Campbell’s Hydrogen Star
PK 64+5.1, or Campbell’s Hydrogen Star, a tiny but surprisingly bright object located about 2.5° north of Albireo.
Updated: Mar 5, 2025 | By Tom Urbain
FU Orionis
In late 1936, a 16th-magnitude star erupted in the constellation Orion, and by early the next year it had attained 10th magnitude – that is a brightening by a factor of over 250!
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
G1 Globular Cluster
G1 is the most luminous globular cluster in the entire Local Group of galaxies.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
Hubble Nebula
Discovered by Sir William Herschel in 1783 and named for Edwin Hubble, NGC 2261 is a fascinating reflection nebula associated with the variable star R Monocerotis.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
Helix planetary nebula
The Helix Nebula is one of the closest of all planetary nebulae, lying at a distance of about 400 light-years from Earth.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
Galaxies
These days any amateur astronomer using a small telescope can see hundreds of galaxies, millions of light-years away.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
Galaxies in Andromeda
Learn about the three galaxies you can observe within the boundaris of the Andromeda Constellation.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
Lagoon Nebula
M8, nicknamed the “Lagoon Nebula“, is a vast cloud of interstellar gas and dust more than 50 light-years across and about 5,700 light-years distant.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
M13 Globular Cluster
M13, the Great Cluster in Hercules, teeters on the edge of naked eye visibility and appears in binoculars as a small, circular, hazy glow.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
M104 Galaxy
The well-known “Sombrero” galaxy M104 in Virgo is probably the best example of an Sa spiral, with tightly- wound spiral arms and a large luminous bulge.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
M1 Supernova Remnant
Have you ever seen the remains of a star in its old age? If not, take out your scope on a clear night and point it towards the constellation Taurus.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
NGC 6891 and NGC 6905
Delphinus contains a variety of deep sky objects for backyard telescopes. Two of these objects are of particular interest: the easily observed planetary nebulae NGC 6891 and NGC 6905.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
M81 and M82 Galaxies
Information about M81 and M82, two interesting galaxies in Ursa Major.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
M35
M35 can be found in the constellation Gemini and contains over one hundred member stars scattered across an area as large as the full Moon.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
M78 and NGC 2071
M78 is a bright reflection nebula located close to the celestial equator, and about four degrees east of Mintaka (Delta Orionis), the westernmost star in Orion’s belt.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
M76 Planetary Nebula
M76 (the Little Dumbbell Nebula) is located in the constellation Perseus at a distance of roughly 3,600 light-years.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
M44 Open Cluster
M44, Praesepe, also popularly termed the Beehive Cluster, is one of the largest and brightest of all open star clusters.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
M41 Open Cluster
M41 is one of the deep sky showpieces of winter, a beautiful open star cluster first documented in 320 B.C. by Aristotle.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
Open Clusters
Open clusters are extended families of a few hundred comparatively young stars bound together by gravity.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain
NGC188
NGC 188 has the dual distinction of being both the northernmost and the oldest open star cluster visible from Earth.
Updated: Jun 26, 2024 | By Tom Urbain