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The Skies of July, 2025

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Planet Plotting, July Moon. Focus Constellations: Ursa Major, Draco, Ursa Minor, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Camelopardalis, Lynx, Leo Minor, Leo, Coma Berenices, Virgo, Bootes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Vulpecula

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Cosmic Challenge: Barnard 86

The summer sky is full of starless voids, almost looking like holes in the universe. For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, astronomers were at a loss to explain what they were. Were they actually empty regions or were they some sort of dark material that simply blocked the light from stars that lay beyond?

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The Deck

I have a major problem with the gravel surface that covers my back yard. In my younger years I had no problem navigating a surface such as this one. However, in the past year I have taken four significant falls in the middle of the night thanks to that gravel. One particular night I plopped down in my lawn chair after finishing Polar Alignment and fell over backward in the chair. My cell phone was out of reach on my mount and I couldn’t roll out of the chair because of the arms holding me in. Yelling would serve no purpose since my family was inside watching TV. I lay on my back for more than a few moments before I wiggled my way out of the chair and got to my feet. That was the night that I decided that I must find some way to provide a secure and flat surface to work from.

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SKYOPTIKST 114/900mm (f/8) primary + 25mm secondary mirror set

This mirror set is an incredible bargain and a great option for anyone who wants to build their own telescope on a budget. If you’re on the fence, if you have some time to kill, are into DIY and want a nice entry level scope, get these mirrors. There is also a fully 3D printable truss tube dob available online with this mirror set’s spec which I didn’t build, but should perform similarly to mine.

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Detection of the Methane Absorption Line at 6190 Å in Saturn’s Spectrum

While the presence of methane in Saturn’s atmosphere is well-known, this analysis refines the detection of specific absorption lines using inexpensive instruments. The methodology applied here, using RSpec software, provides a reliable technique for extracting absorption features and comparing them with stellar spectra. This study confirms the detection of methane in Saturn’s atmosphere through the identification of the 6190 Å absorption line. The spectral analysis and normalization methods demonstrate their effectiveness in planetary atmospheric studies, particularly for gas giants.

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The Skies of June, 2025

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Planet Plotting, June Moon. Focus Constellations: Ursa Major, Draco, Ursa Minor, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Camelopardalis, Lynx, Leo Minor, Leo, Coma Berenices, Virgo, Bootes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Aquila

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First Light with My New Telescope System: A Detailed Review

Overall, this first light session exceeded all expectations. The system performed flawlessly, and while there are areas to tweak—like Dec balancing, guiding refinement, and learning how to autofocus without rage-quitting—the foundation is rock solid. Spending extra time on polar alignment proved to be the best decision of the night, ensuring a productive session with minimal frustration.

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Cosmic Challenge: Schröter's Valley

Technically, Schröter's Valley, also known as Vallis Schröteri, is not a valley at all. It's a sinuous rille, the largest and most prominent sinuous rille on the Moon's near side. Although the "valley" looks to be connected to Herodotus, it actually begins at a 4-mile-wide (6 km) crater some 15 miles to the north called the "Cobra Head." It then meanders its way for over 100 miles (160 km) across the Aristarchus plateau, narrowing to less than 1/4 mile wide at its thinnest. It eventually empties into Oceanus Procellarum.

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Configuring an 8" RC Telescope for Astrophotography

I got introduced to astrophotography by a good friend of mine. Astrophotography piqued my natural interest, and I plunged into it two years ago. I started with a Vespera Smart Alt-Azimuth telescope to learn and start exploring deep space. Over time, I wanted a setup to give me greater control and reach to photograph high-resolution deep-space objects. After months of research, I decided on an 8" Ritchey-Chrétien telescope for its focal length, speed, size, and weight. Many members shared valuable insights from their experiences that helped me decide on specific components. I am sharing my experience of building my 8" Ritchey-Chrétien telescope (RCT)

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Revealing The Nebulae With Pixinsight

In my previous article, In search of the Stars, I described the imaging system hardware and software I use for astroimaging. The system includes an Optolong L-eNhance Dual Bandpass Light Pollution Reduction Imaging Filter that enables me to capture many nebulae with amazing detail. I will use this article to explain how the images were revealed with PixInsight. The Resources section at the end of the article contains a list of relevant references.

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