Caitlyn Buongiorno

The strange case of eyeball planets

These tidally locked worlds could be the key to finding life in the universe — if they exist. Humans have long imagined what life on another world may look like. And as we entered a golden age of exoplanet discovery, the hunt picked up for Earth 2.0, a twin to our planet orbiting within its star’s habitable zone. But so far, searches have turned up empty, leading scientists to use some out-of-the-box thinking to find another haven for life in the universe. The habitable zone, or Goldilocks zone
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Feature articles

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Astronomy magazine •

Using small telescopes for wide-angle stargazing

With the right equipment and planning you can enjoy beautiful vistas all year round. Years ago, I heard reports of amateur astronomers glimpsing a huge emission nebula in our galaxy, cataloged as IC 1396. Deep astroimages showed an expansive, complex nebula in Cepheus, about 3° in diameter on the northern side of the brightest visual band of the Milky Way, above Cygnus. Being a huge fanboy of all things that shine with the dim glow of ionized hydrogen and oxygen ions, I had to see it! Based on
Astronomy magazine •

The strange case of eyeball planets

These tidally locked worlds could be the key to finding life in the universe — if they exist. Humans have long imagined what life on another world may look like. And as we entered a golden age of exoplanet discovery, the hunt picked up for Earth 2.0, a twin to our planet orbiting within its star’s habitable zone. But so far, searches have turned up empty, leading scientists to use some out-of-the-box thinking to find another haven for life in the universe. The habitable zone, or Goldilocks zone
Astronomy magazine •

Taking humanity to the stars

From Apollo to Artemis, space artists have been bringing the fantasy of space travel to life. For as long as the dream of human spaceflight has existed, artists have been inspired to imagine and depict what such amazing journeys might look like. Before the age of modern photography, explorers were frequently accompanied by artists who created drawings and paintings of the unknown regions of the world to delight and inspire the public. This trend has continued as the space artists of today work
Astronomy magazine •

How to identify deep-space objects in your astrophotos

These free websites are all you need to unlock the mysteries hidden within any celestial portrait. An astrophotographer is like a tour guide of the cosmos. In the blink of an eye, we can take viewers thousands of light-years away, drawing their attention to the best celestial sights the universe has to offer. As an astrophotographer who particularly enjoys imaging distant galaxies, I’m often left scanning deep-sky shots, wondering about all the objects clearly captured in my image and what “fai
Astronomy magazine •

Check out these classic sky guides

Modern tech has made stargazing more accessible, but nothing beats an old-school observing guide. Astronomy enthusiasts today have an astounding array of observing aids available at their fingertips. From computer simulations to phone and tablet apps, some may say there is little need for paper maps or guidebooks to the cosmos. Yet there is something satisfying and tactile about thumbing through a classic observing guide in preparation for a night under the stars. Exploring some of these resour
Astronomy magazine •

Grand tour: Wild weather of the solar system

Today’s forecast: Changeable conditions, scalding temperatures, and extreme freezing with a chance of diamond downpours, 1,000-mph winds, and possible scattered life. The solar system whips up some wild weather. Entrées include Jupiter’s newly discovered “meteorological beast,” Neptune’s recent giant storm reversal, and Titan’s methane floods. The Coriolis effect, polar jets, cyclones, and precipitation may spice up the recipe, all rely on the same basic ingredients we have here on Earth: atmos

Binocular Universe

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Ice fishing

Many readers have written me to say that they enjoy observing challenges. So this month, I’m giving you not one, but two to tackle. Have you ever looked for our solar system’s two most distant planets, Uranus and Neptune? Both are visible in tonight’s sky and are bright enough to spot through most binoculars — if you know where to look. Let’s start with Neptune, which is high in the east as night falls, having passed opposition in September. It is currently located in a barren portion of easter
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Leapin’ Lizard

This month, the sky slowly begins to transition away from the summer stars to those of autumn. As it does, the arch of the Milky Way sweeps across the zenith down toward the northeast, curving through Cygnus on its way toward Cassiopeia. In between those two familiar constellations, the galactic plane passes through a barren zone lacking in bright stars. That’s where we find the faint constellation Lacerta the Lizard. As they were creating many of the early constellations, our ancestors ignored
Astronomy.com •

A gaggle of globulars

Between the stars Altair (Alpha [α] Aquilae) and Antares (Alpha Scorpii) and just west of the Milky Way’s stream lies a large asymmetrical hexagon of half a dozen faint stars that outline the constellation Ophiuchus. The ancient Greeks saw Ophiuchus as embodying Asclepius, the god of medicine. According to legend, Asclepius once killed a snake with his staff. But a second snake brought the first back to life using mystical herbs. Witnessing this, Asclepius began using those same herbs on people
Astronomy.com •

Summer jewels

Back in the January 2020 column, we toured several colorful stars in the cold winter sky. Let’s head back out this month in search of summertime gems. We begin by aiming high in the sky toward dazzling Vega (Alpha [α] Lyrae). The brightest member of the Summer Triangle, Vega outshines its compatriots, Deneb (Alpha Cygni) and Altair (Alpha Aquilae). Vega lies 25 light-years away and is three times larger than our Sun. The striking sapphire blue color is due to a surface temperature of around 17,
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A June honeymoon

Dark skies are in short supply during June, as we usher in summer and the shortest nights of the year. So rather than focus on what we don’t have, let’s look at what we do. Our Moon is visible long before the Sun sets, after it rises, and even in broad daylight, depending on the phase. It is decorated with a number of impact craters and lunar maria — large, dark plains formed by ancient volcanic activity. Early astronomers once mistook these locations for seas (hence the Latin name maria). Let
Astronomy.com •

Getting a handle on it

Undoubtedly, one of the first patterns in the sky that you and I learned as we got into stargazing was the Big Dipper. Its seven stars form a distinctive shape that catches the eye of anyone living in the Northern Hemisphere. May brings the Dipper high in our early evening sky, so let’s take this opportunity to become acquainted with some binocular treasures that lie nearby. We’ll begin with the middle star in the Dipper’s handle, Mizar (Zeta [ζ] Ursae Majoris). Shining at 2nd magnitude, Mizar
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A hair-raising cluster

I’ll admit it: I am an addict. I am hooked on vintage astronomy books. One of my favorites is Astronomy With an Opera-Glass by Garrett P. Serviss, first published in 1888. Serviss, a newspaper reporter by trade, was a prolific author of the late 19th and early 20th century. He wrote nine astronomy books for backyard stargazers, as well as six lesser-known science-fiction books. His words describing this month’s target are a perfect way to introduce one of my favorite springtime sights: Historic
Astronomy.com •

Exploring Camelopardalis

Last month, we visited the constellation Lepus, found south of Orion. This month, we will turn our attention toward the area north of Auriga. This region appears nearly starless even under dark rural skies. Ancient stargazers also thought this section of the sky was empty, so never concocted a constellation there. It wasn’t until 1612 that the Dutch-Flemish astronomer Petrus Plancius drew a pattern among those faint points: A giraffe, which he called Camelopardalis. That’s right — Camelopardali