5.
5. perseid meteor shower
The Perseids are a meteor shower that starts mid
July and lasts through to the third week of August with
the zenith occurring around the 12th August. This is the
time of the year to be out at a dark location when you
can watch the cosmic fireworks in the heavens. There
are a number of meteor showers throughout the year,
but the Perseids puts on by far the best show. They are
named the Perseids as they all seem to originate from
the constellation of Persius.
Photo: Mike Barrett
4.
Photo: Walter Scriptunas II
4. the milky way
3.
Our own galaxy, The Milky Way, has to be a contender for the top
10. It is probably something you have seen on a dark night without
realising it, indeed the Milky Way can look like clouds drifting by
overhead. if you were to stop and look for a while you would realise
that the clouds are moving at the same rate and in the same
direction as the visible stars. Then you will come to see that what
you are looking at is the light of millions of faint stars combined to
give the appearance of a cloud. Using a telescope or binoculars
will render some of these stars as individuals, but there will still be
thousands combining to form the mysterious galactic mists.
3. the moon
Photo: Mike Barrett
46
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This list would not be complete without the inclusion of the Moon.
Often to astronomers the Moon is a nuisance throwing light over
the night skies and preventing us looking at deep space objects.
However the Moon itself is a fascinating object to study, it is easy to
see in the night sky, and often during the day as well. You can view
it’s detail with binoculars and telescopes to magnify the features
of it’s surface. One of the best advantages of the Moon is that it is
readily visible even in the environs of a light polluted city.
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