Astronomy by Night

20/07/2023

Astronomy by Night is introducing a new series of “tips” articles planned for between now and April 2024 by Alan Dyer. He will provide advice on how to shoot the October 14, 2023 annular and April 8, 2024 total eclipses of the Sun. First up: choosing the all-important solar filter!

In this series, Alan Dyer will provide advice on how to shoot the October 14, 2023, annular and April 8, 2024, total eclipses of the Sun.

20/07/2023

It was a particularly tough week for judging images; all astrophotographers submitted A-game material, which called for greater scrutinization of each image. Mark Germani’s image of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) won this round. Read the full review:

A particularly tough week for judging images; all astrophotographers submitted A-game material, which called for a greater scrutinization of each image. Mark Germani's Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) takes the win.

20/07/2023

Canadian astrophotographer Kimberly Sibbald had her image of the Medulla Nebula supernova remnant, located in the constellation Cassiopeia, selected as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). Read the full story here:

Canadian astrophotographer Kimberly Sibbald had her image of the Medulla Nebula supernova remnant selected as NASA’s APOD.

20/07/2023

Astronomy by Night Editor Carina Ockedahl interviews astronomy author and astrophotographer Alan Dyer about his new e-book, “How to Photograph the Solar Eclipses.” Watch the interview here:

Dyer talks about some of the challenges, the excitement, and how to prepare for the 2023 annular eclipse and the 2024 total solar eclipse.

03/07/2023

Scott Garrod wins Astrophoto of the Week for June 10-23, 2023, thanks to his submission of the reflection nebula NGC 1333. Andrew Lesser is the runner-up with his image of M101.

Scott Garrod wins Astrophoto of the Week for June 10-23, 2023, thanks to his submission of NGC 1333. Andrew Lesser's M101 is the runner-up.

03/07/2023

Karkoschka said that adding colour in the book allowed them to show stars in their true colour and change the content of the star charts when illuminated with a red flashlight during observations.

The fourth edition, which now features 500 deep-sky objects, was entirely revised and updated — and is no longer in black and white.

03/07/2023

Get ready for the July full Moon, otherwise known the Thunder Moon. Also keep an eye out for the Aristarchus plateau and Venus at its greatest illuminated extent!

Get ready for the July full Moon, and keep an eye out for the Aristarchus plateau and Venus at its greatest illuminated extent!

26/06/2023

Named after the astronomer Sir John Herschel, this 90-degree diagonal incorporates a special prism that reflects only a tiny portion of the incoming sunlight to the eyepiece. Read the full review from Alan Dyer :

The Herschel Wedge is a specialized accessory that provides sharp, contrasty views of our nearest star for the solar viewing aficionado.

19/06/2023

Lenard Velensky wins Astrophoto of the Week for his submission of supernova 2023ixf in M101 (the Pinwheel Galaxy). Mark Germani is the runner-up, thanks to his California Nebula.
Read the full review:
https://www.astronomybynight.ca/sn2023ixf-in-m101-by-lenard-velensky/

19/06/2023

"In 2008, exoplanet Fomalhaut b was discovered in images of Fomalhaut’s large dust belt (which definitely looks a bit like the eye of Sauron). The first images of Fomalhaut’s debris ring from the Hubble Space telescope showed it was elliptical, which is odd. Why would an asteroid belt not be circular?"

Read the full article by Samantha Lawler:

With new observations of Fomalhaut b, every possible orbit that connected the four data points crossed right through the ring, which was odd.

19/06/2023

Watch for the Earthshine phenomenon this week, along with the Northern summer solstice, a photo opportunity to capture the Moon, Mars, and Venus — and check out Lyra’s Double-Double star!

Watch for the Earthshine phenomenon this week, along with the Northern summer solstice , Lyra’s Double-Double star, and more!

12/06/2023

Canadian astrophotographer Alan Dyer has launched an ebook about the upcoming North American solar eclipses, offering tips on gear and lenses, techniques for capturing both eclipses, shooting still images and videos, planning time-lapses and composites, and more.

pect tips on gear/lenses, techniques for capturing both eclipses, shooting still images/videos, planning time-lapses/composites, and more.

07/06/2023

Check out Steve Leonard's Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) and Lenard Velensky's image of Messier 86. More info below, including the judge's comments on each photo:

Steve Leonard won Astrophoto of the Week for his submission of NGC 7635. Lenard Velensky is the runner-up, thanks to his image of M86.

05/06/2023

By mid-morning, the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in Montréal, Québec, was buzzing with chatter and excitement from children and adults alike! (Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium) Read our coverage of the event:

AstroFest serves as an introduction to astronomy for the general public, planting seeds of interest for future amateur astronomers.

02/06/2023

This week, don’t miss the Big Dipper asterism and the arc of its bent handle, the shadows on Jupiter, and the third quarter Moon.

This week, don't miss the Big Dipper asterism and the arc of its bent handle, the shadows on Jupiter, and the third quarter Moon.

31/05/2023

We are back online! In case you missed it, Andrew Lesser won AstroPhoto of the Week for his image of M63. (Also, new information has been added to the AstroPhoto of the Week section, under General Information, regarding weekly submissions and an annual contest.)

Andrew Lesser won Astrophoto of the Week for his submission of M63. Mark Germani is the runner-up, thanks to his image of Caroline's Rose.

29/05/2023

The Astronomy by Night website is currently down and will be all day May 29. We are moving to a new hosting platform. The website should be available again at some point tomorrow (May 30). Thank you for your understanding.

26/05/2023

Set your telescope and binoculars towards Mars and Jupiter, among other planets, and especially the full Moon. Prepare for an interesting week of observation and astrophotography!

Set your telescope and binoculars towards Mars and Jupiter, among other planets, and especially the full Moon.

25/05/2023

This is interesting! A Type II supernova dubbed SN 2023ixf was recently discovered in the nearby Pinwheel Galaxy (Messier 101/ M101) — about 21 million light years away. It's the dot on the slightly lower right-hand side of the image in the outer spiral arm.
Thank you Andrea Girones for the images!

Dubbed SN 2023ixf, the Type II supernova was recently discovered in the nearby Pinwheel Galaxy — only about 21 million light years away.

24/05/2023

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope found evidence of a rare intermediate-sized black hole in the heart of the globular star cluster Messier 4 (M4) — about 6,000 light-years from Earth. In the past, only a handful of these intermediate-mass black holes have been identified in other galaxies, just not our own.

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Astronomers using the Hubble found evidence of a rare black hole in the heart of the globular star cluster Messier 4.

23/05/2023

Check out Episode 322 of the Actual Astronomy podcast, which explores the benefits of using binoculars (rather than a telescope) as introductory equipment to observational astronomy.

The following article explores the benefits of using binoculars as introductory equipment to observational astronomy.

19/05/2023

The company, which was founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is responsible for designing, developing, testing, and verifying the Blue Moon lander for the Artemis V Moon mission.

The company, founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is responsible for designing, developing, testing, and verifying the Blue Moon lander.

19/05/2023

The crescent Moon will “pose” with the planets the week of May 22. The Moon will also find itself near Mars and the Beehive. And keep an eye out for two shadows and the Great Read Spot on Jupiter!

Observers may see the crescent Moon as it "poses" with the planets. Later in the week, it will find itself near Mars and the Beehive.

18/05/2023

It was important to me, being the last editor of the magazine before it ceased operations, that a closure message appear on the SkyNews website to ensure readers were clear about the situation. I now feel a sense of closure after seeing and reading the message that was finally published on SkyNews on May 15, and I hope it will do the same for all the SkyNews readers and contributors.

The note on the website is the latest update from the RASC and suggests the non-profit continues to move forward with the full shutdown.

17/05/2023

ESO's BlackGEM array will be used to quickly and precisely scan the night sky using visible light in search of gravitational-wave sources: major cosmic events, such as the collision of black holes or the merger of neutron stars. European Southern Observatory

The array will be used to scan the sky in search of gravitational-wave sources: major cosmic events like the collision of black holes.

17/05/2023

Astronomy by Night Editor Carina Ockedahl interviews The Actual Astronomy Podcast co-hosts Shane Ludtke and Chris Beckett about their work on the show!

Astronomy by Night interviews The Actual Astronomy Podcast co-hosts Shane Ludtke and Chris Beckett about their work on the show.

15/05/2023

Images of bands of rocks captured by NASA’s Perseverance rover show curved layers formed by powerful flowing water in an area nicknamed “Skrinkle Haven” on Mars.

“Understanding these watery environments could help scientists in their efforts to seek out signs of ancient microbial life that may have been preserved in Martian rock,” said NASA in its update.

Images of bands of rocks captured by NASA's Perseverance rover show curved layers formed by powerful flowing water.

12/05/2023

A team of astronomers captured a million images over five years and created large mosaics as part of a survey called VISIONS. The images offer a detailed look at young stars being born in clouds of dust.

A team of astronomers captured a million images over five years and created large mosaics as part of a survey called VISIONS.

09/05/2023

From rocket ships to airplanes, Klingon battlecruisers and Starfighters, here is a list of asterisms worth adding to your night-sky observing list:

From rocket ships to airplanes, Klingon battlecruiser, and Starfighters, here is a list of asterisms worth adding to your observing list.

08/05/2023

Steve Leonard's submission of an image that includes both the Tulip Nebula and Cygnus X-1 won Astrophoto of the Week for the end of April. The runner-up is Benjamin Law for his solar disc image, and we've included an honourable mention for the many aurora submissions we received:

Steve Leonard's photo takes the win for April 24-28. Benjamin Law's solar disc is the runner-up, and Jason Dain gets an honourable mention.

04/05/2023

Just a reminder that tomorrow (May 5) is a full Moon, and there will me a meteor shower (peaking) on May 6. If you would like to plan your observing time for the following week, here is what you can expect:

The week of May 8 gives way to a view of Venus as it nears the Shoe-Buckle Cluster, a third quarter Moon, Saturn, and Ceres.

03/05/2023

Astronomers captured the first direct evidence of a Sun-like star swallowing an exoplanet, according to NOIRLab. That event potentially foreshadows the fate of the Earth; in about 5 billion years, NASA said our Sun will experience a similar ageing process. Read the full story:

Astronomers now have the first direct evidence of a Sun-like star engulfing an exoplanet, hinting at what our own end may look like.

02/05/2023

A family-friendly video from Clayton's Exploration Station: Learn how to create your own pinhole camera to safely observe the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The eclipse will be visible in Canada, depending on where you are located.

Create your own pinhole camera to safely observe the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The eclipse will be visible in Canada.

29/04/2023

Happy International Astronomy Day!

Check out our latest video with SKAO's Dr. Tyler Bourke; he discusses an astronomy event launching on May 1, 2023, along with collaborations and radio telescopes that may be of interest to Canadians. He also talks about the importance of astronomy day!

SKAO's Dr. Tyler Bourke discusses the “New Eyes on the Universe: SKAO and ngVLA” astronomy conference launching May 1, 2023.

28/04/2023

Scott Garrod’s submission of LDN 1251, also known as Lynds Dark Nebula 1251, won Astrophoto of the Week for the period of April 17-21. Sean Perdue was the runner-up thanks to his image of the zodiacal light, which is a celestial phenomenon visible from Earth. Read what our photo judge had to say about the images:

Scott Garrod's submission of LDN 1251 won Astrophoto of the Week. Sean Perdue was the runner-up, thanks to his image of the zodiacal light.

27/04/2023

The first week of May ends with a bang: check out the full Milk Moon on May 5, followed by the annual Eta-Aquariids meteor shower (peak) on May 6.

Check out Copernicus on May 2. Then, get ready for the full Milk Moon on May 5, followed by the Eta-Aquariids meteor shower (peak) on May 6.

26/04/2023

Phaethon is an odd case. It acts like a comet in the sense that it not only brightens but also forms a tail when approaching the Sun. But unlike the dusty trails of comets, Phaethon's tail is made of something else.

Phaethon is an odd case. It acts like a comet in the sense that it not only brightens but also forms a tail when approaching the Sun.

24/04/2023

Astronomy by Night has officially launched! A few bugs were fixed during the soft launch stage, and a few elements have since been added. Check it out here:

Astronomy by Night is a project that we are testing — one that was infused with passion and support from many volunteers and contributors.

22/04/2023

Happy Earth Day! Tonight and in the early hours of April 23, you may be able to enjoy the Lyrids meteor shower. More information on that here:

Observers can submit their photos of the Lyrids meteor shower through our Astrophoto of the Week, to be published the week of April 24.