来月も、空を见上げる楽しみをさらにご绍介いたします！

鲍狈滨厂罢贰尝尝础搁と一绪に、星空観察をお楽しみください。

Further readings

このハロウィーンに接近する二つの恐ろしい天体：东のベール星云とウィザード星云

北半球に秋が訪れる頃、夜空にはささやくように現れる二つの神秘的な天体が姿を現す。今シーズンは望遠鏡を手に、白鳥座とケフェウス座の星座へと視線を向けてみよう。そこには二つの天体の影が待っている──東ベール星雲（NGC 6992）とウィザード星雲（NGC 7380）である。

この秋、望远镜で夜空を追いながら、これらの不気味な天体に目を留めてみよう。东のベール星云とウィザード星云は、星々の间にひっそりと潜む存在が、见つめる者たちを静かに待ち続けていることを教えてくれる。

晴天です。観测をお楽しみください。

鲍狈滨厂罢贰尝尝础搁で素敌な星空観察をお楽しみください。

Further readings

10月になると、夜は早く访れ、雾が立ち込め始め、星々が数えきれないほどに辉く。想像力が科学と交わる月——一点の光さえも宇宙の神秘へと変わる。

ハロウィーンには、空が奇妙な光景へと変わる：星々の间に、魔术师のシルエット、星の幽霊、魔法の球体が潜んでいる…それらを明らかにするのは、あなた次第だ。

皆様のインスピレーションとなるよう、ハロウィーンの到来を告げる3つの兴味深い天体を観察しました：

さあ、次はあなたの番です。望远镜を手に取り、ハロウィーン前にこの天体探検に参加しましょう！

次号のニュースレターでは、ご承诺をいただいた上で、优れた観察记録を掲载させていただきます。

来月も、空を见上げる理由をお届けします！

鲍狈滨厂罢贰尝尝础搁で素敌な星空観察を。

Further readings

その他の资料

Getting a paper published in a scientific journal is a major achievement for any scientist, giving them the chance to share the new discoveries they’ve made. But you don’t need to have a fancy degree or work at a university to make scientific discoveries. With the right tools, anyone can contribute to science.

In just the past few years, Unistellar Citizen Astronomers have been recognized in multiple scientific publications on exoplanets, space missions and more. That comes thanks to the partnership between Unistellar and the SETI Institute, which gives astronomers access to Unistellar Network data for their research. As research grows in scope, astronomers simply don’t have the resources to make all the observations they need to understand our universe. That’s where Unistellar Network members come in.

A map of member locations around the globe.?

Future observations can help astronomers discover new exoplanets, get better data on the size and orbit of potentially hazardous Near-Earth Asteroids, and keep an eye on ongoing space missions. Unistellar has lots of resources for Citizen Astronomers – plus, the ease-of-use of the Unistellar telescopes and dedicated app make doing Citizen Astronomy fun and approachable for anyone.

To learn more, check out our index of scientific publications featuring Unistellar Network contributions:

Peer-Reviewed Articles

• Sicardy, B., et al., Constraints on Trito atmospheric evolution from occultations: 1989-2022, A&A, in press, 2024 https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.02476

• Graykowski, A. et al., Faint Comet Detection with Unistellar eVscopes,? Research Notes of the AAS, Volume 8, Issue 2, id.41. , 2024 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/ad25f9

• Pereira, C. L. et al., the two Rings of (50000) Quaoar, A&A, 673 L4, 14, 2023

• Graykowski, A. et al., Light Curves and Colours of the Ejecta from Dimorphos after the DART impact, Nature 6161, 5957, 461-464, 2023 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05852-9

• Yoshida, F. et al., Multi-chord observation of stellar occultation by the near-Earth asteroid (3200) Phaethon on October 3, 2021 (UTC) with very high accuracy, Publication of the Astronomical Society of Japan, 75, 1, 2023 https://academic.oup.com/pasj/article/75/1/153/6947807
• Lambert, R. et al., Rotation Period Determination for (7335) 1989JA, Minor Planet Bulletin, 50,1, 16-17, 2023 https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2023MPBu…50…16L
• Peluso, D. O., et al., The Unistellar Exoplanet Campaign:? Citizen Science Results and Inherent Education Opportunities, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2135, 1043, 2023 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05852-9
• Perrocheau, A., ?????????????????????????????????????A 16 Hour Transit of Kepler-167 e Observed by the Ground-based Unistellar Telescope Network. The Astrophysical Journal Letters?940.2 (2022): L39.
• Cazeneuve, D., et al., ODNET, The Astrophysical Journal, 165, 1, 11, 2023 https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2023MPBu…50…16L
• Sibbernsen, K. 2022. Electronic telescopes and their use in astronomy education. The Physics Teacher, 60(5), 394.
• Barbosa, D., Coelho, B., Bergano, M., Magalh?es, C., Mendon?a, D., Silva, D., Correia, A.C. M., Pandeirada, J., Ribeiro, V., Esposito, T., Marchis, F., 2022. Cyber-Cosmos: A new citizen science concept in a dark sky destination. Acta Astronaut. 200, 612–619.
• Pearson, K.A., Beichman, C., Fulton, B.J., Esposito, T.M., Zellem, R.T., Ciardi, D.R., Rolfness, J., Engelke, J., Fatahi, T., Zimmerman-Brachman, R., Avsar, A., Bhalerao Varun, D., Boyce, P., Bretton, M., Burnett, A.D., Burt, J., Fowler, M., Gallego, D., Gomez, E., Guillet, B., Hilburn, J., Jongen, Y., Kataria, T., Kokori, A., Kumar, H., Kuossari, P., Lekkas, G., Marchini, A., Meneghelli, N., Ngeow, C.-C., Primm, M., Samantaray, S., Shimizu, M., Silvis, G., Sienkiewicz, F., Swain, V., Tan, J., Tock, K., Wagner, K., Wünsche, A., 2022. Utilizing a global network of telescopes to update the ephemeris for the highly eccentric planet HD 80606 b and to ensure the efficient scheduling of JWST. The Astronomical Journal 164.5 (2022): 178.
• Wang, X.-Y., Rice, M., Wang, S., Pu, B., Stefánsson, G., Mahadevan, S., Radzom, B., Giacalone, S., Wu, Z.-Y., Esposito, T.M., Dalba, P.A., Avsar, A., Holden, B., Skiff, B., Polakis, T., Voeller, K., Logsdon, S.E., Klusmeyer, J., Schweiker, H., Wu, D.-H., Beard, C., Dai, F., Lubin, J., Weiss, L.M., Bender, C.F., Blake, C.H., Dressing, C.D., Halverson, S., Hearty, F., Howard, A.W., Huber, D., Isaacson, H., Jackman, J.A. ~G., Llama, J., McElwain, M.W., Rajagopal, J., Roy, A., Robertson, P., Schwab, C., Shkolnik, E.L., Wright, J.T., Laughlin, G., 2022. The Aligned Orbit of WASP-148b, the Only Known Hot Jupiter with a nearby Warm Jupiter Companion, from NEID and HIRES. The Astrophysical Journal Letters?926, L8.
• Dalba, P.A., Kane, S.R., Dragomir, D., Villanueva, S., Collins, K.A., Jacobs, T.L., LaCourse, D.M., Gagliano, R., Kristiansen, M.H., Omohundro, M., Schwengeler, H.M., Terentev, I.A., Vanderburg, A., Fulton, B., Isaacson, H., Van Zandt, J., Howard, A.W., Thorngren, D.P., Howell, S.B., Batalha, N.M., Chontos, A., Crossfield, I.J. M., Dressing, C.D., Huber, D., Petigura, E.A., Robertson, P., Roy, A., Weiss, L.M., Behmard, A., Beard, C., Brinkman, C.L., Giacalone, S., Hill, M.L., Lubin, J., Mayo, A.W., Mo?nik, T., Akana Murphy, J.M., Polanski, A.S., Rice, M., Rosenthal, L.J., Rubenzahl, R.A., Scarsdale, N., Turtelboom, E. V, Tyler, D., Benni, P., Boyce, P., Esposito, T.M., Girardin, E., Laloum, D., Lewin, P., Mann, C.R., Marchis, F., Schwarz, R.P., Srdoc, G., Steuer, J., Sivarani, T., Unni, A., Eisner, N.L., Fetherolf, T., Li, Z., Yao, X., Pepper, J., Ricker, G.R., Vanderspek, R., Latham, D.W., Seager, S., Winn, J.N., Jenkins, J.M., Burke, C.J., Eastman, J.D., Lund, M.B., Rodriguez, D.R., Rowden, P., Ting, E.B., Villase?or, J.N., 2022. The TESS-Keck Survey. VIII. Confirmation of a Transiting Giant Planet on an Eccentric 261 Day Orbit with the Automated Planet Finder Telescope. The Astronomical Journal. 163, 61.
• Marchis, F., Malvache, A., Marfisi, L., Borot, A., Arbouch, E., 2020. Unistellar eVscopes: Smart, portable, and easy-to-use telescopes for exploration, interactive learning, and citizen astronomy. Acta Astronaut. 166, 23–28.
• Zellem, R.T., Pearson, K.A., Blaser, E., Fowler, M., Ciardi, D.R., Biferno, A., Massey, B., Marchis, F., Baer, R., Ball, C., Chasin, M., Conley, M., Dixon, S., Fletcher, E., Hernandez, S., Nair, S., Perian, Q., Sienkiewicz, F., Tock, K., Vijayakumar, V., Swain, M.R., Roudier, G.M., Bryden, G., Conti, D.M., Hill, D.H., Hergenrother, C.W., Dussault, M., Kane, S.R., Fitzgerald, M., Boyce, P., Peticolas, L., Gee, W., Cominsky, L., Zimmerman-Brachman, R., Smith, D., Creech-Eakman, M.J., Engelke, J., Iturralde, A., Dragomir, D., Jovanovic, N., Lawton, B., Arbouch, E., Kuchner, M., Malvache, A., 2020. Utilizing Small Telescopes Operated by Citizen Scientists for Transiting Exoplanet Follow-up. Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 132, 054401.

Conference Proceedings

• Marchis, F., Esposito, T., Lambert, R., Dalba, P., 2022. New Astronomy with the Unistellar Network, in: IAC 2022 Congress Proceedings, 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Paris, France.

• Lambert, R. A., Marchis, F., Asencio, J., Blaclard, G., Sgro, L. A., Giorgini, J. D., Plavchan, P., White, T., Verveen, A., Goto, T., Kuossari, P., Sethu, N., Loose, M. A., Will, S., Sibbernsen, K., Pickering, J. W., Randolph, J., Fukui, K., Huet, P., Guillet, B., Clerget, O., Stahl, S., Yoblonsky, N., Lauvernier, M., Matsumura, T., Yamato, M., Laugier, J.-M., Brodt-Vilain, O., Espudo, A., Kukita, R., Iida, S., Kardel, S., Green, D., Tikkanen, P., Douvas, A., Billiani, M., Knight, G., Ryno, M., Simard, G., Knight, R., Primm, M., Wildhagen, B., Poncet, J., Frachon, T., Shimizu, M., Jackson, A., Parker, B., Redfern, G., Nikiforov, P., Friday, E., Lincoln, K., Sweitzer, J., Mitsuoka, R., Cabral, K., Katterfeld, A., Fairfax, M., 2022. Citizen science astronomy with a network of small telescopes: the launch and deployment of JWST, in: Marshall, H.K., Spyromilio, J., Usuda, T. (Eds.), Ground-Based and Airborne Telescopes IX, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series. p. 121822Z.

• Marchis, F., Esposito, T., Peluso, D., Blaclard, G., Asencio, J., Megowan-Romanowicz, C., Pennypacker, C., Carter, B., 2021. Outreach and scientific Results With The Largest Network of Backyard Astronomers — IAF Digital Library, in: IAC 2021 Congress Proceedings, 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• Barbosa, D., Coelho, B., Bergano, M., Magalh?es, C., Mendon?a, D., Silva, D., Correia, A., Pandeirada, J., Ribeiro, V., Esposito, T., Marchis, F., 2021. Cyber-Cosmos: a new Citizen science concept in a Dark Sky Destination — IAF Digital Library, in: IAC 2021 Congress Proceedings, 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Conference Abstracts

• Graykowski A., Lambert R. A., Marchis F., Cazeneuve D., Dalba P. A., et al. 2023. Citizen Science Observations of the Ejecta from Dimorphos after the DART Impact. in: Asteroids, Comets, Meteors Conference Abstracts. #2297
• Graykowski, A., Lambert, R.A., Marchis, F., Esposito, T. M., Sgro, L. A., Weaver, I., Peluso, D. O’C., Dalba, P. A. 2023. Monitoring Variable Cometary Activity with Citizen Science Using the Unistellar Network. in: AAVSO 112 Annual Meeting Abstracts
• Graykowski, A. and Marchis, F. 2023. Monitoring Cometary Activity and Characterizing the Outbursts of 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann and 12P/Pons-Brooks using Citizen Science Observations. in: AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. pp. P44B-07
• Hanu?, J et al., 2023 Stellar Occultation by Asteroids: the contribution of Unistellar’s network of citizen astromnomers, 55th Annual Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences, 312.04, Vol. 55,8
• Bruno Guillet, Tom Esposito, Arin Avsar, Franck Marchis, Daniel Peluso, and 130 citizen astronomers, 2022. Détections d’exoplanètes par des astronomes amateurs du réseau Unistellar, Posters aux journées 2022 de la SF2A, Besan?on (France) Juin 2022
• Bruno Guillet, Franck Marchis, Joé Asencio, Ryan Lambert, Paul Dalba, Guillaume Blaclard, and several citizen astronomers, 2022. Détections d’astéro?des et d’engins spatiaux par des astronomes amateurs du réseau Unistellar,? Posters aux journées 2022 de la SF2A, Besan?on (France) Juin 2022

• Esposito, T., Avsar, A., Marchis, F., Dalba, P., Peluso, D., 2022. Hot and Cold Jupiters: Exoplanet Transit Results from the Unistellar Citizen Scientist Network, in: American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts. p. 339.07.

• Hanus, J., Marchis, F., Asencio, J., Durech, J., 2021. Lightcurve observations of near-Earth asteroids with the Unistellar’s network of citizen astronomers, in: AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. pp. SY55C-0361.

• Marchis, F., Esposito, T., Asencio, J., Klavans, V., Blaclard, G., Peluso, D.O., Megowan-Romanowicz, C., Pennypacker, C., 2021. Citizen Science and Scientific Results from the Worlds Largest Network of Backyard Astronomers, in: AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. pp. SY55A-04.

• Hanus, J., Durech, J., Marchis, F., Asencio, J., Blaclard, G., 2021. Physical Properties of Near-Earth Asteroids, in: AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. pp. P33A-02.

• Cazeneuve, D., Marchis, F., Blaclard, G., Asencio, J., Martin, V., 2021. Detection of Occultation Events by Machine Learning for the Unistellar Network, in: AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. pp. P11B-12.

• Marchis, F., Asencio, J., Peluso, D., Durech, J., Vere?, P., Blaclard, G., Demuys, I., Nachury, L., 2021. The Contribution of the Unistellar Network for Planetary Defense: Empowering Crowd-sourcing Astronomy, in: 7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference. p. 271.

• Dunham, D., Dunham, J., Buie, M., Preston, S., Herald, D., Farnocchia, D., Giorgini, J., Arai, T., Sato, I., Nolthenius, R., Irwin, J., Degenhardt, S., Marshall, S., Moore, J., Whitehurst, S., Venable, R., Skrutskie, M., Marchis, F., Ye, Q., Tanga, P., Aissa, D.B., Grigahcene, Z., 2021. Accurate NEO Orbits from Occultation Observations, in: 7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference. p. 37.

• Esposito, T. M., Avsar, A., Peluso, D., Marchis, F., Santana, P., Klavans, V., Nachury, L., 2021. TESS Planet Candidate Follow-up by Citizen Scientists in the Global Unistellar eVscope Network, in: Posters from the TESS Science Conference II (TSC2), held virtually, id.155. .

• Marchis, F., Peluso, D., Esposito, T., Megowan-Romanowicz, C., Pennypacker, C., Unistellar Science Team, 2021. A Large Citizen Science Astronomy Network for All of Us, in: American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts. p. 412.06.
• Esposito, T. M., Marchis, F., Peluso, D., Avsar, A., Zellem, R. T., 2021. Transiting Exoplanet Followup by Citizen Scientists with the Global Unistellar eVscope Network, in: American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts, American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts. p. 239.03.
• Asencio, J., Marchis, F., Esposito, T., Veres, P., 2020. Planetary Defense With a Network of Compact, Smart and Low-Cost Digital Telescopes, in: AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. pp. NH037-0008.

• Marchis, F., Esposito, T., Asencio, J., Demuys, I., Peluso, D., Veres, P., Zellem, R., Nachury, L., 2020. Enabling and Empowering Citizen Science in Astronomy With a Network of Small Digital & Smart Telescopes, in: AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. pp. ED025-06.

• Marchis, F., Esposito, T., Asencio, J., Demuys, I., Peluso, D., Veres, P., Zellem, R., Hanus, J., Nachury, L., 2020. First Results With a Network of Small Digital & Smart Telescopes: Citizen Science For Astronomy, in: AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts, AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts. p. 413.02.

• Marchis, F., Esposito, T., Malvache, A., Peluso, D., Vere?, P., Hanu?, J., 2020. Unistellar: The largest citizen science astronomy network for all of us — IAF Digital Library, in: IAC 2020 Congress Proceedings, 71st International Astronautical Congress (IAC) — IAC CyberSpace Edition , 12–14 October 2020.

• Marchis, F., Arbouch, E., Peluso, D., Harman, P. K., Malvache, A., Bertin, E., Zellem, R., Veres, P., 2019. Citizen Science Astronomy with the Unistellar Network: From Planetary Defense to Exoplanet Transits, in: AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. pp. ED14A-03.

• Marchis, F., Arbouch, E., Bertin, E., Malvache, A., Vere?, P., Zellem, R.T., 2019. Citizen Science Astronomy with the Unistellar Network: From Planetary Defense to Exoplanet Transits, in: EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019. p. EPSC-DPS2019-898.

Further readings

2024年1月3日の鲍苍颈蝉迟别濒濒补别谤モバイルアプリの大规模アップデートにより、このたびバージョン3.0へと移行する运びとなりました。今回のアップデートでは、一新されたデザインのユーザーインターフェースがご利用いただけるようになります。全く新しくなったビジュアルは、ユニステラのスマート天体望远镜の新しい时代の幕开けを象徴するものです。

?

インターフェースの一新、新機能によるユーザー体験の向上、将来の改良への道筋を切り開くことが今回のアップデートの主な目的です。コミュニティからのフィードバックに応え、いくつかの新機能が開発されました。 ここではそのうち3つをご紹介します。

Further readings

Step outside on a crisp October evening, and you’ll find the heavens adorned with celestial wonders that seem tailor-made for the Halloween season. From eerie-shaped clusters to cosmic apparitions, this month’s night-sky spectacles will send shivers down your spine.?

Follow our Halloween observing guide to enjoy some of these boo-tiful deep sky objects as you prepare for tricks, treats, and Unistellar telescopes!

All-Level Targets

These bright objects are easy for anyone to observe, and some are visible from both hemispheres!

?

The Wizard Nebula imaged and processed by John Bradley.

The Tarantula Nebula, imaged by the Unistellar team.

The Ghost Bush Cluster imaged by Unistellar observer Michel Dubeau.

The Owl/E.T. Cluster imaged and processed by Richard Bright.

Mirach imaged by David Rowe. You can see the fuzzy-looking Mirach’s Ghost, NGC 404, above the star and to the left!

There’s plenty of other great targets to see this month, creepy or not! From the Northern Hemisphere, check out the White Rose Cluster, often called Caroline’s Rose or the Ghost Cluster. In the Southern Hemisphere you can see the Bat Nebula in the later half of the night!

Challenge Targets

For more challenging targets, find these next few frightening objects! These are dimmer or more diffuse celestial sights that you may need to observe via Enhanced Vision for longer than the All-level targets if you want to experience their full, eerie effects.

?

The Superman Galaxy imaged and processed by Unistellar observer John Short.

The Skull Nebula, imaged by Unistellar observer David Hein.

A composite image of the Bubble Nebula by the Unistellar Team.

Further readings

Journeying millions of miles from Earth, navigating the vast, cold expanse of space, and finally touching an ancient celestial body—this isn’t the plot of a sci-fi novel, but the real-life saga of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith 黑料网r). This mission, launched in September 2016, wasn’t just about reaching the near-Earth asteroid Bennu; it was about extracting a piece of our Solar System’s history.

The highlight of the OSIRIS-REx mission occurred in October 2020, when the spacecraft executed a “Touch-And-Go” (TAG) maneuver with Bennu. During this intricate operation, the spacecraft briefly touched the asteroid’s surface to collect a sample. The success of this operation was monumental, marking the first time NASA collected a sample from an asteroid. And on September 24, just over 7 years from its OSIRIS-REx’s launch, that piece of Bennu is coming back home.

PHA Bennu imaged by Osiris-REx right before arrival. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

Asteroid Bennu’s size compared to famous landmarks. Credit: University of Arizona

An artist’s conception of OSIRIS-REx making contact with Bennu during the “TAG” Manuever. – and it’s as cool as it sounds! Studies show that, because Bennu is a rubble-pile asteroid, OSIRIS-REx could have fallen into it after the maneuver if it had not thrusted in the opposite direction. Credit: NASA/University of Arizona

After completing some more scientific observations, OSIRIS-REx made its way back home in April 2021. Now for the exciting part – it’s due to reach Earth on September 24, 2023, where it will release its precious cargo at 10:42 UTC! But it won’t be slowing down in order to make the historic dropoff – instead, as it flies 63,000 miles (102,000 km) over the Earth’s surface, it will release the capsule of Bennu samples. After 4 hours of hurtling through space, the sample capsule will finally enter Earth’s atmosphere at 14:42 UTC. From high in the sky it will drift to the ground helped by a series of parachutes, landing approximately 13 minutes later at the US Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range where it will be collected by scientists anxiously awaiting its arrival.?

Only 20 minutes after the sample capsule is jettisoned into space, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will divert away from Earth as it heads towards its next target, near-Earth asteroid Apophis, ushering in the new age of OSIRIS-APEX (OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer). Although Apophis is not as large as asteroid Bennu, it is scheduled to come within 20,000 miles (32,000 km) of Earth in 2029. OSIRIS-REx turned OSIRIS-APEX will take advantage of the opportunity and orbit Apophis after the approach, studying its surface and looking for any disturbances caused by its Earthly flyby.?

A visibility map of OSIRIS-REx at 09:00 UTC on September 24. The pink areas mark daylight, but anyone located in the blue region should be able to see the spacecraft at least 10 degrees above the horizon.?

Several hours later at approximately 13:00 UTC, OSIRIS-REx will have set for the Americas but will be visible from Japan and the West coast of Australia. By the time it is visible to these locations, it will be moving very fast as it heads towards its next target, so the spacecraft may leave the field of view after only a few minutes – catch it while you can!

A visibility map of OSIRIS-REx at 13:00 UTC on September 24. By this point, OSIRIS-REx will be moving very quickly as it diverts its path towards Apophis.?

To observe OSIRIS-REx with your Unistellar Telescope, follow the instructions on our Planetary Defense Tutorial page and scroll down to option B: The Planetary Defense target is not in the Unistellar App’s database. This will instruct you on how to use our Moving Target Ephemeris page to plan your observation of OSIRIS-REx using the Planetary Defense science mode. This page will provide Deep Links that open the Unistellar app and contain all the observing parameters you need to make a 10-minute long science observation. Notice that the Deep Links will only be available when the target is visible to you – if the target is not visible, a crossed-out eye icon will appear. You can therefore use the Ephemeris page and this feature to determine exactly when OSIRIS-REx will be observable from your location.?

Because OSIRIS-REx will be moving so fast, we suggest that you plan your observation ahead of time. For instance, if you use the Moving Target Ephemeris page to generate a Deep Link for September 24th at 09:00 UTC, make sure that you are outside and have already clicked GoTo so that your telescope is aimed at the correct location by 09:00! We also encourage you to take Enhanced Vision images, as you may see OSIRIS-REx streak across the field of view.?

If you would like to try to observe the OSIRIS-REx capsule, which is also on the Moving Target Ephemerids page, check out the youtube video below. This is a special observing case which will require some special steps, so follow the instructions outlined in the video and check out our Citizen Science Slack Workspace to communicate with other observers seeking to view the event. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at citizenscience@unistellaroptics.com.

Further readings

A new month brings a new crop of celestial wonders for astronomers everywhere to view. This September brings a flurry of nebulae and star clusters with it, meaning you’ll be able to get your fill of stars in all stages of life this month! We’ve got some of each for you to find with your Unistellar Telescope, including one cluster with a curiously missing centerpiece.

Many of these September sights lie in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, which hosts a rich tapestry of deep sky objects due to its location on the galactic plane. This stellar pattern is one of the Northern hemispheres’ high-in-the-sky Autumn gems, but is still visible for some Southern hemisphere observers (it will be quite low on the horizon for those at very Southern latitudes). So let’s dive into the Swan and its neighbors to visit the fascinating targets that this month has to offer.

All-Level Targets

These bright objects are easy for anyone to observe, and many are visible from both hemispheres!

?

Albireo captured by David Rowe with Enhanced Vision.

M39 imaged by Unistellar observer Michel Dubeau.

The Cocoon Nebula imaged and processed by David Rowe.

The Angelfish Cluster, imaged by Unistellar observer Emmanuel Marchal.

The Sumer Beehive imaged and processed by John Bradley.

There’s plenty of other great targets to see this month. For example, both the Fireworks Galaxy and the Veil Nebula are primely placed in Cygnus, and other dim nebulae like the Little Ring Nebula (NGC 6894) may pose a fun challenge. Check you Unistellar app catalog to see what’s up in the sky!

Challenge Targets

For more challenging targets, find these next three objects! These are dimmer or more diffuse celestial sights that you may need to observe via Enhanced Vision for longer than the ones in the previous section if you want to see all them in all their glory!

?

The Hole in The Cluster imaged by the Unistellar team.

The Crescent Nebula imaged and processed by Matthieu Carbon.

The Iris Nebula imaged and processed by Richard Bright.

NGC 6951 imaged by Jacques Bérard & Nicole Ruel back in 2021, when a supernova was spotted to have erupted in this galaxy!

Further readings

Comet Nishimura Flies Close to the Sun

This newfound comet is getting brighter as it nears its close approach to Earth on September 12, so now is the perfect time to watch it soar through the sky – by the time it’s nearest to Earth, it will be quite low on the horizon. You’ll have to get up early to spot it, as you can see it best in the hours before dawn, but it is well worth the loss of a little sleep!

“Comet Nishimura is quickly brightening in the morning sky and may be visible with the naked eye next month,” says Dr. Franck Marchis, Chief Science Officer of Unistellar and Senior Planetary Astronomer with the SETI Institute. ”As summer draws to a close, Comet Nishimura provides a splendid astronomical gift. Presently, it displays a captivating greenish coma, and its activity is expected to intensify as it nears its closest approach to the Sun on September 17. Be sure to gaze skyward at dawn, and take your telescope out to truly enjoy this celestial wanderer.”

Comet Nishimura imaged and processed by Unistellar observer Anouchka N.

As Comet Nishimura gets brighter, it may indeed become a binocular object or even a naked-eye sight to those in dark skies. Predictions show it could reach 2nd magnitude (about the brightness of Polaris, the North Star) during its Solar approach, when it will be closer to the Sun than Mercury. By then, however, Comet Nishimura will be so close to the Sun that it will be difficult to see. So it’s best to get your observations in while you still can! Especially since Comet Nishimura is sweeping so close to our star that its nucleus (the comet’s icy core) may break up and in that case, it will be gone for good.?

Observing Comet Nishimura now could certainly pay off – as the comet nears the Sun, it may show increases in activity and even an outburst, like in the case of Comet Pons-Brooks. Members of the Unistellar Network stand a chance to witness such an outburst or, with some luck, even its disintegration. So take a bet on Comet Nishimura and point your telescope upwards while you still can!

Comet Nishimura through an eVscope live view (top), via Enhanced Vision (left) and with Nocturne (right). Captured by Aad Verveen (Netherlands).

How Can You Observe Comet Nishimura?

Even though comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) was just discovered this month, you can still find it easily! Right now, it is visible to Northern Hemisphere observers, although it will become observable to the Southern Hemisphere in November if it survives its proximity to the Sun. Comet Nishimura is not in the Unistellar App catalog, but all you need to do is visit our Comet Ephemeris Page to contribute to this mission:

• Once on the page, in the Ephemeris Parameters section, select C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) as your target and enter the location where you’ll be observing, as well as the date and local time.?
• Click on Generate to get your results. After a few seconds, the Ephemeris Results section will be generated with a list of celestial coordinates for your night. Each line corresponds to the position of your target at a specific time.
• If Comet Nishimura is visible from your location, you will be able to click on the smartphone icon (containing a Deep Link) that will open your Unistellar App and fill the Cometary Activity section with the proper fields. If your target is not visible, a crossed-out eye icon will appear.?
• When you are ready to observe, access the Comet Ephemeris Page from your phone or tablet. Then, click the Deep Link for your observing time. It will automatically open the Cometary Activity tab of Science Mode in your Unistellar App. If the Right ascension and Declination box are filled with the correct coordinates, click on Goto to point to your target.?
• To make a Science Observation: Once Goto is done, if the Record duration, Exposure time, and Gain are correct, you can click on Save. For this target, Record duration = 20 min, Exposure time = 3971 ms, and Gain = 25 dB.?
• When you are ready, click on the Record button to start the observation.

And that’s it – you can always visit our Comets Tutorial page for more guidance on how to make your observation for this comet that is NOT in the App Catalog. If you have any questions regarding this process, direct them to citizenscience@unistellaroptics.com. Happy comet watching!

Further readings