The lion’s galaxies

Six low-altitude gems that barely peek above the horizon – all the more satisfying to catch! We’re going low for this month’s tour, looking at objects that are best seen when their region is above the

1. NGC 6940 10x 50 Let’s start the tour with open cluster NGC 6940, which deserves to be far better known. To find it, use the chart to identify mag. +4.2 52 Cygni and pan 3.5° to the southwest to an

1 NGC 697 Not to be unkind, but Aries isn’t generally regarded as a rich haven for amateur deep-sky jewels. However, we’re going to look hard and visit a light smattering of objects near the Aries–Pis

Ron Brecher, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 23–30 July 2025 Ron says: “Many celestial objects resemble animals, but perhaps none more so than the Dark Shark. Its snout, jaws, eye, dorsal fin and tail are al

When the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched on Christmas Day 2021, astronomers hoped it would revolutionise our understanding of the early stages of the Universe. And they were right. Almost a

The Messier Catalogue is one of the most well-known collections of astronomical objects. Compiled in the 18th century by French astronomer and avid comet hunter Charles Messier as a quick reference of