Telescope Types: Achromatic Refractors are those with two lens elements at the front of a tube. They offer crisp, high contrast views due to their clear aperture; i.e. they have no central obstruction that reduces contrast. They also have a high transmission of greater than 90%. The light travels down the sealed tube only once…
Although it is possible to have many hours of pleasure observing the night sky using the naked eye or binoculars, at some point in every amateur astronomer’s career the decision is made to buy a telescope. The process of buying a telescope is a difficult one and mistakes can be expensive. Before you reach for…
Beginner’s Telescopes Binoculars and telescopes and other astronomy equipment and accessories are the meat and potatoes of amateur astronomy. A good pair of binoculars is what introduced me to the pleasures of stargazing many moons ago and only after a couple of years scanning the skies did I graduate to a telescope. That was one…
While surveying the positions of over a billion stars, ESA’s Gaia mission is also measuring their colour, a key diagnostic to study the physical properties of stars. A new image (above) provides a preview of Gaia’s first full-colour all-sky map, which will be unleashed in its highest resolution with the next data release in 2018….
NASA’s Cassini mission will come to a spectacular close on September 15, 2017 at 5:07 a.m. PDT after almost two decades in space since its launch in 1997. The spacecraft has been orbiting Saturn and studying that system for 13 years. It’s now checking off items from a daring bucket list as it makes the…
Saturn’s giant, hazy moon Titan has been essential to NASA’s Cassini mission during its 13 thrilling years of exploration there. Cassini and the European Huygens probe have revealed a fascinating world of lakes and seas, great swaths of dunes, and a complex atmosphere with weather – with intriguing similarities to Earth. Titan has also been…
Thanks to a quirk of our cosmos, the Moon’s average distance from Earth is just right for it to appear as the same size in the sky as the significantly larger Sun. Once in a while the Moon slides directly between Earth and the Sun such that it appears to cover our star completely, temporarily…
Hold out your hand for 10 seconds. A dozen electrons and muons just zipped unfelt through your palm. The ghostly particles are what scientists call “secondary cosmic rays” — subatomic debris from collisions between molecules high in Earth’s atmosphere and high-energy cosmic rays from outer space. This daily shower, which never stops, is a sign…
A small asteroid flying past Earth on 12 October will provide scientists with a valuable opportunity to learn more about its orbit and composition. The campaign will exercise the international network of observatories and research organisations working on planetary defence. Astronomers recently spotted asteroid 2012 TC4 under a collaboration between ESA and the European Southern…
An ancient mountain range on Mars preserves a complex volcanic and tectonic past imprinted with signs of water and ice interactions. The images, taken on 9 April by the high-resolution stereo camera on ESA’s Mars Express, show the Thaumasia mountains and Coracis Fossae, which fringe the huge Solis Planum volcanic plateau from the south. The…
Animations of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover LandingThis video depicts key events during entry, descent, and landing that will occur when NASA’s P…
NASA Is Providing Spanish-Language Coverage for the Livestream of the December 14 Solar EclipseNASA will provide live coverage on Monday, Dec. 14, of a solar eclipse that will pass over South…
NASA Names Artemis Team of Astronauts Eligible for Early Moon MissionsNASA has selected 18 astronauts from its corps to form the Artemis Team and help pave the way…
Interview With General Chuck Yeager From 1991This interview with Chuck Yeager was carried out by the Academy of Achievement back in 1991….
NASA Administrator Statement on Passing of General Chuck YeagerThe following is a statement from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on the passing of Gen. Chuc…
ESA’s Solar Orbiter Reveals It’s First Images of the SunThe first images from ESA’s Solar Orbiter are already exceeding expectations and revealing int…
16 Images to Celebrate Spitzer’s 16th BirthdayNASA launched its Spitzer Space Telescope into orbit around the Sun on Aug. 25, 2003. Since then, th…
ExoMars Rover Ready for Environment TestingThe Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover has completed its construction activities in the UK and will…
A Space Cocktail of Science, Bubbles and SoundsThe International Space Station was again the stage for novel European science and routine opera…
Winning Rocket Sticker Selected for ESA’s Cheops MissionA colourful design capturing the essence of ESA’s Cheops mission, which will measure the size…
The Sun Now (Visible light)
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The Sun Now (H-Alpha light)
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Aurora Oval
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Aurora Oval
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