Facts About the Messier Objects Catalog
Charles Messier, a French astronomer, was interested in comets, but his observations were disrupted by objects that turned out to be fixed in the sky. …
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CNES-PHARAO – Atomic Clock to Test Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Einstein’s theory of relativity will be put to the test in a micro-gravitational environment by CNES’ PHARAO¹ project, scheduled to launch in 2013 as …
Continue ReadingAsteroid Mining - Science or Science Fiction?
Is it merely science fiction, or could it become science fact that one day manufacturing resources could come from space, from within our own Solar …
Continue ReadingA Guide To Hertzsprung-Russell Diagrams and Stellar Evolution
The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, less awkwardly referred to as the HR diagram, is a powerful tool for putting a star in its place amongst the cosmos, …
Continue ReadingCosmic Rays: What They Are, Where They Come From, And How They Influence Us
Cosmic rays. Has a cool ring to it, doesn’t it? They prove to be a fascinating piece of astronomy, highly energetic particles that penetrate our …
Continue ReadingHow To Make A Simple Telescope At Home
Making a telescope at home can be a great learning experience and is tons of fun. Whether you’re a solo amateur astronomer or you’re …
Continue ReadingInteresting Facts and Characteristics About Globular Clusters Including Size, Star Count, Luminosity and Location
Did you know that there are about 158 globular clusters in the Milky Way, 500 in the Andromeda galaxy and roughly 10,000 in the M87 elliptical galaxy? …
Continue ReadingInterferometry improves our view of the heavens
We may take the complexity of our eyes for granted, but astronomers do not. Interferometry is a technique that uses a number of telescopes together to …
Continue ReadingLagrangian Points, Three Body Systems, and Gravitational Stabiility
Lagrangian points, variously known as Lagrange points, L-points or libration points, may seem too abstract (or worse, boring) for Your Everyday …
Continue ReadingMaria Mitchell Astronomer and Facts about Maria Mitchell's Life
Maria Mitchell was the first woman astronomer to become a member of the American Academy of Arts and Science in 1848. She is an icon for woman’s …
Continue ReadingCivil Engineering in Space - Self Reliance
Surviving a remote and possibly harsh environment in an extraterrestrial setting is a matter of being highly self reliant. This means habitations, …
Continue ReadingWhat Are Sun Dogs (Parhelion) and Moon Dogs (Paraselene)?
People are often confused about the terms sun dogs and moon dogs. What are they? Where do they appear? And why do they appear at all? Let us find out …
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