Few galaxies are a breathtaking as the majestic Whirlpool Galaxy in the springtime sky near the Big Dipper.
Author Archives: Wayne McGraw
Comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)
Provides overview of Comet Atlas.
Venus: The Bringer of Light
Venus, the morning and evening star, dazzles with bright reflection from sulfuric acid clouds. Discover the history and science behind Earth’s sister planet.
Barnard’s Star: Chasing the Red Dwarf Through Ophiuchus
Barnard’s Star, located under six light-years away in Ophiuchus, is a red dwarf with a surface temperature of 3,200 K and extraordinary proper motion, moving over 10 arcseconds per year. Discovered to host four exoplanets, it fascinates astronomers as a rare opportunity to observe significant stellar movement within a human lifetime. Article shows a photograph of it in 2019 amongst the stars. The star is also known as Runaway Star, HIP 87937, LFT 1385, Proxima Ophiuchi, V2500 Ophiuchi.
Comet 46P / Wirtanen
Provides overview of Comet Wirtanen, the short-period comet that was viewable in December 2019, including photos I took of it from Bortle 8 skies south of Seattle.
Saturn: Breathtaking Light of the Night
Saturn, the second-largest planet in our solar system, is a breathtaking sight to behold. I’d be willing to bet many amateur astronomers fell in love with astronomy because someone showed them Saturn in a telescope. Like the gas planet Jupiter, Saturn has captivated astronomers and stargazers for centuries. In fact, the earliest recorded observations ofContinueContinue reading “Saturn: Breathtaking Light of the Night”
Mercury: On Finding the Elusive Planet
An amateur astronomer shares how he finally found the elusive planet Mercury, 29 years after first searching for it on the morning of Ted Bundy’s death.
The Garden Astronomer 