How NASA’s Juno Mission to Jupiter Works [Infographic]
Recently, on August 5, 2011, NASA launched a new space probe, called Juno, headed towards Jupiter. When it reaches its destination the spacecraft will be placed in a polar orbit in order to study the planet's composition, gravity field, magnetic field, polar magnetosphere, and the deep winds of its atmosphere.
Planets Viewed From Earth as if They Were at the Distance of the Moon [Video]
This amazing video shows how the planets of the solar system would look if viewed from Earth as if they were orbiting around our planet at the distance of the Moon. Jupiter would nearly completely fill the sky. This video is of course not implying that something like this could happen. It merely compares the sizes of the planets and our moon in a quite original way. It also makes us realize how small the Earth really is compared to the gas giants. When a duplicate Earth is shown in the sky, it’s actually how large our Earth really looks from the Moon. That’s what the Apollo astronauts witnessed during…
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for August 2011
This month on the 12 and 13 the Perseids Meteor Shower will peak. It is one of the best meteor showers to observe because it can produce up to 60 meteors per hour at the peak. You may also be able to see some meteors any time from July 23 to August 22.
The Solar System To Scale [Infographic]
The following is a huge infographic showing the true scale of the solar system with all its planets, minor bodies and the most famous probes we have sent out into deep space. Scientists measure distances in our solar system in astronomical units (AU).
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for July 2011
On the night of July 28 and 29 the Delta Aquarids will peak and we can expect about 20 meteors per hour that night. Some meteors can also be seen from July 18 to August 18. The meteor shower will seem to radiate from the constellation of Aquarius. This year the thin, crescent moon will be close to the meteor shower, but its light shouldn't interfere too much. The best viewing is usually to the east after midnight from a dark location.
Earth’s Size Compared to Other Astronomical Objects [Infographic]
The Earth is only a speck of dust in the grand scale of the universe. There are stars that would even dwarf our Sun. If you thought that Aldebaran was huge, wait until you see supergiant or hypergiant stars like Betelgeuse, Antares or VV Cephei!
Astronomy Picture of the Week – Jupiter as seen by Hubble
This image of Jupiter was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on June 7, 2010. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, M.H. Wong (University of Califoria, Berkeley), H.B. Hammel (Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.), A.A. Simon-Miller (Goddard Space Flight Center), and…
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for June 2011
On June 15 there will be a total lunar eclipse which will be visible throughout most of South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Unfortunately it will not be visible in North America. Here is a map with the exact areas where the lunar eclipse can be witnessed…
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for April 2011
The Lyrids are an average meteor shower with about 20 meteors per hour at their peak on April 21 and 22. These meteors can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The shower is most spectacular during the peak on April 21 and 22, but some meteors can still be spotted from April 16 to 25. The meteors will be radiating from the constellation of Lyra after midnight.
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for March 2011
This month, on the 20th, an equinox will occur. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world.
Non-Rocket Spacelaunch – Extraterrestrial Space Elevator Concepts
Space elevators, a futuristic concept, could be adapted for various celestial bodies: Mars, the Moon, and even asteroids, they promise a revolution in space access.
Stargazing with Google Sky
Today I downloaded the Google Sky app on my Android smartphone. So when it finally got dark today, I went out stargazing to try it out. I find this application really useful as it follows the movement of the phone and identifies the constellations, stars, planets and other celestial bodies you are pointing at. If you love stargazing and have an Android phone, then you really should download this free app! Google Sky Application for the Android. Image credit: Google While looking at the eastern sky, I saw a really bright star close to the Aquarius constellation, so I scanned it with my phone and I found out that it…