Stargazing Calendar for December 2022
This month of December 2022, we will be visited by an interesting comet from the depths of the Oort cloud, we will be showered by up to 120 meteors per hour during the Geminid meteor shower peak, and we will be able to observe Mars and Mercury under great conditions.
What is Celestial Navigation?
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? Contrary to what its name suggests, celestial navigation doesn’t mean we’re navigating our way through the stars. Instead, from here on earth, navigators could use the stars to plot a course — even across the ocean where there were…
The Resurgence of Astrology
Astrology: Capricorn, Pisces, Scorpio… daily, weekly and monthly horoscopes. You know the thing. It’s easy to confuse with astronomy which is more telescopes and rocket launches. While an astrologist might argue they are the same thing, an astronomer will vehemently refute this. There has always been a lot of doubt and scepticism about the validity of astrology. Can the stars really predict what you will do and the problems you will encounter this month? That is debatable. Perhaps an astronomer would say there is no scientific evidence, but an astrologer will point to endless anecdotal evidence. Which side of the argument you fall on doesn’t change the huge resurgence in…
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for October 2015
On October 8 we will witness the Draconids meteor shower. It is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour originating from dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first discovered in 1900. The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening instead of early morning like most other showers.
Ara Constellation
Ara is a southern constellation located between Scorpius and Triangulum Australe. It was one of the 48 Greek constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Mythology Ara is a Latin word meaning “altar”, but its mythology comes from ancient Greece. Ara was identified as the altar, made by the Cyclops, where the gods made offerings and formed an alliance to fight the Titans. Notable stars Beta Arae (β Arae) is the brightest star in the constellation. It is an orange K-type bright giant or supergiant with an apparent magnitude of +2.84 and located 603…
Aquila Constellation
Aquila is a constellation that lies just a few degrees North of the celestial equator. It is best seen in the summer because of its apparent location along the line of our galaxy. This is why many clusters and nebulae are found within its borders. It was one of the 48 constellations described by Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Aquila had also been earlier mentioned by Eudoxus in the 4th century BC and Aratus in the 3rd century BC. It is now one of the 88 constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Its name is Latin for “eagle” and it is commonly represented as such. The constellation…
Aquarius Constellation
Aquarius is one of the oldest of the recognized constellations along the sun’s apparent path, also known as the zodiac. It was among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for “water-bearer” or “cup-bearer”. It is found in a region often called the Sea because of all the constellations named after a water reference, such as Cetus the whale, Pisces the fish or Eridanus the river. In illustrations, the brightest stars of Aquarius are represented as the figure of a man, while the fainter stars barely visible to the naked eye are represented as…
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…
Apus Constellation
Apus is a faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name means “no feet” in Greek and it represents a bird-of-paradise, which were once believed to have no feet. It was one of the twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius in the late 16th century. The first known depiction of the constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer’s Uranometria of 1603. Bird-of-Paradise after which the Apus constellation was named. Credit & Copyright: Roderick Eime. For more constellations see the Constellations Guide.
Introduction to Astronomy – Apparent magnitude
Yesterday I have used the term “apparent magnitude” in my article about the Antlia Constellation. Since some of you may be new to astronomy, I decided to start a new series of articles to introduce you to the topic. Each article of the series will focus on one scientific term used in astronomy. The series will not be a regular one: I will only write an article after using a complicated astronomy term that some of you would need me to explain. Definition The apparent magnitude (noted as m) of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth. Since the apparent brightness…
