UY Scuti – The Largest Star We Know
UY Scuti – The Biggest Star We Know Nestled within the constellation Scutum lies U Y Scuti, one of the most colossal stars ever observed. Its discovery brought about a recalibration in the understanding of stellar dimensions. UY Scuti is not merely another celestial body, it’s an extraordinary red supergiant whose sheer size challenges the […]
Why Do Stars Shine?
When you go outside at night and see the sky filled with bright, twinkling stars, have you ever wondered why stars shine in the first place? Incredibly, the light you’re seeing has traveled through space for years until finally reaching your eyes. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to go outside and this view these […]
What is a Star Chart?
A star chart, also known as a star map, is a tool used to map the night sky. For thousands of years, people have studied the stars, dividing the night sky into grids. These grids allow people to identify and locate stars, constellations, galaxies and more. By turning the night sky into a readable map, […]
What Is a Star and What Are They Made Of?
Have you ever asked yourself “What is a star?” or “What are stars made of”? Most people know what a star is, but few can tell you of the top of their head what a star is actually made of. Although it is a common misconception that stars are “giant balls of gas”, they’re anything […]
Where do stars come from?
Stars form inside dense concentrations of interstellar gas and dust called molecular clouds. These clouds contain cool gas and dust (primarily molecular hydrogen) left over from the formation of galaxies. These molecular clouds want to dissipate, much like smoke, however, gravity keeps the cloud pulled together. Gravity continues to pull this gas and dust inward […]
Aries Constellation
Aries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, situated north of the celestial equator. It is one of the 88 official constellations as recognized by the International Astronomical Union, albeit as a specific region of sky as opposed to a particular arrangement of stars. It was also listed as one of the 48 recognized constellations of the second […]
VY Canis Majoris
On March 7, 1801, a French astronomer by the name of Jérôme Lalande noticed a star he labeled as a 7th magnitude star (a reference to its brightness). This dated star catalogue entry was the first sighting of a star that has fascinated and puzzled astronomers ever since. Now called the VY Canis Majoris, or […]
Hubble Deep Field
Space is beautiful and fascinating, full of unexplored possibilities. While only a small fraction of the universe has been explored and mapped by astronomers, they have achieved certain remarkable feats of observation that have opened up windows into understanding the development of the universe. One of these feats has been the mapping of the Hubble […]
Astronomy & Telescopes: A Brief History
Modern scopes have been a long time in the making. Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences, its origins dating back before prehistoric times. It is the study and observation of objects in the sky, such as planets, stars, comets, asteroids and nebulae. In the past, there was not a distinction between astronomy and […]
Terrestrial Planets
An assortment of strange and wonderful celestial bodies lie within the boundaries of our Solar System. Planets are of particular interest to amateur astronomers and professional scientists alike. Perhaps it has to do with how varied each is, or how they are the astronomical bodies we can relate to most. After all, our home is […]