Lunarglow – Astronomy & Space

Archive for October, 2009

I’ve been looking around on different websites and have been getting little help. I’ve gone on visits to different places and they have all given the “well all of our degrees are good” crap. Can anyone give a me a straight forward answer on some universities with good astronomy or astrophysics programs?

I’m in the 6th grade. I love astronomy, but no one else seems to appreciate it. Can you help?

Astronomy hasn’t always been a science, it was at one time more closely connected to astrology than it currently is. But over time theories were tested and recorded by men who wanted answers. These were men such as Ptolemy who imagined the solar system way back in 100AD, as well as Galileo who was the first to turn a telescope to the heavens. The universe is infinite, which means astronomy is infinite. Therefore it becomes necessary to specialize in one small part of astronomy. Let’s pick a constellation, Pisces, and discuss Pisces constellation astronomy.

As large as the universe is, isn’t a constellation too specialized a subject? The constellations aren’t just mythical beings imagined by ancient people. Constellations are made up of a large number of interstellar objects like stars and galaxies. Pisces is the home of one of the most interesting galaxies we can see. Galaxy NGC629, or M74, is a spiral galaxy like our own Milky Way, and we can see its facing side. We see all of it’s arms extending out from its center. To us it looks like a spiral someone might draw. Not with the naked eye, of course. It’s just a splotch as seen through most amateur telescopes. If the telescope is 12 inches or more aperture, suddenly its seen as a spiral.

Over time Pisces has also taken on a significant place in the sky. The sun travels northward over time through Pisces. It’s a phenomenon, really a time, known as the Vernal Equinox. When Pisces was first established the 1st point of Aries was not within it. But it has moved into Pisces over time. This movement of space objects in relation to Earth perspective is called precession. It happens, of course, because none of these objects are stationary, and neither is the Earth. Our sun and our galaxy are moving at incredible speeds. For instance our sun and solar system move at about 220 kilometers per second around the center of the Milky Way. Since humans have kept records the solar system has traveled about 1/250th of a complete orbit. The galaxy too, as well as everything in the universe, also moves at a breakneck pace. Constellations are always shifting and in flux. Pisces and the First Point of Aries are a great example of this.

I am thinking about becoming an Astronomy major but i don’t know in what field i want to do. Any Astronomy majors here?

Articles on astronomy can be found both online and in print magazines. New photos of space objects result in articles. New space missions result in articles. There is a constant stream of conversation

Something as simple as bumpy space dust generated a great deal of interest and a lot of the recent astronomy articles. Why so much interest? Scientists have long known that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. But hydrogen has to bond to form the larger molecules observed in the universe. Because of the cold in space, hydrogen needs a little push. Scientists now realize that bumpy molecules may fit that bill. Nobody thinks of dust being bumpy when they vacuum.

One of Saturn’s moons is known as the Death Star. With its huge crater, it resembles the famous movie prop. Recent astronomy articles focused on Cassini’s mission to this moon, called Mimas. Some stunning images and a lot of new data resulted. It was a popular story. This information will help shed light on the number of impact objects that pass through Saturn’s orbit. We’ll learn a lot about how planets like Saturn clean debris from the solar system.

For years people have studied dark matter. It contributes to the expansion of the universe, but scientists don’t really know how. Dark matter was a popular headline in recent astronomy articles. There was a plan to study distant supernovae to learn about dark matter. It’s important because about 70% of the stuff in the universe is dark matter.

Before our sun was really a star it was a condensing mass of space matter called a protosun. Emissions of heat and light as well as solar winds from this proto-sun have long been a matter of contention. Recent astronomy articles answer this question with a resounding yes. Scientists have used new techniques to discover that the protosun did indeed emit ultraviolet and other particles in an early form of the solar wind. So the sun helped create life before it ever became a sun.

The Internet is a great source for learning about articles on astronomy.

How did their mythology influence our astronomy today? Why were gods in the sky invented, to have people follow a rulers lead, is any of that documented (scholarly, not just an opinion)?
But how did they know which planets are bigger than earth and where is that documented? I need to cite things.

When buying binoculars for astronomy one of the main considerations is the light gathering capability of the binoculars you are looking to buy and therefore the size of the objective lens is extremely important.

Before you start check out the range of binoculars for astronomy that are currently on the market you need to consider the distance you are looking to cover and what level of detail you are hoping to see. If you can imagine that a telescope can provide you with a significantly larger aperature (objective lens) and a wide range of magnification abilities it’s understandable that for viewing over longer distances, and to see the finer details, a telescope is often a better option. However that said binoculars can prove useful, even for the serious astronomer, and are an inexpensive way to get started.

The real pro’s of using binoculars for astronomy is the minimal set up time, the relatively low cost, portability and the fact that there isn’t an endless list of accessories that you need to buy.

Manufacturers generally indicate whether or not their binos are suitable binoculars for astronomy but as a general guide you want to be looking for giant binoculars or binoculars with an objective lens that is 50mm or greater. 10×50’s are often a popular choice for astronomy as they are reasonably comfortable to hold yet powerful enough for the basic astronomers needs.

Some manufacturers do make smaller binoculars for astronomy such as the Pentax PCF 8×40 or the higher quality Pentax DCF SP 8×43 and Olympus rate their EXPS I 8×42’s as excellent astronomy binoculars. As a general rule, and particularly relating to the smaller binos, if the objective lens is 5 times or more than the magnification you can use them for astronomy.

If you are looking for a real meaty beast then the Celestron Skymaster series ranges from 15 x 70 up to 25 x 100 (which offers the power of a small telescope) and Nikon do the 10 x 70IF SP which is considerably more expensive (around £1200 versus up to £400 for a Skymaster) but you are paying for the quality of the lenses and the superior optical design (one of the leaders in it’s class). The bigger you go when you are looking for binoculars for astronomy the greater the power and light gathering abilities so if you opt for a 25 x 100 (25x magnification, 100mm objective lens) you will be able to see further and view objects in greater detail than with a 7 x 35 or a 10 x 50 (for example).

Binoculars for Astronomy, quick check list:

• Fully multi-coated lenses are a must

• Waterproof binoculars are generally best if you want to prevent fogging and view in all weather conditions.

• The best astronomy binoculars come with Bak-4 Porro prisms (Bak-4 glass is high quality glass and porro prisms generally provide greater light transmission and a sharper image than their roof prism counterparts)

• Always check a binoculars suitability for astronomy

• Remember the more powerful the better and if you want a performance similar to a small telescope buy a binocular with the largest possible objective lens.

• For larger binoculars make sure you check tripod / mounting requirements.

• Quality optics is important and no more so than for astronomy. If you can afford high quality binoculars they are well worth paying for.

Saturn’s many moons have shaped its beautiful rings. And now we have an amazing collection of close up photos courtesy of the Cassini Spacecraft.

Astronomy can be defined as the branch of science that deals with the study of natures and motion of celestial bodies like stars, planets and galaxies. There are yet different definitions for Astronomy. This includes the study of matter and objects outside earth’s atmosphere and having their own physical and chemical properties. Some different views include –Astronomy is the study of everything. This is because astronomy is the study of universe and everything is part of the universe.

One can say that all these definitions are correct and hence there are many sub fields within astronomy. Cosmologists, Astrometrists, Planetologist, Radio astronomers, Mathematical astronomers are some among these sub divisions. Cosmologists study universe as a whole including its origin and beginning. Planetologists do study about all those planets with in the solar system and those orbiting distant stars. Astrometrists calculate distances connected with universe. Again Radio astronomers use radio telescopes to study the universe. Numbers, calculations and statistics are used by mathematical astronomers in order to explain universe.

We can’t say that astronomy is a stand alone subject. It is a combination of different fields. These fields include mathematics, geology, chemistry, physics, geology, biology. Physics can be said to be as one of the most integral part of astronomy. That is why some of the astronomers are known as Astrophysicists. Astronomy can be said to be the oldest science. During the early age, astronomers were priests and holy men, who tried to fix the puzzle of the universe. They tried to determine planting cycles and celebrations. Astronomy theories where first developed and introduced by ancient Greeks. They made out theories about the universe design as a whole. There were many astronomers who proved them to be great astronomers. Later many of the facts provided by them proved to be wrong, as technology came forward with a helping hand. Some of them include Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo Galilee, Johannes Kepler etc. but one fact is sure that with out the contributions of all those greats the facts known today could not have reached upon.

Again it can be said that astrology is the study of cosmos. An attempt to understand the history and make up of universe can be termed to be as astronomy. An unlimited area of fields is covered under astronomy. They include stars, nebula, planets, sol, star clusters, galaxies, dark matter, black holes etc. each of these can be again divided into multiple topics. Research is done in the whole electromagnetic spectrum. This includes ultraviolet, visible, x-ray and infrared. Thus it really covers lots of things when it comes to astronomy.

Please if you could provide links. Also if there are any quality free courses please let me know.

I know the basics, but i want to learn much more. A course that covers a wide field regarding astronomy would be great. Any recommendations?