Charles Messier

The magnificent Ring Nebula is a beautiful sight to watch in the sky this week

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I imagine that virtually any good book on astronomy would include a photo of what can best be described as the sky’s “smoke ring.” Others may call it a donut or a cosmic bagel, but the popular name for this object is simply the Ring Nebula, located in the constellation Lyra, the Lyra. Although generally … Read more

Our neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy, shines overhead this week. Here’s how to tell

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“In 1976, Janet and I signed up for an ‘astronomy cruise’ to Bermuda. One evening we were on deck where Fred Hess, a planetarium expert, pointed out the star patterns visible to the naked eye. Janet used her binoculars to look at the stars the objects described, and the highlight came when we saw the … Read more