The sky is constantly illuminated by stars and other bright astronomical objects. Without the light emitted by the stars, particularly by the Sun, our world will become pitch dark and our visions will be impaired. With these celestial bodies continuously emitting electromagnetic radiation, we can see the world in a more vivid perspective. Astronomers use […]
Photo by: ArtMechanic Creative Commons Newtonian telescope is a kind of reflecting telescope that has a concave primary mirror and a flat secondary mirror. It is patterned after the telescope invented by Sir Isaac Newton, the famous British astronomer and scientist who during the 17th century.
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If you feel bored observing the sky on your own or would like the company of other people who share the same passion, you can organize a star party, the gathering of astronomers and fellow star gazers. Some star parties may be a whole night affair, such as the ones you may organize with your
Charles Wolf and Georges Rayet discovered three stars with emission bands in 1867 using a 40cm Foucault telescope at the Paris Observatory. Stars absorb energy at different frequencies but stars that emit gas that include a sequence of helium and nitrogen or another sequence of helium, oxygen and carbon, were something unusual. These stars were
Photo by: Brews ohare Creative Commons A standard candle is a class of astronomical objects that belong to the same class and have a standard luminosity or brightness. You can actually determine an object’s distance from the earth using standard candles.
You can find out a lot about certain object by analyzing its light. Breaking down a star’s light into different wavelengths for example, can give you information about its mass, composition and temperature. By doing this, you are actually employing the science of spectroscopy, looking at the interaction of materials and radiated energy.
If you are looking for a particular star and are having a hard time finding it, you can utilize the method known as star hopping. Star hopping involves the use of known stars and constellations in order to find ones that may not be visible to the naked eye or are difficult to spot.
