What’s “Coming Up” This May?
- 3 May 2016
May is already here and that means there’s some very special things going on in space. So grab those telescopes and let’s take a look at our guide to all things astronomy this May 2016.
Read the full articleAstronomy
Apus – Constellation Facts
- 29 April 2016
Apus is another relatively small constellation covering only 206 square degrees in the third quadrant of the Southern hemisphere. It can be viewed at latitudes between +5° and -90°. Apus represents the bird of paradise and actually gets its name from the Greek word, apous which means ‘footless’ (these birds were once believed to have no feet).
Read the full articleHamal – Star Facts
- 28 April 2016
Hamal is Arabic for “head of the ram” and is also called Alpha Arietis. It’s approximately 15 times the diameter of the Sun but burns cooler than the Sun which is why it has an orangish hue to it. In additional, in 2011 Hamal was discovered to have a planet about 1.8 times the size of Jupiter in its orbit.
Read the full articleWomen in Astronomy Part 3 ~ Nancy Grace Roman
- 22 April 2016
The last woman that we are featuring in our three-part series is one that literally changed the way we view the stars (and beyond). Nancy Grace Roman is the “mother” of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Read the full articleAlpha Andromedae – Star Facts
- 21 April 2016
Alpha Andromedae is a binary star that shines the brightest in the constellation of Andromeda and is 200 times more luminous than the Sun. Before the 1930’s this star was once a part of the constellation Pegasus and was actually considered the fourth brightest star there. Its Arabic name literally translates to “the Navel of the Horse.”
Read the full articleAntlia – Constellation Facts
- 19 April 2016
Antlia is a very small constellation and is 62nd in size. It was created and listed (along with 13 other constellations) in the 18th century by Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, who was a French astronomer. It can only be viewed in the Southern hemisphere and is located between latitudes of +45° and -90°. This fascinating grouping of stars neighbor the constellations of Centaurus, Hydra, Pyxis and Vela.
Read the full articleAnnie Jump Cannon ~ Woman Astronomer and Pioneer of Her Time
- 18 April 2016
NASA, JPL-Caltech, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In our second part of our three-part series, we take a look at Annie Jump Cannon, a pioneering woman who was responsible for cataloging thousands of stars.
Read the full articleWomen in Astronomy History ~ Part 1 Henrietta Swan Leavitt
- 15 April 2016
NASA, JPL-Caltech, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
We my take for granted the fact that women are now involved in all areas of the sciences, but many years ago the very notion of a female even wanting to enter into astronomy was laughable. Fortunately, history has recognized the brave ladies that broke the stereotypical mold and went against all odds to made some real contributions to the study of our stars.
Read the full articleAlnitak – Star Facts
- 15 April 2016
Alnitak is 33 times larger than the Sun, 20 times its diameter and shines 10,000 times its luminosity. This star is estimated to be around six million years-old. Alnitak also has stellar winds that can reach speeds of 2,000 kilometers/second (1,240 miles/second)! In 1819 an amateur astronomer, George K. Kunowsky, discover Alnitak to be a double star.
Read the full articleCentaurus – Constellation Facts
- 14 April 2016
Centaurus represents the Greek and Roman mythological beast that was half man, half horse (centaur) and also has two of the top ten brightest stars in the entire sky. This constellation can be found in the third quadrant of the Southern hemisphere and is located specifically between latitudes of +25° and -90°. Along with other constellations, Centaurus was first catalogued in the 2nd century by, Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer.
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