Who made the first map of the universe?
Maps of the stars are nearly as ancient as human culture itself; inscriptions describing the positions of stars and constellations […]
Maps of the stars are nearly as ancient as human culture itself; inscriptions describing the positions of stars and constellations […]
Many observatories around the world are at least partially accessible to the public, with some, such as McDonald Observatory in
Before using a research telescope, an astronomer submits a proposal detailing project goals and equipment needs for approval by a
Telescopes gather light in one of two ways. Reflecting telescopes focus light with a series of mirrors, while refracting telescopes
While Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is certainly the most famous observatory in space, it is by no means the only
Is Hubble Space Telescope the only telescope in space? Read More »
Procedures for operating satellite telescopes are somewhat different from traditional ground-based telescope observing runs. Telescopes orbiting in space are operated
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 »
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 »
Earth’s circumference was first accurately measured more than 2,000 years ago by the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes, who at the time
The famous Northern and Southern Lights — Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis for those Latin lovers among us — are