Eclipse Event
The weather (mostly) cooperated! Hundreds of people successfully participated in a once-in-a-lifetime event at the NAPL to observe the eclipse helped by NBAS members using different techniques to safely observe the Sun, including a solar telescope purchased for the event.
Eclipse Event!
Galaxy Season
Springtime means galaxies! With the Milky Way mostly below the horizon, the evening skies are pointing out of the plane of the Galaxy, and towards the Virgo supercluster. There are several that are bright enough to see with small telescopes:
Virgo Galaxies
There are far too many galaxies in Virgo to discuss. Scanning the sky East of Denebola (Ξ² Leonis), even small telescopes will uncover many, like those in the Markarian Chain (which includes M 84 and M 86).
Further S, above Corvus and W of Spica, you can find the βSombreroβ Galaxy, M 104 with its prominent dust band.
Near the Big Dipper
Likewise, there are several bright galaxies in the skies near the handle of the Big Dipper!
M 106, M 51, M 109 are all popular.
Elusive Pinwheel
Very low in the sky, is the beautiful Southern Pinwheel galaxy, Messier 83, sitting on the Hydra/Centaurus border.
This Month’s Image
Messier 100 was one of the first spiral galaxies to be discovered, and is just one of many bright large galaxies in the Virgo Cluster.