Craig Cortis

Craig Cortis

A Star-Hop that Finally Worked!

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

Corona Australis & the Southern Limits of Sagittarius

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.

Can You Find a Quasar? (You Might be Surprised)

Readers having 8” or larger telescopes might wish to observe a quasar, provided you can follow a detailed finder chart and manage to isolate a 12.8 magnitude object that looks exactly like a star, but actually is not. Rather it’s the brightest known quasar and, at a distance of 2.5 billion light years, will be by far and away the most distant thing in the universe most of you will ever see in your lives.

Avoiding the “Trash Scope” Trap

This is intended for readers who might not feel knowledgeable enough to make a wise purchase of a first-time telescope, or who are considering buying a scope as a gift for another person, particularly a child. We give gifts at other times of the year, of course, but Christmas is probably the biggest occasion for astronomy-related gift purchases. This is also the season when you’ll see the most ads or merchandise displayed in stores that carry optical equipment.

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

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.
The Heart of our Milky Way Galaxy

The Heart of our Milky Way Galaxy

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.

Round and Round (the Celestial Pole) We Go…

This month’s contribution is intended for the benefit of those who might not be entirely clear as to what the term “circumpolar” means and why this concept is important for understanding the apparent motions of stars around the sky caused by Earth’s continual rotation about its axis.
A Better Galaxy Guide: Late Spring

A Better Galaxy Guide: Late Spring

Those of you who enjoyed my first installment on this subject will find this second part to be even better. Three constellations are covered on the accompanying list of recommended objects and two—Virgo and Coma Berenices-feature the grandest, richest assortment of galaxies bright enough to be seen in small-to-medium aperture instruments.
A Better Galaxy Guide: Early Spring

A Better Galaxy Guide: Early Spring

We all know about the wealth of galaxies that populate the sky beginning around this time of year, but if you’re not an experienced deep-sky observer, where do you begin?

Sometimes Binoculars are Best

Craig Cortis explains the benefits of using binoculars for stargazing, and outlines some tips on what to look for when selecting a suitable pair.

Exploring the Southern Constellations

Of the 88 constellations covering the entire sky, would you believe that only 15 are not ever visible from our latitude? We can see small extreme northern sections of many, but just 15 never rise at all here.
A Starhop Through Scutum

A Starhop Through Scutum

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.