August 2019 Bonus Content

Interview: Wally Funk

August's night-sky highlights

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel guide us through the top things to see in the night sky this month.

Audiobook previews

This month's previews are selected from Apollo by Charles Murray and Catherine Bly Cox, and Chasing the Moonby Robert Stone and Alan Andres

Download Apollo (mp3)

Chasing the Moon (mp3)

Both clips are provided courtesy of audible.co.uk.

DIY Astronomy

Download extra blueprints and images to help with this month's project, on p74 of the issue

Download (zip)

Binocular and deep-sky tours

Download this month's binocular and deep-sky tour charts. The charts are printed in black on white so they can be viewed under red light at your telescope.

Binocular Tour (PDF)

Deep-Sky Tour (PDF)

Observing forms

Record your observations of Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus and the Sun with our handy printable forms.

If you observe the Sun, remember NEVER to look at it with your naked eye; either project it through your telescope or use a solar filter on your telescope's front lens.

Gallery

Eye On The Sky

Cepheus B region and surrounding nebula NASA Spitzer Space Telescope, Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and the Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS), 30 May 2019 Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech — Cepheus B region and surrounding nebula, NASA Spitzer Space Telescope, Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and the Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS), 30 May 2019. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NGC 4485 Hubble Space Telescope, 16 May 2019 Image credit: NASA and ESA; Acknowledgment: T. Roberts (Durham University, UK), D. Calzetti (University of Massachusetts) and the LEGUS Team, R. Tully (University of Hawaii), and R. Chandar (University of Toledo) — NGC 4485, Hubble Space Telescope, 16 May 2019. Credit: NASA and ESA; Acknowledgment: T. Roberts (Durham University, UK), D. Calzetti (University of Massachusetts) and the LEGUS Team, R. Tully (University of Hawaii), and R. Chandar (University of Toledo)

ESO 495-21 Hubble Space Telescope, 13 June 2019 Credit: NASA — ESO 495-21, Hubble Space Telescope, 13 June 2019 Credit: NASA

Hydrogen gas surrounding distant galaxy Very Large Telescope, 24 June 2019 Credit: ESO/A. Claeyssens — Hydrogen gas surrounding distant galaxy, Very Large Telescope, 24 June 2019. Credit: ESO/A. Claeyssens

Uranus’s cold rings Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimetre Array and Very Large Telescope, 20 June 2019 Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); Edward M. Molter and Imke de Pater) — Uranus’s cold rings, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimetre Array and Very Large Telescope, 20 June 2019. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); Edward M. Molter and Imke de Pater)

Europa uncovered Hubble Space Telescope, 12 June, 2019 Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona — Europa uncovered, Hubble Space Telescope, 12 June, 2019 Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Messier 98 Hubble Space Telescope, 24 June, 2019 Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, V Rubin et al. — Messier 98, Hubble Space Telescope, 24 June, 2019. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, V Rubin et al.

Hot gas in the Coma galaxy cluster NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, 18 June 2019 Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Chicago, I. Zhuravleva et al, Optical: SDSS — Hot gas in the Coma galaxy cluster NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, 18 June 2019. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Chicago, I. Zhuravleva et al, Optical: SDSS

Software

Download Argo Navis Deep-Sky Tour

This month's deep-sky tour plan file can be imported into the Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer using Argonaut software, a free utility available from Wildcard Innovations.Using Argo Navis with this month's deep-sky tour plan file, you can:

• display essential information from the Argo Navis database for each object

• slew your telescope to each object in the plan - requires a compatible mount.

• push your telescope to each object in the plan using the coordinates provided on the Argo Navis display.

To import this month's deep-sky tour plan file into Argo Navis using Argonaut software:

Download and save the file to your hard drive.

Run the Argonaut utility program and transfer the plan into your Argo Navis DTC.

This month's Deep-Sky Tour plan file is produced by Deep-Sky Planner 7 (see knightware.biz/dsp).

Download Deep-Sky Planner

License type: Full software

Platform: Windows

Versions: 7, 8 , 10

Deep-Sky Planner 7 astronomy software for Windows provides the tools you need to make your time at the telescope more efficient and enjoyable.

• sort the objects in the plan according to the best time and order to view each object.

• slew your ASCOM-compatible Go-To mount to each object in the plan - requires ASCOM software (free).

• show a sky chart centered on each object in the plan using one of the top planetarium software titles - requires TheSky, Starry Night, Redshift or Cartes du Ciel (free).

• record your observation in the open, non-proprietary observing log.

Details about Deep-Sky Planner and how to purchase can be found here.

Download the Deep-Sky Planner compatible file of this month's deep-sky tour observing plan file so that you can visit each object directly with Deep-Sky Planner. Save the file to your hard drive and double click it to open it in Deep-Sky Planner.

Download EQTOUR

If you are one of the many astronomers who use the ASCOM driver EQMOD to control your ASCOM-compatible Go-To mount, you can use an add-on application called EQTOUR to call up various sets of sky tours like Messier, Caldwell, Globular Clusters and simply click on an object name to slew to it.

Details about the application and how to download it free of charge can be found here.

Download the EQTOUR compatible file of our monthly Deep-sky tour, so that you can visit each object directly from your EQMod control panel. We've also included a PDF document that explains the system and how to get it installed with your telescope setup.

Copy the .lst file from the folder that appears into the same directory as the EQTOUR application file, EQTOUR.exe, and follow the instructions in the link above.

Download SkySafari

License type: Full software

Platform: iOS, Android

Versions: 4 or later (Plus or Pro editions)

This month's deep-sky tour plan file can be imported into SkySafari software, available from Simulation Curriculum.

Using this month's deep-sky tour plan file on SkySafari, you can:

• view each object in SkySafari's night sky simulation view

• display essential information from the SkySafari database for each object