![Chris Vaughan](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yoLamtsf496dKXHPLWHLCF.jpeg)
Chris Vaughan
Chris Vaughan, aka @astrogeoguy, is an award-winning astronomer and Earth scientist with Astrogeo.ca, based near Toronto, Canada. He is a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and hosts their Insider's Guide to the Galaxy webcasts on YouTube. An avid visual astronomer, Chris operates the historic 74˝ telescope at the David Dunlap Observatory. He frequently organizes local star parties and solar astronomy sessions, and regularly delivers presentations about astronomy and Earth and planetary science, to students and the public in his Digital Starlab portable planetarium. His weekly Astronomy Skylights blog at www.AstroGeo.ca is enjoyed by readers worldwide. He is a regular contributor to SkyNews magazine, writes the monthly Night Sky Calendar for Space.com in cooperation with Simulation Curriculum, the creators of Starry Night and SkySafari, and content for several popular astronomy apps. His book "110 Things to See with a Telescope", was released in 2021.
Latest articles by Chris Vaughan
![a graphic of the night sky with a starry sky background. A black circle is in the center with Night Sky written in white. There is a white telescope beneath the text. In the top left corner it says Space.com in cooperation with Starry Night.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qbBcnnxYC4TjjxsAdTTEv9-320-80.jpg)
Night sky, April 2024: What you can see tonight [maps]
By Chris Vaughan last updated
Reference Find out what's up in your night sky during April 2024 and how to see it in this Space.com stargazing guide.
![Satellite tracking apps will display satellites against the night sky, allowing anyone to identify those tiny moving lights. We round up the best mobile apps here.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PNinRZw6tsV5i9PMnShhVN-320-80.jpg)
Best mobile apps to identify space stations and satellites
By Chris Vaughan last updated
Reference Here we round up the best mobile apps for spotting and identifying space stations and orbiting satellites in the night sky.
![After a long anticipated wait, Mars will finally reach opposition on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, its closest approach to Earth until 2035. The sky on opposition night will feature the bright planets Jupiter, and Saturn in early evening, and the moon and Venus before dawn. Look for very bright reddish Mars in the southeastern sky after dusk. It will climb to its maximum height at about 1 a.m. local time. The Starry Night app will help you locate it.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JvQHBjBzLQRyg8ZCYVHp9Y-320-80.jpg)
Exploring Mars at Opposition using Starry Night
By Chris Vaughan published
After months of waiting, Mars has finally taken center stage in the night sky for skywatchers all around the world!
![After dusk during July, comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) will be visible low in the northwestern sky as it travels northwest in the sky below the constellation of Ursa Major. Mobile apps can help you find it. This chart shows the comet's path through the sky until mid-August, at 11 p.m. local time. Each night the comet will diminish in brightness — so look for it as soon as possible.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cJPCZTMVcpdhXDAdCbxD9L-320-80.jpg)
How to spot the bright Comet NEOWISE using mobile apps
By Chris Vaughan last updated
Skywatchers the world over are buzzing about Comet NEOWISE, the first easily-visible comet to appear in years. Your favorite mobile astronomy app can tell you when, where and how to look for it.
![The new Our Galaxy app contains thousands of deep-sky objects that can be displayed in their true locations within our home galaxy, the Milky Way, and viewed from any perspective. This view shows how globular clusters, densely packed balls of ancient stars, orbit the galactic core like bees around a hive. M13 is a bright globular cluster that is easily visible in backyard telescopes during the summer months.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s2aryqcjSJGvq2y5L789uG-320-80.jpeg)
Mobile astronomy: Put the Milky Way in your pocket with 'Our Galaxy' smartphone app
By Chris Vaughan published
A new fun and educational app called "Our Galaxy" lets smartphone users explore the cosmos from the palm of their hand.
![Mobile astronomy apps such as SkySafari 6 are an ideal tool to preview celestial events. The transit of Mercury on the morning of Nov. 11, 2019 is the last such event until 20??. In the Eastern USA and Canada, the moon will set mid-eclipse. But skywatchers in the west will be able to watch the entire eclipse, as shown here near the end of the eclipse at 6:15 a.m. PST in San Francisco, CA. By telling you where in the sky it will occur, your astronomy app can help you plan to observe or photograph any eclipse.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NBHRfTLPQ8F6AA5FTHCei9-320-80.jpg)
How to Use Mobile Astronomy Apps to View the Mercury Transit of 2019
By Chris Vaughan last updated
How to use a mobile astronomy app to preview and track the Mercury transit on Nov. 11.
![The SkySafari 6 app is more than a planetarium utility. It’s also a virtual space simulator. The new Apollo Mission content features 3-dimensional simulations of all nine Apollo missions to the moon, allowing you to view each stage of a mission and to manipulate your viewing angle and distance from the accurately rendered spacecraft. In the scene at right, the Lunar Module is preparing to separate from the Command Module and descend to the moon’s surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yhFkaYxpxdPY79WEgymAsC-320-80.jpg)
Put Apollo 11 in Your Pocket with SkySafari 6
By Chris Vaughan published
Smartphones and tablets contain far more computing power than the Apollo 11 Lunar Module did. And our favorite mobile astronomy apps now put the universe at our fingertips.
![The Starry Night program is more than a planetarium utility. It's also a virtual space environment. The program's built-in SkyGuide features 3-dimensional simulations of all nine Apollo missions to the moon, allowing you to view each stage of a mission and to manipulate your viewing angle and distance from the accurately rendered spacecraft. In this scene, the command module is preparing to separate from the lunar ascent module and leave lunar orbit for home.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vateSyoxC5efnCwkYzCYbe-320-80.jpg)
Ride Along with the Apollo 11 Crew on Their Historic First Lunar Landing Mission!
By Chris Vaughan published
Starry Night software lets you track the Apollo 11 mission.
![The Messier marathon is a bucket-list observing challenge for amateur astronomers. During a single night in early spring every year, it's possible for skywatchers in mid-northern latitudes to see all 110 objects in Charles Messier's list of celestial showpieces. The marathon requires some advanced planning, and mobile apps are a terrific resource for this. The first two objects to observe, the galaxies Messier 74 and 77, set soon after dusk. Their locations are shown here for 8 p.m. local time on the moonless night of March 6, 2019.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dFw2txKq5SnCLgSpCtF5iK-320-80.jpg)
Run the 'Messier Marathon' to Finish This Astronomical Bucket List
By Chris Vaughan published
French astronomer Charles Messier's list of the best and brightest showpieces in the night sky is popular with skywatchers of all experience levels.
![jan 20 2019 lunar eclipse](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mjkmfAupeBSoC3uuo5oqe5-320-80.jpg)
Blood Moon 2019: Use Mobile Astronomy Apps to Plan Your Lunar Eclipse Party!
By Chris Vaughan published
Sunday night, Jan. 20, will bring the first celestial spectacle of 2019 for skywatchers all across the Americas: a total eclipse of the moon.
![Pluto Safari app](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uWy3PSigfHYU25N7sNMWZE-320-80.jpg)
Experience New Horizons' Encounter with a New World using Mobile Apps
By Chris Vaughan published
At 12:33 a.m. EST on Jan. 1, 2019, a robotic emissary of humankind will fly past a never-seen-before world in the outer solar system. Here's how to watch with mobile apps.
![october sky](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7sQW4ewjC6C7XnkDV3UjY-320-80.jpg)
Seeing the Best Night-Sky Sights of Autumn Using Mobile Apps
By Chris Vaughan published
Early autumn brings ideal conditions for stargazing.
![wandering stars](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xeismbHHhB4VHJ8gpZeZL5-320-80.jpg)
Watch Stars Drift and Constellations Change Shape Using Mobile Apps
By Chris Vaughan published
We assume that the stars' positions in the heavens are eternal. But everything in space is in motion.
![comet 21p](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LKffBsG5pvqCnknUtHVzF6-320-80.jpg)
Spotting the Comets of 2018 and Tracking Their Spectacular Encounters Using Mobile Apps
By Chris Vaughan published
This month, a periodically returning comet designated 21P/Giacobini-Zinner is bright enough to be seen in binoculars and small telescopes. Here's how to track it.
![perseid meteor shower 4am](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/w9f8VgcL6ZPa9c8S2nHQZN-320-80.jpg)
Making the Most of the 2018 Perseid Meteor Shower Using Mobile Apps
By Chris Vaughan published
This weekend brings us one of 2018's best astronomical events: the Perseid meteor shower. Here's how to see it with the help of mobile apps.
![mars opposition sky](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nbTM3BwqWuZwxZ8LFgXY5a-320-80.jpg)
How to Use Mobile Apps to Watch Mars' Closest Approach Since 2003
By Chris Vaughan published
Mars' closest approach is coming! Here's how to navigate the event with mobile apps.
![pluto sky location](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hMZkMbQ3eUfWKJaYj4HfJ9-320-80.jpg)
Using Mobile Apps to Explore Pluto at Opposition
By Chris Vaughan published
This week, the small and distant dwarf planet Pluto will reach opposition, the time of the year when the object is closest to Earth and brightest in the sky. Here's how to track it with mobile apps.
![SkySafari app for iOS and Android](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kft767ShosTdE2oRyNL5pU-320-80.jpg)
Put a Personal Astronomer in Your Pocket Using Mobile Apps
By Chris Vaughan published
For skywatchers, the most memorable star parties are the ones where an experienced astronomer was there to trace out the constellations and tell the stories behind them.
![apollo 11 moon sky](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CTvnMcuK8YQYJfTQQ6ubUS-320-80.jpg)
Exploring the Apollo Moon Missions Using Mobile Apps
By Chris Vaughan published
Next summer will mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission — when humans first set foot on another celestial object.
![tesla roadster path](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MyxWeGsSgvynWQCEDxSdG4-320-80.jpg)
How to Track Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster Using Mobile Apps
By Chris Vaughan published
Since its launch atop the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Feb. 6, Elon Musk's cherry-red Tesla Roadster has become the solar system's newest "minor body."
![perseus algol](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/e3AYkGPcfNCgNCNyy75fXV-320-80.jpg)
Mobile Astronomy: Watch the 'Demon Star' Change in Brightness in a Single Night
By Chris Vaughan published
In this edition of Mobile Astronomy, we'll look at an eclipsing binary star that changes in brightness enough for everyday skywatchers to detect it easily.
![winter asterisms](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/D4qstyCYkFVbk2FZoxvu5Y-320-80.jpg)
Catch the 'Winter Football' and Other Asterisms with Mobile Astronomy Apps
By Chris Vaughan published
Learn to spot star patterns called asterisms — including the Winter Football, just in time for the Super Bowl — using mobile astronomy apps.