Standing under a starry sky on Earth, the variety we see among those distant points of light is mostly limited to their brightness. If we peer closely, we can see some color variation as well. In the winter constellation of…
Category: Stars
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…
Nearby and Invisible
The five brightest stars in Earth’s night sky are, in order of decreasing brightness, Sirius, Canopus, Alpha Centauri, Arcturus, and Vega. Of these, Canopus only ever barely rises above the horizon from our location in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Alpha Centauri…
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
Ivan, Roger, and Second
This blog has addressed the question of how stars get their names before. This is about some star names with very unusual origins. During the Apollo moon landing program, the ability of astronauts to determine their position and velocity independently…
How Big Is That Star?
Two of the most fundamental properties of any astronomical object are size and distance. How big is it, and how far away is it? The vast scales of cosmological distances are determined by a variety of methods, just as one…
Tagged with: stellar size
Stars of the First Magnitude
No, we aren’t talking about Tom Hanks or Meryl Streep. These are the stars you see in the sky at night. If you have ever been confused by statements like the following, then let’s see if we can help you…
Name That Star!
How many stars can you call by name? Unless you are a devotee of the night sky, the number will likely not require more than one hand to count. Betelgeuse perhaps, simply because its pronunciation brings to mind a movie…
Tagged with: star names
Astronomy in 2011
(This post has been edited slightly from the original to include the MESSENGER mission to Mercury and to correct a misstatement about galactic black holes.) As the end of calendar year 2011 approaches, I thought my readers might enjoy a look…
Tagged with: black holes, Dawn, Exoplanets, Kepler, Mars, SN 2011fe, space launch system, space shuttle, spaceship two, Vesta
Supernova!
There is a reason why most of the major observatories in the U.S. are west of the Mississippi River. The clouds and rain we have had in Virginia for the last several weeks have reduced our view of the heavens…
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