What’s “Up” This November?
- 3 November 2016
What’s up for astronomers this November? Grab your telescope or binoculars and get ready all this month for some fabulous celestial wonders.
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What’s “Up” for the Month of September?
- 6 September 2016
With summer coming to a close, you may be tempted to put away your telescope until next season. But don’t pack it up just yet, there’s some celestial wonders you may want to take a peek at all month long.
Read the full articleNew Galaxy is Mostly Dark Matter
- 29 August 2016
Astronomers have located a galaxy made up mostly of dark matter. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on inside this mysterious location.
Read the full articleCepheus – Constellation Facts
- 26 August 2016
Cepheus represents King Cepheus who was the husband of Cassiopeia and the father of Andromeda (who also have constellations). It lies in the fourth quadrant of the Northern hemisphere and is located specifically between latitudes of +90° and -10°. Along with other constellations, Cepheus was first catalogued in the 2nd century by, Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer.
Read the full articleProxima Centauri – Star Facts
- 25 August 2016
Proxima Centauri is also known as Alpha Centauri C. and was discovered in 1915 by a Scottish-South African astronomer by the name of Robert Innes. This star is a red dwarf that forms a visual double with Alpha Centauri AB. Proxima Centauri has about 12.3 percent the mass of the Sun and may also experience sudden bursts of brightness. Recently the discovery of the potentially Earth-like planet Proxima b was announced.
Read the full articleMathematician Katherine Johnson Advanced Human Rights
- 24 August 2016
We know all there is to know about the Apollo 11 moon landing. But do we really? A new movie debuting in january of 2017, is based on one woman, Katherine Johnson, whose mathematical mind played a huge role in the success of this mission. And she did it all in a time when African-American women and men were still fighting for their rights.
Read the full articleAltair – Star Facts
- 19 August 2016
Altair is located approximately 16.8 light-years from the Earth in the constellation of Aquila. It is the 22nd constellation in size out of the eighty-eight and has two meteor showers (the June Aquilids and the Epsilon Aquilids ). Aquila also belongs to the Hercules family of constellations.
Read the full articleCassiopeia – Constellation Facts
- 18 August 2016
Cassiopeia is named after the Queen in Greek mythology who was very vain, arrogant and boastful. This constellation can be located in the first quadrant of the Northern hemisphere and is located specifically between latitudes of +90° and -20°. Cassiopeia was first catalogued in the 2nd century by, Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer.
Read the full articleCarina – Constellation Facts
- 12 August 2016
Johannes Hevelius (28 January 1611 – 28 January 1687), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Carina is derived from the Latin language and means “the keel (of a ship).” This constellation was once a part of a larger one called, Arvo Navis, which contained the constellations of Puppis (“the stern”) and Vela (“the sails”) before they were divided into their own constellations. Carina can be located in the second quadrant of the Southern hemisphere and is located specifically between latitudes of +20° and -90°.
Read the full articleAlpha Ursae Majoris – Star Facts
- 11 August 2016
Alpha Ursae Majoris has a traditional name, Dubhe, which is derived from Arabic (Dubb) meaning ‘the bear’. This star can be found in the constellation of Ursa Major and is located on the top tip of the Big Dipper’s bowl. It has four times the mass of the Sun and 16 times its diameter. It is also considered a spectroscopic binary.
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