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How to observe galaxies

Astronomy editor and famed deep-sky observer David J. Eicher gives advice on teasing the most detail out of distant star cities.
By David J. Eicher | Published: February 26, 2010 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

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    The Sky Today on Tuesday, June 23: Try out the Turtle Nebula

  • The Milky Way stretches in a broad arc across a dark, star-filled sky above a mountain range with snow-dusted peaks and green alpine valleys. Bright pink and magenta clouds of glowing gas are visible in the upper left portion of the sky, with patches of dark dust threading through the dense band of stars. A few small structures — including a tiny settlement — are visible at the base of the mountains.
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    The Sky Today on Monday, June 22: Visit the North America Nebula

  • Planetarium simulation of the eastern sky on June 22, 2026, at 2 AM. Vega is at the top, with Deneb and the North America Nebula (NGC 7000, marked with a dashed blue box) at center, and Altair visible at right — the three stars of the Summer Triangle.
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    The Sky Today on Sunday, June 21: A summertime lineup

  • Astrophotograph of NGC 5897, a loose globular cluster appearing as a diffuse, sparkling ball of hundreds of stars — predominantly blue-white — against a black sky background.
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    The Sky Today on Saturday, June 20: Libra’s Ghost Cluster

  • A simulated telescopic view of Saturn on June 19. 2026, at 3:30 A.M. CDT. The ringed planet is shown in detail near the center of the frame, with its rings tilted and clearly visible. Four moons are labeled: Titan in the upper right, Dione above the rings to the left, Enceladus below the rings near center, and Rhea to the lower left. A north-east orientation arrow appears in the upper left corner.
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  • A misty summer forest scene with golden sunlight streaming through the canopy of large oak trees, illuminating a mossy, rocky streambank beside a shallow, gently flowing river. A lens flare is visible in the lower center of the image.
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