Happy (late) Space Science Saturday! Did you know that NGC 936 is also known as the Darth Vader Galaxy because it looks like the Twin Ion Engine starfighters flown by the Darth Vader and his crew in the movie Star Wars. NGC in the name stands for the New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars tars which was compiled by Danish astronomer Johan Ludwig Dreyer.

#StarWars #NGC936 #JohanLudwigDreyer #NGC #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! Did you know that the Pleiades, seen in this image, is also known as the Seven Sisters or Messier 45? The cluster is estimated to be 150 million years old, with its brightest stars forming within the last 100 million years. The Pleiades are visible to the naked eye, as they are one of the clusters nearest to Earth., and can be seen from most parts of the world, except the Arctic Circle.

#SevenSisters #Messier45 #Cluster #Pleiades #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! This Wednesday, October 29, Mercury will be at its greatest eastern elongation which is the best time to view the planet from Earth’s surface. During this period, Mercury will be at its highest point above the horizon in our evening sky and farthest away from the Sun. The best chance to view Mercury will be just after sunset.
#ClearSkies #Elongation #Mercury #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! We have stellar news for stargazers; the Orionids Meteor Shower peaks this week between October 20-21! Better yet, we will have a New Moon which means minimal moonlight and optimal meteor viewing conditions
Image credit: Mountain Light Photography Inc via Getty Images


#Meteor #Orionids #MeteorShower #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Bathed in the harsh ultraviolet light of nearby bright stars, the Horsehead Nebula is slowly being eroded away. Along its top ridge, two young stars emerge from their exposed stellar nurseries, while the surrounding gas clouds have already dissipated. The tip of the pillar, however, remains dense enough with hydrogen, helium, and dust to cast a protective shadow that shields material behind it from photo-evaporation, preserving its distinctive shape. Astronomers estimate that the Horsehead has about five million years left before it disintegrates completely. It is part of the vast Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, which also contains other iconic regions such as the Great Orion Nebula (M42), the Flame Nebula, and Barnard’s Loop.

#Nebula #Orion #Horsehead #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! The Draconids Meteor Shower peaks on the night of October 7! This is a minor shower, which produces only about 10 meteors per hour, caused by dust from comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner. Unlike most showers, the Draconids are best viewed in the early evening.
This year, unfortunately, the Moon’s light will block most of the display, so only very patient observers may be lucky. The shower runs annually from October 6–10, with meteors radiating from the constellation Draco but visible anywhere in the sky.

Image Credit: Getty
#Draconids #MeteorShower #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! Polaris, also known as Alpha Ursae Minoris, seen in this image is in the constellation Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper). It is about 433 light-years away from Earth and has a magnitude of around +1.98, making it the brightest star in Ursa Minor. Polaris lies almost directly above Earth’s North Pole, only about 0.65° off from true north. That’s why it has been used for navigation for centuries.

#AlphaUrsaeMinoris #UrsaMinor #Polaris #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! Tomorrow night, September 21, Saturn will be at opposition! This makes it an ideal time to observe the planet as it is directly opposite the sun and will be visible all night, from sunset to sunrise. Fun fact, Saturn is the furthest planet that is easily visible to the naked eye.

#Saturn #Opposition #YorkUObservatory #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #Astronomy #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

Happy Space Science Saturday! NGC 6946 lies 25 million light-years away and is a face-on galaxy, meaning it faces us, which makes it easy to observe. In the last century, it’s had 10 supernovae (vs. the Milky Way’s 2), earning it the nickname the Fireworks Galaxy!
#NGC6946 #Fireworks #Galaxy #YorkUObservatory #Stargazing #SpaceScienceSaturday #Astronomy #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach

This weekend brings a total lunar eclipse, but it won’t be visible from Toronto, unfortunately. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. During a total eclipse, the Moon often turns a reddish hue, earning the nickname “blood moon.” The celestial event will be visible for our friends across Asia and Australia and the central and eastern parts of Africa and Europe.
This September Full Moon is also traditionally called the Corn Moon from Native American tribes harvesting their corn around this time.

#CornMoon #BloodMoon #LunarEclipse #YorkUObservatory #Stargazing#Pollux #Castor #Gemini #Constellation #SpaceScienceSaturday #Astronomy #YorkUObservatory #Astronomer #Telescope #AICO #Physics #Astronomy #AllanICarswellObservatory #Science #SpaceExploration #Research #ScienceOutreach