Telescope Buying Guide [5 Step Infographic]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:August 4, 2018
Post category:Astronomy Infographic Telescope

Telescope Buying Guide Buying a telescope is much like buying a car. Asking a car owner "What car should I buy?" will lead to a multitude of answers. This can…

Telescope: Meade EXT-125 Camera: Google Pixel Photographer: Kevin Francis

Mars: The Red Planet on Display in Summer 2018 [Dust Storm]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:July 20, 2018
Post category:Astronomy Astrophysics Night Sky Planets Smartphone Telescope

During the last star party at The Virginia Living Museum, I laid eyes on Mars for the first time this year. It rose above the horizon to become the fitting…

Telescope: Cornado P.S.T Camera: Google Pixel Filter: Hydrogen Alpha

Beautiful Solar Prominence [Flares]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:July 12, 2018
Post category:Astronomy Astrophysics Heliophysics Smartphone Stars Sun

Solar Prominence The Sun, our closest star, is also a complex and active part of the solar system. On Sunday July 8, 2018 we witnessed sizable activity in the form…

Mercury: My Astrophotography First Attempt [The Planet]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:July 11, 2018
Post category:Astronomy Night Sky Planets Smartphone Sun

This summer night was meant to be a warm evening capturing Jupiter, Venus & Saturn. Mercury just happened to appear near the horizon and I thought I should give it…

True color Moon, June 29, 2018.

Moon: Take Photos & Find Many Colors [Brown or Grey]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:July 1, 2018
Post category:Moon Night Sky Smartphone Telescope

You don't have to be an astrophotographer to have a photo of the Moon in your collection. The Moon appears, markedly, in all of the photos in with the same…

Beehive Cluster: I Don’t See Anything There [Magnitude]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:June 2, 2018
Post category:Night Sky Smartphone Star Clusters Stars Telescope

Light Pollution In light polluted areas, seeing fuzzy star clusters is nearly impossible to the naked eye. Therefore, when I attended a Star Party at the Virginia Living Museum, I…

Super Moon 2017

I’ve Got a Telescope or Two

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:May 20, 2018
Post category:Moon Planets Telescope

"What kind of telescope should I buy?" If you're like me and you meet any number of novice astronomers, this is a question you hear a lot. My answer is…