A Brief History of Observational Astronomy

 Link to my slideshow presentation.

A Phone or Tablet Guide to the Essential Dark Sky Objects

By clicking here you should be able to download a pdf file I have created from the online version of my Guide to Essential Dark Sky Objects. The images have been drawn from a variety of Internet sources -- but primarily from astrobin.com. I focus on the wonderful astrophotography of amateurs -- and increasingly on what can be seen with inexpensive imaging equipment like the Dwarf2 and the SeeStar S50. I have consciously avoided using images from the huge cutting-edge telescopes like the Hubble, the JWST, the VLT, etc. This file shows what can be done with small telescopes used by talented amateurs.

The data is also drawn from many sources. The Hipparchos and Gaia space telescopes are now giving us more accurate distances to stars in the Milky Way, but even so many stellar distances and masses have considerable uncertainty.

Thus, this guide is just a tool for observing the sky at night. It is not encyclopedic or authoritative. It is designed to be used with a basic monthly star chart like the ones available online from Orion or Skymaps.com. Because Orion Telescopes has gone out of business, I am making six bimonthly star charts available here. Note that, while the planetary and lunar data are now out-of-date, the charts are still useful for locating the stars and deep-sky objects.

February 2023 starchart

April 2023 starchart

June 2023 starchart

August 2023 starchart

October 2023 starchart

December 2023 starchart

Arkansas Dark Sky Festival (and Nature Fest)

Arkansas Dark Sky Festival / Nature Fest at Bear Creek Cabins

(click on this link to see lovely drone footage of the site at Bear Creek)

(photo by Rocky Togni)

Some people call it a Dark Sky Festival. Some people call it a Star Party. For me, it was a Nature Fest!


As is so often the case, the weather forecast was unreliable -- even on the days of the event. Each night we were supposed to have partly cloudy or fully cloudy skies. And each night we had great dark-sky conditions. Thursday cleared up just as it got dark and was perfect all night. Our avid amateurs were viewing the dim fuzzies until after 3 am. Friday night was a bit more questionable, but the clouds dissipated about 9:30 with great viewing thereafter. Saturday was forecast to be cloudy so I was told to prepare a campfire, but instead the clouds cleared off just after it got fully dark and there was great viewing again. My take: never trust a forecast. (Click on this link to see a lovely photo by Alan Wagoner of the Milky Way taken during the star party.)


The Nature Fest also had plenty of activities. Sue staffed our NCAMN table and found plenty of interest from the public. We are confident that this event will have produced several new members for various AMN branches. Sue is already working on ideas for making our table even more of an attraction next year.


The festival also had tables for two Audubon societies, the Ozark Society, NWA Space, and others. All shared knowledge about nature and staffed activities for adults and kids.


During the daytime I talked about the Sun and the upcoming eclipses. I also taught people how to use library telescopes and how to see sunspots using a white-light solar filter. Sam Morris (standing just behind me in the above photo) showed off stunning views of active coronal mass ejections using his Lundt 35 mm hydrogen-alpha solar scope. Those are highly specialized items that you won’t get to use very often, so it was a treat.


We heard fine talks on a variety of topics in nature. Birds --

(photo by Rocky Togni)

And seasonal habitats for insects and birds, presented by Laurie Scott of Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists.



(photo by Rocky Togni)

And, of course, Dr. Amber Straughn speaking about the James Webb Telescope (introduced by event Chair, Bruce McMath) --

(photo by Rocky Togni)

(Click on this link to see the crowd gathered to hear Dr. Straughn's speech.)

But my absolute favorite part of the Nature Fest was organizing and helping to lead Nature Walks on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings. If you like nature walks, it’s hard to beat rambling along a clear Ozark stream like Bear Creek. We saw lots of wildflowers, lots of insects, and we climbed to the top of the Boone Buttresses. There are only two known buttress formations in Arkansas. This one is on the private property of Bear Creek Ranch so the best way to explore it is to come to next year’s Dark Sky Festival. I think you’ll find the trip very worthwhile. Click this link to see a great panoramic shot by Alan Wagoner of the full buttress formation.

(Photo by Angela Chandler)

Laurie Scott (NWAMN) and I (NCAMN) led the hike on Friday morning. Here is our Friday group crossing the creek on our way to the bluff. We were fortunate to be joined by Katie Morris, an AGFC specialist, who caught two different species of crayfish and a cricket frog for us to hold and admire in our own sweaty palms. Here Laurie and I are seated on the very edge of the bluff pictured above:

And below we have a picture of Katie Morris along with my good friend Rocky Togni, who is perhaps the most accomplished amateur astronomer in the state of Arkansas. You don’t often get to hike with such experts . . . unless you join Amy and Ellen on our regular wildflower walks!

Planning is already underway for the 3rd annual Arkansas Dark Sky Festival. Once again it will be held at Bear Creek Cabins, from September 26 - 28, 2024.  .  . . Click here for a final, soothing photo of reflections in the swimming hole by the pavilion.

Star Charts and Deep Sky Data for Small Scopes

While I own and enjoy using a 200 mm Dobsonian Telescope, I find myself turning more and more often to my 102 mm refractor or my 130 mm Dobsonian. Small telescopes can be lifted more easily, set up in the yard more quickly, and more easily moved to alternate viewing places in a yard full of shade trees. My Mag 7 Star Atlas is almost perfect for use with the big Dob, but it provides too much data for small scopes. With 17 full-paged charts and 17 double-columned pages of text, it is intended for use by experienced and enthusiastic astronomers using larger instruments.

The small scope user is best served by a monthly all-sky chart with appropriate data -- perhaps showing deep sky objects down to about mag 8. I've always recommended The Evening Sky Map from skymaps.com, and I still like it. But I recently discovered that Orion Telescopes also publishes a Monthly Star Chart that is even better. Unfortunately the Orion star chart is not accompanied by any information about the objects on the map. That's a problem I could fix!

I had worked up all that basic information (and more) as part of my Observing Notes for the Mag 7 Star Atlas, so all I had to do was pull out everything necessary, condense it down to 4 pages of double-columned text, and create a single pdf file that you can download and print. That way, you'll have all the data you'll need for a full year and all the information for those charts.

So here it is -- (click on the image of the small scope to open the PDF file of data for the Monthly Charts)

Some comments and caveats:

• You'll see that I have not included the sky maps themselves.  I recommend that you go to the Orion website and download charts for January, March, May, July, September, and November. The stars rotate across the sky slowly enough from month to month that six charts are sufficient. Start here.
• Note that you can print individual monthly charts by editing the web address of the printer-friendly chart for January 2024. Change 01 in the address to 03 for March, or to 05 for May, etc. I assume that after 2024 you will also need to edit the year. Here is the address to edit:

https://www.telescope.com/assets/pdf/starcharts/2024-01-starchart_bw.pdf 

• Because the Orion chart has so much information, you may need a magnifying glass to read it.
• I have included links to the best amateur astrophotographs of the various double stars and deep sky objects in the data lists. Instead of buying a nice Dwarf2 or SeeStar50 to take automated images, you can just enjoy those already made by others. 

Astronomy is a hobby that depends on optical assistance and plenty of equipment. You are already bringing out your scope, an assortment of eyepieces, a table for the scope, a chair, star maps, a red light . . . and  now you may need a magnifying glass, too! At least the magnifying glass and charts are the lightest of the bunch.

A "Bucket" List Christmas Gift for Your Favorite Astronomer

Most amateur astronomers would like a comfortable observing chair that is lightweight and easily adjustable. Ideally, it should also be inexpensive and multipurpose.

I found some old paint buckets in the woods and some blue polystyrene foam floating in the lake. That trash has now become my favorite bit of new astrokit. 

Have a look at the following four pictures. . . . Not only do you have four observing heights -- three seated comfortably and one standing up -- but you also have two handy buckets for carrying eyepieces, hand-warmers, charts, and a flask of brandy. It's perfect.

The Junk!

Low Stool

Medium Stool

High Stool