Year of the Comet
Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS)

PANSTARRS information

Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)

ISON information

Stephen James O'Meara's Secret Sky

Stephen James O'Meara's Secret Sky: Extreme observing: naked-eye galaxies

November 2009: Find a dark sky and test the limit of your eyes with these deep-sky targets.
Contributed by Stephen James O'Meara
Published: September 28, 2009
November 2009 wood engraving
In the famous wood engraving, a man dressed as a medieval pilgrim looks through the sky in search of understanding the universe.
Photo by Oberon Design
When we look up at the night sky, far away from city lights, how far can we see without optical aid? It's easy (and fun) to imagine that the distance is infinite, but it's not. Our eyes have limits.
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