Author: Richard Bartlett

Not long after you begin your amateur astronomer journey, you will no doubt discover “Messier objects.” They are some of the most well-known deep sky objects but what exactly are they and why are they so special? In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about Messier objects and give you…

When you think of star clusters, the chances are you think of a scattering of stars, like the Pleiades or the Beehive. However, there’s another common type that’s popular with amateur astronomers everywhere: the globular star cluster. While not as numerous as their open star cluster cousins, nearly two hundred are currently known to exist,…

There have been hundreds of deep sky catalogues compiled over the millennia, with a handful remaining popular with both professional and amateur astronomers alike. One of these is the New General Catalogue* (NGC), and it’s fair to say there probably isn’t a serious astronomer alive who hasn’t observed objects listed in it. That said, if…

There was a time, hundreds of years ago, when you could look up at the night sky and see thousands of stars. The Milky Way would arch overhead and misty patches of light, such as the Andromeda Galaxy or the Beehive Cluster, could be easily seen from almost anywhere with just the naked eye. In…

Everyone remembers their first telescope – and for good reason. After staring at the night sky with just your eyes, it now seems as though the Moon, planets and even the distant stars themselves are now within your reach. The entire universe is at your doorstep. There’s just one problem: a lot of it seems…