Science of Stargazing (FoS)

On the menu this month we have three of the most commonly observed objects in the night sky: reflection nebulae, emission nebulae, and dark nebulae. The first two types of object are clouds of gas and dust set aglow by new stars formed within or nearby, whereas dark nebulae are opaque clouds of gas and dust that blot out the background stars along...

There was a time, less than 200 years ago, when astronomers had not yet measured the distance to the stars. It's a tricky measurement, but the basic idea of how to find the distance to the stars is fairly simple. Also this month you also get an overview of the motion of stars in the galaxy, and a look at observing double stars, one of the most unde...

This month you discover how massive, mid-sized, and small stars evolve over the course of their lifetimes. An understanding of the lifecycles of stars is invaluable to you as a backyard stargazer because it helps you gain perspective on what you're looking at as you examine stars and star clusters in the night sky.
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This month you move deeper into the science of stars. You find out how stars form and what they're made of and the basics of how they operate. Then you find out how astronomers classify stars by color, temperature, and brightness, and what this means to you as a stargazer when you actually observe stars in the night sky for yourself.
This month is ...

In this lesson on the science of stargazing, you get a clear explanation of the sometimes confusing “magnitude” system that astronomers use to describe and compare the brightness of stars and other celestial objects. You also learn how to decipher the systems that astronomers use to name stars. To many beginners, the star-naming system is literally...