Jay's Astronomical Observing Blog

What Happens to Rocky Bodies like Planets when a Star like our Sun ends its life as a White Dwarf?

2026-11-04T13:32:25.828-07:00

So what happens to planets or other rocky bodies when a star like our Sun, at the end of its life goes through its Red Giant phase, thowing off its outer layers forming a planetary nebula that eventually disperses after 10,000 to 20,000 years? Well this study shows that 21 white dwarfs have a single ring of debris around them but WD J1328-1450 actually has TWO rings around it! In the video I discuss this and review the article!

Head over to Eadsy Astonomy for a link to the article!

Vera C Rubin Observatory Discovers ED138 a New Dwarf Planet Candidate

2026-11-04T13:13:24.748-07:00

The Vera C Rubin Observatory has found ED138 a Trans Neptunian Object that is out beyond the orbit of Pluto at 46 Astronomical Units (Pluto is at 40 AU; and 1 AU is the distance from the Earth to the Sun) and is between 600 to 1500 kilometers in size which object and size woudl make it round and classify it officially as a dwarf planet.

In this video I go through the article announcing this and yes, I quote from it. Exciting stuff!

For the link to the article and for the video of ED138's orbit, head on over to Eadsy Astonomy LINK.

3I/Atlas isn't as Weird as we Thought! SwRi Study using JWST shows it has similarities to Trans Neptunian Objects

2026-11-04T11:08:03.025-07:00

Well, 3I/Atlas as a comet may not be so different or weird after all! A new study just published ocmpared the micron grains of dust off 3I/Atlas to comets in our Solar System an to objects that are Trans-Neptunian, objects out beyond Neptune and found that with those Trans-Neptunian objects that 3I/Atlas has several traits that are similar to those objects!

For a link to the press release and paper head on over to Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK.

Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii Shows Pearl Like Knots in the SNR Pa 30 the SNR from the Supernova Seen in 1181 A.D.

2026-11-04T10:36:59.426-07:00

Gemini North telescope was used by a team of astronomers led by Timothy Cunningham (Center for Astrophysics — Harvard & Smithsonian) and Ilaria Caiazzo (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), reveals about ten times more filamentary structure in Pa 30 than previously seen. It also shows that the radial filaments are made of consistent chains of tiny knots of gas, rather than smooth streaks as previously thought. This knotty structure suggests that there may have been thermal or density variations in the circumstellar medium that shaped the supernova ejecta as it expanded radially away from the explosion.

For a link to the paper head on over to Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK.

A Visit to Erickson Pass and the Corral where I Observe and Wild Horses Visit.

2026-10-29T23:17:59.460-06:00

On Monday, October 26th, I headed out to the West Desert. No telescope, no equipment, just me, a set of binoculars and my cmaera and phone. I just needed to get out to the spend some time in nature, reconnecting and renewing.

I also had the desire to head out and see how the West Desert was after rain on the 21st and 22nd. The West Desert had about .5 inches of rain and I wanted to know if that was still okay to drive out to and if I had wanted to observe to do so.

I found out that as usual after rain and a few days of drying out, there were some spots on the sides of the dirt/gravel road that had water and a few low spots that I could navigate around. However the observing sites were dry, espcially the corral.

So I uploaded my videos of the drive out on my EadsyAstronomy YouTube channel. I thought I would share them in one location for those interested over at Eadsy Astronomy.

If you want to see the videos and the images, head on over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK.

Eadsy Astronomy Newsletter November 1st to November 14th, 2026: The Dark Sky Window!

2026-10-29T21:14:09.284-06:00

I can't believe October has come and will gone on Saturday! Happy Halloween to everyone! Don't forget on Sunday to set your clocks back one hour and enjoy the extra hour of sleep! It also means it gets darker earlier here so observing or imaging can go from around 6:30 pm to whenever you want to stop! I LOVE this time of year! Yep, its cold, but if you dress warm it is the most wonderful time of the year for imaging and observing!

Here is the Newsletter for November 1st to November 14th, 2026. It focuses on the Dark Sky Window. I review the Moon phases and some lunar objects/features to look for. I also cover the planetary bodies up.

The evening is dominated by Saturn right now! Neptune is close by and is in easy reach with a good set of powerful binoculars or a small telescope even.

In the morning the King of the Planets dominates! Between November 6th to the 9th Regulus in Leo, Jupiter and Mars make a nice diagonal alignment! Yes, Mars is right above Jupiter now!

I then review our one comet that is up in Pegasus and Andromeda right now. Then give you two eye candy double stars and a challenge double star each night.

I concluce with late fall and winter objects! Just know on the winter objects you may need to be a night owl but if you give it a few months, they will come up earlier and earlier in the evening!

Here is the LINK to Eadsy Astronomy if you wish to read or get your own Google Doc or PDF of this newsletter!

Time to Say Goodnight to the Bortle Sky System and Hello to the Sky Image Calculator or SPI

2026-10-29T20:05:36.260-06:00

So I spent time this week updating the SPI or The Sky Performance Index Calculator and added multip domes so if you have more than one light dome you can add in 2 additional other domes. My observing sites usually only have 2, occasionally 3 so I've left it at 3 for now.

For the Google Doc that explains it or the Google Sheet that lets you calculate for yourself your imaging or observing sites, head on over to Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK.

It's Time to Say GoodNight to the Bortle Sky Rating System and Hello to SPI

2026-10-23T20:50:14.601-06:00

For over two decades, visual observers and astrophotographers have relied on the Bortle scale to gauge sky quality. But let’s be honest—estimating light pollution based on general visual cues leaves far too much guesswork on the table. It’s time to say goodbye to the limitations of the classic Bortle system.

Welcome back to the Blog! Today, I’m excited to introduce the Sky Performance Index (SPI)—a comprehensive, precision-driven system designed to give observers an exact, objective measure of what the sky is actually giving you on any given night. By combining real surface brightness readings with real-time atmospheric conditions, the SPI gives you a true picture of observational potential. Let’s break down why the Bortle scale falls short and how the SPI system will revolutionize how you log, plan, and evaluate your dark-sky observing sessions

For the introductory report and to get the Google Sheet so you can play with SPI, head over to Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK.

Betelgeuse Is Acting Up Again! What's Going on with Orion's Red Supergiant?

2026-10-23T10:43:07.688-06:00

What is going on with Betelgeuse? Orion’s famous red supergiant is acting up again, leaving astronomers and stargazers asking the same big question: is this routine variable star behavior, or are we witnessing the final countdown to a massive cosmic explosion?"

Welcome back to the channel! If you’ve stepped outside lately and looked up at the familiar hourglass shape of Orion, you might have noticed its bright right shoulder looking a little different. Ever since the historic Great Dimming event, all eyes have been fixed on Betelgeuse—and right now, it’s giving us a brand-new show.

In this video, we’re diving into the latest observations, unpacking the science behind its strange brightness fluctuations, and looking at what’s really happening inside this massive, pulsating monster.

Before we jump in, make sure to hit that subscribe button, ring the bell, and let me know in the comments: what does Betelgeuse look like from your location tonight? Let's dive in!

Full article is available over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK.

Mastering Astmosheric Seeing vs Transparency or How to Read the Sky Before you Observe or Image!

2026-10-23T10:28:05.067-06:00

ver set up your telescope on a clear night only to find planetary details completely washed out, or attempted deep-sky imaging only to be left with gray, contrast-less backgrounds? The secret to avoiding wasted sessions comes down to understanding two critical atmospheric conditions: Seeing and Transparency.

In this video, we break down the fundamental differences between seeing (atmospheric stability) and transparency (atmospheric clarity), how each affects your stargazing and astrophotography, and quick tests you can perform with your naked eye or through the eyepiece before setting up!

Key Takeaways:

Atmospheric Seeing measures the steadiness of the air. High seeing stability is crucial for high-magnification planetary, lunar, and double-star viewing.
Atmospheric Transparency measures how much light passes vertically without being scattered or absorbed by moisture and aerosols. High transparency is essential for observing faint deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae.
The Pickering Scale (1–10) rates seeing based on how intact a star's Airy disk and diffraction rings remain under high power.
The Antoniadi Scale (I–V) rates seeing from I (perfect, motionless) down to V (severe, constant distortion)

For the full article head on over to Eadsy Astronomy! LINK

Astronomer of the Week: Fritiz Zwicky (1898-1974): The Most Unrecognized Genius in Astrophysics in the 20th Century

2026-10-16T11:59:12.724-06:00

If a competition were held for the most unrecognized genius of 20th-century astrophysics, the winner would undoubtedly be the Swiss-American astronomer Fritz Zwicky. A bold, visionary scientist who was decades ahead of his contemporaries, Zwicky formulated foundational theories on supernovas, dark matter, neutron stars, gravitational lensing, and cosmic rays. Yet despite his astonishing intuition, his abrasive personality and radical ideas led his peers to dismiss him for decades, leaving him one of the most underrated figures in the history of science.

The YouTube video covers a lot of the article I wrote since some prefer to listen instead of ready. You can read the full article over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK.

Green, Pink, Purple and More! Astronomers Reveal the Surprising Color Variation on White Dwarf Stars!

2026-10-15T14:30:18.393-06:00

In reading the article,"Green, Pink, and Purple—Astronomers reveal the surprising two colors of white dwarf stars." we find that a group of astronomers from the University of Warwick have shown that a white dwarf star can glow really in a whole variety of colors, including the first star that we ever found that if we could see it with our eyes, but actually appeared green. It's really cool.\

Most stars' color is a guide, really, to their temperature. Cooler stars will look orange, stars like our Sun will look white and the hottest stars—they're going to glow a pale blue.

It's kind of like a blacksmith's iron-glowing red, then orange, then white-hot as it heats up. That's the analogy they use in the article. White dwarf stars: the dense remnants left behind when sun-like stars reach the end of their lives, were thought to follow the same kind of rule.

They earned their name because the earliest examples found they were surprisingly hot and glowed this white, pale blue. So astronomers called them white dwarf stars.

But the real question that this paper answered: are orange, white, and blue the only colors a star in the night sky can be, especially a white dwarf? So the answer they found, and what they quote here, is most stars—including white dwarfs—behave like perfect radiators, so their color is set almost entirely by temperature.

But nobody had really looked into what else might be possible for white dwarfs, said Dr. Mark Hollands, Prize Fellow in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Group, University of Warwick, who led this work.

And turns out, he said, "that these incredibly dense stars can produce colors nobody detected and some of them generally surprised him."

So why do white dwarf stars break the rule? Watch the video or go over to Eadsy Astronomy at the link below to learn more!

As always I have an article on this over at Eadsy Astronomy and a link to the article and paper over there so head on over. Please subscribe to Eadsy Astronomy if you want notificaiton of my items I share as it always is there first. If you find value in this, please consider becoming a contributing member. It helps to offset some of the apps and other resources I use to share this. As always, the content is and will remain free.

Heart of the Milky Way Forecasting and Dark Window Forecast for 2027

2026-10-14T12:50:05.415-06:00

This is a REALLY cool site if you are an amateur or wanting to know when you can see the Milky Way or if you can from a certain locaiton. It explains what the Moon Phases are, what the Dark Window is for observing or imaging and when to focus on that. It also shows you the New Moon dates and windows for 2027!

There is so much here and in the video I touch on it. Over at Eadsy Astronomy I did a full article on it with more images and information so head on over there and take a look. I also have the link to the site and its pages there.

If you find it helpful remember you can join Eadsy Astronomy at Paetron and become a member. You can be a free member or if you find value in what I share become a contributing member at $3 or $5 a month. The money just goes to offset some of the costs for apps and software and other things I use to bring this to you.

Also here on YouTube hit the like button, and subscribe! If you do or have thank you so much as it helps a niche site like mine to grow.

For the full article which has a lot more than the video on this site, head over to Eadsy Astronomy for the LINK to the site and for my article on it!

Who Says Young People Cannot Contribute in a Major Way to Astronomy! The Story of Julian Shapiro and 3 Brown Dwarfs!

2026-10-13T17:34:36.750-06:00

This is a wonderful story how a young man, Julian Shapiro who in high school began using online free resources to develop a theory on dwarf galaxies. Watch the video and follow the link to learn more!

There She Blows! A Team of 11 Astronomers Using James Webb Discovered Thinning and Thickening Clouds on a Brown Dwarf!

2026-10-13T17:32:20.639-06:00

In this article LINK it is announced that using the James Webb Space Telescope, a team of 11 astronomers looking at a brown dwarf 7.5 light years away have seen water clouds getting thinner and thicker on another object in our galaxy for the first time! It shows why we need a variety of telescopes as we continue to explore and learn about our universe above!

Eadsy Astronomy Newsletter October 16th to 31st, 2026

2026-10-13T16:39:09.382-06:00

I am doing the newsletter in parts again. Here is the video on some of the fun Looking Up items for this period. There are some fun things here!

Lunar Targets

Planetary Highlights

Comets and Double Stars

Deep Sky Objects

For the full newsletter head over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK and read it there or get your own copy as a Google Doc or a PDF.

Under Autumn Stars: A Stargazers Guide to the Fall Sky

2026-10-05T23:04:04.798-06:00

As summer’s muggy air recedes and crisp, steady autumn currents settle over dark sites, the night sky undergoes a profound transition. The bright, crowded rich fields of the summer Milky Way pivot westward, opening a vast window into the deep-sky treasures of autumn.

This 45-target seasonal program spans seven cornerstone constellations—ranging from rich star clusters riding high along the Milky Way band to nearby island universes glowing millions of light-years away. Whether observing with a portable 4-inch refractor or driving deep contrast with a large-aperture Dobsonian under dark skies, this guide connects each target’s visual character with practical star-hopping notes.

The full program for the Google links or the Excel or PDF's are over at Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK.

Is Nearby Advance Alien Civilizaiton Ready to Pounce on Us? Most Likely Not according to a new study

2026-09-25T23:01:31.823-06:00

Fascinating article that discusses why none of our nearby explanets most likely do not have advance life on them ready to head our way. Why? It comes down to plant growth and in truth, most of those exoplanets are behind us evolutionary and IF there is life on them, it is most likely at the microbial stage.

To get a LINK to the article head on over to Eadsy Astronomy.

Eadsy Astronomy Newsletter September 28th to October 15th, 2026

2026-09-25T22:11:49.354-06:00

This is the next installment of the newsletter. It is for September 28th through October 15th, 2026. During this period we move from a waxing gibbous moon to last quarter and then new moon. Finally we end with the waxing crescent.

Lots to see and observe during this period. Plenty of lunar features, craters, planetary highlights! We say goodbye to Venus being the evening star as the planet will soon transition back to the morning sky. Saturn rules the evening into the early morning! Pre Dawn Mars is positioned well.

We have two comets we can chase though one is early evening and the other will not be favorable until late November here in the northern hempisphere.

Finally, I share an abundance of both easy, intermediete and challenging deep sky targets. We include many fall ones and a few late summers as we say goodbye to those summer constellations and objects.

The full newsletter is over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK and you can get a PDF or a Google Doc version there. Please hit the like button, subsribe and thank you if you do or have. We are trying to reach 500 subscribers by the end of October.

Welcome to Crater McGetchin as NASA Discovers the Newest Crater on the Moon!!!

2026-09-17T15:04:53.686-06:00

NASA Scientist with the LROC, Robert Wagner, and no, not the actor, has discovered the newest and largest crater in our Solar System recently. The crater is named officially McGetchin, after Tom McGetchin, a pioneering lunar scientist. It is estimated that the crater formed between April 11th and May 22nd 2024. The cause was most likely a comet or asteroid the size of a three story building that impacted the surface!

The newly formed crater is 728 feet wide, spanning the length of almost two football fied. It is 141 feet deep

As always I have a full article and images over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK.

3 Articles: Venus ate its moon for breakfast; IC 348, New Info on Brown Dwarfs; Alma Watches a Massive Binary Star System Develop in Real Time

2026-09-17T12:15:09.712-06:00

Venus ate its moon for breakfast!

IC 348 and New Info on Brown Dwarf Stars

Also, on this object I do have a FULL article on it on Eadsy Astronomy LINK and I tie in that you can image or visually observe this object for youself. I think that makes it rather cool to tie in what we learn about it to our own imaging or observing!

ALMA Watches a Massive Binary Star System Develop in Real Time!

The telescope ALMA was used by astronomers to caputure one of the most detailed images of a massive binary star system being born!

They tracked the motions of these two stars for the last 8 years and found that the pair follow a highly stretched out orbit and are surrounded by strongly tilted disks. This suggest that the the two stars didn't form together from a single spinning disk of material as is often assumed. Instead they formed independent of each otehr and entered into their binary relationship during a close and chance gravational encounter.

I have a full article if you want to read this and a link to the orginial article over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK.

Eadsy Astronomy Newsletter for September 16th to September 27th, 2026

2026-09-16T21:22:31.393-06:00

Here is the Eadsy Astronomy Newsletter for September 16th to September 27th, 2026. I am moving to do two a month now, a lunar and double star with comets focus for the waxing Moon period. Then the second will be a waning gibbous to New Moon period for a focus on Deep Sky Observing and imaging each month .

Here I give 2 eye candy targets for lunar objects and double stars each night and 1 challenging object for the Moon and for Double Stars. I share some eye candy deep sky objects with an emphasis on open clusters and bright Messier's. I also discuss in detail the 3 comets that we have that we can still image or observe right now!

I also review the planetary objects in our sky from bright Venus (which you can see low on the western sky in the image I took on September 14th from the West Desert of Utah with a waxing Crescent Moon chasing it) at around mag -4.1 or so to Saturn and Neptune which by 10pm or 11pm here in Utah are position great for observing during this period. Finally Mars and Jupiter are up in the early morning.

Because I have a variety of objects up in the early morning, on the double stars and deep sky objects I am going to include some of the winter objects that are now up in the early morning sky!

Also, on the Google Doc I've updated it to where there are drop downs so you can focus on day, challenging or eye candy objects etc. I hope the drop downs help you to use the newsletter a little bit easier.

To see and/or get a copy of the Newsletter, head over to Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK. If you find value, please consider joining our community there as you get first notice of my posts, docs and other information as I always post there first. Materials are free but if you find value in this, and want to make a donation or become a contributing member you can at the $3.00 or $5.00 a month level. Donations cover some of the apps, materials and other items I use to bring this to you. I appreciate those that are contributing members!

My Observing Setup on September 14th, 2026 in Puddle Valley, Utah West Desert

2026-09-15T10:35:49.250-06:00

Went observing last night and the clouds went away after sunset! Wonderful night and can I say that SN 2026 aaiv in NGC 7331 visually is AMAZING in my 17.5"! Look for my report in the next couple of days over at Eadsy Astronomy!

Video on the Belt of Venus with Grand Tetons in Background with Explanation; Observing with Sketches September 7th and 9th, 2026 and SeeStar Images

2026-09-14T12:25:07.846-06:00

just show my recap of my observing from September 7th, 2026 near Ashton Idaho (north of there) in SQM skies of 21.8 to 21.9. I show the Milky Way and my sketches and SeeStar Images from two nights (September 7th and September 9th, 2026 for the SeeStar).

To read and watch all the material head over to Eadsy Astronomy and please join our community there to get first notice and my indepth articles on my observing and other information there! LINK.

Lightning Can Strike Twice! A second Type Ia Supernova in NGC 7331 in 14 months!

2026-09-14T11:22:29.723-06:00

The unbarred spiral galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegasus—often referred to as "the Milky Way’s twin"—has offered observers a rare occurrence. Between July 2025 and September 2026, the galaxy hosted two consecutive Type Ia supernovae.

Let me share that this is significantly rare. Extragalactic supernovae typically erupt once per galaxy every few centuries, making back-to-back "supernova siblings" within ~14 months in a single target a fascinating cosmic coincidence.

SN 2025rbs (Discovered July 14, 2025)

Classification: Type Ia

Discovery Team: Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) survey

Discovery Magnitude: m 17.0

Peak Magnitude: m 12.0 - 13.5

SN 2026aaiv

Classification: Type Ia

Discovery Team: Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey

Discovery Magnitude: m 17.3

Peak/Current Magnitude: m 12.5-13.0

For my full article head over to Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK and to see images of last year's and this year's supernova there and my sketches of NGC 7331.