Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac. The 2nd century AD astronomer Ptolemy had listed Gemini as one of his 48 constellations. Gemini comes from the Latin word for “twins”, which the constellation represents, and is associated with the twins of Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux. The two most prominent stars in the constellation are also named for … Read more
The planets of our Solar System are one of the constant features in the night skies. Always in motion, they are fascinating to observe as they cross the heavens. Most of the planets are relatively bright, but some can be quite a fun challenge to observe. This ultimate planet viewing guide is the perfect resource … Read more
How do you condense the cosmos into knowable facts? This guide on cool and interesting astronomy facts comes pretty close! Discover mind-blowing and fascinating titbits on our Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, and the universe on the grandest scale. Sunny Solar System The Solar System is our humble abode in the great cosmos. Planets, dwarf … Read more
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star located 640.5 light years from Earth, in the constellation Orion. The star is located in the upper-left corner of Orion the Hunter, forming his shoulder. It is one of the largest stars visible to the naked eye. Ancient people took note of the spectacular star, and astronomers today continue … Read more
Cancer is a constellation which is part of the zodiac and is visible in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The name Cancer comes for the Latin for “the crab”, which the constellation traditionally depicts. It is actually quite difficult to make out any form of a crab within the constellation as most of the … Read more
Sirius is the brightest star that can be seen with a visual magnitude -1.46. It is also known as the dog star and even sometimes called the alpha canis majoris. Sirius is a bluish white star. The light distant is 20 times the energy of the sun. the star is most commonly seen in the … Read more
Leo is one of the most ancient and recognizable of all the constellations. It was recognized by Ptolemy in the 2nd century and was included in his list of 48 constellations. It remains one of the 88 modern constellations and is typically considered the 5th constellation of the zodiac. Part of what makes Leo such a well-known constellation … Read more
The hunter constellation Orion heralds the changing of seasons across the globe. As it rises, so does one of the brightest stars in the sky: Rigel. The blue-white gem is in stark contrast to Orion’s other famous star, the red-orange Betelgeuse. At magnitude 0.12, Rigel is the brightest star in Orion, but Betelgeuse sometimes does … Read more
VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) stands out as one of the most extreme stars in the Milky Way. VY CMa is found in the constellation Canis Major and lies some 3,900 to 4,900 light-years away from the Solar System (1.2 to 1.5 kiloparsecs). It is a massive and oxygen-rich star, but whether it is a … Read more
Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac in astronomy. Virgo is not one of the constellations that looks like what it represents – a maiden in this case– but it is relatively easy to find thanks to its bright star, Spica. Though it looks sparse in comparison to constellations like Taurus, Virgo is home … Read more