Venus, the brilliant “Evening Star” that reigns supreme in the post-sunset sky these days, provides a handy signpost this week for those wishing to catch a glimpse of Comet Leonard. Grab your binoculars and find a location with a clear view of the west-southwest (the general direction of sunset this week). Start scanning about 5 PM. The comet will first catch your eye as a fuzzy “star”; if you are far enough away from streetlights and other sources of light pollution you might see the comet’s tail, pointing away from the direction the sun set in.
CCSU astronomy students observing the stars with binoculars and the unaided eye
This time of year we get many requests for recommendations for telescopes to be given as holiday gifts. Purchasing a telescope should be done thoughtfully, as it is a major financial investment (several $100, not counting accessories) to get a good quality instrument that will not frustrate you more than instill a sense of wonder. For this reason, we suggest you begin by observing the night sky with your unaided eye and a simple pair of binoculars. Did you know that a with a pair of binoculars you can reproduce many of the ground-breaking discoveries made by Galileo 400 years ago?
A great place to get started with observations using just your eyes and binoculars is the Astronomical League’s Observing Programs. They provide lists of objects and other tasks that will challenge you to learn more about the cosmos while you enhance your observing skills. Once you complete several of these programs you can move on to a telescope with confidence.
In particular, we recommend the Beyond Polaris program and the Lunar Program (binocular version). Students in the AST 278 Observational Astronomy course this semester successfully completed both of these programs and found them to be interesting and accessible.
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