Colorful Dwarfs
The words astronomers use to describe stars evoke the fairy tales of childhood: white dwarfs, red giants, red dwarfs, and […]
Star Color and Energy
A star’s color provides a direct measurement of its surface temperature; the hottest stars shine blue-white, while the coolest are
Cosmic Beacons
One of the great mysteries of the ancient world was the nature of the stars. As people watched these twinkling
Publicly Accessible Telescope Viewing
For an interactive map of public telescopes, visit http://telescopes.stardate.org/guide/public.php. Alabama FlorenceUniversity of North Alabama Telescope Viewing256-765-4284 Shows offered Tuesday and
Explorations in 2009
January 14 The Stardust spacecraft got a gravitational “kick” when it flew past Earth. After gathering particles from Comet Wild
Explorations of Minor Bodies
Galileo is best known for its reconnaissance of Jupiter. As it transited the asteroid belt en route to Jupiter, though,
Explorations of Outer Planets
Voyager images (clockwise from top left) of Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and NeptuneVoyager 1 and 2 conducted a “grand tour” of
Explorations of the Inner Solar System
Lunar farside, 1959In 1962, the American Mariner 2 staged the first successful encounter with another planet when it flew past
Why are many observatories located on mountaintops?
Almost all of the world’s finest ground-based observatories are located on mountains, for a variety of reasons. First and foremost,
Why are many observatories located on mountaintops? Read More »
How do astronomers measure distances to stars and galaxies?
Astronomers have developed several techniques to indirectly measure the vast distances between Earth and the stars and galaxies. In many
How do astronomers measure distances to stars and galaxies? Read More »