Naked eye and binocular targets

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

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 Oct 00:00 AEST (30 Sep, 14:00 UT) 15 Oct 23:00 AEDT (12:00 UT) 31 Oct 22:00 AEDT (11:00 UT) The chart accurately matches the sky on the dates and times shown for Sydney, Australia. The sky is differ

Thursday 2 Dwarf planet Ceres reaches opposition in the constellation of Cetus, shining at mag. +7.6. Find further details on page 47. Friday ▶ 3 Tonight and the night of 17/18 October are good times

The worst time to look at the Moon is when it’s full, right? Not necessarily. It’s true that at full Moon, sunlight hits the surface head-on, flattening the appearance of its rugged landscape of deep

The beauty of sky gazing is how simple and adaptable it is. Begin whenever you have some time outside or near a window where you can see the sky, even if it’s just a patch. When you feel emotionally overloaded or flat, try it for a few minutes at a time.