Astronomical League

Astronomical League A non-profit Organization to Promote the Science of Astronomy

Don't miss brilliant Venus low in the west in the early evening sky. Then Saturn appears low in the east 60 minutes afte...
09/01/2026

Don't miss brilliant Venus low in the west in the early evening sky. Then Saturn appears low in the east 60 minutes after sunset. Jupiter climbs in the east 60 minutes before sunrise, while Mars slides through Gemini.

From Cape Canaveral to L2Congratulations to the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team and NASAon a successful launch!Th...
08/31/2026

From Cape Canaveral to L2

Congratulations to
the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team and NASA
on a successful launch!

The Astronomical League's own Terry Mann was in attendance to witness this spectacular event!

• Launch: August 30, 2026, 7:26 a.m. EDT
• 1 million mile deployment to L2: about 90 days.
• Anticipated first light: late 2026!

Exciting times await!

Look for the Astronomical League Observing Challenge starting Sep 1: https://www.astroleague.org/al-observing-challenge-...
08/31/2026

Look for the Astronomical League Observing Challenge starting Sep 1:
https://www.astroleague.org/al-observing-challenge-special-observing-award/

"The Gem of the Milky Way" -- EE Barnard

The Scutum Star Cloud

Culminates higher than the Sagittarius Star Cloud to its southwest.
Packed with Naked eye and binocular sights

Looking like a cloud with the unaided eye, this region hints at sights just out of reach. Bring out the binoculars for a totally different, but revealing view. Mottled, variegated background glows spread throughout the area because of the intermingling of star dust and dark nebulae. The result? An intriguing 3-dimensional effect.

Stars of 5th, 6th, and 7th magnitude pepper the area making a rewarding binocular exploration.

Observing Project: Retrograde Motion of SaturnOver the next six months, observe ringed Saturn using binoculars, then plo...
08/29/2026

Observing Project:
Retrograde Motion of Saturn

Over the next six months, observe ringed Saturn using binoculars,
then plot its changing position among the background stars.

Saturn can be found southeast of the Great Square, fours stars of nearly the same brightness as those of the Big Dipper. In early evenings in September and early October, the Great Square – and Saturn – rise higher at the same time each evening in the east. In November, and December, Saturn climbs to its highest in the south, while in January and February, it drops closer to the western horizon.

During this period, the planet first will move westward (i.e., retrograde) until mid December, then eastward (i.e., prograde). This area is bounded by the faint stars 96 and 44 Piscium, and 20 and 14 Ceti. During most of this time, Saturn lies in Cetus – not a zodiacal constellation – and not in Pisces.

Activity
1. Find Saturn in binoculars. Plot it and the brighter background stars. Include 14 Ceti (5.93 mag.), 20 Ceti (4.75 mag.), 44 Piscium (5.75 mag.), and 96 Piscium (5.71 mag.).
2. Every 10 – 14 days plot Saturn again, judging its location from those four background stars.
3. Continue through February.
4. Saturn will stop moving westward on Dec 11.
5. On about March 1, the planet will be near the same spot in the sky as it was on Sep 1.

Why do this activity? This planetary dance can only be explained if both Earth and Saturn orbit our sun following slightly elliptical paths. Our view from Earth clearly shows this to those people who take the time to look carefully enough.

Southern Hemisphere skywatchers: The September early evening sky is amazing. Scan along the Milky Way with binoculars - ...
08/27/2026

Southern Hemisphere skywatchers: The September early evening sky is amazing. Scan along the Milky Way with binoculars - star clusters & nebulae await!

If you can observe only one celestial event in the evening this August, see this one.The Moon slides through a deep part...
08/25/2026

If you can observe only one celestial event in the evening this August, see this one.
The Moon slides through a deep partial eclipse
In the late evening hours on August 27 and into the early morning hours on August 28, the brilliant full moon slides into Earth's shadow.
• Even though the partial umbral eclipse begins at 9:33 pm CDT on Aug 27, any dark bite might not be noticed for another 5 minutes.
• At and near mid eclipse, many stars will the visible, ones that weren’t seen before the eclipse started.
• At mid eclipse (11:42 pm CDT Aug 27) when 93% of the moon lies in the umbral shadow, what color is the moon? How red is it?
• Do you notice that the shadow's edge is not straight, but curved?

Can't miss the crescent Venus in the evening twilight! View it as the evenings pass and watch its size grows and its cre...
08/23/2026

Can't miss the crescent Venus in the evening twilight! View it as the evenings pass and watch its size grows and its crescent thins. Then, Mars in the morning!

A curious episode in astronomyHave you seen the moon of Venus?Beginning in 1645 and continuing through the late 1700s, a...
08/21/2026

A curious episode in astronomy

Have you seen the moon of Venus?

Beginning in 1645 and continuing through the late 1700s,
a few astronomers, some of them well-known, believed they saw a moon of Venus.

Some well-known people believed they saw Venus' moon:
Francesco Fontana, a Neapolitan lawyer, 1646
Giovanni Cassini, Jan. 25, 1672 and Aug. 28, 1686
James Short, 1740
Andreas Mayer, 1759
Joseph-Louis Lagrange, 1761
Christian Horrebow, 1768
Johann Lambert, 1773
and at least 11 others.

G Cassini wrote of his sighting in 1686, "Venus was then horned, as this object, which was diameter of almost 1/4 that of Venus, was of the same shape. It was distant from the southern horn of Venus a diameter of Venus on the western side."

But these well-known astronomers saw nothing:
Johann Schröter
William Herschel
Johann von Mädler

Likely explanations:
1. Paul Stroobant of Brussels Obs., in 1887 proposed that the sightings were primarily due to viewing internal reflections of the very bright planet in long focal length refractors. Also, some sightings included stars thought to be a moon.
2. Ghost reflections: Internal reflections in the eyepiece, and optical tube.
3. Father Maximilian Hell postulated that this was merely due to reflections off the cornea in the eye.

These observations and claims were made by experienced observers. Why didn't they realize what they were seeing was due to internal reflections in the telescope and eyepiece?

Venus is now nearing its horned – i.e., crescent – phase.
Do you see what Giovanni Cassini thought he saw?

OΣ461in the Otto Struve catalogueObserve it first, then ask yourself this:What is it?1. A very scant open cluster,2. An ...
08/19/2026

OΣ461
in the Otto Struve catalogue

Observe it first,
then ask yourself this:

What is it?
1. A very scant open cluster,
2. An intriguing multiple star,
3. An asterism.

How to find ΣΟ461

1. Locate Delta, Zeta, and Lambda Cephei lying northeast of Deneb.
2. Center 5.0 magnitude Lambda, 2º north of 3.4 magnitude Zeta, in a low power eyepiece.
3. Move the telescope 2º northwest of Lambda.
4. A small grouping of 5-7 stars should lie near the center of a 1º field.
5. Midway between Lambda and ΣΟ461 hides the dark nebula B173 where few stars shine.

Bonus Features:
Observers with very dark skies might be able to spot the dark nebulae B171, B173, and B174

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