Stargazing

General articles and links about astronomy and the night sky.

The Wonderful Star

October 19, 2018 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Stargazing

The red giant star Mira A, a highly evolved variable red giant star, and Mira B a small but dense white dwarf. Image at left was created with data from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The image at right is an artist’s conception of this interacting star system. Credit: X-ray image courtesy NASA/CXC/SAO/M. Karovska et al.; Illustration: CXC/M.Weiss.

As a reader of Cosmic Pursuits, you no doubt believe that all stars are wonderful. But one star, it turns out, is more wonderful than most. The star Mira, or Omicron Ceti, in the constellation Cetus, has been known since ancient times, but its nature began to emerge in the 16th century when a German pastor and amateur astronomer discovered the star’s brightness changed periodically, by a huge amount, every eleven months. And it was but the first discovered of many such stars. [Read more…] about The Wonderful Star

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A Northern Observer Discovers the Southern Skies

June 20, 2018 by Joe Bergeron Filed Under: Stargazing

The Southern Cross and the Coalsack. Image credit: Joe Bergeron.

Imagine a young stargazer living at a latitude of 42 degrees north.

Polaris, the fabled North Star, shines far above the northern horizon. Around it wheel the circumpolar constellations of Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, Draco, and Cepheus, ancient landmarks of the northern sky.

In the south, the tail of Scorpius brushes low along the horizon for a few brief months of Summer. Those stars are among the most southerly he can see. But from his star maps, the young stargazer knows that farther south lie some of the greatest wonders of the entire celestial sphere, all the way down to the obscure South Celestial Pole. Yet the poor lad can never see them. The obstinate bulk of the spherical Earth hides them forever [Read more…] about A Northern Observer Discovers the Southern Skies

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Astronomy Article Roundup – The Moon, Stars, and the Ancient Earth

January 26, 2018 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Stargazing

The crater Archimedes at lunar sunrise. Credit: Robert Reeves.

Here are a few articles for your reading pleasure that may give you a little insight about the universe, and may even give you a little nudge to go out and see the sky for yourself [Read more…] about Astronomy Article Roundup – The Moon, Stars, and the Ancient Earth

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The 2018 ‘Year in Space’ Calendars Now Available

December 4, 2017 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Stargazing

In 1991, stargazer Steve Cariddi walked into a Boston bookstore and noticed most desk calendars were about cats, or puppies, or sailboats. There was not a single astronomy calendar in sight. So he decided to create his own, and in late 1993 he published his first “astronomy and space” desk calendar. He’s been publishing these calendars every year since. And now he’s released the large-format ‘Year in Space’ wall calendar for 2018 [Read more…] about The 2018 ‘Year in Space’ Calendars Now Available

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Astronomy on the National Mall 2017

June 3, 2017 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Stargazing

Hofstra University held their annual Astronomy Festival on the National Mall on June 2, 2017 at the foot of the Washington Monument and adjacent to the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. The weather was ideal for stargazing, and the lines were long but enthusiastic behind the telescopes. There were views of the Sun through solar telescopes, the Moon, and Jupiter, as well as displays of science and technology from many educational organizations. It was a fine night of stargazing, and it was heartening to see so many come out to leave aside the distractions of everyday life and enjoy a view of the heavens.

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