way, viewed with the unaided eye on a dark, moonless night, as the most awe-inspiring heavenly sight of all. During late summer, it arches overhead, from Cassiopeia to our north, through Cygnus above, then down to Sagittarius on the southern horizon.

IC 4665

August 2010 : By Glenn Chaple

One reason for IC 4665’s relative anonymity is its large size, allowing it to elude the narrow fields of large-aperture telescopes. Charles Messier and William Herschel missed it, and it wasn’t included in the New General Catalogue. This often-overlooked cluster is definitely a must-see object for binoculars and rich-field telescopes.

NGC 6207

July 2010 : By Glenn Chaple

Most backyard astronomers are so entranced by the Great Hercules Cluster M13 that they fail to notice a small, faint oval patch of light a half degree to the northeast. This is the 11th magnitude galaxy NGC 6207.

Delta (δ) and Mu (μ) Cephei

October 2010 : By Glenn Chaple

In the southern part of Cepheus is a pair of naked eye variable stars worthy of note. The first, delta (?), is the prototypical Cepheid variable. It ranges between magnitudes 3.5 and 4.4 in a precise 5.37 day period. The rise from minimum to maximum brightness takes about 1½ days; the fade back to minimum involves an additional four.

Izar (ε Boötis)

June 2010 : By Glenn Chaple

A larger telescope and magnifying power of 200X will readily split Izar and reveal a striking color contrast between the golden yellow primary and its bluish companion. The Russian astronomer Wilhelm Struve, who conducted a double star survey in the late 1820s and early 1830s, nick-named it “Pulcherrima” (The Most Beautiful).

The Ships of Sheliak

September 2011 : By Jim Hendrickson

Hidden in the rich starfields near the Ring Nebula is an asterism that resembles a pair of ships from Star Wars.

M92: Globular Cluster in Hercules

July 2011 : By Glenn Chaple

Quick question. How many times (to the nearest thousand) have you viewed the great globular cluster M13 with your telescope? Next question. How many times (nearest thousandth) have you visited Hercules’ other great globular cluster M92? I doubt it would be an exaggeration to say that I’ve seen M92 once for every hundred times I’ve viewed M13.

August Contellations & Folklore

August 2011 : By Francine Jackson

Now that the signpost of summer, the Summer Triangle, is reaching its high position in the sky, it's time to use its stars to find some of the dimmer, but still easy to sight, constellations.

M56: Globular Cluster in Lyra

September 2011 : By Glenn Chaple

In July, we looked at M92, a fine globular cluster in Hercules that’s overlooked in favor of the easier-to-find M13. The same misfortune has befallen another globular cluster - M56 in Lyra. M56 is often bypassed by backyard astronomers who favor the planetary nebula M57, conveniently positioned midway between the stars beta (β) and gamma (γ) Lyrae.

Some Treasures of the Summer Milky Way From Perseus to Sagittarius

July 2013 : By Dave Huestis

On July evenings, from a sky not severely limited by light pollution, an observer will notice a milky patch of light well above the eastern horizon and spanning the sky from north to south. This is the light from some of the 400 billion stars of our Milky Way galaxy.

Dog Days

August 2016 : By Francine Jackson

Like other sayings that have come down through the ages, dog days is another that has its origins in the sky. If any of you are able to wake early in the morning before dawn the next few days, and have a good eastern horizon, please confirm that, once again, our language does contain within it a piece of our sky.

The Great Moon Hoax of 1835

September 2016 : By Francine Jackson

As we ramp up to celebrate this year's International Observe the Moon night October 8th, we have to look at one aspect of it: How its presence has affected us here on Earth. We often think of it as beautiful, romantic, or, of course, an object of scientific importance. But, in 1835, our Moon suddenly became an object of both a money grab, and a potential ruin to the reputation of one of the 19th century's most important scientists.

M22: Globular Cluster in Sagittarius

August 2012 : By Glenn Chaple

What’s the most spectacular globular cluster in the northern sky? Most backyard astronomers would pick the Great Cluster M13 in Hercules. If you wish to view the finest globular cluster visible from the entire New England sky, however, you’ll have to travel south of the celestial equator to the constellation Sagittarius and its showpiece globular cluster M22.

Coathanger Asterism in Vulpecula

September 2012 : By Glenn Chaple

If you slowly scan the southern part of Vulpecula with binoculars or rich-field telescope, you’ll come across a remarkable asterism comprised of 10 stars arranged in the distinct form of a coathanger. Six line up to form the bar, while four others create the hook. It’s quite an eye-opening sight!

NGC 6934: Globular Cluster in Delphinus

October 2012 : By Glenn Chaple

October sees the demise of the summer Milky Way and its swarm of globular clusters centered on the constellation Sagittarius. A few, notably M15 in Pegasus, lag behind to grace our autumn skies. Another of these stragglers is NGC 6934 in Delphinus. This small 9th magnitude globular was discovered by William Herschel in 1785. In early star atlases and in modern-day “Herschel 400” guides, it bears the designation H1031 - the 103rd entry in Category I (bright nebulae) of Herschel’s deep sky catalog.

Struve 2816 and 2819: Triple and Double Stars in Cepheus

November 2012 : By Glenn Chaple

There’s something hypnotic about a double star – two gleaming points of light shining bravely through the surrounding darkness. A triple star is even more mesmerizing. Place a double star and triple star in the same eyepiece field, and the visual effect is stunning. This is what greets the eye when you view the triple/double star combo Struve 2816 and Struve 2819.