Phil Harrington, Author at Astronomy.com

REVIEW: The Celestron Origin is the smartscope powerhouse we’ve been waiting for

Phil Harrington — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000

I’m in love. I don’t often begin a review by saying that a product has wooed me, but the Celestron Origin Home Observatory has done just that.Not that I’m surprised. Since it first introduced the venerable C8 Schmidt-Cassegrain in 1970, Celestron has established itself as a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge telescopes and accessories for amateurContinue reading "REVIEW: The Celestron Origin is the smartscope powerhouse we’ve been waiting for"

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Astronomy’s 14th annual star products

Phil Harrington — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Once again, we’ve scoured the astro-marketplace to find the finest, most practical, and most innovative products for Astronomy magazine’s Star Products, 2024 edition. This collection of 35 items, in no particular order, offers a diverse selection. From tools tailored for visual observing to those crafted for astrophotography, there’s something here for everyone, whether you’re aContinue reading "Astronomy’s 14th annual star products"

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DwarfLab’s new tiny smart scope packs a punch

Phil Harrington — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 13:00:00 +0000

We have smartphones, smart cars, smart appliances, and even smart lightbulbs. What about smart telescopes? You could say that smart scopes have been around since the first go-to models were introduced decades ago. But over the past few years, a new breed of even-smarter telescopes has become increasingly popular. These next-generation smarties are not forContinue reading "DwarfLab’s new tiny smart scope packs a punch"

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Binocular Universe: Northward bound

Phil Harrington — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Most of us pay much less attention to the far northern night sky than we should because it lacks bright stars and Messier objects. However, that in attention causes us to miss out on some interesting targets every night, year-round. Here are a few to tempt you to look north. We can’t go farther northContinue reading "Binocular Universe: Northward bound"

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Eclipse viewing made simple

Phil Harrington — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Excitement is building for the total eclipse of April 8, 2024. Viewing such solar eclipses is great fun; however, looking at the Sun must be done cautiously. Many use special solar filters to reduce the Sun’s energy to safe levels before it enters a telescope or binoculars. But how can those without access to eitherContinue reading "Eclipse viewing made simple"

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The best telescopes for beginners to view planets, galaxies, and more

Phil Harrington — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 18:20:10 +0000

Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy a product through the links on this page, we may earn a commission. Maybe you have had a casual interest in astronomy for years, looking up at the night sky every chance you get. Or maybe you’ve just recently become interested in the wonders hanging highContinue reading "The best telescopes for beginners to view planets, galaxies, and more"

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UGC 12914 and UGC 12915

Phil Harrington — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 15:00:00 +0000

A long time ago, two spiral galaxies far, far away were slowly drawing closer to each other, until, about 25 million to 30 million years before the image here was taken, they collided head-on. Found 180 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus, both UGC 12914 and UGC 12915 managed to pull away from each otherContinue reading "UGC 12914 and UGC 12915"

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Alpha Persei Cluster

Phil Harrington — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Also known as Melotte 20, Collinder 39, and the Perseus Moving Group, this open cluster is a loosely bound association of predominantly blue and blue-white type O and B stars spanning 6° of the northern autumn sky. Many of the cluster members are visible to the unaided eye and through binoculars. The brightest of theContinue reading "Alpha Persei Cluster"

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NGC 4151

Phil Harrington — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 15:00:00 +0000

NGC 4151 is an intriguing spiral galaxy, discovered by William Herschel in 1787. Modern images show an intense central core surrounded by an oval ring of stars, dust, and gas. Red splotches throughout the spiral arms display an array of emission nebulae, while blue regions mark concentrations of newly formed stars. Studying its spiral structureContinue reading "NGC 4151"

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NGC 1023

Phil Harrington — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 15:00:00 +0000

NGC 1023 is the largest member of a small group of galaxies in Perseus. After extensive study, NGC 1023 has been classified as a barred lenticular galaxy, which have protruding central bulges that taper toward their edges. In many ways, they look like elliptical galaxies, but also share some common traits of spiral galaxies —Continue reading "NGC 1023"

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