Tag: Stargazing

Geminid meteor shower peaks Dec. 13 alongside a bright moon. Here’s how to see it

NeRD

This week brings us what usually is considered to be the most satisfying of all the annual meteor displays, even surpassing the famous Perseids of August: December’s Geminid meteor shower. But as was the case with last month’s Leonid Meteors, prospective sky watchers should be aware that once again you will be facing a major obstacle in your attempt to observe this year’s Geminid performance, namely, the moon. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, 2024 will see the moon turn full on Dec. 15 and as such will seriously hamper,…

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See the moon and Venus take a sunset stroll through the night sky tonight

NeRD

Wednesday evening will be another one of those special occasions when the two brightest objects in the night sky will get together and likely will attract a lot of attention, even from those who normally do not spend much time gazing up at the sky. If you face south-southwest about 45 minutes after sunset during mid-twilight you’ll see a beautiful crescent moon. And floating about 3 degrees above it will be the dazzling Evening Star: the planet Venus. Remember that your clenched fist is roughly equal to 10 degrees when…

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New moon December 2024: A young moon passes Venus

NeRD

The new moon of December occurs tonight. A day later, Southern Hemisphere observers will see the peak of the Phoenicid meteor shower, and on Dec. 4 the waxing moon will make a close pass to Venus in the evening sky. The exact moment of the new moon occurs at 1:21 a.m. Eastern Time (0621 UT) on Dec. 1, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. A new moon is when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, specifically when the sun and moon share the same celestial longitude (also…

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Save a massive $750 on a new laptop with this Dell Black Friday deal

NeRD

The Black Friday sales are a great time to buy a new laptop for less and this year is no exception. Among other Black Friday deals, the Dell XPS 16 is a huge $750 off at Best Buy so you can get this powerful laptop for a fraction of its original price. You can get the Dell XPS 16 on sale right now at Best Buy for $2,299.99. Dell’s XPS series is well-loved by our expert reviewers, featuring in our best laptops for astronomers. We awarded it four and a…

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$255 off for Black Friday, this astronomer-friendly MacBook Air has never been cheaper

NeRD

Black Friday is a great time to go hunting for a laptop and if you are buying for an astronomer, student or creative, you really cannot go wrong with a MacBook. Thanks to Amazon’s Black Friday sale, this 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch M3 laptop is the cheapest it has ever been at an amazing $255 off this Black Friday, making it just $844. Get the 2024 MacBook Air 13-Inch M3 laptop in Amazon’s Black Friday sale for $844. MacBooks are popular with students, creatives and other business professionals and for…

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Black Friday deal: Save $55 on one of Celestron’s best binoculars for stargazing

NeRD

Now is the perfect season to view the night sky and with the Celestron Nature DX ED 12×50, you can do just that. This Black Friday, these binoculars are available for $205 with an on-page coupon through Amazon. Pick up the Celestron Nature DX ED 12×50 binoculars for just over $200 today. In our Celestron Nature DX ED 12×50 review, we rated them four out of five stars and, thanks to the extra-low dispersion glass (that is what the ‘ED’ stands for), the views were bright and sharp especially at…

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Save $980 on one of Unistellar’s best telescopes this Black Friday

NeRD

Fancy owning one of the best telescopes on the market? The Unistellar eVscope 2 is reduced by 20% on Unistellar’s website this Black Friday, totaling a saving of $980 but this deal won’t last forever. You can get the Unistellar eVscope 2 on sale right now at Unistellar for $3919. In our Unistellar eVscope 2 review, we praised how wonderful the telescope looks thanks to its sleek tube and modern, understated design. We also think it’s a great choice for astrophotographers as the telescope is capable of taking stunning photos…

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We love this Celestron motorized telescope and it’s $300 off for Black Friday

NeRD

Are you serious about skywatching, or upgrading from your current, aging setup? Thanks to Amazon’s Black Friday sale you can save $300 on the Celestron NexStar 8SE, an absolute powerhouse of a motorized telescope that still manages to be beginner-friendly. Get the Celestron’s Nexstar 8SE motorized telescope on sale right now at Amazon for $1299. We rate the Celestron NexStar 8SE as the best motorized telescope out there and the absolute best telescope for seeing planets. It boasts a light-friendly eight-inch aperture, an 80-inch focal length and its fully-automated mount…

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Get $80 off this computer-aided Celestron telescope for Black Friday

NeRD

Want a telescope that takes the work out of finding objects? Or maybe you’re buying for a beginner and want to give them a hand? This Celestron 114LCM Newtonian telescope is just what you need, and it’s $80 off at Amazon this Black Friday. This Celestron 114LCM Newtonian telescope is on sale now at Amazon for $359.99. Not only does the Celestron 114LCM function as a regular telescope, but its computerised GoTo mount will automatically find and track objects in the night sky, taking much of the work out of…

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The moon eclipses bright blue star Spica this week. Here’s how to see it

NeRD

Earlier this month, the planet Saturn was eclipsed by the moon as seen from Central America, northwest portions of South America, as well as central and southern Florida. This event, known as an occultation (derived from the Latin word occultāre, which means “to conceal”, can be a startling spectacle, especially if it involves a bright star. But unlike a planet which can take up to a minute or two to be completely covered by the moon, a star, in contrast, appears to creep up to the moon’s limb, hangs on…

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