The sunspot cycle, occurring every 11 years, influences Earth's weather, communication, and power. Solar flares can disrupt technology. Preparedness is key.

The asteroid belt is an enormous region of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It contains millions of rocky bodies ranging in size from small particles to large asteroids. For centuries, astronomers have been looking for planets there, sometimes mistaking large asteroids like Ceres, Vesta, and Pallas for planets. In the end, though, no real planet was ever discovered in this area.

Pulsars emit deadly radiation, disintegrating DNA and making them dangerous. Surprisingly, some have planets orbiting them, defying current theories.

We've been dreaming of the stars for longer than we can remember, staring up at the twinkling lights that fill the night sky and wondering what they are. We've even written songs about them. Centuries ago, before the advent of GPS, explorers and adventurers relied on celestial navigation to help them map a path to their destination. What is celestial navigation, how does it work and when was it relied upon?

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.

In an earlier article we have showed you how Saturn's moon Mimas totally looks like the Death Star from the Star Wars movies. Now it seems that Mimas also looks like Pac-Man from the 1980s video game when seen in infrared.