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Night Sky Network Articles

Astronomy clubs bringing the wonders of the universe to the public

April’s Night Sky Notes: Catch the Waves!
3 min read

by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific The Electromagnetic Spectrum If you’ve ever heard the term “radio waves,” used a microwave or a television remote, or had an X-ray, you have experienced a broad range of the…

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Embracing the Equinox
3 min read

Depending on your locale, equinoxes can be seen as harbingers of longer nights and gloomy weather, or promising beacons of nicer temperatures and more sunlight. Observing and predicting equinoxes is one of the earliest skills in humanity’s astronomical toolkit. Many…

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March’s Night Sky Notes: Messier Madness
3 min read

by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific What Are Messier Objects? During the 18th century, astronomer and comet hunter Charles Messier wanted to distinguish the ‘faint fuzzies’ he observed from any potential new comets. As a result, Messier cataloged…

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February’s Night Sky Notes: How Can You Help Curb Light Pollution?
5 min read

Light pollution has long troubled astronomers, who generally shy away from deep sky observing under full Moon skies. The natural light from a bright Moon floods the sky and hides views of the Milky Way, dim galaxies and nebula, and…

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January’s Night Sky Notes: The Red Planet
3 min read

Have you looked up at the night sky this season and noticed a bright object sporting a reddish hue to the left of Orion? This is none other than the planet Mars! January will be an excellent opportunity to spot…

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Celebrating 20 Years: Night Sky Network
4 min read

by Vivan White & Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific NASA’s Night Sky Network is one of the most successful and longstanding grassroots initiatives for public engagement in astronomy education. Started in 2004 with the PlanetQuest program…

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December’s Night Sky Notes: Spot the King of Planets
4 min read

by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Jupiter is our solar system’s undisputed king of the planets! Jupiter is bright and easy to spot from our vantage point on Earth, helped by its massive size and banded,…

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Astrophotography With Your Smartphone
3 min read

Have you ever wanted to take nighttime photos like you’ve seen online, with the Milky Way stretched across the sky, a blood-red Moon during a total eclipse, or a colorful nebula? Many astrophotos take hours, expensive equipment, and travel, which…

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November’s Night Sky Notes: Snowballs from Space
3 min read

by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific If you spotted comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in person, or seen photos online this October, you might have been inspired to learn more about these visitors from the outer Solar…

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Night Lights: Aurora, Noctilucent Clouds, and the Zodiacal Light
3 min read

Have you spotted any “night lights”? These phenomena brighten dark skies with celestial light ranging from mild to dazzling: the subtle light pyramid of the zodiacal light, the eerie twilight glow of noctilucent clouds, and most famous of all, the wildly unpredictable…

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