- 10 March 2017
Have you ever tried to take a picture of something at night? Were you able to see the image clearly in your photograph? Have you ever tried to take a photograph of something a mile away? How about 26,000 light years away? Scientists want to take special pictures of a black hole next month, but they will need a camera as big as the Earth. How will they accomplish this task? Read on to find out how they plan to take pictures of a black hole.
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- 3 March 2017
What do you know about the Sun? Do you know how far away it is? How hot is the surface? What would happen if scientists sent a spacecraft to the sun? Well, buckle your seat belt and grab your sunscreen because your trip to the Sun is about to begin.
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- 2 March 2017
Scientists have made a new discovery. Looking out across the Milky Way, they have discovered that stars contain these same elements which are present in human beings. How were they able to find this out? What tools did they use? Is it indeed true that we are all made of starstuff? Read on to find out!
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- 23 February 2017
Columba derives its name from Latin meaning, “the dove”; its original name was, Columba Noachi (“Noah’s dove”). It lies in the first quadrant of the Southern hemisphere and is located specifically between latitudes of +45° and -90°. Along with other constellations, Columba was first catalogued in the 2nd century by, Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer.
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- 22 February 2017
Beta Andromedae has a traditional name of Mirach which is derived loosely from the Arabic language (mizar) meaning ‘girdle’. This refers to the placement of the star on the left hip of Andromeda, in which it makes up part of an asterism in this constellation. It also shines approximately 1,900 times that of the Sun.
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- 16 February 2017
Circinus is another relatively small constellation, in fact it comes in at the fourth smallest constellation in the night sky. It is located in the third quadrant of the Southern hemisphere and can be viewed specifically at latitudes between +30° and -90°. Its name is derived from the Latin language “the compass”; the tool used for drawing circles.
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- 15 February 2017
Bellatrix is about 20 million years-old and is thought to have six times the radius of the Sun and eight or nine solar masses. Bellatrix also has a bluish-hue and shines the 3rd brightest in its home constellation and 27th overall in the night sky. Bellatrix is also one of the four stars that are used in celestial navigation.
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- 9 February 2017
Chamaeleon is a relatively small constellation in the second quadrant of the Southern hemisphere. It can be viewed specifically at latitudes between 0° and -90°. As its name suggests, this constellation is named after a lizard; the chameleon.
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- 8 February 2017
Barnard’s Star was named after the astronomer E.E. Barnard. This 7 to 12 billion year-old star may be one of the oldest ones in the Milky Way. It’s traveling closer to the Sun and will be nearest in the year of 11,800. Astronomer Peter van de Kamp reported it had up to three planets in its orbit, but this turned out to be wrong.
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- 2 February 2017
Cetus is the sea monster in Greek mythology that had Andromeda left as a sacrifice for her mother’s vanity. It lies in the first quadrant of the Southern hemisphere and is located specifically between latitudes of +70° and -90°. Along with other constellations, Cetus was first catalogued in the 2nd century by, Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer.
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