M13. Photo © Reinhold Wittich/Dreamstime.com. Hercules, the Strongman, is a large constellation that lies straight east of Bootes, the constellation we focused on last month. If you imagine a line...
Double Stars
Bootes
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive M3. Photo © Reinhold Wittich|Dreamstime.com. Bootes lies nearly straight overhead on June evenings in the Northern Hemisphere. This constellation is...
Cetus
A guide to finding deep-sky objects in Cetus.
Pegasus
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive M15. Photo © Hubble and NASA. Pegasus is one of the most familiar autumn constellations. The most prominent part of the constellation is a large square of...
Binocular Observing
I always carry my binoculars when I’m out under the stars, even when I’m primarily using a telescope. Over the years, I’ve discovered that even a modest handheld binocular like the Vortex Viper HD 10×42 I use can reveal a wide range…
Lyra
Lyra, the Harp, is a small constellation that lies almost straight overhead on August evenings in the mid-northern latitudes…
Ophichus
Ophiuchus is a large constellation that lies high in the southern sky on midsummer evenings…
In Our Skies, July and August 2025
With the Milky Way coming into a favorable position for evening viewing, all kinds of fun features are out there to be viewed…
Draco
Draco isn’t heavily populated with great telescopic targets, but the double stars and deep sky objects that do lie within the constellation’s boundaries are widely varied…
Cepheus
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Cepheus, the King, sits high in the northern sky between Polaris and the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia. It lies near enough to Polaris that it is...
Delphinus, Sagitta, and Vulpecula
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive The Summer Triangle, a large triangle of bright stars (Deneb, Vega, and Altair), lies straight overhead on September evenings in the United States....
In Our Skies, July 2024
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive July 2 and 26 Pleiades will be very close to the Moon—less than .5°. July 22 Mercury will be at its greatest elongation east of the sun, meaning it will...
Corona Borealis and Serpens Caput
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive A little semicircle of stars known as Corona Borealis sits high overhead in the early summer sky. Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown, lies just west...
Virgo
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Virgo is a sprawling constellation that lies high in the southern sky during late spring. This constellation is easy to find thanks to the presence of its...
Cancer
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Cancer, the Crab, is a mid-sized constellation that lies just east of Gemini and just west of Leo. Cancer is made up solely of dim stars, and its shape is...