Mercury Transit By NASA
- 13 May 2016
Did you miss the Mercury transit around the Sun on May 9th? Even if you didn’t. this time-lapsed video by NASA shows a one-of-kind look at this amazing phenomenon. Check it out!
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Aquila – Constellation Facts
- 13 May 2016
Aquila is a loose triangular-shaped constellation covering 652 square degrees in the fourth quadrant of the Northern hemisphere (near the celestial equator). It can be viewed at latitudes between +90° and -75°. Aquila represents the eagle of the Roman god, Jupiter and, in fact, gets its name from the Latin word meaning “eagle.”
Read the full articleAlpha Centauri B – Star Facts
- 12 May 2016
Alpha Centauri B without its companion star of Centauri A, Centauri B is the 21st brightest star in the night sky. However, with its entire system it is one of the brightest stars which can be seen from earth. The Alpha Centauri system was not discovered by astronomers, but rather a Jesuit Priest in India.
Read the full articleGet Ready for Mercury to Transit the Sun!
- 6 May 2016
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
On Monday May 9th, Mercury will make its rare transit across the face of the Sun. This celestial event is a must-see and if you miss it, you’re out-of-luck until November of 2019.
Read the full articleAquarius – Constellation Facts
- 6 May 2016
Aquarius gets its name from Latin which means, water-bearer or cup-bearer and its Latin symbol also represents water. Aquarius was first catalogued in the 19th century by the Greek astronomer, Ptolemy. This unique constellation is the 10th largest and also represents a zodiac sign.
Read the full articleAlpha Centauri A – Star Facts
- 4 May 2016
Alpha Centauri A is part of a two-star system located in the Centaurus constellation. This star is similar to the Sun, except it is 23 percent larger and has 151.9 times its brightness, making it the fourth most luminous in the night sky. It also spins a bit faster than our Sun completing an orbit every 22 days.
Read the full articleWhat’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 articleApus – 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.
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