What is the most important star in the universe? For us here on Earth, that is clearly Sol, the Sun, our own personal star. Without its warmth and light, life on Earth would not be possible. But what star—a single…
Category: Observatory and Telescopes
A New Eye in the Sky (Part 2)
nealsumerlin
Posted in Cosmology, Exoplanets, James Webb Space Telescope, Observatory and Telescopes, Stars
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In the post previous to this one, we discussed two of the five operational images released from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on July 12th. Let’s take a look at the remaining three. A QUINTET OF GALAXIES (OR IS…
A New Eye in the Sky (Part 1)
nealsumerlin
Posted in Cosmology, James Webb Space Telescope, Observatory and Telescopes
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No Comments ↓
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has released the first of its “operational” images—ones that do actual science instead of ones involved with necessary alignment of the optics. What do they show us? First, let’s do a brief overview of…
What’s Taking So Long?
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a remarkable feat of engineering. Folded like an origami to fit into the rocket that launched it into space, it has successfully carried out a series of steps to reach its final destination…
Tagged with: James Webb Space Telescope
Finding the First Galaxies
Full disclosure: this post is inspired by and draws much of its material from an article in a recent issue of Sky & Telescope. Looking Out Is Looking Back Telescopes are time machines. When we view a beautiful sunset, the…
How Do They Make Those Telescopes So Big?
Telescopes gather light, and that light conveys information about distant and dim objects. The more light the instrument gathers, the more information is conveyed. And the bigger the telescope, the more light you can gather. If you are of a…
Shopping for a Telescope?
When you are an “astronomy guy”, around this time of year you get inquiries from friends looking to buy a telescope as a Christmas present. Often this is for a child or a grandchild, but sometimes the friend is shopping…
How to Point a Telescope
It was a lot simpler in Galileo’s day. Up and down, left and right, manually controlled—simple, right? Yes, but simpler was not always better, at least until computers came along. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. There are two issues…
Where Do You Build An Observatory?
On a crisp Bedford County day in early 2007, I walked slowly around a ridge in the middle of a cleared field at Lynchburg College’s Claytor Nature Study Center. The ridge was the highest point on the property, but I…
Tagged with: Belk Observatory
My Favorite Things
“What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen through a telescope?” People who know—or who learn—that I taught astronomy and was the director of an observatory with a half-meter telescope often ask questions like this. Variations on the theme include “What’s…
Tagged with: visual observing
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