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Pumpkinova at Michiana Star Party
Corona Borealis shined both as the constellation in the night sky and as Pumpkinova at the Michiana Astronomical Society's (MAS) 15th Annual Star Party. MSP-15 launched on Thursday and Friday nights with clear skies and multiple telescope setups for astronomy enthusiasts and visitors at Potawatomi Wildlife Park on October 23-26, 2025. Lit from behind, seven holes drilled into a pumpkin define u-shaped Corona Borealis, with the Northern Crown and Comet Lemmon visible in the
Nov 111 min read
In Autumn, Find Corona Borealis Left of Big Dipper
Finding Corona Borealis- -site of an upcoming nova --in late autumn gets more challenging, for the constellation is low in the evening twilight, dimming as it sets in the thick air mass near the horizon. You may not have the guide stars Arcturus and Izar to find Gemma, (a.k.a. Alphecca), the gem star of the Northern Crown. The Big Dipper comes to the rescue. Nights in October open with the Big Dipper appearing upright, resting near the horizon to keep its contents from spil
Oct 131 min read
Celestial Targets Transition From Evening to Morning Sky
Sometimes a stargazer's target transition from an evening sky to a morning sky. For example, from blog post October Comet Near Corona Borealis : Opening October, Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon is under the Big Dipper in the morning sky, but transitions mid-month to an evening target. In late autumn, Corona Borealis (CrB) starts the evening low above the western horizon about 45 minutes after sunset. Through the darkness the sky appears to rotate anti-clockwise, or "starwise," aroun
Oct 111 min read
October Comet Near Corona Borealis
One of several comets passing through the inner solar system in October 2025 will be in the starfield containing the constellation Corona Borealis (CrB). So if you are regularly imaging CrB in hopes of catching an anticipated nova there, as I am , you may capture a bonus comet in the field of view. Opening October, Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon is under the Big Dipper in the morning sky, but transitions mid-month to an evening target. After October 20, its closest point of appro
Oct 42 min read
Corona Borealis Nightly
Above video shows Corona Borealis (CrB) images in anticipation of recurring nova from 2024 JUN 14 through 2025 OCT 14. That's over three hundred clear-enough nights in 30 seconds. Images below show images from 2024 JUN 14 through last update: 2025 AUG 23, with most recent first. Note: Unable to delete last two images on bottom, which are repeats.
Aug 161 min read
Celestial Fireworks for Fourth of July
For a Fourth of July holiday highlight you can use the moon to prepare for next year's Semiquincentennial party. As fireworks celebrate Independence Day in 2025, the star Spica is just a few degrees away from the moon. In 2026, at 250 light years away the star Spica is America's Semiquincentennial Star . Light that left Spica in 1776 at the founding of the nation, traveling at 186,000 miles per second, will just be reaching our eyes in 2026! On July 3, 2025, find the star
Jun 272 min read
One Year Later, Almost 200 Clear-Enough Nights
Mid-June 2024 I took my first image of Corona Borealis with an iPhone camera , for I had been hoping to catch a star explode as a nova ...
Jun 142 min read
Dipper Scoops Ice Cream For Cone And Cup
For a summer vacation pursuit, launch a star watch to witness a rare visible nova . In the midst of summer ice cream, a new star may...
Jun 22 min read
Find T CrB Nova When It Fades
What if the imminent nova T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) is not as bright as Polaris, a second-magnitude star? Or what if you want to...
May 252 min read
T Marks the Spot in Corona Borealis
Serendipity makes science even more fun. I've been going outside every clear night since mid-June 2024 to photograph the constellation...
May 131 min read
