Everything you need to know about the Perseid meteor shower
You’ve seen it reported on televison. You’ve heard about it on the radio. We’ve received numerous requests for information via email on it. We wanted to make it easier for you to get to the information you need, so we scoured the web for you to find some really good info on the Perseid meteor […]
Observing Meteor Showers
Fox Astronomical Observatory is located within Broward County’s Markham Park. The Observatory is open to the public only on Saturdays and only from Sunset until Midnight. Due to the single day operation and County established closing time of Midnight combined with the level of light pollution at the Markham Park location, the SFAAA has no special events planned for meteor shower viewing from Fox Astronomical Observatory.
Meteor showers are best viewed 2-5 AM from a very dark location. No observatory, telescope, or binoculars are required. You’ll need a very dark site as far to the center or Florida and away from city light pollution as your driving tolerance and safety will permit.
How to Buy a Good Cheap Telescope
One of the most frequently asked questions we get is how to buy a good telescope without breaking the bank. This question comes up even more frequently during the gift giving season. This article is our attempt at a complete “soup to nuts” answer to this question.
One of the most frequent mistakes we see is folks running out to the nearest toy or hobby store and quickly picking up a telescope off the shelf that promises much more than it can deliver. Often these telescopes are stocked and sold by folks who don’t have the knowledge necessary to guide your purchase decisions or even the inventory required to supply a suitable product in the first place. This sort of telescope purchase will ultimately frustrate any would be amateur astronomer and your hard earned money will end up collecting dust in a corner or closet somewhere.
Dustin’s Constellation Series – Ursa Minor
Ursa Minor also known as The Little Bear resembles a ladle which is why it’s also referred to as The Little Dipper. At the tip of the tail or handle is the alpha star Polaris a supergiant which is commonly referred to as the North Star do to its close proximity to the north celestial […]
Dustin’s Constellation Series – Auriga
Auriga the “Charioteer” is one of the modern 88 constellations and travels through the northern sky during the winter months. It’s fairly large in size and should be easy to identify even in the light polluted dome of cities. The alpha star Capella is also known as the “Goat Star” is the sixth brightest star […]
What is an Occultation?
What is an Occultation?
Occultations occur when one celestial body passes in front of another. These frequent and intriguing events are fun to watch, and provide an important way for amateur astronomers to make significant discoveries about objects within our own Solar System as well as the stars beyond.
Observing Meteors
Naked eye observation of meteors is one of the easiest and most pleasant form of work open to the amateur astronomer. Even a beginner can make useful observations, and it is a good way to learn the constellations. Meteor work is excellent for clubs and societies with little or no equipment; essentially only the human eye is needed.