#they think the night sky is pretty but because of light pollution there's fewer stars lately

[chumbyy]

LITTLE BABY MADE 4 FUN :3

[o-link]

Dark Space Galaxy

"Space. The final frontier." The way Patrick Stewart says those words in the intro to Star Trek: The Next Generation is almost ominous, making the journey of the Enterprise seem like a venture into an impenetrable void. That voice will always give you chills.

Between the planets and stars that come out at night, space may look like a vast expanse of darkness, but it is still lit up by a background glow from stars and galaxies. This is the cosmic optical background (COB). As opposed to the invisible cosmic microwave background or CMB (leftovers from the Big Bang), the COB tells us about all the galaxies that have formed from the moment after the Big Bang to 450,000 later. These galaxies keep the universe from experiencing a total blackout.

Faraway stars and galaxies could also give us an idea of how many galaxies possibly exist—something that may tell us how dark it really is out there.

Because new research using data New Horizons spacecraft has found far fewer of these galaxies than were thought to exist, space may be darker than we thought. Unlike Hubble, which for all its far-out vision, still orbits Earth, The New Horizons Spacecraft is far away enough to really gauge the darkness of space. If it could observe Arrokoth, it can see things Hubble (which imaged distant stars above) can’t even dream of. New Horizons data has suggested the darkest reaches of space are ten times darker than the darkest areas Hubble can see. Instead of trillions of unseen galaxies, think in the realm of hundreds of billions.

“The cosmic optical background (COB) is the average flux of visible light photons averaged over the volume of the observable Universe,” said astronomer Marc Postman, who coauthored a study recently published in The Astrophysical Journal. “It reflects, at least in part, an integral over the cosmological history of star formation occur- ring in recognizable galaxies, proto-galaxies, and star clusters, as well as mass accretion by black holes.”

Even black holes keep the lights on—or at least their accretion discs, which are made mostly of glowing star stuff, do. Photons, or particles of light, swirl around the accretion disc of a black hole until they finally make it past its event horizon. This is the point of no return. There is thought to be true blackness beyond that danger zone, because not even light can escape.

The COB can be difficult to observe. Hubble’s vision is often distorted by light pollution around Earth. Either sunlight or artificial light can reflect off particles of space dust (mostly the remnants of smashed comets and asteroids), causing a glare that gets in the way of its observations, and telescopes obviously can’t squint. For something orbiting our planet, zodiacal light, or the unearthly white light that comes from between planets and emerges about an hour before dawn or after sunset, is also a nuisance. New Horizons is not as distracted by that. Any telescope or spacecraft is going to have issues with measuring the COB.

If you really want to know how bright the COB is, you have to factor out all these distractions. Doing that requires going further out from the inner solar system. This is where New Horizons is particularly useful, because it is over 4 billion miles away, where the sky can get much darker. Getting an accurate read on the COB also meant leaving out any light from galaxies thought to exist but are too faint for their existence to be confirmed. Light pollution from stars in our own galaxy was the most annoying issue for the astronomers, who had to keep it from messing with the real brightness of the COB.

It turned out that once all the other noise was cancelled out, the COB was actually pretty faint. So what actually is that light? Maybe galactic refuse. Maybe rogue stars. Maybe neither. When NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope finally takes off, it could finally give more insight into the darkness of the final frontier.

[hydra-collector]

Whole: Chapter Three

AO3

Fic Page (all chapters listed here)

Second Fic in the Series

Chapters Finished: 6/6

Ship: Intrulogical

Characters: Logan Sanders, Remus Sanders

TW: self-deprecation? very slight

Words: 1,032

Summary: Remus takes Logan on a little adventure to tell him something.

“C’mon, nerd.”

“Remus, it’s the middle of the night-”

“Exactly.”

Remus dragged Logan down the stairs, who was desperately trying to stay quiet. It was nearly midnight, and the sky was pitch black when they arrived outside, save for the few stars not drowned out by light pollution. Logan was ushered down the block to the bus stop before he could object.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to.

“Remus, where are we going?”

“To see the stars!”

“We can’t- we can’t go on the bus, it’s the middle of the night-”

“Yes, we can.”

Logan’s feelings had definitely grown. God, he couldn’t even sit next to Remus on the goddamn bus without being extremely conscious of the warmth coming from him. He let himself glance at his friend a few times.

God, is he pretty.

What was the flirting in the closet? And what does the sudden absence of it mean?

Does he just find me attractive?

I couldn’t fathom why.

Maybe he is in love with me.

Doubtful.

He was whisked from his thoughts and out of the bus. They were on the outskirts of the city at this point, where there were fewer houses, and more importantly, fewer lights. Remus pulled Logan with him, running through the empty streets until he stopped at a house.

“Who’s house is this?”

“Grandma’s. She gave me a spare key in case something happened. Not sure if she’s home, or away or something, she never tells us.”

“I’m just glad you had an answer to that question.”

“I wouldn’t have if I could scale walls.”

“Wait, what are we doing here?”

Remus grinned at him, jogging up the steps, unlocking the door and bringing him inside. He had no choice but to follow him upstairs in case he did something stupid. They wandered through the halls, until he’d apparently found the door he was looking for, opening it and creeping into the bedroom.

“Why, exactly, are we here?”

“Because…” he said, heading over to the window, “we can…” he pulled the window up, shoving the screen along with it after, “...get on the roof this way.”

He smiled at Logan, presenting the open window with a swish of his hand.

“You realize that’s… very dangerous. We’re on the third floor.”

“Hmm? What’re you saying?”

Remus was already crawling out the window, stepping out onto the ledge. Logan followed him reluctantly, but only to make sure he didn’t fall to his death. The breeze was cool, and the stars were much prettier out here. The ledge was barely enough room for them to sit, though.

“C’mon, Lo, there’s a wider bit this way.”

“Remus- Remus!”

He’d begun climbing up the side of the roof, which, if their venture wasn’t already dangerous, was an extremely stupid venture. Still, he couldn’t help but follow. It was stupid, and both of them would probably die, or at least get minorly injured, if nothing else.

Remus slid down the other side to a flat part of the roof, which seemed much safer than their previous ledge. Logan joined him sitting down, and felt a soft warmth on his shoulder.

“Lay down, Lo. We’ll see them better.”

Remus only moved closer when he did so, and he couldn’t help but feel the burning in his cheeks.

“What constellations are around right now?”

“I think you can just make out Cancer right…” Logan pointed, squinting his eyes, “there. It’s a bit later than the best time to see it, but you can.”

“You remembered my star sign?”

“Well, I thought it would be more interesting than just some random constellation. Oh, there’s Orion.”

“See? Aren’t you glad I brought you out here?”

“I must admit, it’s wonderful to be able to see the stars so well. It’s not nearly as remote as is optimal, but… it’s better than what I’m used to. Although I still can’t condone being on the roof.”

“I don’t think you ever will, and I don’t think you should.”

Remus snuggled closer as Logan continued pointing out the constellations he recognized. He loved the times when they would argue, get excited together, share passions, but this was different. And it was nice. It was calm, and it was quiet, and it was perfect.

“Lo?”

“Mhm?”

“I wanna tell you something. And I wanted to tell you tonight.”

“So, if you can’t already tell from nearly every interaction we’ve had, and what’s happening at the moment,” he gestured vaguely towards his head laid on Logan’s chest, “I really like you. I love you. And if you’d like to keep things platonic, that’s fine too. Just thought you should know.”

Logan hesitated for a moment, gazing at Remus’s face, gentle and loving. He shifted slightly, smiling as he reached down to take Remus’s hand, rubbing it, heat rising on his cheeks as the action was returned with a tight squeeze.

”...I believe kissing is a conventional thing to do when you share mutual romantic feelings with someone.”

Remus shifted, propping himself up with one arm and letting go of his hand to brush his hand on Logan’s cheek. He leaned down to join their lips, reveling in the silence. The only thing there to move, or make noise, was Logan. Logan’s heart was filled to the brim, something he didn’t know he would ever feel. His whole body felt like that, relaxed, loved. Neither were sure how to go about a first kiss, so it ended up being short and soft.

“I don’t understand it, but it’s… wonderful.”

Logan guided Remus’s head back down, deciding to experiment more. This kiss was lengthened, Logan wrapping his arms around Remus, allowing himself to relax. It was hard not to, as he melted from the intimacy. Remus pressed harder, allowing it to contradict the soft night air and have a little taste of passion.

“If… it’s not weird, do you mind if I note down my emotional response to this?”

“Honestly, I was considering that too, it’s a lot different than kissing a girl. Especially since it’s you. ...Shouldn’t we repeat the experiment to get the most accurate data?”

“I believe that would be the best course of action.”

[shadowsof-thenight]

Starry skies

Summary: Contemplating the rest of your life is daunting, especially if you have little control over it. And the person assigned to keep you safe only adds complications.

Ship: Bucky Barnes x Reader Warnings: Angst and melancholy (and a tiny bit of fluff) Words: 1811 

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A/N: I was working on my series, when a few ideas for one-shots just popped in my head. This was one of them and I hope you like it! The amazing @gnomewithalaptop​ was my wonderful beta for this (like she if for pretty much everything I write) Thank you for all your hard work and kind words! I truly appreciate you.

***

Masterlist      

***

Starry skies

You couldn’t remember a time where you had seen the stars, not like this anyway. In the city where you grew up, there was too much pollution from the surrounding lights. So you had never realised how mesmerising they could be, how magnificent their light really was. You had never seen them fall either. And right now, you were really wishing for a shooting star, one you could wish upon and change your fate. 

Which was why looking up was your first instinct upon exiting the cabin. The sight instantly left you breathless, as it had done so many times before in the past two months. The sheer magnitude of the galaxy was enough to render you speechless time and time again.

Quietly you sat down on the swing-set in the back of the small garden—the high fences giving you a sense of safety that you hadn’t experienced much before you’d come here either. There was still plenty of tension left in your shoulders, back, and neck, but it was significantly less and you rejoiced in the notion. You hadn’t known what it was like to relax, to not look over your shoulder 24/7. Of course, you still looked—though not as much, not with your personal bodyguard, who was currently pretending not to keep an eye on you from the living room window.  You appreciated his attempt to give you some peace and quiet. He knew you needed it, needed time to gather your thoughts and face your emotions. There were so many of them, all swirling around inside of you, and they’d shaken you to the core—because you suddenly wished things were entirely different. Mostly, you wished you had been brave sooner.  

As if your feet had a life of their own, they began to move as soon as you sat down, causing the swing to gently sway back and forth. Holding on tightly to the ropes that held the swing up, you sighed deeply. A cool breeze washed over you, expelling the heat of the day. The heat had been a new experience for you; the sensation of heat clinging to your skin, unwilling to leave, wasn’t one you’d ever get used too. You wondered if you even needed too, after tonight.


The backdoor creaked and soft footsteps followed the sound, slowly inching closer, and you smiled. Another new experience; the alleviation of stress upon the sound of approaching footsteps. A feeling you could definitely get used too. A feeling you wished you could get used too, but it wasn’t in the cards for you.

Soon you could feel his presence behind your seated frame, a source of heat standing close, and you tilted back towards the heat—allowing yourself to lean against him. Another sigh left you as his hands found your shoulders, gently trailing down your arms, and you cherished the feeling. He was so strong, unforgiving in a fight, but with you, he showed a much gentler side. He showed you a kindness and respect that you’d never known.

You smiled as it dawned on you that you’d only known him for two months now. It was funny how close you could get to people in such a short amount of time if the circumstances were right. Or perhaps he was special. In fact, you were certain he was special. He had managed to get so incredibly close, to become tethered to your heart, seemingly out of nowhere and with little effort made. It was crazy really. Though it was certainly the kind of crazy you enjoyed. The kind of crazy you would miss, as you would miss him. After tonight.

That was all you had, one more night. And you weren’t certain what would be wise. Should you tell him how you felt? Or was it better to keep it buried? Did you want to leave never knowing, or with a broken heart? There was nothing you could do now, to change the circumstances of your life, nothing you could do to keep him close. And your fate was out of his hands as well. No matter what happened next, by morning light you’d leave this cabin behind. And him with it. 


In the morning a new agent would be assigned and you’d travel onwards, while he’d go back to the city. Where he’d probably forget about you. He’d eventually find someone special, who wouldn’t need protection, who wouldn’t need to leave. You wondered if you could live with that. You had no choice. The question became, would you be able to live with the idea that he’d never know that he was your someone special? 

“Hey Buck,” you whispered as you felt him lean into your touch.

“I knew you’d end up here tonight.” His deep voice was a little gravelly from lack of use—you’d spent most of the day in silence. Tense silence.

You stood up from the swing, turning quickly to face him—your fingers still lightly grasping the robe. His fingers enclosed yours, and for a moment, your eyes were drawn to the touch. Again, so gentle and caring.

“Do you think it’ll be this warm where I’m going?” you asked softly, your eyes focusing on his blue ones. “Or that I’ll be able to see the stars like I can here?”

You knew he could not answer you. He didn’t know. He wasn’t supposed to know—that was the whole deal. The fewer people knew where you were, the better off you were. Safer. Though right now, you’d trade in that safety to stay with Bucky.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged, his gaze leaving you and glancing up to the sky instead. Had you seen that same melancholy you felt? Or were your eyes deceiving you?

“I know, I’m just…wondering I guess,” you said with a sigh and looked up as well.

“I hope it’ll be beautiful,” he whispered. He added a few more mumbled words that you couldn’t quite make out. He had a habit of doing that—speaking so softly that you couldn’t hear him. And not once had he repeated himself, claiming instead that he was simply talking to himself. It always spiked your curiosity, but you’d accepted by now that you wouldn’t figure it out. Perhaps if you’d had the chance, you would’ve been able to crack his hard exterior—but that wouldn’t be happening.

“Me too,” you sighed, stepping closer to him and taking your chance. Your final chance.

“I also wish you could come with me,” you added in a whisper, your hand gently placed on his chest and your eyes trained on his face. He usually managed to control his features, so you knew you had to look closely to see a response. He had a good poker face, but you had managed to uncover a few tells, and you hoped those would help you unravel it.

“Me too,” he said with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes bored into you and your heart skipped a beat.

What followed was silence where he seemed to be debating his next course of action and you patiently waited for him to make a choice. Would he give in? Or remain the professional? The answer came much sooner than you expected when he suddenly bent his head and crashed his lips into your own, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist.

A content sigh left your mouth as you leaned into him, cherishing any moment you could get with him and quietly wishing that the night could last forever. Alas, it was nearly midnight now and like a twisted Cinderella, you would have to leave in five hours’ time.

Your hands twisted into his shirt as you tried to get as close as possible. In the back of your mind, you were aware of the swing repeatedly bumping into your leg, but you paid it little mind when his tongue asked for entrance. You moaned into the kiss, and his hands squeezed your waist a little tighter in response to the sound before they trailed down, tapping your thighs and silently asking you to jump up. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you jumped, and he carried you inside—seemingly as eager to treasure these moments as you were.


If only you have taken a chance sooner. For five hours didn’t seem enough. Nothing would ever be enough. But you pushed those thoughts out for the time being, and instead relished the feeling of his skin against your own.

All too soon, sunlight made its presence known, pushing through the thin curtains, and you quietly slid from the bed—careful not to wake Bucky. Saying goodbye was not something you’d envisioned doing. Not now. Emotions were bubbling too close to the surface. 
So you left, like a thief in the night. Quietly, without a word, leaving destruction in your wake.

Once you were outside, you glanced back at the cabin one more time, a lump quickly forming in your throat. After attempting—and failing—to clear your throat, you took a deep breath and walked towards the awaiting car. Leaning against it was Natasha, a solemn smile on her face—a knowing look, one filled with sympathy. It didn’t surprise you. Her ability to acquire knowledge was beyond your comprehension. It certainly wouldn't be the first time she’d seen right through you.

Without a word, she took the duffel bag from your hands and placed it gently in the trunk of her car. You thanked her softly, before walking the passenger side. There, you allowed yourself one more peek at the cabin, and as you did, a single tear slipped from your eye. You brushed it away quickly and got into the vehicle.

As soon as you were strapped in, Natasha drove off—distancing you from the cabin and the beautiful soldier inside of it. You hoped he was still sleeping. Hoped that he wouldn’t be made that you hadn’t woken him up. He had tried so hard to stay up, but he’d been on high alert for two months now and he was exhausted. Eventually, sleep had pulled him under, and you’d spent that time memorising his face, the scars on his chest, the spot where his shoulder made way for a mechanic arm. You’d traced the scars there, gentle fingers feeling the thick rugged lines that marred the skin—he’d always been so self-conscious about his scars in his waking hours, it had felt strange to touch them as he slept.

Looking down at your hands now, laying in your lap, you could almost still sense the warmth of his skin on them. It was silly, impossible of course, but you felt it all the same and it brought a smile to your face. Perhaps you could live off the memory of him.

[astrogeoguy]

Meteors Mount, Gas Giants in Evening, and Touring the Triangle and Celestial Critters!

(Above: Albireo is the beautiful double star that marks the head of Cygnus the Swan!)

Hello, Summer Stargazers! 

Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of July 28th, 2019 by Chris Vaughan. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and send me your comments, questions, and suggested topics. I repost these emails with photos at http://astrogeoguy.tumblr.com/ where all the old editions are archived. You can also follow me on Twitter as @astrogeoguy! Unless otherwise noted, all times are Eastern Time. Please click this MailChimp link to subscribe to these emails. 

I can bring my Digital Starlab inflatable planetarium to your school or other daytime or evening event. Contact me, and we’ll tour the Universe together! 

Meteor Shower Update

The Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower runs annually from July 21 to August 23. It is caused by the Earth passing through a cloud of tiny particles dropped by a periodic comet – likely Comet 96P/Machholtz. The shower peaked before dawn this morning (Sunday, July 28), but is quite active for a week surrounding that date. This shower commonly generates 15-20 meteors per hour at the peak, but is best seen from the southern tropics, where the shower’s radiant, in Aquarius (the Water-Bearer), is positioned higher in the sky. The waning crescent moon on the weekend should not adversely affect the shower very much. 

The prolific Perseid Meteor Shower runs from July 13 through August 26, so keep an eye out for a few of them this week. The moon will spoils the show on the peak nights of August 12/13, so take advantage of the darker skies this week. 

To increase your chances of seeing any meteors, find a dark location with lots of sky, preferably away from light polluted skies, and just look up with your unaided eyes. Binoculars and telescopes are not useful for meteors because their fields of view are too narrow to fit the streaks of meteor light. Don’t watch the radiant. Any meteors near there will have very short trails because they are travelling towards you. Try not to look at your phone’s bright screen – it’ll ruin your night vision. And keep your eyes heavenward, even while you are chatting with companions. I’ll write more about meteors in the coming weeks. For now, happy hunting! 

The Moon and Planets

Keep that telescope handy - the first half of this week will feature dark evening skies worldwide. Late on Wednesday, the moon will pass the sun - giving us a second new moon in July, and then our natural satellite will return to grace the western evening sky after sunset to end the week. Here are this week’s Skylights! 

If you are out under the stars before dawn on Monday, you’ll see a pretty crescent moon in the eastern sky, between the toes of Gemini (the Twins) and the upraised club of Orion (the Hunter). Yes – those winter constellations will return to view before we know it! On Tuesday morning, the moon will be lower, and closer to the sun. 

The moon will first return to view, positioned low over the northwestern horizon, shortly after sunset on Thursday evening. For the rest of the week, the moon’s delicate crescent will grow and the moon will set later – passing through the stars of Leo (the Lion) and landing a few finger widths to the right (celestial west) of the medium-bright star Porrima in Virgo (the Maiden) on Sunday evening. Viewed in a backyard telescope, Porrima splits into a lovely double star - but I recommend waiting until next spring to view it. At that time it will be higher in the sky. 

(Above: The southern evening sky at 10 pm local time.)

With the moon away, Jupiter is the brightest object in the early evening sky. After dusk, look for it gleaming in the southwestern sky. It will set in the west after 2 am local time. On a typical night, even a backyard telescope will show you Jupiter’s two main equatorial stripes and its four Galilean moons, named Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede. The moons always form a rough line flanking the planet. If you see fewer than four, then some are in front of Jupiter, or hidden behind it. 

From time to time, the small, round black shadows cast by the Galilean moons become visible in amateur telescopes as they cross (or transit) Jupiter’s disk. After midnight on Saturday night, Io’s shadow will start to transit the northern part of Jupiter at 12:44 am. Unfortunately, Jupiter will set in the Eastern Time Zone before its passage is complete; but observers farther west can watch the entire event. 

Due to Jupiter’s rapid 10-hour rotation period, the Great Red Spot (or GRS) is only observable from Earth every 2nd or 3rd night, and only during a predictable three-hour window. The GRS will be easiest to see using a medium-sized, or larger, aperture telescope on an evening of good seeing (steady air). If you’d like to see the Great Red Spot in your telescope, it will be crossing the planet tonight (Sunday evening) from dusk to 11 pm EDT, on Tuesday night from 10:52 pm to 12:30 am EDT, on Thursday from 11 pm to 2:30 am EDT, and after dusk on Friday and Sunday. I posted a calendar of Jupiter’s doings here. 

Yellow-tinted Saturn will remain visible from dusk until almost dawn this month. The ringed planet’s position in the sky is just to the upper left (celestial east) of the stars that form the teapot-shaped constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer). Saturn is quite a bit dimmer than Jupiter. To find it, look about 3 fist diameters to the lower left (east) of Jupiter. Dust off your telescope! Once the sky is dark, even a small telescope will show Saturn's rings and several of its brighter moons, especially Titan! Because Saturn’s axis of rotation is tipped about 27° from vertical (a bit more than Earth’s axis), we can see the top surface of its rings, and its moons can appear above, below, or to either side of the planet. During this week, Titan will migrate counter-clockwise around Saturn, moving from the upper right of Saturn tonight (Sunday) to the lower left of the planet next Sunday. (Remember that your telescope will flip the view around.) 

For night owls, tiny blue Neptune is in the southeastern pre-dawn sky, among the stars of Aquarius (the Water-Bearer). The planet will be rising before 10 pm local time this week. You’ll find the magnitude 7.8 Neptune sitting a thumb’s width to the left (east) of a medium-bright star named Phi (φ) Aquarii. The planet is actually moving slowly toward that star! 

Blue-green Uranus will be rising at about midnight local time this week. It is sitting below the stars of Aries (the Ram) and is just a palm’s width above the head of Cetus (the Whale). At magnitude 5.8, Uranus is bright enough to see in binoculars under dark skies. 

Venus is above the east-northeastern sky, barely bright enough to see within the pre-dawn twilight sky that surrounds it. Sinking ever-closer to the rising sun, Venus will be rising at about 5:30 am local time all week. By the end of this week, Mercury will be easier to see than Venus. The swift, innermost planet is climbing away from the sun. Your best opportunity to see it will be at at about 5:30 am local time. 

A Summer Triangle Tour

When you are out on the next clear night, be sure to look for the three bright and beautiful blue-white stars of the Summer Triangle asterism, which shines high in the eastern sky in late July and early August. Once you have it identified, you can find some treasures within it, and follow its progress across the night sky until it finally disappears in late fall. 

(Above: The evening eastern sky features the Summer Triangle formed by the stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair. The Milky Way passes through it.)

Find an open area and face east. The very bright star Vega will be almost straight over your head. It’s the fifth brightest star in the entire night sky and one of the first stars to appear after dusk. Now look for the other two corners of the triangle. Altair, not as bright as Vega, sits about 3.5 outstretched fist diameters (34°) to the lower right of it. The third star, Deneb, is about 2.5 fist diameters (24°) to the lower left of Vega, and is higher up than Altair. It’s a very big triangle! 

Can you see the four fainter stars forming a small, upright parallelogram just below Vega? That shape is about a thumb’s width wide and a few finger widths tall. This box is the body of the musical harp that makes up the constellation of Lyra (the Lyre). Vega marks the top of the instrument’s neck. Vega’s visual magnitude, or brightness, is the zero reference point for the scale we use to define stars’ brightness values. Objects brighter than Vega have values lower than zero, and vice versa. Antares, the reddish star near Jupiter this summer, has a value of about 1, making it 2.5 times dimmer than Vega. (It’s a logarithmic scale.) 

(Above: A detailed view of Lyra, the Harp. The constellation features many double stars, including the Double Double, located a finger’s width from Vega)

Vega also forms a little triangle with two other dim stars, each about a finger’s width apart. The star to Vega’s upper left is Epsilon Lyrae, also known as the Double Double. Can you tell it’s actually two stars crammed tightly together? Try using binoculars. When magnified in a telescope, each star splits again! 

Deneb marks the tail of great Cygnus (the Swan). Look for a modest star sitting about two fist diameters (22°) to the right of Deneb. That’s Albireo, a colourful double star that marks the swan’s head. (I like to think of Albireo as the centre of doc Brown’s flux capacitor. The Summer Triangle stars are the gadget’s corners!) Albireo was given a single star name before telescopes revealed that there were two stars there! 

A widely spaced string of medium-bright stars aligned up-down traces out the swan’s wings. (Look closer to Deneb than Albireo for them – swans have long necks!) The brighter star in the middle of the wing span is Sadr, marking the swan’s belly. If you are in a dark location, you should also be able to see that the Milky Way runs right through Cygnus, as if she is about to land for a swim on that celestial river! 

The most southerly of the triangle’s corners is marked by Altair – the head of the great eagle Aquila. In fact, its name translates from “the flying eagle”. At only 16.8 light-years distance, Altair is one of the nearest bright stars – so close that its surface has been imaged! The star also seems to be spinning 100 times faster than our sun, probably generating an equatorial bulge. Like Cygnus, the Aquila the eagle is oriented with its wingtips up-down. The tail bends to the lower right. Two little stars named Terazed (above) and Alshain (below) sit on either side of Altair, like a balance. As a matter of fact, those two little stars’ names derive from an old-fashioned scale balance. 

Grab your binoculars and look about midway between Vega and Altair for a little grouping of stars called The Coathangar. (Hint: For North American observers, it’s oriented with the hook downwards to the right.) Finally, have a look for two little constellations in the area. Sagitta (the Arrow) comprises five faint stars running left-right, above Altair. The three on the right (west) end form the feathers. Below Sagitta, and about 1.3 fist diameters (13°) to the left of Altair is cute little Delphinus (the Dolphin). Four stars form a diamond-shaped body and another star to the lower of that right marks the tail flukes! The star names for Delphinus include a very interesting story. Look it up! 

There’s one more small constellation inside the Summer Triangle, but its dim stars make it difficult to make out. It’s called Vulpecula (the Fox), and it sits about a palm’s width above and parallel to Sagitta. I’ll post a star chart for the entire area here. Two birds, a dolphin, and a fox! (And – there’s the lizard Lacerta just to the east and a little foal Equuleus below Delphinus!) Enjoy your tour of the triangle and visit to this celestial zoo! 

(Above: The Summer Triangle neighbourhood includes a dolphin, a fox, a foal, and a lizard.)

Touring the Dark July Southern Sky

If you missed last week’s tour through the scorpion, the teapot, and the shield, I posted it with sky charts here. 

Public Astro-Themed Events

Taking advantage of dark, moonless evening skies this week, astronomers with the RASC Toronto Centre will gather for dark sky stargazing at Long Sault Conservation Area, northeast of Oshawa on (only) the first clear evening (Monday to Thursday) this week. You don’t need to be a RASC member, or own any equipment, to join them. Check here for details and watch the banner on their homepage or their Facebook page for the GO or NO-GO decision around 5 pm each day. 

Every Monday evening, York University’s Allan I. Carswell Observatory runs an online star party - broadcasting views from four telescopes/cameras, answering viewer questions, and taking requests! Details are here. On Wednesday nights they offer free public viewing through their rooftop telescopes. If it’s cloudy, the astronomers give tours and presentations. Details are here. 

At 8:30 pm on Wednesday, July 31, the High Park Nature Centre will host a free public Urban Bat Walk followed by stargazing (weather permitting). Check here for details. 

On Thursday, August 1, starting at 11 am, U of T’s AstroTour planetarium show will be a Kids Summer Break Show. Find tickets and details here. 

On Thursday, August 1, starting at 9 pm, U of T’s AstroTour will present a talk entitled A Brief History of Everything, followed by stargazing and a planetarium show. Find tickets and details here. 

Eastern GTA sky watchers are invited to join the RASC Toronto Centre and Durham Skies for solar observing and stargazing at the edge of Lake Ontario in Millennium Square in Pickering on Friday evening, August 2, from 6 pm to 11 pm. Details are here. Before heading out, check the RASCTC home page for a Go/No-Go call in case it's too cloudy to observe. The rain date is Saturday. 

On Friday, August 2, starting at 7 pm, U of T’s AstroTour planetarium show will be Grand Tour of the Cosmos. Find tickets and details here. 

The next RASC Family Night at the David Dunlap Observatory will be on Saturday, August 10. There will be sky tours in the Skylab planetarium room, space crafts, a tour of the giant 74” telescope, and viewing through lawn telescopes (weather permitting). The doors will open at 8:30 pm for a 9 pm start. Attendance is by tickets only, available here. If you are a RASC Toronto Centre member and wish to help us at DDO in the future, please fill out the volunteer form here. And to join RASC Toronto Centre, visit this page.

Keep looking up, and enjoy the sky when you do. I love questions and requests - so, send me some!

[philcoulsonismyhero]

I got tagged in an ask meme! I got tagged twice, and I’m lazy, so I’m not going to come up with my own questions or tag anyone, but if you want to answer these questions then go for it and say I tagged you!

Tagged by @hanchewie​ (Thanks!)

1. Do you have a favorite book? (Or book series?)

I have A Lot of favourite books, but the first series that comes to mind is the Scarecrow series by Matthew Reilly. The best technically-military action thrillers I’ve ever read, with ridiculous actions sequences and some excellent characters. 

2. What is your favorite type of weather? 

Cool, clear and bright. (And by ‘cool’ I mean in the vicinity of 8-12 degrees C. Not cold enough to actually be cold, and still well below 15 degrees, which my family designates as “officially warm enough for ice cream”.)

3. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? 

Hot chocolate. I don’t actually drink coffee or tea.

4. What would be your dream job?

Does Starfleet science officer count?

5. Do you prefer writing in pen or pencil?

Pen.

6. Cats or dogs? (Or neither?)

I love dogs, but cats. 

7. What character(s) do you most relate to?

Oh boy. This is a complicated question. Because the truthful answer is Eobard-Thawne-as-Harrison-Wells and also Eobard just in general, and it’s a weird concept relating to a villain. But the way that Eobard processes the world is very relatable, and I’m 110% sure that he’s autistic in a very similar way to me. Imagine Eobard’s personality, but attached to a much better set of morals and with fewer reasons to be angry, and that’s pretty much me. It’s marginally spooky.

8. Do you read more fiction or nonfiction? 

Definitely fiction. I should probably get in the habit of reading more science literature, though.

9. Do you have a favorite holiday?

Not particularly.

10. What was/is your favorite subject in school?

Look. I was that kid that loved school. I did six subjects in a year where you’re only supposed to do five, because I liked maths, English, chemistry, physics, history and Latin too much to consider dropping one of them. I don’t think I could pick a favourite from that list.

11. What are some of your favorite music artists?

I’m not generally big on artists. I’ll like specific songs, sure, but I’m really picky about lyrics so it’s rare that I can genuinely claim to like an artist properly. That said, there’s this band called The Mechanisms who do sci-fi re-tellings of myths and legends and fairytales, and I’m very fond of them.

Tagged by @squireofgeekdom​ (Thanks!)

1. Favorite place in your home?

My bed, to be honest. But my bed back home is really cool, because it’s a loft bed, ie. basically a top bunk without the bottom bunk. Yup, that’s right. I’m 20 years old and I still climb a ladder to get into bed. It’s great.

2. Is there a book you’d love to see adapted into a tv show/movie/play?

There’s loads of them. But the first one that comes to mind is for slightly petty reasons, and that’s Star Wars: The Approaching Storm by Alan Dean Foster. I first read it more than ten years ago, and it’s always been one of favourite Star Wars EU novels. I’d love to see an animated adaptation of that story in the style of The Clone Wars, but only if it’s faithful to the characters. Because (and this is why this is slightly petty) it’s got Barriss Offee in it, and she was always one of my favourite EU Jedi. In fact, I’d call her a childhood hero. So I was Deeply Angry when the version of her that showed up in TCW was only her in name only, and was not only the wrong age and had a different personality, but also lacked literally everything I loved about the character. So I want to see her done justice in animated form, and adapting this book (which is awesome, and also has Obi-Wan, Anakin and Luminara as main characters) would be a great way of doing that.

3. Country you’d most like to visit?

New Zealand for the scenery, America for the friends.

4. What’s something you’re really excited for this upcoming year?

All the superhero TV shows and a whole bunch of movies.

5. Do you have a favorite piece of clothing?

I have a Reverse Flash t-shirt that I wear slightly too often, but my ultimate favourite has to be my Captain Marvel hoodie. It’s obnoxiously brightly coloured, and I wear it literally every day. It’s great.

6. Favorite place to vacation?

Up north, in the Highlands. It’s really pretty, and also it’s quiet. And there are big rocks that are good for climbing on. I have a huge fondness for both rocks and climbing things.

7. What superpower would you like to have?

Telekinesis. Let me be a Jedi, dammit.

8. Talk about your #aesthetic?

Spaceships. Dragons. Space. Robots. The night sky in places with no light pollution. Superheroes drawn with realistic proportions and practical suits, especially when they’re women. Brightly coloured and unashamedly nerdy graphic t-shirts. Green-brown hills dotted with exposed rock. Small rocky countryside streams. Greyscale drawings in graphite pencil.  Sky blues and light greys and white. Platonic hugs. People who aren’t blood relatives referring to each other with family words.

9. If you could steal the wardrobe of a fictional character, who would you want to dress like?

Well, I already own several t-shirts entirely because Cisco wore them on Flash, so it has to be Cisco. I’m actually genuinely using his wardrobe as a vague guideline for finding slightly more formal clothes that I’m comfortable with. Unfortunately, one apparently can’t wear t-shirt and jeans for every situation in adult society. Who knew?

10. Any goals for the new year?

Draw more and write more. And figure out what the hell my plans for the future are because I currently have no idea.

11. What’s a song that always cheers you up?

Probably ‘Love is Gonna Find You’ by JD Eicher and the Goodnights. It’s just nice, and also it gives me warm feelings because it’s relevant to the story arcs of several characters that are important to me.

[ntrending]

Cold weather is the best time to look at—and photograph—the night sky

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Cold weather is the best time to look at—and photograph—the night sky

When the temperatures drop, it’s tempting to bundle up inside and live the hermit life until the sun comes back out. But cold weather provides an awesome opportunity to observe the night sky, and even capture it with your camera if you don’t mind a little prep work. Here’s why the stars are so clear in the cold, and some tips for shooting photos of the stars from professional photographer, Jack Fusco.

What’s with all the stars?

The air above us is colder, which means it can’t support as much moisture and results in fewer obstacles between your eyes or camera and the heavens. According to Fusco, this is a boon for photographers during the day as well. “These conditions can provide a great looking image at sunrise or sunset.”

It also has to do with what part of the galaxy we’re actually trying to observe. The stars we see in the northern hemisphere winter are in our local spiral arm of the Milky Way. That translates into brighter stars and less light pollution to make things appear hazy.

Find a really dark spot

Even though the universe isn’t throwing much light pollution at you, other pesky humans are with their cities and civilizations. You’ll want to use an app or a map like Dark Sky Finder to get far enough away from light pollution so it won’t taint your view or your photos. It should be darker than the end of a Black Mirror.

“When picking a location somewhere within this time frame, I’ll research historical weather data to see what month has the highest number of clear skies and stable weather conditions,” says Fusco. Clear sky.com provides a handy map of astronomical observing weather forecasts.

The cycle of the moon also comes into play when it comes to finding dark skies. “The brightness of a Full Moon can wash most stars out of the sky,” says Fusco. “For most stargazing, you’ll want to plan to be out on or near the New Moon.”

Bring the right gear

Heading out to shoot in the cold is different than a casual stroll through the park with a camera or binoculars. “If you’re going to be set up in the same location for a while, the same clothing that keeps you warm on a cold hike may not be sufficient,” says Fusco. He recommends dressing in layers. Some charcoal hand warmers don’t hurt, either.

In terms of camera gear, you’ll want a wide angle lens with the widest possible aperture for letting in light—the sky is dark after all. You’ll also want a sturdy tripod to hold your camera still because you’re going to be using a long exposure time, which invites unwanted blur from camera shake. Your hands can’t hold a camera steady for 30 seconds, even if they’re not shivering.

Bring a lot of camera batteries because they drain very quickly in the cold, too. If you think you have enough, bring more.

Get the right settings

Your settings are going to change from place to place, but Fusco recommends starting with a wider aperture (f/2.8 or below is ideal), an exposure time of 15-30 seconds, and an ISO setting (which determines how sensitive the camera is to light) of 1600 to 3200.

If you’re familiar with camera settings, you probably know that ISO 1600 or 3200 start to introduce a fair bit of digital “noise” into the image as the camera tries to amplify the light hitting the sensor. This is another reason the cold weather is good for night sky photography. “As your camera sensor heats up, the quality tends to be impacted as well,” says Fusco. Shooting in the cold helps combat heat build up and can result in less noise.

You should also set your camera to capture raw photos instead of compressing them into JPEGs. Raw photos require some extra editing later on in software like Lightroom or Photoshop, but they don’t discard precious image data for the sake of compression like JPEGs. It will give you a lot more freedom later on during the editing process.

Expect your camera to do weird stuff

“Last winter I found myself shooting the Northern lights in Yellowknife, Canada with temperatures dipping below -30,” says Fusco. “After 3 hours or so both cameras had pretty cryptic system error messages and just stopped working. It took about an hour of warming both cameras up before I was able to head back out to continue shooting.”

He also recommends you don’t forget the coffee. Lots of it.

Written By Stan Horaczek