Constellations

The name Milky Way means two things: the star-packed photogenic river of stars across sky for one. It also refers to the hundreds of billions of stars that make up our galaxy. No matter where you look in the Western Slope sky, every star is part of our galaxy.

Gazing into the depths of the night sky, where distances are measured not in miles but in light years, it’s easy to feel that everything is impossibly far…

With the onset of autumn, the natural scenery changes. From the vibrant fall leaf change at Black Canyon National Park to the changing constellations up…

A few months ago, we toured the Galactic Menagerie in the sky. Today, let’s take flight and do some birdwatching!There are nine avian (bird)…

Long, dark winter nights are upon us, and while we may be dreaming of sunnier days, we must not forget that winter brings the stars to our doorstep. With…

There are 88 defined constellations. More than half of these are animals.While some animal constellations are visible year round in western Colorado,…

As we welcome in a New Year, let’s explore the astronomical wonders that we can see from the Western Slope during 2018.From tonight through March, the…

Trying to find the official constellations can be a challenge, but most of us saw shapes in the clouds without even trying as children. In the same way,…

My earliest memory of the night sky begins with the nursery rhyme:Star light, Star Bright,First Star I see tonight.I wish I may, I wish I might,Have the…

Did you know that the Big Dipper is NOT a constellation? It’s actually an asterism - a pattern of stars in the sky, much like a pattern of clouds. While…