Because its out there
Solar eclipses were, at one time, considered omens of bad times to come. After living through a few eclipses without issue, that is unless someone turned one into a self-fulfilling prophecy, it seems solar eclipses would be considered interesting but benign. Interested
Lambda (Λ) came into use by Albert Einstein in 1917. His General Relativity equations described a dynamic universe, an expanding universe, and, well, that didn’t fit his notion of a static universe. His theory of Relativity was a theory of gravity, building
Back in 2012 astronomers noticed that the orbits of several Kuyper Belt objects seemed to be influenced by a gravitationally powerful body. Oh, wow, what did this mean? Is there a massive planet somewhere inside or beyond the Kuyper Belt, whose influence
Hope the astronomers out there got their Christmas telescope and have begun the process of learning how to use it! The bane of our hobby, OK, obsession, is the cloud. Well, if we happen to own a massive radio telescope not so
From Matthew 2:1-2 – “Now after Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw
OK, in this part of the country it might not be cold on December 21st. I have raked leaves in 70-degree weather on the winter solstice. Nevertheless, it’s guaranteed to have the fewest daylight hours, and the longest night! I’m sure you’ve
If Santa is going to deliver a telescope after much research and teeth gnashing, that’s great! Your budding astronomer will find any telescopes like those I have posted easy to use and provide nice views. But, sorry for this, should she or
Now for some details about what makes a good telescope. I have examples below. Reflector Telescopes Reflector telescopes use mirrors (a large primary and small secondary) to reflect the image into an eyepiece. The mirrors need to be of good quality to
Last week I carried on about telescopes vs toys and the dilemma a parent faces in making choices. This week I will spell out two basic qualities to look for when buying a telescope. Because there are different types of telescopes, it
What to do? Your 7 year old has the hots, not for a video game, not for an action figure. The kid wants a telescope and is driving you nuts. This time of year is perfect for marketing 101 students – just
They seem to be coming out of the woodwork! Well, not the woodwork, but just about everywhere we look in our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Planets, exoplanets to be more accurate. Look and you will find. Seems ever since the first
Don’t blink. Like cruising through a one traffic blinker town, it’s here and gone before you realize it. The first Fast Radio Burst (FRB) was discovered in 2007, by David Narkevic, a student working under astronomy professor Duncan R. Lorimer at West
Short answer, maybe. Look in sky on any clear night and it isn’t long before you see something moving up there that isn’t an airplane. It used to be a fun but unusual event to glimpse a satellite passing through my telescope’s
The year 1836. The place, Inch Bonney in southern Scotland. This was the first good opportunity to observe a total or annular solar eclipse in his lifetime and he was determined not to miss it. Our protagonist, Francis Baily. Francis Baily did
How often do you look at the Sun without proper eye protection? That should be a big NEVER – unless you have a desire to ruin your eyesight, just don’t do it. So, now we have a solar/lunar event coming up that
Here I am at home minding my own business, eating dinner, and my wife is on the phone with a neighborhood friend. She turns to me and asks; did you know the Moon is orange tonight? Being the utmost knowledgebase of things
I offer this article to any of you who succumbed to my nagging about getting binoculars as well as those who already have binoculars. We in the southern part of the country typically celebrate the Summer Milky Way, focusing on the plethora
I know, I’ve been over this before, in May. I might go over it again. It’s that important. We have a partial solar eclipse coming up in October of this year. Not just any old partial eclipse, an ANNULAR eclipse. You might
Just as with the age-old question “if a tree falls in the forest, but there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?”, the answer is it depends. It depends on how you define sound… or light. One
Tempestuous. That’s an apt description of gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. They are both the right mass, size, and have a predominantly gas structure. Balls of hot air, cold air, and blustery winds. On Earth that describes politicians, eh? We have known
Current rocket technology uses the oxidation of chemicals to produce what might be a controlled, slow-motion explosion. That explosion is directed through rocket engine nozzles to achieve thrust. The challenge of scaling up the power requires ever bigger and heavier engines, and
A named meteor shower appears just about every month. The months February, March, June, and September seem to be left out. Why is that? Cometary paths and timing. Most meteor showers are related to comets that have crossed paths with our Earth.
In 1950 Renowned physicist Enrico Fermi supposedly asked colleagues during a lunch break at Los Alamos laboratory, “If there are extraterrestrials, where are they”? Good question. Dr. Fermi was also asking, if they had visited, why no evidence of extraterrestrials had been
Live in the moment, stay focused on the present, exist in real time. These are philosophical concepts. You might have heard one of these coming from a coach, teacher, yogi, Pilates instructor, maybe a parent. What does it mean? They all want
Last week we looked at the summer triangle, more correctly what’s inside the summer triangle. If you recall, the summer triangle is made from stars of three constellations. So, is the summer triangle a constellation? No. It is an asterism. The sky
If you haven’t done so yet I’m nagging you to get binoculars. While any binoculars are better than none, the good ones for night sky viewing have larger objective lenses. For example, a set of 10 x 50 binoculars have 10 times
Welcome to summer! No one wants to go outside during the daylight hours, except maybe to hit the water, but even then, the Sun is brutal. Slather on that sunscreen. Our summer nights are a little better, so let’s check out stuff
Did they have an interest in or study astronomy, or did our founding fathers and mothers have to be dragged (kicking and screaming) from the world of astrology into the realm of science? Astronomy was not a new science in the 17th
Interest in science hit me when I was about 10 years old. I was in our local hospital for the night with a broken leg and my 4th grade teacher brought me a book. I had a major crush on her so
It’s not just astronomy. The question encompasses everything we see. When I observe Jupiter, I can separate colors in the belts and zones. I see bluish colors, brown-reds, brown yellows. When I look at Mars, I see orange. Saturn is a beautiful
My nearest neighbor when I was growing up raised chickens in a coup and yard area surrounded by…yep, chicken wire. Beyond my nearest neighbor was the neighborhood, my block. It seemed immense when I was 8 years old, full of spaces to
Recently one of my fellow members of the Comal County Friends of the Night Sky asked how Artificial Intelligence (AI) might be used in Astronomy. AI/ChatGPT is a hot topic these days so OK, let’s see. Astronomy is a multi-faceted discipline incorporating
The big infrared eye named James Webb Space Telescope has been working hard since first achieving its home position at L2 in January 2022. Sure, there have been many absolutely gorgeous photos published and that keeps us all excited about our investment.
Last week I wrote about solar eclipses, the kinds of solar eclipses, and the importance of using safety equipment when observing the Sun. This week I’ll talk about the annular solar eclipse coming up, a bit on the total solar eclipse in
Many of you already know we are about to experience a couple of solar eclipses. Are you ready? Protection for your eyes is a key element in preparing to view the Sun. I will get into that next time, but first a
This seems a peculiar question, but astrophysicists and cosmologists have been trying to weigh space for decades. Another seemingly peculiar question, is empty space empty? Well, that one appears to be moot. Our current state of understanding says no, even a perfect
We’re in the ‘tween” season, again. It’s called spring. Spectacular winter night sky sights are giving way to vastly different summer night sky sights. But, before the transition is complete, spring brings a mix of winter sights as they set and summer
Looks like we’re going back to the Moon, again. NASA has been in the position before – ramping up for a Moon shot, then winding down as political focus moves to other projects. This time I think it’s a GO. Artemis: Daughter
It’s in the news, it’s been confirmed…we have a team of astronauts selected for the Artemis II lunar mission! Is it as exciting as when the Apollo astronauts were announced? No, because with Apollo we were in a fanatical, political, socio-economic race
How exciting! Two missions are set to explore Jupiter’s icy moons. I described NASA’s Europa Clipper a while back, but the European Space Agency’s (ESA) JUICE mission launches a year earlier – scheduled for this month (April), 2023. But, due to its
We hear about supernovae, spectacular in their brightness. Supernovae are on the first string of the violent event team in our universe. Novae, on the other hand, seem to be relegated to obscurity. No respect. The difference between novae and supernovae starts
We hear about supernovae, spectacular in their brightness. Supernovae are on the first string of the violent event team in our universe. Novae, on the other hand, seem to be relegated to obscurity. No respect. The difference between novae and supernovae starts
SOFIA was the latest, probably the last airborne observatory. I just heard about SOFIA a couple of years ago and now – SOFIA is done. SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy) was the best of the airborne observatories. Armed with leading edge
Ever watch shows about air disasters? It seems you shouldn’t open hatches while the plane is at 45,000 feet! Video from events like that are similar…everything in the cabin, including people, swirling around. Things, including people, getting sucked out of the opening.
Some recent headlines appear to suggest science is a sham, or, at least, that many practitioners of the scientific method can’t tell their xxx from a hole in the ground. OK, the second part of the previous sentence might be correct, scientists
They are coming our way! Yes, we are lucky, not one but two solar eclipses are going to grace our sky and minds – one this year (2023) and one next year (2024). And the fun-educational thing is they will be very
I still get excited when I see a satellite in the night sky. In our astronomy club newsletter, I publish what I think are the best International Space Station flyover times. It’s always a treat to see it and know that there
Ever think about how a star is born? An entertainer’s birth is their discovery, a star is born. How things go from there depends on many factors. A celestial star’s birth is more predictable, determined by the conditions within a molecular hydrogen
Maybe if you’re deep in the heart of Texas! Seriously, that’s a question with a ‘depends’ answer. It depends on the stars distance from Earth. Take Sirius for example. It’s the brightest star in our sky and relatively close at 8 light
Last year I discussed two planned missions to Europa. One of them, the Europa Clipper, is NASA’s mission and is scheduled to launch in October 2024. Next year! Europa is one of several bodies in our solar system deemed of interest regarding
It was on the wish list in 1989. It made the recommended list in 1996. It was approved and construction began in 2004. The saying “good things come to those who wait” seems appropriate for the James Webb Space Telescope and its
Try as we might, we just can’t see a black hole. Are they invisible, like Harry Potter in the cloak of invisibility? Well, not quite. They just don’t emit their own light and any incident light hitting them is absorbed. However, a