The biggest dust bunny in town
The zodiacal light slants up from the northeastern horizon and tips to the right in this photo taken this morning at dawn (5 a.m.). The light is brightest at its base, where the dust particles are...
View ArticleTaste of May on a bitter cold day
Looking south at dawn in early February, you'll a sneak preview of warmer times to come. This map shows the sky about 50 minutes before sunrise. Maps created with Stellarium Seven below zero and 20...
View ArticleWarm nights coax out Scorpius the scorpion
These maps show sky facing southeast shortly after nightfall around 10:30 p.m. Scorpius' brightest star, Antares, translates as 'anti-Ares' or 'rival of Mars' because of similarity in color and...
View ArticleScorpion delights on warm July nights
Our dog Sammy cools off in the creek. Photo: Bob King I suppose it’s hotter and more humid deep down in Jupiter’s clouds, but it’s hard to imagine it this week. During a walk in the woods yesterday, I...
View ArticleSummer begins – watch out for the scorpion!
Scorpius and Libra dominate the southern sky in early summer. This map show the two constellations and their featured stars around 10:30 p.m. as you face south. Created with Stellarium Each one of us...
View ArticleMeet M7, where diamonds mingle with danger in the scorpion’s tail
This new image from the MPG/ESO 86.6-inch (2.2-meter) telescope at La Silla Observatory in Chile, shows the bright star cluster Messier 7, also known as NGC 6475. Easily spotted with the naked eye in...
View ArticleGetting Stung By A Scorpion Can Be A Beautiful Thing
This map shows the sky facing south around 10:30 p.m. local daylight saving time in mid-July from mid-northern latitudes. Our featured objects are the scorpion’s stinger stars, Shaula and Lesak, and...
View ArticleSee M4, The Closest Globular Cluster. It’s So Easy!
Find the closest globular star cluster, M4, the next clear night. It’s visible with the slightest optical aid just to the right of red Antares in Scorpius about 2-3 fists up from the southern horizon....
View ArticleJupiter Points The Way To Scorpius, The Most Dangerous Constellation
The big, bright dot is Jupiter. Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius, shines a fist to its right. Bob King Bright planets make the best guides to other objects in the night sky. Jupiter for instance...
View ArticleOrion’s Nemesis, Scorpius The Scorpion, Rears Its Head In The East
The head of Scorpius with the bright orange star Antares (left of center) rises in the southeastern sky as soon as darkness falls in late May. The “clouds” at far left are part of the band of the Milky...
View ArticleYou Simply Must See M6 And M7, Summer’s Brightest Star Clusters
M7 (left) and M6 along with a portion of the southern Milky Way poke out from between trees earlier this week. I took this photo near Duluth, Minn. around midnight on June 12-13 with a 35mm lens at...
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