Hercules

An image like this shows that our galaxy is always "partly cloudy." Not unlike Earthly clouds that block parts of the sky (say on a starry night), tremendous clouds of gas and dust obscure the things that are beyond them.

2022, July 22: Morning Planet Alignment, Ophiuchus after Nightfall

By Jeffrey L. Hunt on June 21, 2022 • ( 0 )

July 22, 2022: In the morning planet parade, the crescent moon is between Mars and the Pleiades star cluster. Through a binocular the moon is near Uranus. After sundown, Ophiuchus is in the south.

This stunning image, captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), shows part of the sky in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer). The region is rendered in exquisite detail — deep red and bright blue stars are scattered across the frame, set against a background of thousands of more distant stars and galaxies. Two features are particularly striking: the colors of the stars, and the dramatic crosses that burst from the centers of the brightest bodies.

2022, July 17: Morning Moon, Evening Hero High

By Jeffrey L. Hunt on June 16, 2022 • ( 0 )

July 17, 2022: The gibbous moon is between Jupiter and Saturn this morning. Morning Star Venus and Mars are farther eastward. After night falls, Hercules can be seen high in the south.

Photo Caption - Globular clusters are inherently beautiful objects, but the subject of this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image, Messier 3, is commonly acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful of them all. (NASA/ESA Photo)

2021, Early July: Hero Highest

By Jeffrey L. Hunt on July 1, 2021 • ( 0 )

July, 2021: During the early evening sky, Hercules is nearly overhead as evening twilight ends. The constellation has a spectacular star cluster.

When the Curves Line Up

Watching the Sun, Moon and Planets

Hercules

2022, July 22: Morning Planet Alignment, Ophiuchus after Nightfall

2022, July 17: Morning Moon, Evening Hero High

2021, Early July: Hero Highest