Astronomy - June 2015

AS JUNE ROLLS AROUND,

observers north of the

equator think less about galaxies and more about what they want to target as the center of the Milky Way rises into prominence. Pointing a telescope in the vicinity of reddish Antares (Alpha [

α

] Scorpii) is a

great start, but do plan to spend some time scanning the sky here because there’s a lot to see. Emission and reflection nebulae intermix with star clusters, and a wider view shows numerous areas of dark nebulosity — seeming gaps in the sky that conceal the stars and

brighter gas behind them. To help you navigate this region, we’ve prepared this guide based on the mar-velous image by Tony Hallas. You might want to point your camera toward this field. If you get something you’re happy with, send it with all the details to me at [email protected]. You never know. Michael E. Bakich

is a senior editor of

Astronomy

. To ny H a l l a s

is a contributing editor and a noted astroimager who hails from Foresthill, California.

This summer, discover the spectacular area around one of the sky’s brightest stars.

text by Michael E. Bakich;

Explore the Antares regionimage by Tony Hallas

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