Astronomy
Astronomy
Stargazers App is About to Revolutionize the Universe of Astronomy
Stargazers app is the first mobile app which allows everyone to control Stargazers.Space telescopes from its own tablet, then take and share live pictures of space in just a few touches on a screen. “Imagine being able to contemplate the observable universe from the comfort of your living room. Go from the heart of the Milky Way, to the clouds of Magellan, sailing by the sun and the planets of our Solar System.” An innovative project Stargazers app is an app connected to an IoT device. This solution allows users to control a telescope from a tablet and broadcast live video streams providing images of the Sky. Any user can…
Light Pollution Solutions
When Apollo 17 launched in 1972, one of the commentators memorably announced: “it’s lighting up the sky!” A beautiful turn of phrase, but also something that many astronomers might have heard and muttered in response: “well… what isn’t?” Light pollution has been a problem for decades now, yet it’s still one that many amateur astronomers struggle with. Unless you live in a remote region, the chances of seeing much from your own backyard seemingly diminish every year. As civilization grows, our view of the night sky is becoming more and more clouded by light. To an extent, there is not much you can do about this, unless you happen to…
Solar Eclipse 2017 – Important Facts That Everyone Should Know
The twenty-first of August is fast approaching and the excitement around the total solar eclipse is building rapidly both in scientific communities and the lay public. Touted as perhaps the biggest scientific event of the decade; millions of people in America will have the matchless opportunity of viewing a total solar eclipse. Some important facts that underline the essence of this amazing natural event: A Rare Opportunity for Americans The 2017 solar eclipse will be the first one after 38 years in the continental USA. The previous one that took place on February 26, 1979, did not have much of an audience because it touched only five Northwest states, and…
How Will the Internet of Things Change Space Exploration?
The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to change our world immensely. It will present new opportunities, as well as new challenges. IoT refers to the idea of connecting virtually any electronic device to the Internet and connecting them through the Internet to each other. This includes cell phones, watches, toasters, washing machines, ovens, lamps and an endless list of other things. It also includes parts of machinery, such as the engine in your car or a conveyor belt in a factory. Benefits and Drawbacks for the Internet of Things IoT allows our devices to talk to each other, making them more efficient and useful. For example, your fridge…
NASA Will Soon Decide If Changing Juno’s Course is Best
Jupiter is named after the king of the Roman gods, and with its massive size, it definitely holds the title of king of the Solar System. NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around the gas giant in July of 2016. Due to a problem with the craft’s propulsion system, NASA is currently debating whether changing Juno’s course is the best option. What is Juno looking for out there among the stars? The Juno Mission The Juno craft is named after the wife of Jupiter, also known as Hera before the Romans took the Greek gods and renamed them for themselves. Juno was the patron goddess of the Roman Empire and was…
Space Technology Will Protect the Vatican’s Treasures
New space technology isn’t just for traveling into the cosmos — these innovations have applications on earth, as well. Here’s a sampling: Space shuttle astronauts use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to grow plants. A medical device that relieves muscle and joint pain, stiffness and muscle spasms grew out of this technology. Apollo spacecraft fire protection was adapted to improve fire safety on planes and in skyscrapers. A nutritional component of infant formula owes a debt to NASA’s research into food for extended space travel. Medicine, transportation, public safety, computers and agriculture are some of the industries that have made progress by applying space technology. Also on that list: The Catholic Church.…
How Beginners Can Safely Observe Solar Prominences, Filaments & Flares
Two things set the Sun apart from all other stars in the Universe: it does not belong to any constellation, and it is close enough to Earth to be observed and studied in exquisite detail with nothing more than modest amateur equipment, which equipment includes smart phones. Consider the image below; it was made from a video taken with a web cam attached to a small, dedicated solar telescope as opposed to a smart phone, and it shows almost everything that can occur on the Sun simultaneously- in a single image. The white plumes on the solar limb are solar flares silhouetted against the dark background, the black spots are…
Top Mistakes Beginning Astronomers Make
Amateur astronomy is not for everybody, just like golf or football is not for everybody, but if you are sure that you want to take up the hobby of gazing at the Universe (or at least some of it) in your free time, you need to get the basics right. Getting it wrong, like so many other beginner amateurs have done, means that your expensive new equipment will almost certainly end up gathering dust in your garage – never to see starlight again. So how does a beginning amateur astronomer get the basics right? Quite easily in fact, and the best part is that you don’t have to spend money…
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for June 2016
On June 3 Saturn will be at opposition, which means it will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons because it will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long.
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for May 2016
Early this month on the night of May 5 and 6 the Eta Aquarids meteor shower will peak. It is an above average shower, capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak, however most of the activity will be seen in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the rate can reach only about 30 meteors per hour.
