Latest News and Posts

  • A History of The Constellations

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 33, Number 2. As we look up at the night sky, we see patterns of stars. For many of us these patterns are familiar, and most were identified by the ancients a few thousand years ago. We recognize the constellations and asterisms such as Orion, The Big and Small Dippers, Scorpius,…

  • Public observation at Pilot Mountain (Friday, February 28)

    WEATHER UPDATE: The forecast is excellent and calls for clear skies Friday night. Come out and join us. On Friday, February 28, the Forsyth Astronomical Society and the rangers of Pilot Mountain State Park will host a free public astronomy observation at Pilot Mountain State Park. The event will begin at 7:15 PM and conclude…

  • Public observation at Stone Mountain (Saturday, February 22)

    WEATHER UPDATE: This event will take place as scheduled. See you there! On Saturday, February 22, 2025 the Forsyth Astronomical Society will host a public astronomy observation at Stone Mountain State Park. It should be dark enough to observe by 7:15 PM. This event is weather-dependent. This post and the FAS Facebook page will be…

  • Deep Sky Designations (M, NGC, IC, and more)

    Do you often wonder what all those designations for deep-sky objects mean? A few years ago, we posted an article, The Deep Sky, and included some information about the various classifications. Here is the summary below from that article. For most amateur astronomers, the definitive list of deep-sky objects was created back in the late…

  • February 2025 FAS Meeting (Wednesday, February 12)

    Please join us for the February meeting of the Forsyth Astronomical Society at 7:30 on Wednesday, February 12. The meeting will be held at the new Kaleideum at 120 West 3rd Street downtown in Winston-Salem, NC. The February program will be presented by FAS member Ralph James. Please join us for an update on Saturn’s…

  • A Planetary Lineup 2025

    Last June, we told you about a Planetary lineup that occurred in the morning sky before sunrise. Now, the planets are back, but this time they are in the evening sky just after sunset! Go out, look to the south, and you might be able to spot four planets. There are actually six, however, you…

  • The Rings of Saturn

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 33, Number 1. Saturn is without a doubt the most spectacular of the planets with its extensive ring system. All the outer planets have rings, but none are as impressive as Saturn’s. As a comparison, Astronomy magazine has a nice poster showing the rings of the four outer planets.  Saturn’s main four rings…

  • Meteorite Strike in Canada

    Just in case you missed it, a video was recently posted online showing a meteorite striking the Earth in someone’s yard. It came down on Prince Edward Island in Canada and was captured by a doorbell camera. Media from all over the world reported on it. For more on meteorites, meteoroids, meteors, and meteor showers,…

  • Mars/Moon Occultation

    On Monday night January 13 Mars ducked behind the Moon for a short time and then reappeared on the other side. Well, technically, the Moon moved in front of Mars. We call this an occultation when the Full Moon occults (or passed in front) of Mars. A few other things are going on as well.…