Welcome to.....

The AstroLair

The Orion Nebula

Greetings! My name is Don Fox. I'm an avid amateur astronomer, and this is my site for sharing the wonders of the universe with others. It is designed for the novice or intermediate amateur astronomer looking for a way to further their interest in the hobby. I've also thrown in a few tidbits here and there for the more advanced amateur. The contents of this web site are entirely original (including the photographs, like the one above of M42, which was taken with a CG-11 telescope). I hope that you enjoy your visit!

Start your journey by visiting

The AstroLair Guide.

From this starting point, you can select the most appropriate path, based on your interests and current level of experience.

Update for November 26, 1999:

Now that they are past opposition, Jupiter and Saturn are putting on quite a show in the evening sky.

Many amateurs do most of their planetary observing when the planets are past opposition. For the best view, you need to wait for the planet to rise at least 45 degrees above the horizon. Make sure your telescope's mirrors are properly aligned (i.e., collimated) and the scope has cooled down if you are taking it from a warm house into colder night time air. Within my web site, you will find other tips for improving your images, but the aforementioned are the most important (altitude of the planet, collimation, and proper cool down of the optics).

If you are viewing Jupiter for the first time, you will certainly want to take on the challenge of seeing Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS). It is a bit pale these days, but it will be unmistakable in a good telescope, under good seeing conditions. To see it, however, it has to be on the part of Jupiter facing the Earth when you are observing! To find out when it is visible, visit Sky & Telescopes site.

I have been observing Jupiter diligently since this past July. The planet's atmosphere has been very active during the past few months. There have been some very dramatic changes in the South Equatorial Belt, with the area following behind the Great Red Spot (GRS) fading compared to the preceding portion. There have been small ovals shifting position below the GRS, but you need a good telescope and a keen eye to see them. Not so hard to detect are a series of massive festoons draped from the south edge of the North Equatorial Belt. Jupiter is a delight to observe on any occasion, but it is even more rewarding when you observe it regularly, and make note of the changes in appearance over time. Some of these changes occur in as little as a day or two. You can observe the major features and changes with a scope as small as 60mm. A telescope of 6 inches or greater aperture is my recommendation, however, for a regular Jupiter observing program.

A bit about myself......