Ever wonder why clockwise and counterclockwise are the directions they are? It all has to do with the motion of the Sun.
Field Of View
One of the downsides of ever more powerful telescopes is that with higher magnification generally comes a smaller field of view.
Five Little Planets All In A Row
If you look to the east a bit before sunrise, you’ll be able to see five planets roughly in a line.
Obstructed View
It’s important to keep in mind that our view of the cosmos can have an obstructed view.
Heffalumps and Woozles
Speculation about an alien civilization says more about us than it does of them.
Flowers Of The Atacama
The Atacama desert has entered Spring with landscape of wildflowers. It’s a wonderful cautionary tale for astronomy.
Iridium Flare
If you regularly watch the night sky, you might sometimes notice a slowly moving light, dim at first but gradually brightening before fading into darkness again. They’re known as iridium flares.
The Curious Case of Planetary Orbits
The planets of our solar system move in ellipses, but they aren’t as elliptical as you might think.
High Flying Astronomy
SOFIA, or the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a modified 747 with a 2.5 meter infrared telescope.