www.skyandtelescope.org copy pastes.

[jusplay4fun]

Yes, on Mercury and binoculars.

I have a telescope, too, but mostly use my binoculars.

I need to check my star charts to see if Cygnus is a good view for me, given my light pollution issues.

I should get the/an APP for finding and identifying planets and stars, but I enjoy the challenge of looking and using my brain, vs. simply point and CLICK.

Doing that, using my brain, I am 90+% sure I found Saturn last night, in the Southeast, about 9-10 pm, EDT.

back to finding Mercury:

AI Overview
The next best times to see Mercury from Virginia are in late October and from late November through December 2025. Seeing the planet requires patience and a clear horizon, as it is always low in the sky, close to the sun.

October 2025: Evening viewing
When: The last ten days of the month, from approximately October 18 to 28.
Where to look: Just after sunset, low on the southwestern horizon.

November and December 2025: Morning viewing
When: From approximately November 28 through December 25.
Where to look: Just before sunrise, low on the southeastern horizon.

and during August 17-20, it was TOO Cloudy. (again, AI Overview):

Mercury was visible in Virginia during the latter half of August 2025, particularly during the "planetary parade" that occurred from August 17 to August 20, when it appeared low on the eastern horizon before sunrise.

[jusplay4fun]

yes, it was m39 for sure. i'm really surprised i didn't see m29 tho. i studied the area for at least 10 minutes. at least now i know where to look and i'll be able to actively pursue it. it is a very rich area full of stars. when i compared lyra, i was unimpressed. i guess cygnus is like right in the middle of the milky way. it's hard to look away when you see so many stars.

show: location

show: not my picture

where i live is pretty dark skies. i mean considering. i'm about 30 miles off the mississippi coast, and right in the middle of national forest so theres no street lights or neighbors lights. it's not arizona but it's pretty good.

while i'm sure i've heard of observatories in south america, i'm not sure which ones they were. so i'll say i haven't heard of that one specifically. but i'll do a deeper dive to see the progress of that mapping project.

as far as mercury goes, i've kind of put off looking for it. it's just so elusive. i think i'll give it a real shot next time i go out west and can see a low horizon. a mercury year is like 88 days on earth, so i think that should mean every 44 days is a good window to see it. i think i should be able to get that out of the way. and i'll be so happy. i'll never have to look for it again.

I found Vega on my star chart. I may go look.

A while back, I had the privilege and opportunity to see Jupiter, its four Galilean moons, Saturn and its rings, and a distant contellation, I was excited to see Jupiter and the 4 Galilean moons see * below). Saturn was a bonus, but the contstellation was not visible to me, and that one had the "best" telescope with a feature to "follow it" and compensate for the movement of the earth.

* Please see:
https://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=226012&p=4998989&hilit=Galilean#p4998989

[Maxleod]

Blood Moon tonight.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/202 ... le-from-uk

A rare total lunar eclipse “blood moon” will be visible from the UK on Sunday night for the first time since 2022.

The moon is expected to turn a deep, dark red as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface.

According to the Met Office, the moon will take on a reddish hue because it will be illuminated by light that has passed through the Earth’s atmosphere and has been bent back towards the moon by refraction, scattering blue light and allowing red wavelengths to reach the moon.

Where skies are clear, the eclipse will be visible at about 7.30pm on Sunday. The Met Office recommends people keen to see the phenomenon plan to be somewhere with as clear a view of the eastern horizon as possible, ready for the lunar eclipse to peak in the UK at 7.33pm. In built-up areas this may mean going to a hill or viewpoint.

The eclipse – sometimes referred to as a “blood moon” – will be visible to the naked eye and unlike solar eclipses is safe to view directly as the moon’s reflected light is not as bright.
Dr Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, said the moon will rise over the UK just in time for people to see the tail end of the eclipse. He said: “The moon is pretty unmistakable in the sky, so the most important thing is to face the right direction.

“It’ll be rising towards the east, and head southwards over the course of the night. As it rises, the most important thing will be whatever is low on your horizon. A flat landscape, or an elevated position makes for the best visibility – so there aren’t things like buildings, trees, or other things in the way.

“A lunar eclipse like this is a great opportunity for observing with kids too. It isn’t too late for us in the UK, the target is nice and easy, and minute by minute you will notice changes – good for short attention spans.”

People eager to see the eclipse are advised to check the forecast in their area over the weekend, but the Met Office said the clearest skies for viewing the blood moon are most likely to be across the south-west and parts of eastern England.

The Royal Observatory said the next partial lunar eclipse will be in August 2026. Other regions well positioned to view the eclipse include Australia, China, India, the Philippines and parts of Africa.

But most of North and South America will miss out entirely as they will be on the sunlit side of the planet during the event.

Throughout history, blood moons have stirred awe and superstition. Ancient cultures from Norse to South American, Native American to Chinese, interpreted the red moon as a sign of divine anger or supernatural conflict, while biblical texts warned that “the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the day of the Lord comes, that great and terrible day”.

[jusplay4fun]

Sadly, this will NOT be visible where I am, in VA:

AI Overview:
Why the total lunar eclipse isn't visible in Virginia:
Daytime Event:
The total lunar eclipse, often called a "Blood Moon," happens when Earth passes directly between the Sun and Moon. For the September 7, 2025, eclipse, this event occurs during the day for the Americas, while it's night for parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe.

This is another event I will miss due to conditions: light "pollution" or clouds or wrong place/wrong time. I did see two eclipses (some 85+% total, for both, but NOT 100% total) and the Conjuction of Saturn and Jupiter (Dec. 2022?), but that is about ALL that is memorable. SAD. Oh, I did see that OTHER comet some 30 years ago, that was spectacular, unlike the last visit by Halley's Comet.

[2dimes]

This is another event I will miss…

You could pack up the telescope and leave town.

[jusplay4fun]

This is another event I will miss…

You could pack up the telescope and leave town.

Blood moon is not worth going that far for me to see it.

[WILLIAMS5232]

when i was researching buying telescopes so long ago, i came across an astronomy forum with advice given to others about the questions i had in my mind.

one guy said, "the best telescope is the one you use" and i kind of knew what he meant when i read it, but i didn't fully grasp the weight of it.

i settled on a 10" with out the electronics,

show: sidestory for jusplay4fun

i haven't set that telescope up since the jupiter and saturn alignment. of course, it's paritally due to my current work arrangement. if i was at home and had a normal life like most folks, i would probably have it easily accessible, but that's just not the case. about 15 years ago, when i was first into stargazing, i would have to go out of town to work, so i bought a pair of 10x50 binocs since i couldn't bring my telescope, i've used those things like 100xs more than my telescope.

on the subject of comets, there was one that came through about 2020-2021. i was working in Abilene Texas and i drove about 20 miles north to get away from the lights. that's the first comet i remember seeing in my life. i was about 6 for haleys comet, i remember my dad taking us outside to see it, but i have no recollection of actually seeing it.

anyway, that's where i stand on all that.

[jusplay4fun]

when i was researching buying telescopes so long ago, i came across an astronomy forum with advice given to others about the questions i had in my mind.

one guy said, "the best telescope is the one you use" and i kind of knew what he meant when i read it, but i didn't fully grasp the weight of it.

i settled on a 10" with out the electronics,

show: sidestory for jusplay4fun

i haven't set that telescope up since the jupiter and saturn alignment. of course, it's paritally due to my current work arrangement. if i was at home and had a normal life like most folks, i would probably have it easily accessible, but that's just not the case. about 15 years ago, when i was first into stargazing, i would have to go out of town to work, so i bought a pair of 10x50 binocs since i couldn't bring my telescope, i've used those things like 100xs more than my telescope.

on the subject of comets, there was one that came through about 2020-2021. i was working in Abilene Texas and i drove about 20 miles north to get away from the lights. that's the first comet i remember seeing in my life. i was about 6 for haleys comet, i remember my dad taking us outside to see it, but i have no recollection of actually seeing it.

anyway, that's where i stand on all that.

All EXCELLENT information, William. I totally agree with your comment on using one's brain to think and to not rely on an APP.

For now, I will merely comment on the topic of comets. In 1996, there were two: Hyakutake (1996) and Hale-Bopp. I will find the post where I commented on them here, Feb 1, 2023.

jusplay4fun wrote:

As far as a harbinger of disaster, not all comets predict war or famine (as was in the minds of ancient and superstitious people). In fact, William the Conquer of the Battle of Hastings fame (and previously called William the Bastard) said that the appearance of a comet portended GOOD fortune for his invasion. It was a good PR move by him. There was the return of Halley's comet in 1985-86, along with two more 2 more around that time: Hyakutake (1996) and Hale Bopp (1996). There was also one that crashed into Jupiter (1994). I do not recall major wars during that time.

[jusplay4fun]

The low waxing Moon passes the head of Scorpius. The best view will actually be in a darker sky than this, near the end of twilight: maybe 75 minutes after sunset. But you'll need a clear horizon in this direction.

and
Saturn was at opposition on September 2oth. This week it still rises around sunset and looms low in the east-southeast as the stars come out, glowing at magnitude +0.7. It's on the border of Pisces and Aquarius, lower right of the Great Square of Pegasus (which is standing on one corner).

Saturn climbs higher through the evening. The best time to observe it with a telescope is late evening through midnight when it's good and high toward the southeast and south.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

■ Tonight Saturn is at opposition. So the Seeliger effect on Saturn's rings should be at its most apparent.

For a few days around opposition, Saturn's rings become noticeably brighter than usual compared to Saturn's globe. This is caused by the solid ring particles backscattering sunlight to us when the Sun is almost directly behind us. The dusty surfaces of the Moon, Mars and asteroids do something similar too, but Saturn's clouds do not. In the case of Saturn's rings the effect is named for Hugo von Seeliger, who studied it in detail and published his findings in 1887.

This year the rings are turned almost edge-on to our line of sight. And they're also almost edge-on to the incoming sunlight. Will this mess up the Seeliger effect in some way?

And:
The two clusters of the Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884) are at very similar distances about 7,600 light-years away. M31, at 2.5 million light-years, is 330 times farther. Fainter M34, another, smaller open cluster (magnitude 5.5), is only 1,500 light-years 0ut.

■ New Moon (at 3:54 p.m. EDT). A partial solar eclipse crosses New Zealand and parts of the South Pacific and Antarctica.


By 9 or 10 p.m. two of the best-known deep-sky objects, the Double Cluster in Perseus and the Great Andromeda Galaxy M31, are in high view in the east. They're only 22° (two fists) apart. They're both cataloged as 4th magnitude but to the naked eye they look rather different from each other, the more so the darker your sky. See for yourself using the finder chart below.

Sky too bright? Use binoculars!

[ConfederateSS]

-------- Wasn't this called Astronomy???...Maybe not...(Drinker posting )...
----------- Anyway...This October, the next full moon...Will be one of Those Hunter's Supermoons...Bright Orange...On October 6th---thru---October 13th 2025 A.D....A Hunter's Supermoon will light up the night sky for several days...The next one , will occur in October 2028 A.D...... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[WILLIAMS5232]

pro tip;
if you want to see the original title, look at the second post.

by the way, i went up to my property last night. nice clear sky, forgot my binoculars tho. noticed Taurus starting to rise. which includes the Pleiades star cluster, probably the easiest and most dramatic thing to view with binoculars.

i used to be able to spot more constellations, but since i've not been viewing much lately, i've forgotten alot of the last ones i learned.

what i saw last night was taurus, cassiopia, andromeda, lyra, aquilla, and cygnus. i didn't look long because i forgot my binocs.

speaking of full moons, as a teenager, my dad would let me disk the field on a full(or near full) moon friday and saturday night. i'd stay out there til 1am some nights, i thought that was so neat.

[2dimes]

"the best telescope is the one you use"

That’s why I chose my Cassegrain scope over something like a ten inch dob. I might lose a little deep space but I can grab and go. As long as I don’t drop it, the collimation stays good. Drive away from the city, set it up on the tripod and we’re ready for observation. It’s very little effort and makes a pair of binoculars seem like looking through a couple of toilet paper rolls.

I don’t fully regret buying decent binoculars they are good for plane spotting.

[jusplay4fun]

only read the first page, getting late, and i need sleep. but i wanted to chime in.

my mom bought my dad a telescope when i was little, it looked ok i guess. they took it back the next day and that was it.

i knew that the really bright stars were planets for a while. but not much more. one day about 10 years ago, i told a friend and he didn't believe me so i went home and started research.

my first telescope was a 5" celestron dobsonian with a pretty flimsy equilateral mount. i paid about 140 for it, it did ok. after seeing the moon and whatever planets were available i got bored. i bought a few books and after about 5 hours of searching i finally found the ring nebula one night. that kind of hooked me.

what i've learned since then, a 5" scope is not a bad start to see if you would be interested. but the main component that you need is a good laser sight. and you don't need to worry so much about magnification. aperture is the key. seriously the laser sight is the most important thing to get, look at the moon, sight it in, and put in like a 25mm lens and there's things to see. and research how to set up the tripod, it takes the earth spinning out of the equation.

i now have a 10" orion. it stands about 5 feet tall. it was 500 bucks or so, it's ok, i guess. but i wish i would have just bought a 16". i can't remember the brand but there is a company out there that makes one collapsible for about $1800 or somewhere in that range. that's kind of the limit i would spend. above that and they get exponentially ridiculous. i think a 20" will run you like 15k

the most productive book i found was "the national Audubon society; field guide to the night sky'... or something like that. learn how to use it and the sky's the limit. (pun?)

you can get automatic scopes, and manual. to each his on there. i prefer the manual because most of my enjoyment comes out of locating the object and knowing where it is. using an automatic is not much of a thrill. you just type it in and poof there it is. you'll never really learn that way in my opinion. one thing is the automatic version of my 500 dollar scope is about 1800 dollars.

if you don't want to start with a large investment, just buy a nice pair of 10x50 binoculars and learn the different constellations. you can see a few items with binocs, and that Pleiades star cluster is a pretty neat view. you can also make out the Andromeda galaxy, but it's not really much to see. just a whispy haze that you probably won't recognize right off. it will at least give you an idea of what you want to do.

A "blast from the past" worth reading for those interested in getting a telescope or binoculars. Thanks, William.