Whenever the major yearly meteor showers show up on our calendar, I am often asked: How do I observe a meteor shower? What’s the best
2019 Geminid Meteor Shower
One of the best meteor showers of the year is rapidly approaching. Peaking on the night of December 13/14, the Geminids put on a good
Safe Solar Observing
Looking at the Sun directly is dangerous: it will damage your eyes. You need to use approved optical systems to view the Sun, both with
The 2019 Perseid Meteor Shower is Here!
The Annual Perseid Meteor Shower Each August, the Earth passes through a stream of comet debris from Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The comet will not be back
Earth’s Aphelion and Perihelion
The orbit of the planets around their corresponding sun is elliptical in shape. The other interesting thing about this arrangement is that the sun will
Märklin Switch Mechanisms (Motors) and the Digital World: A Fix
A well known Märklin train issue is with their switch motors. The turnouts on their HO system can be motorized and even digitalized with accessories
CCD Imaging: Q&A
Introduction: As information changes, this article will be updated. It is always UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Every now and then an amateur astronomer asks me what equipment
A View to the Infrared
With the huge popularity of smart cell phones has come the rise of the portable infrared camera. One can readily go to Amazon and slew
Then and Now: Astrophotography on the Simple Side?
I spent some time this morning with PixInsight on a stack of M-42 images. This is the result. PixInsight is an impressive, though oddly challenging,
Comatic Aberration and Chromatic Aberration
These two phrases are pretty much guaranteed to raise the blood pressure of optical aficionados: Comatic Aberration and Chromatic Aberration. There. Did your blood pressure