Astronomy

Deep Sky Surprises

Deep Sky Surprises

View the December 2023 Nature Friend Magazine M78. Photo © Dogwood Ridge. Anxiously I scanned the sky as I stepped outside the door. Supper was over, and I was headed to the barn to do some chores....

Andromeda

Andromeda

View the December 2023 Nature Friend Study Guide Andromeda Galaxy, M31. Photo © Shaphan Shank. Andromeda is one of those ideal constellations that is easy to find, and that contains a wide variety...

From the Editor’s Quill, November 2023

From the Editor’s Quill, November 2023

View the November 2023 Nature Friend Magazine As I write this, no doubt some of you are looking forward to next Saturday when the October 14, 2023, annular solar eclipse takes place. Right now, the...

In Our Skies, November 2023: Meteor Showers

In Our Skies, November 2023: Meteor Showers

View the November 2023 Nature Friend Magazine As Earth orbits the Sun, it passes between the Sun and the outer planets. Each time Earth passes between the Sun and another planet, that planet is said...

Distant Starlight

Distant Starlight

View the November 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Leo Triplet. Photo © Morris Yoder. As always when we learn more about God’s wonderful creation, we face mysteries that are hard to explain. It reminds...

Lacerta

Lacerta

View the November 2023 Nature Friend Study Guide Lacerta, the Lizard, is a small and little-known constellation that lies along the band of the Milky Way right between the constellations Cygnus and...

Aquarius

Aquarius

View the October 2023 Nature Friend Study Guide Helix Nebula, NGC 7293. Photo © Allexxandar/Dreamstime.com. Aquarius is a sprawling constellation that stretches across nearly 40° of the southern sky...

Aquila

Aquila

View the August 2023 Nature Friend Study Guide Aquila, the Eagle, is a mid-sized constellation that lies right along the summer Milky Way just south of the zenith on September evenings in the...

In Our Skies, September 2023: Annular Solar Eclipse

In Our Skies, September 2023: Annular Solar Eclipse

View the August 2023 Nature Friend Magazine You’ve probably noticed that the Moon appears larger when it lies just above the horizon. This is just an optical illusion. However, the Moon actually...

Measuring the Universe—How Astronomers Try

Measuring the Universe—How Astronomers Try

View the August 2023 Nature Friend Magazine Stellar parallax diagram. The claims that modern-day astronomers make about the size of the universe seem almost unbelievable. To better understand the...

2023 Annular Solar Eclipse Viewing

2023 Annular Solar Eclipse Viewing

View the August 2023 Nature Friend Study Guide When?Saturday, October 14, 2023. Annularity reaches Oregon’s Pacific coast at about 9:13 a.m. PDT, and moves southeast, exiting into the Gulf of Mexico...