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Posts by
Bruce McClure
Eltanin and Rastaban, the Dragon’s eyes
These 2 famous stars shine down from the northern sky. Eltanin and Rastaban represent the fiery eyes of the constellation Draco the Dragon.
July 29, 2025
The Omega Nebula is a star-forming region
The Omega Nebula, also known as the Swan Nebula or M17, is visible through binoculars and glorious through a telescope. Here's how to find it.
July 10, 2025
M5, your new favorite globular star cluster
M5 in Serpens Caput is a refreshing sight through a small telescope, as thousands of stars cluster together into the tightly packed ball of this globular cluster.
June 6, 2025
Alphecca, a jewel in Corona Borealis the Northern Crown
Alphecca. Gemma. Alpha Coronae Borealis or simply Alpha Cor Bor. They're all names for a single star, the brightest star in the Northern Crown.
May 30, 2025
Look for equinox shadows in a direct line from west to east
Equinox shadows are unique. On this day - and only this day - the tip of an upright stick's shadow follows a straight path, west to east, all day long.
March 18, 2025
Look for amazing Omega Centauri, using Spica as a guide
Omega Centauri is the largest globular star cluster visible to the eye alone. In the spring, the star Spica can lead you to the giant globular cluster.
March 14, 2025
Meet Taurus, home to 2 fabulous star clusters
Taurus the Bull resides near the constellation Orion the Hunter. It contains 2 famous star clusters that are easy to spot; they are the Pleiades and the Hyades.
February 6, 2025
The mass of a star is determined from binary star systems
Binary stars - a star system consisting of two stars - are extremely useful. They give all the information needed to measure mass of a star. Here is how.
January 31, 2025
Sirius is a future southern Pole Star
Wait, what? It's true. The sky's brightest star, Sirius aka the Dog Star, will come to within 1.6 degrees of the south celestial pole in the year 66270.
January 30, 2025
Stellar luminosity versus star brightness
Some extremely large and hot stars blaze away with the stellar luminosity of a million suns! But other stars look bright only because they're near Earth.
January 18, 2025
