Basic astronomy and night sky information
High in the northeast sky, Almaak, the third-brightest star in the constellation Andromeda, is one of the most beautiful double stars in the sky. It’s a snap to find and reveals its full splendor in even the smallest of telescopes [Read more…] about The Colorful Double Star Almaak in Andromeda
Share This:
Using the Allen Telescope Array, astronomers at the SETI institute have examined the star KIC 8462852 for signs of extraterrestrial communications. So far they have come up empty. But astronomers around the world continue to examine this curious star which appears to decrease in apparent brightness by up to 20% for a period of 5 days to 80 days. Some have suggested– seriously– that the timing and magnitude of the brightness drop might be caused by a massive alien megastructure that surrounds the star [Read more…] about No Signal from “Alien Megastructure” Around Star
Share This:
(Today’s article is an excerpt of the book The Armchair Astronomer, Volume 1. It’s available from Cosmic Pursuits in multiple formats at this link).
***
When 18th-century composer William Herschel grew restless with his life as a professional musician, he turned to the new science of astronomy for inspiration and challenge. Like most new stargazers, Herschel began by reading popular works of astronomy, learning the names of the stars and constellations, and inspecting the heavens with telescopes made with small glass lenses that collected the feeble light from distant stars [Read more…] about Book Excerpt: The Armchair Astronomer, Volume 1
Share This:
A great view of Mars, Jupiter, and Venus (in order of increasing brightness) over the Canadian prairies in the morning sky on October 27, 2015 by Alan Dyer at AmazingSky.com.
The trio of planets, Mars, Venus & Jupiter, in #conjunction in the moonlit morning sky, Oct 27, from home in Alberta pic.twitter.com/6PyL5aH6s2
— Alan Dyer (@amazingskyguy) October 27, 2015
Share This:
The Taurid meteor shower runs from early October through late November each year and peaks in the early morning of November 12. This year, in 2015, that’s just a day after new Moon, which means the sky will be at its darkest for this event. Because they are active over Halloween, and they displayed an impressive outburst about 10 years ago at the end of October, the Taurids are sometimes called the Halloween Fireballs [Read more…] about The Halloween Fireballs
Share This:
