Observing March 11th, 2026; N. Alkaline Rd, Puddle Valley, Utah

 Images from my observing night on March 11th, 2026 at N. Alkaline Observing Site; N Alkaline Rd, Puddle Valley, Utah (some call it the Lakeside area). 

The Constellation of Orion: Above: About 9:20 pm. Below: Astronomical Twilight: 8:20 pm. 

My 17.5" f/4.4 Star Catcher Set up and ready to go in both images. It was cloudy when I got there but as forecasted, at sunset the clouds dispersed! 

My good friend Shane's 17.5" f/5 rebuilt Discovery Dob

My 17.5" f/4.4 Star Catcher with my picnic tarp and rubber mat. 

View to the east when I got to the site at 5:30 p.m. 

Not really an observing report, however over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK I do have a full report minus my sketches which I haven't processed yet. I do include the SeeStar S50 raw images I captured  that night and talk about my aligning process, how I align the Telrad to the Finderscope to the Eyepiece so it all lines up so I can star hop! I share about SQM L readings and Light Pollution Sites I am currently evaluating. So head on over and see the full report there! 

Astronomy News: Colliding Planets: Gaia-GIC-1 — Evidence of a Planetary Collision

 

Research led by Anastasios (Andy) Tzanidakis at the University of Washington has identified a rare astronomical event: the likely collision of two planets orbiting the star Gaia20ehk (also referred to as Gaia-GIC-1). This discovery, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letter (Link below), provides a rare real-time look at the chaotic process of solar system formation.

My summary article and link to the  paper over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK. 

Astronomy News: The Great Escape: How Our Sun Migarated from the Center of Our Galaxy

 

For a long time, we’ve viewed our Sun as a bit of a homebody—a stable star sitting quietly in a suburban arm of the Milky Way. But groundbreaking new research suggests our origin story is much more "action movie" than "slice of life."

According to a massive study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics (see links below), our Sun didn't start its life here. It was part of a mass migration of stellar "twins" that fled the chaotic center of the galaxy billions of years ago.

Article with links to the 2 articles that are summarized are over at EadsyAstronomy LINK. 

Astronomy News: Chasing Cosmic Ghosts: The Hunt for Ancient Supernovae

 

For our first news story today, we’re diving into a story that sounds like science fiction but is happening right now beneath the mountains of Japan. We are on the verge of detecting "ghosts" from the very beginning of time—particles from stars that exploded before Earth even existed.

Article over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK. 

Eadsy Astronomy Weekly Newsletter: March 15th to March 21st, 2026

 

This week marks a major seasonal transition as we approach the Vernal Equinox. With the New Moon occurring mid-week, the sky will be at its darkest, making it the premier window for the annual Messier Marathon which I shared at this LINK. During this week, the evening sky remains active with brilliant planetary appearances from Venus and Jupiter. We are now fully into "Galaxy Season" with the moon leaving the early evening sky, so make sure you get out and enjoy the galaxies in Leo, Virgo, Coma Bernices, Ursa Major! 

For the PDF or Google Doc, please head over to Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK. 

Astronomer of the Week: Annie Jump Cannon: The Woman Who Classified the Universe

 

Nearly deaf and working in a field dominated entirely by men, Annie Jump Cannon had every reason to stay in the shadows of history. Instead, she revolutionized astrophysics. Known as one of the "Harvard Computers," she possessed a near-superhuman ability to see patterns in light where others saw chaos. O, B, A, F, G, K, M: to most people today, these are just a string of letters. However, to astronomers, this is the DNA of the universe. 

For the full article and more, head over to Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK.