Four faint stars in a stretched-out diamond are about all that is visible of the constellation Scutum, the Shield. The Shield was described as a constellation by Hevelius, a 17th century astronomer, who christened it with the fantastic moniker, Scutum Sobiesciarium in honor of John Sobieski, a Polish king who defeated the Turks at Vienna in Messier 11 is one of the richest and most compact of galactic clusters, described by one experienced observer as resembling "a flight of wild ducks.
Before the invention of the telescope, the true nature of the Milky Way galaxy "gala" is Greek for milk was a mystery. Binoculars and telescopes reveal that the galaxy consists of dense clouds of individual stars, such as the one in Scutum. For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, the brightest part of the Milky Way is in the constellation of Sagittarius, near the star El Nasl. It marks the "hub" or central condensation; an area of density and complexity.
Even to the unaided eye, the view is one of excitement and beauty. The Sagittarius Star Cloud, about 30, light-years distant, seems to be the nucleus, with the sun and all the outer stars of the galaxy revolving around it at the rate of miles per second. It apparently requires about million of our Earth years to make one complete revolution, or one "cosmic year," around the center of our galaxy. Entrance to Belleplain State Forest.
April The main office at the entrance to Belleplain. This is where camping permits are sold. April The parking lot just north of Lake Nummy. April The path center from the parking lot to the Athletic Field. It is considered by some to be the best place for stargazing on the east coast which is not an assertion that I would challenge. Cherry Springs is located in Pennsylvania about miles from New York City and is open every day year-round. Please consult this list of very highly recommended online resources to learn much more about Cherry Springs.
August Unless you have a reservation then the "Short Term Stargazing Parking" area is where you should park. August Luxury accommodations in parking area. August A large parking area is provided. August Sign showing the short path from the public parking area to the "Public Astronomy Area". August The public astronomy area is huge! August Above image captured at Cherry Springs State Park showing left a before only a lens profile was applied in Lightroom and after right post processing in Lightroom version of the same image.
To the naked eye the actual scene was somewhere in between the two images as a human eye can perceive more than a camera's image sensor will produce in a RAW image straight out of the camera. August Online Resources : General Resources ClearDarkSky - "forecasts of astronomical observing conditions for over observatories and observing sites in North America. Moon Phase Calendar - A calendar of the phases of the moon.
Stellarium - "Stellarium is a free open source planetarium software for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. I prefer the PC version over the smartphone versions. Very highly recommended! Astrophotography Educational Resources Dave Morrow Photography - lots of free and some paid resources. Lonely Speck - lots of free resources.
Full Disclosure: This is to let you know that the author has no financial interest in any of the items, vendors or websites mentioned on this page. All rights reserved. The New York City area offers an amazing array of people, resources and opportunities of many kinds but these don't include a good way to do astrophotography due to the light pollution see image below that is prevalent in the area.
Please note that any lens focal length descriptions below are full-frame size and not equivalent sizes for crop frame sensor based cameras.
Where and When to go to View the Night Sky. The best time of year to photograph the Milky Way is from mid-March through mid-October. What Equipment Do You Need. Camera - Superior low light sensitivity is an advantage.
Essential Techniques for Photographing the Night Sky. The rule - The earth rotates degrees every 24 hours. A composite merge of a multiple of images captured at Belleplain State Forest. April Another example from Cherry Springs State Park of a before and after image can be seen lower down on this page here.
Michael's Equipment Recommendations. Many manufacturers make equipment that is suitable for astrophotography.
Belleplain State Forest. The main office at the entrance to Belleplain. The parking lot just north of Lake Nummy. The path center from the parking lot to the Athletic Field. Cherry Springs State Park. August Unless you have a reservation then the "Short Term Stargazing Parking" area is where you should park. Luxury accommodations in parking area.
A large parking area is provided. Sign showing the short path from the public parking area to the "Public Astronomy Area". The public astronomy area is huge! Above image captured at Cherry Springs State Park showing left a before only a lens profile was applied in Lightroom and after right post processing in Lightroom version of the same image.
ClearDarkSky - "forecasts of astronomical observing conditions for over observatories and observing sites in North America. Belleplain State Forest Resources. South Jersey Astronomy Club. You can join fellow space enthusiasts right down on the waterfront near Pier 1 for these free events.
With the exception of cold January and July and August when the bugs are too bad , join them on one Friday night each month — dates are posted on the AAA site. Gateway National Recreation Area, nps. The AAA hosts events here too, which is the best time to visit — they host at least one event here each year where you can come enjoy the peace of the stars in this peaceful final resting place.
That includes the night sky: some nights throughout the year, they host stargazing events. Keep an eye on their site to see when the next one might be happening. While they are definitely affected by light pollution from New York City and Long Island City, they are also good places to try and go stargazing. Center Blvd, Long Island City, nycgovparks. The Bronx, like the other boroughs, suffers from light pollution — but a few green spaces provide enough of an enclave to see the night sky.
The neighborhood of Riverdale — in the southwest part of the Bronx — might not seem like an ideal stargazing spot. However, the Amateur Astronomical Association holds sidewalk astronomy events at several intersections in Riverdale, including West th Street and Johnson Avenue and Skyview on the Hudson. Another spot that might work is Riverdale Park, a small sliver of possible stargazing in the area. You might get interrupted by the train passing by on the waterfront nycgovparks.
The AAA hosts guided stargazing walks here; their site has all the details. This final borough has a surprisingly large spot where stargazing is a top activity. These southeast-facing spots allow you to look out over Lower Bay toward the Atlantic, offering a narrow band of dark sky for stargazing.
Their website is updated regularly when they are hosting events and where each one will be. There you can go stargazing along the coast, or stop by the Custer Institute for public stargazing on Friday and Saturday nights.
0コメント