Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel guide us through this month's night-sky highlights
Interview: SPHEREx
NASA scientist Jamie Bock discusses a new mission that will track the history and evolution of the Universe.
DIY Astronomy
Download extra images and a diagram to help you with this month's DIY Astronomy project. If you are having trouble downloading the zip from the link below, right-click on the link and then select 'open in new tab'.
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.
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.
The Horsehead Nebula Terry Hancock, Colorado, USA, 26–29 September, 24–26 November 2020
Equipment: QHY600 mono camera, Takahashi FSQ-130 apo refractor, Paramount ME mount
The Rosette Nebula
Martin Bracken, Chelmsford, 27 December 2020
Equipment: ZWO ASI 294MC Pro colour camera, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100ED apo triplet refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro mount
The Wizard Nebula, NGC 7380
Rachael & Jonathan Wood, Doncaster, 30 July & 19 August 2020
Equipment: ZWO ASI 294MC Pro camera, Sky-Watcher Evostar ED80 refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro mount
M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy
Andy McGregor, Inverarnie, Inverness, April 2020
Equipment: Fuji X-T3 mirrorless camera, William Optics Zenithstar 103 apo refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 mount
The Moon
Damian Martin, Coalville, Leicestershire, 29 December 2020
Equipment: Altair GPCAM3 178C camera, Meade LX85 8-inch ACF and mount
The gas giants setting
Dave Frost, Matlock, Derbyshire, 20 December 2020
Equipment: Canon M5 mirrorless camera, Canon 100mm f2.8 lens, Manfrotto tripod
The Pleiades M45
Mike Read, Corsley, Wiltshire, 13 December 2020
Equipment: ZWO ASI 533MC camera, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100ED apo triplet refractor, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R mount
The Andromeda Galaxy
Niall Donovan, Manchester, 24 September 2020
Equipment: Atik 16200 mono camera, Celestron NexStar 8SE
Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
Jeffrey O. Johnson, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA, 20 December 2020
Equipment: Canon T3i DSLR, Takahashi TOA-130NFB triplet refractor, Takahashi EM200 mount
Winter halo
Tom Wildoner, Pennsylvia, USA, 29 December 2020
Equipment: Canon 6D DSLR, Canon EF 17–40mm f4 USM lens
The Horsehead Nebula
Ian Phillips, Weston super Mare, 25-26 November 2020
Equipment: ZWO ASI 533MC Pro camera, Sky-Watcher Evostar 72ED refractor, Sky-Watcher EQM-35 mount
The Horsehead Nebula
Chris Platkiw, Derbyshire, 25 November & 17 December 2020
Equipment: ZWO ASI 183mm Pro camera, Altair 72EDR refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro mount
Green Comet C/2020 M3 Atlas visits colourful Auriga
Terry Hancock and Tom Masterson, Colorado, USA, 9 December 2020
Equipment: QHYCCD QHY410C camera, Takahashi Epsilon 180ED astrograph, Paramount GT1100S mount
The California Nebula
Alessio Vaccaro, Palermo, Italy, 15 December 2020
Equipment: Canon 60D DSLR, TS 80mm apo refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 mount
Orion, Geminids, fireball, airglow and Etna erupting
Dario Giannobile, Lago Gurrida, Sicily, 14/15 December 2020
Equipment: Canon 6D DSLR, Sigma 14mm lens
Blend
Sono sempre alla ricerca di luoghi incantati dove potere fare risaltare il fascino del cielo stellato e la bellezza dei paesaggi della Sicilia. Non è sempre facile trovare le condizioni atmosferiche ideali insieme ad eventi celesti di particolare interesse. Eppure, in questa notte di inverno dall'aria tersa e pungente (-3°C), sembra che tutti queste condizioni si siano avverate presso il Lago Gurrida. Il lago si trova tra il paese di Maletto e di Randazzo, praticamente alle pendici dell'Etna. La sua posizione favorevole permette di far specchiare il vulcano nelle sue acque creando dei giochi di simmetrie molto interessanti. Le piante e gli alberi che si trovano sul bordo del lago hanno creato invece una cornice naturale quasi a volere racchiudere il cielo al loro interno. Sono diversi gli elementi astronomici che spiccano:
1) la costellazione di Orione con le sue gemme brillanti e le sue nebulose seguita dalla via lattea invernale;
2) alcune meteore dello sciame delle Geminidi che provengono dall'angolo alto a sinistra per poi fermarsi nella parte centrale dell'immagine;
3) altre meteore tra cui spicca un bolide nell'angolo basso che si specchia nell'acqua del lago mostrando i suoi colori caratteristici;
4) l'airglow diffuso come bagliore rossastro (vedere il link video).
Infine, quasi a celebrare questo spettacolo celeste, la scena è impreziosita dal vulcano Etna innevato con in corso una piccola eruzione dai suoi crateri sommitali.
I am always looking for enchanted places where I can bring out the charm of the starry sky and the beauty of the Sicilian landscapes. It is not always easy to find ideal atmospheric conditions along with celestial events of particular interest. Yet, on this clear and pungent winter night (-3 ° C), it seems that all these conditions have come true at Lake Gurrida. The lake is located between the towns of Maletto and Randazzo, practically on the slopes of Etna. Its favorab
The Sun on Christmas Day
Amit Sharma, London, 25 December 2020
Equipment: Altair Hypercam 174M camera, Sky-Watcher Startravel 102 refractor, Sky-Watcher EQ5 Pro mount
ACO 2197 galaxy cluster
Vasilis Misirlis, Parnon Mountain, Greece, May 2020
Equipment: QHY183M camera, Celestron ED80 apo refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro mount
Eye On The Sky
Chaotic magnetic fields in the Whirlpool Galaxy, M51. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE/SOFIA, 14 JANUARY 2021
IMAGE CREDIT: NASA, the SOFIA science team, A. Borlaff; NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI) and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Supernova remnant E0102
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, 15 JANUARY 2021
IMAGE CREDIT: NASA, ESA, and J. Banovetz and D. Milisavljevic (Purdue University)
Black holes as three galaxies collide
CHANDRA X-RAY OBSERVATORY/HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, 14 JANUARY 2021
Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Michigan/A. Foord et al.; Optical: SDSS & NASA/STScI
Blazar galaxy PSO J0309 27 in Aries
VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY, 22 DECEMBER 2020
CREDIT: Spingola et al.; Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF.
Direct image of brown dwarf HD 33632 Ab
SUBARU TELESCOPE, 18 DECEMBER 2020
CREDIT: T. Currie, NAOJ/NASA-Ames
Nuclear ring at the centre of NGC 1097
VERY LARGE TELESCOPE, 11 JANUARY 2021
CREDIT: ESO/TIMER survey
Long exposure of spiral galaxy NGC 1003
NICHOLAS U MAYALL 4-METRE TELESCOPE, KITT PEAK NATIONAL OBSERVATORY, 5 JANUARY 2021
CREDIT: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
The Fireworks Galaxy, NGC 6946
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, 4 January 2021
CREDIT: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Leroy, K. S. Long; CC BY 4.0
Remarkably thin galaxy IC 2233
NICHOLAS U MAYALL 4-METRE TELESCOPE, KITT PEAK NATIONAL OBSERVATORY, 6 JANUARY 2021
CREDIT: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA.
Barred spiral galaxy NGC 613
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, 11 JANUARY 2021
CREDIT: ESA/Hubble & NASA, G. Folatelli
The magnificent central bar of barred spiral galaxy NGC 2217
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, 23 DECEMBER 2020
CREDIT: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton. Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt (Geckzilla)
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 8 (see knightware.biz/dsp).
Deep-Sky Planner 8 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 centred on each object in the plan using one of the top planetarium software titles – requires TheSky, Starry Night, Redshift, Cartes du Ciel (free) or Stellarium (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.
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.
