Over 70% of massive stars are born in binary systems, but after mass transfers, mergers, or supernova explosions separate them, surviving stars often appear solitary. Until now, astronomers struggled to trace whether a single star had a violent binary past.
A new study published in Nature Astronomy by researchers at the University of Bonn and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics introduces a novel, model-independent method to uncover these hidden histories. Come learn more in the video and over at Eadsy Astronomy below!
For my article and the LINK to the original head over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK.
Here is the Eadsy Astronomy Newsletter for next week, August 30th to September 5th. Really this needs to work through September 12th as the week of the September 6th I will be in Yellowstone for a family vacation.
Here are the segements if you just choose to watch those portions.
00:00 to 4:03 is Intro; Lunar Phases by Day and Craters and Features to Observe
4:04 to 7:03 Planetary Items and Double Stars
7:04 to 9:10 Comets
9:10 to 10:07 Deep Sky Targets/Objects
As always head over to Eadsy Astronomy for the full article/newsletter! LINK.
Nova Sagittae 2026 or V488 Sagittae (N Sge 2026 / PNV J19450648+1822422) erupted on August 25, 2026, making it one of the most accessible Milky Way transients of the year due to its high altitude in the summer sky.
What it is: A classical nova caused by a thermonuclear explosion on the surface of a white dwarf that is actively pulling in material from a companion star in a close binary system.
Prior to the outburst, the progenitor star was a faint speck down around magnitude 19 to 21, but it rapidly flared up by tens of thousands of times in brightness. Because it is sitting right around 7th magnitude, it is easily reachable with standard binoculars, even from urban or suburban backyards, though it remains just below the threshold of naked-eye visibility
For the full article and finderchart head over to Eadsy Astonomy LINK and join the community there! I have had this up for several days over there now.
Life is sometimes definetly like a box of chocolates and sometimes you just have to roll the dice to see what comes up. Last night was one of those. I wanted to experience this partial Lunar Eclipse and the forecast went from bad to horrible. However, I foudn a window at a place called Five Mile Pass, about 35 minutes from my home so I went there.
I posted the video shorts here on this channel but over at Eadsy Astronomy and I shared the images I took, the videos are all in one place and it covers what I experienced. Was it a perfect session? Nope, I missed the main event but I did maximize my opporutnity and sometimes in life, that is what we have to do.
To get my article, see all the images and videos head over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK. You can join the community there and get first notice of all my posts as they up there first. Thanks for watching!
Tomorrow, Thursday, August 27th, 2026 from 9:24p.m. EDT to 3:01 a.m. on Friday, August 28th, 2026 EDT we have an almost full lunar eclispe. Maximum will occur at 12:12 am EDT (August 28th) when 96.2% of the Moon will be covered. This is a wonderful event that you can just look up with your eyes, or with binoculars or telescope to view.
As always I have the full article over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK and I include the weather forecast as of this morning (Wednesday) for various locations here along the Wasatch Front area. Head on over to take a look.
The future of Amateur Astonomy? Could this be what going to a dark site looks like in the future?
First, Ed's Video:
My thoughts:
As always I have a full article over at Eadsy Astronomy and encourage you to head on over there and take a look LINK. You can join the community there and get first notice of all my posts as they go there first.
The Waxing Gibbous Moon with faint Antares up in the upper right corner
So last night at sunset, the sky was just wonderful. Since the sky was so promising, I decided to head out since the 57% waxing Moon was close to Antares in the constellation of Scorpius and I wanted to give my Eadsy Astronomy Newsletter objects a go.
So I did my usual. I pulled out my backyard old 4 foot long Lifetime table. It fits perfectly in my shed and is easy to pull out. Then I got my Tripod and then the Skywatcher Evostar 100mm ED refractor. My friend Shane and I had recently gotten the old finderscope out, the set screw was broken off when I got it and so it had to me removed. I put in the 8x50 right angle finder I have for it, and a red dot finder.
As always, the full article, images and videos are all over at Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK.
In this newsletter I share Lunar Progress, Lunar craters to observe, 1 a night. I go through the planetary lineup with Saturn now coming up in the late evening and early morning sky and Venus moving from a gibbous stage to a crescent stage. Mars is up in the early morning hours and Jupiter is making its way to the morning sky also.
I give you four double stars and three deep sky eye candy objects to also observe or image each night of this waxing Moon phase!
For the full newsletter head over to Eadsy Astronomy and know that I've added a few videos of objects to go after there!
In the article and in the video I share a pet peeve of mine. Amateur Astronomers who use a SQM or SQM L reading to determine the Bortle Scale rating of their observing or imaging site. The bottom line is you SHOULD NOT do this. Here is review what the Bortle Scale is, what NELM is and the SQM and SQM L and which should be used to determine sky darkness. I also explain why you have to understand the reading your taking, the time of year and impacts to the reading. For example did you know that the summer Milky Way on a SQM or SQM L reading will reduce that rating by .3 to .5? Did you know when we are in solar maximum that that will also reduce the reading by .2 to .4?
I also discuss the 3 ratings I believe you must include in an imaging or visual observing session IF you wish to communicate how your observing location was for THAT observing session. They are the darkness reading, the transparency of the sky and the seeing in the sky. So come learn and I hope this helps to clarify why you must use the Bortle Scale, the NELM and the SQM readings separately and the pro's and con's of each.
I highly recommend that you read the full article over at Eadsy Astronomy, LINK. There is a LOT of information in the video and the article.
The House of Representatives just passed the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14th, 2026 by a 308-117 vote. Its predicted outcome in the Senate is uncertain and faces a murky road. While President Trump is pushing for a quick Senate approval, the bill faces opposition from senators concerned about dark winter mornings and limited floor time before the session ends. In addition it is not high up on President Trump's list of priorities so it really could get pushed to 2028 for a 2029 implementation IF it clears and the bills in both chambers can be reconciled.
So I did something fun. I came up with how this bill, if PASSED would impact my observing here in northern Utah.
I share some of the reasons it is facing opposition in the Senate and review how in 1973/74 the United States Actually tried doing this and it was repealed quickly. Basically people thought they'd love it but after school childrent tragically losing lives in the darkness and no real impact on energy savings or retail sales, the public support plumented and it was repealed in late 1974.
I also go through the pros and cons of both astronomy and in general if this passes. I share an article from KSL News, a local news outlet on the impact it could have on the Utah Ski Industry which I found insightful. I can adjust easily either way so I am not so set on this. I do share my personal preference which is to stay on standard time year round.
Anyway, head over to Eadsy Astronomy for the full article and I'd love to hear which you would prefer and why in the comments. Please keep comments on task and friendly, we can agree or disagree civily and if not, I will remove comments that are not civil in nature as a FYI.
Did you knnow that there are 310 cataloged supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Milky Way (compiled in Green’s Catalogue of Galactic Supernova Remnants), with dozens more unconfirmed candidates identified in recent radio and X-ray surveys?
Because the vast majority were hidden behind dense interstellar dust in the Galactic plane and discovered only via modern radio, infrared, and X-ray astronomy, they are divided into:
Historically Documented Supernovae (observed visually by naked-eye astronomers).
Young / Famous Modernly Discovered Galactic Supernovae & Remnants (unseen visually when they occurred or discovered via multi-wavelength surveys).
Major Prehistoric / Long-Known Supernova Remnants (visible to modern telescopes).
Both in the video and more importantly in the article over at Eadsy Astronomy I go into each of these SNR's that fit into these 3 groups! So come along and for the FULL artricle, and I mean FULL, head over to Eadsy Astronomy and take a look at how wonderful these SNR's are!
I first created my Visual Supernova Remnant challenge I believe back in 2014. I've updated it multiple times and today I am releasing the newest version over at Eadsy Astronomy. I'm calling it Supernova Remnants of the Milky Way Galaxy. I've updated it with sketches I've done and including information of observations and findercharts from R. Vogel, Steve Gottlieb and sketches from Mel Bartels to go along with my own. Huge KUDOS to each of them for making me excited to chase these objects down!
The goal here is for those that want to view supernova remnants in our Milky Way Galaxy and/or image them. I also include two new imaging only challenges that are for serious imagers. They are SNR G107.5-5.2 The Nereides Nebula and Sh2-224 The Rice Hat Nebula, both SNR's found recently by Amaetur Astronomers!
To get the PDF and the FULL report with findercharts, head over to Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK.
Well this is USUALLY the week I don't post much because I am heading out with either my 14' or my 17.5" dobsonian telescope to observe. Well conditions, weather ie monsoon and fires, smoke from major fires out here are going to prohibit and limit my visual enjoyment of the hobby this week.
So, I could be negative and down about it, but I have PLENTY to do and share this week so I'll take advantage of the downtime from the field and show what I do both in the video here and in my article over at Eadsy Astronomy on what I will be doing!
For the full article head on over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK. Please join the community there if you want to be notified when I post a video and an article as it goes there first now.
No videos today. I'll be doing them as individual videos for each of the items in the newsletter. I wanted to get the newsletter out so IF you want to see it or get a copy, head over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK. Again, if you are a member there whether free or contributing, you get the article and videos as I post them there. Thanks for looking and clear skies!
Look up at the autumn sky, and you will find Pegasus, one of the largest and most captivating constellations in the night sky. I've actually compiled two observing lists. One for a 100mm to 102mm refractor and then the other for 14" to 18" dobs, though I'm sure a 12" dob could give these a go also. Here they are. Both lists can be used for either imaging or visual observing.
Please head over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK for the full program, list of targets and a PDF or Google Doc version.
I've shared this before back in 2012 but I feel it is time for me to revisit this challenge (if the weather and conditions allow) so I've updated my post on it.
As always the full program is available over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK with findercharts and sketches. Head on over and join the community there to get first access to the content!
Astronomers have captured an unprecedented view of a stellar explosion that bridges the gap between typical core-collapse supernovae and the universe’s most extreme gamma-ray bursts. A massive Wolf-Rayet Star explosed as a Type Ic Supernova and it the shockwave was captured bursting thorugh the star which is only the second time this has been observed and captured! Come learn more!
As always my article with the link to the press release, images and video of the shock breakout and more into are available over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK. Please subscribe on YouTube and join the community at Eadsy Astornomy for first access to the info I share!
Sh2-91 is part of a supernova remnant that is in the southern portion of Cygnus, just above the double star Albireo. I've observed this object several times but it has been several years. It is on my lsit for this month or next month IF I can get out due to smoke and monsoon. It is my personal challenge object for August/September.
Anyway, this a both a challenge visually and imaging so it isn't for the faint of heart. I hope that you enjoy the images and sketches I've included here, and know that it takes patience and skill to observe or image this object, but I think it is worth it. The supernova remnant is G65.3+5.7 and the giant star that went supernova blew about 27500 years ago or so!
My updated article is available over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK. Please head over and take a look and join our community there. I post there first before YouTube or the Blog here now so if you want first dibs on what I am posting on, head over and join the community. Membership is free and gives you first access to my content and when I do a live session, you can join me for that. If you find value in my blog or my information, feel free to become a contributing members. It just helps to offset the cost of apps and materials I use to bring this content to you and is really appreciated. Thanks Andrew Witt for being a contributing member!
I went out to the Lakeside Mountains to look at some possible observing sites off the valley floor. The North Alkaline Rd Site is a wonderful site but in the fall and spring, dew can easily form on the valley floor. The valley floor is an ancient lake bed which explains why dew in these seasons can easily form in the right conditions.
As I drove down Puddle Valley Rd. I found a dirt road that went off to the northeast. I passed it and then I turned around on Puddle Valley Rd, drove south and turned left onto the dirt road.
I followed it out and ended up at guess what, a corral. The corral was newer, set up with newer wire and boards. I REALLY like observing at corral sites. This had flat areas and was up off the valley floor. The corral would be used to gather cattle that graze out on the BLM land in April and May, then are gathered up in early June.
These videos show the site and it will be where I observe this week.
Around the year 1900, as astronomers on Earth were refining photographic plates and cataloging stars through visual refractors, a star died near the heart of the Milky Way.
It was not a subtle death. A white dwarf star in a binary system exceeded its structural limits and detonated in a thermonuclear Type Ia explosion. The blast unleashed an incomprehensible quantity of energy, hurling heavy elements outward at thousands of kilometers per second.
Yet, if you look through historical astronomical journals from 1900, you will find no mention of it. No visual observer pointed a refractor at Sagittarius and saw a brilliant new star flare into naked-eye visibility. The event passed in complete silence.
How could the youngest supernova in our entire galaxy go completely unnoticed?
As always the full article is available over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK. Please head over to take a look and join our community there!
So I have shared my summer, fall and winter wide field program. Spring is a little different here. There are some definite wide field targets here, but on several of these I move down to the 16.5mm Pentax XW or even the 7mm and 4mm Delite. So with not a lot of fan fare since spring is SO far off from now, here is my wide field list for next spring.
Again, I'll be adding to this and updating it as I do some more research but this is a decent start I feel.
The full program is available over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK. Please hit subscribe on YouTube and join our community at Eadsy Astronomy if you want to get the items I share as they go there first! Thanks!
On February 23, 1987, the night sky gifted modern astrophysics its most significant event in over 380 years. Located just 168,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)—a dwarf satellite galaxy of our Milky Way—SN 1987A exploded into view. Come watch and learn more about the nearest observable supernova in recent history.
For the article and to see more images and info, head over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK and join our community there to get first notice of new posts.
On the night of August 19/20, 1885, Irish amateur astronomer Isaac Ward noticed something unusual while gazing through his telescope at the heart of the Great Andromeda Nebula. A tiny, reddish star was flickering just 16 arcseconds from the brilliant nucleus. It's brightest was estimated an close to -6 magnitude (quite bright and almost naked eye visible) and it outshown the nebula's core. See, in 1885 Astronomers didn't know that Messier 31 was its own Island Universe or separate galaxy. They thought it was a star forming region creating another solar system. Then in 1923 Hubble proved them wrong! Come learn more about the only supernova we've yet to visually see in Messier 31!
For the full article and to get full access when I post, head over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK and join our community there!
