The Online Star Register Blog

Thank you for visiting the Online Star Register Blog. Here we share the latest news with you about the OSR gifts, our apps and about what we love most: the universe and the stars!

New Technology Hoping to Find Life on Europa

- 14 May 2016

NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A NASA innovative Advanced Concepts proposal is seeking approval for a mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, to map ice thickness and to potentially find signs of life below the icy surface. And, they are set to do it all for “cheap” with a new technology called “CubeSats” and their smaller micro-probe-minions called “ChipSats.”

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.”

Alpha 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.

Aquarius – 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.

Alpha 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.

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).