Old friends return.
The weather is getting colder and the days are getting shorter (for those of us in the U.S.), and while many people I know dread the coming of fall and winter, I’m excited. Shorter days mean longer nights for stargazing, and that’s when my old friends return.
I’ve spent the last few months excited over the usual summer sky objects. The Hercules Globular Cluster, the Double Cluster in Perseus, Albireo, the Andromeda Galaxy, Mizar and Alkor, the Whirlpool Galaxy, the Ring Nebula, and the Dumbbell Nebula are my personal favorites. The coming months will bring my winter sky favorites, and I find myself increasingly excited to see these “old friends.” The Pleiades, the Beehive Cluster, Jupiter, Saturn, the riches of the constellation Orion (the Orion Nebula, the Trapezium, a neat “S” of stars between the belt), and Sirius.
Comet ISON is approaching, too! I don’t want to speak too much on this, because it’s either going to be one of the most spectacular astronomical sights in recent memory, or it’s doing to be a dud. We shall see.
I’m very excited to see Jupiter again. I could spend an entire blog post talking about it, and I probably will.
Happy stargazing!
About Michael
Michael Terracciano loves comic books, superheroes, outer space, and telling stories. His friends call him "Mookie." He spent the last ten years as the author and artist of the fantasy webcomic, "Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire." He enjoys spending time with his wife and their three cats. His favorite planet is Jupiter because it's awesome. He wants having superpowers to be fun again, and for this to be a universe you want to escape to, not from. He hopes you enjoy reading Star Power.