Current Astronomy News

  • Orion Telescopes – Gone?

    We’re not sure what’s going on, but Orion Telescopes appears to have gone dark. Its website (telescope.com) is no longer working and, as far as we can tell, the company is no longer operating. There were no advance notices. The company just seems to have disappeared. For those of you who don’t know about this…

  • Comet C/2023 A3

    Don’t look now, but comet C/2023 A3 might just be coming our way. Just recently this comet, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, was seen close to the Sun. It will reach perihelion – its closest approach to the Sun – on September 27. There is a chance – a chance – that it might be visible…

  • Omega Centauri & Centaurus A

    The largest known globular cluster is Omega Centauri (NGC 5139 & C80). It is a wonderful target for amateur astronomer – if you live in the Southern Hemisphere. However, for a short time earlier this year it was visible from Winston-Salem low in the southern horizon. Two FAS members were out with their telescopes and…

  • The Summer Night Sky

    It’s summer. It’s hot and it gets dark late, but there are still some wonderful objects to view in the night sky this time of year. Here are some notes adapted from two earlier FAS Astronomer Blogs. The Night Sky In the Summer, look toward the south for these constellations. Turn around toward the north…

  • ZWO Seestar S50/S30 Smart Telescopes

    Image credits: Bill Rankin, Bruce Gavett, and Joe Haberthier FAS member Dr. Bill Rankin gave a most interesting talk at our April 2024 meeting about the ZWO Seestar S50 telescope. Two days after Bill’s talk, the folks at BBC Sky at Night Magazine published a review of the Seestar S50. It is getting a lot…

  • Asteroid Day – Sunday, June 30, 2024

    It’s almost upon us! No, it’s not an asteroid…It’s Asteroid Day! 66 million years ago, asteroid day wasn’t much fun for the dinosaurs. Just recently, ESA posted an article about two asteroids that will have a close encounter with the Earth in the next few days. Despite these warnings, the odds of one hitting us…

  • Happy Summer Solstice!

    Today, June 20th 2024 at 4:51 pm, is the Summer Solstice (during a Leap Year) and officially the beginning of Summer.

  • 2024 T Coronae Borealis Nova

    It might be coming soon to the night sky near you. Yes, it is the 2024 T Coronae Borealis Nova. No, we don’t expect a Supernova – these are massive explosions that occur when a large mass star explodes at the end of its life. We haven’t seen one of these in the Milky Way…

  • That’s a wrap! The April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse

    The April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse has come and gone. At our May meeting, several of our members regaled us with stories about their experiences chasing down this eclipse. Here are a few images taken by our members. Image Credits: Paul Jones, Wally Otti, Frank Westmorland, Sean Wood, Justin Nichols, and Bruce Gavett. We particularly…