2024-02-21 08:26
For those of us who grew up in large cities, the experience of visiting a place with low light pollution where the sky is full of stars is fascinating. In case you are not familiar with the… Read More
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2024-02-19 22:37
Finding a meteorite is very exciting. You just found a rock that has been traveling through space probably since the early days of the Solar system 4.5 billion years ago and it just happened… Read More
2024-02-17 15:02
On July 30, 2020, the Perseverance Rover was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Its mission was to get to Mars and help us get a better understanding of the red planet as well as search… Read More
2024-02-04 01:37
There are many types of objects in space with similar names and understanding the difference between them can get difficult. One of such cases is words that contain “planet” in t… Read More
2023-11-06 22:29
The International Space Station (ISS) is one of the best examples of international cooperation for the sake of common benefit. It is a floating space station that has been orbiting Earth at… Read More
2023-10-13 07:26
Mars is going to be the first planet that humans will try to colonize. As such, it is the planet that astronomers and scientists have studied the most. They have found that the red planet ha… Read More
2023-10-12 06:46
Neptune is the farthest planet in the Solar system. As such, it is one of the hardest planets to study and there is still much that we don’t know about it. Neptune wasn’t discove… Read More
2023-10-01 01:28
“A point of no return” – how many times have we heard this phrase used in conversations, movies, or books? It is often used to talk about arguably the most intriguing and m… Read More
2023-09-30 03:58
In our Solar System, there are objects of all kinds of sizes. Making classifications for them can be challenging and the lines between categories can be sometimes a bit blurry. This is espec… Read More
2023-09-29 23:58
Saturn, the beloved gas giant of our solar system, has long been known for its magnificent rings. However, recent observations have shown that these iconic features are slowly disappearing… Read More
2023-09-29 19:18
The International Space Station (ISS) is a multinational space laboratory and habitable artificial satellite that orbits around Earth. Since its launch in 1998, the ISS has been a symbol of… Read More
2023-09-22 20:09
Neptune is the smallest of the gas giants in the Solar system. And yet, it is considerably bigger than Earth. It is so big that you could fit 57 Earth-sized planets into it. With that in min… Read More
2023-09-22 18:19
Uranus is the third biggest planet in the Solar system. It is so big that you could fit 63 Earth-sized planets into it. So that must mean that Uranus has a very strong gravity pull, right? A… Read More
2023-09-22 16:47
Saturn is the second biggest planet in the Solar system. It is so big that you could fit more than 700 Earth-sized planets into it. You probably know that the greater the mass a planet &ndas&hell…Read More
2023-09-21 17:43
Jupiter is the biggest planet in the Solar system by far. If you add up all the mass of the planets, it would account for about 80% of the total. You probably know that the greater the mass… Read More
2023-09-21 14:54
The distances in the universe are really hard to wrap our heads around. For example, the closest star to our Solar system is Proxima Centauri. It is located 4.3 light-years away from us, or… Read More
2023-09-20 23:44
Uranus is the second planet that is farthest away from Earth in the Solar system and one of the “ice giants”. As such, it is one of the planets that we have the least information… Read More
2023-09-19 07:58
A category of telescopes that is often overlooked is tabletop telescopes. These compact devices offer some of the benefits of powerful models in a very compact package. Here are some of the… Read More
2023-09-14 20:45
As we get better and better at space exploration, the idea of looking for natural resources outside our planets becomes more realistic every day. Aerospace companies are already talking abou… Read More
2023-09-14 09:31
The Moon has always held a special place in our collective imagination. It’s our natural satellite, and its silvery glow has fascinated poets, scientists, and dreamers for centuries. B… Read More
2023-09-14 07:02
Mars, the enigmatic Red Planet, has long captivated our curiosity. As we’ve sent rovers and spacecraft to explore its surface, we’ve stumbled upon an intriguing discovery: small… Read More
2023-09-09 11:42
Choosing a telescope for the first time can become an exhausting and overwhelming task. These devices are advertised with numbers and words that hold absolutely no meaning if you are not fam… Read More
2023-09-01 10:31
Astronomers have a metric called apparent magnitude to measure the brightness of an object in the sky. This measurement is relative to how the object – a star, a planet, etcetera &ndas&hell…Read More
2023-08-31 06:30
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) gathered to make one of the most controversial changes to the classification of celestial objects. Since its discovery in 1930, Pluto had… Read More
2023-08-31 01:03
Naming a dog can be very difficult if you are the kind of person who will not settle for anything less than the perfect moniker for your furry friend. This is why it is common to draw inspir… Read More
2023-08-29 07:27
As a newcomer to the stargazing hobby, you will find that there are primarily two types of mounts, at least when it comes to backyard telescopes. These are Altazimuth (or more correctly, Alt… Read More
2023-08-27 05:30
Jupiter and Saturn are the two biggest planets in the Solar system. And they happen to be neighbors to each other. It is no coincidence that they are called gas giants. The two of them accou… Read More
2023-08-25 22:44
Mars is the planet that we have studied the most besides Earth. Not just because it is relatively close to us, but because it shares some similarities with our own planet, and learning more… Read More
2023-08-23 04:35
There is one problem no one tells you about when you are looking to buy your first telescope and you imagine yourself simply pointing it at the sky and enjoying the view. Finding a specific… Read More
2023-08-15 03:51
Let’s get something out of the way. It would not be possible for a person to stand on the Sun. Leaving aside the fact that you’d be fried by the heat way before reaching it, even… Read More
2023-08-15 02:46
Did you know that on average, Mercury is really the closest planet to Earth? Despite not being our neighboring planet because those are Venus and Mars, due to how orbits work, Mercury spends… Read More
2023-08-15 01:14
You might have heard that Venus is sometimes referred to as “Earth’s twin”. This is because, despite their very different living conditions, Venus shares many similarities… Read More
2023-08-11 14:30
Surely you have seen the images of the astronauts of the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 70s where they are “hopping” on the surface of the Moon. This is because due to the lowe… Read More
2023-08-11 04:15
Mars is approximately half the size of Earth. This means that its gravity pull is much weaker and as a result, if you were to stand on its surface, you would weigh a lot less. This is good n… Read More
2023-08-06 20:47
Dwarf planets are a very controversial category of celestial objects since 2006 when Pluto was “demoted” from being a planet to a dwarf planet. And the truth is that the definiti… Read More
2023-08-01 02:50
A grand total of 46 different spacecraft have been launched with the mission of exploring Venus. Being one of our closest neighbors and a terrestrial planet, Venus is a natural target of stu… Read More
2023-07-29 06:15
Mars and Saturn are by far the two most popular planets that people like to see with a telescope. Mars because it is one of our closest neighbors and you can get a good view out of it with a… Read More
2023-07-28 00:18
It is mind-boggling to try to think how big some galaxies are. Our own galaxy, the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years from end to end which is already impressive. And yet, there are gala… Read More
2023-07-27 22:43
Astronomers estimate there are at least two trillion galaxies in the observable universe. That’s twelve zeroes by the way. Each of these contains billions or even trillions of stars. T… Read More
2023-07-25 03:33
The market for portable, beginner-friendly telescopes is extremely crowded. It is hard to figure out which model is a better fit for you since they all seem to have similar features and spec… Read More
2023-07-22 06:13
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar system. As such, it has many characteristics that make it unique amongst the other seven planets in our neighborhood. This gas giant has been studi… Read More
2023-07-19 11:07
Pluto was discovered in 1840, but its largest moon, Charon wasn’t discovered until 1978. Ever since Charon was discovered, some astronomers had the theory that Pluto might have a set o… Read More
2023-07-18 21:17
Telescope mounts are the most often overlooked feature beginners look at when choosing a telescope. But it is a critical decision. The mount controls the movement of the telescope. It is the… Read More
2023-07-14 07:47
Mars and Jupiter are like neighbors in a rural area. They might live technically next to each other, but they are half a mile away, there’s a highway between their properties, and they… Read More
2023-07-11 23:37
More than 56% of people live in large cities. The U.N. estimates that number will continue to grow in the next few decades. And while living in urban areas comes with many benefits like easy… Read More
2023-07-08 06:44
It has been more than five decades since Neil Armstrong and the crew of the Apollo 11 became the first humans to land on the Moon. With Mars being one of our closest neighbors, it is natural… Read More
2023-07-07 09:19
The Pinwheel Galaxy is 17 times bigger than our galaxy, the Milky Way. It is one of the most easily recognizable deep sky objects in the night sky. Even though it is very far away at a dista… Read More
2023-07-01 07:35
Saturn has always been a very interesting planet. Not just because of its beautiful and prominent sets of rings, but because it has many other unique characteristics that make it very intere… Read More
2023-07-01 01:47
Jupiter is one of the most intriguing planets in the Solar system. Not only it is the biggest planet and the one that spins the fastest, but it also has many other characteristics that make… Read More
2023-06-23 08:40
Betelgeuse is one of the most prominent and easily distinguishable stars in the night sky. Its red color and the fact that it is the tenth brightest star that we can see from Earth make it e… Read More
2023-06-20 09:05
Saturn is the farthest planet in the Solar system that is visible without the help of a telescope. It has been studied since ancient times, and yet, there is much about it that we don’… Read More
2023-06-16 06:00
Meteoroids – or meteors as they are more commonly known – are the most common objects in the Solar system. Astronomers believe there are at least a trillion (that’s twelve… Read More
2023-06-15 08:06
Comets are an important part of the Solar system. For example, it is very likely that comets are the reason why there is water on our planet. There are millions of them traveling around the… Read More
2023-06-14 08:50
Venus and Saturn are two of the most prominent planets in the night sky. They can both be observed without help from a telescope but they can be tricky to catch. Venus is quite bright and ea… Read More
2023-06-13 23:40
Ever since Yuri Gagarin became the first person to go to space in 1961, a total of 653 people have made the trip beyond the boundaries of our planet. Out of those, only 19 are African-Americ… Read More
2023-06-11 23:33
When it comes to astronomical objects, scales become so big that they can get very confusing and hard to process. So it is natural to not be able to visualize correctly the size and distance… Read More
2023-06-08 03:12
Jupiter is one of the most intriguing planets in the Solar system. It is the biggest planet in our neighborhood and is close enough to us to be visible without the help of a telescope. Astro… Read More
2023-06-03 08:28
The AstroMaster line of telescopes is very popular among beginner stargazers due to their good quality and reasonable pricing. But many people want more power than the entry-level 70mm or 90… Read More
2023-06-01 05:39
One of the first decisions you have to make when you are on the market for a new telescope is what type of device is a better fit for your needs. Two of the most common types you will hear a… Read More
2023-05-30 03:50
I’m sure you have seen Betelgeuse in the sky. It is that bright red star that forms the shoulder of the constellation of Orion. Betelgeuse is one of the most recognizable stars in the… Read More
2023-05-28 01:14
Meteors and meteorites are a small, but important part of the Solar system. Within them, they have some of the secrets about the origin of the Solar system. Scientists can learn a lot by stu… Read More
2023-05-26 19:04
We have all seen cartoons or sci-fi shows where the heroes travel through space and inevitably run into a planet shaped like a cube. However, all the eight planets that we know in the Solar… Read More
2023-05-26 05:13
Let’s face it. Sometimes as a beginner, you purchase a brand-new telescope hoping to see the giant red dot in Jupiter or Saturn’s rings in all their glory. Then, you take it out… Read More
2023-05-25 23:27
If you could just look at Venus and Jupiter from afar at the same time, you might think they’d have a lot in common. They look kind of similar to each other as the clouds in their atmo… Read More
2023-05-25 02:59
The Triangulum Galaxy is one of the first targets that beginner stargazers try to look at. It is the farthest object that can be observed in the sky without the help of binoculars or a teles… Read More
2023-05-24 05:11
The Whirpool Galaxy is one of the better-known galaxies. It can be seen with a basic home telescope or even binoculars and it was the first celestial object to be classified as a spiral gala… Read More
2023-05-23 18:19
Finding a telescope that is reliable, affordable, and light can be a challenge. There are too many options in this entry-level category with lots of different prices and specifications, but… Read More
2023-05-22 05:16
Every night we can see the Moon in the sky over our planet. Since ancient times, people like you and me have wondered Why is it there? What is it made out of? How far is it? By studying it… Read More
2023-05-20 03:23
Jupiter is the biggest planet in the Solar system and is located more than 872 million kilometers (542 million miles) away from Earth. What could these two planets possibly have in common? W… Read More
2023-05-18 14:06
Comets are some of the most spectacular objects to look at in the Solar system. They are basically giant snowballs traveling through space leaving a trail of shiny dust. Watching them with a… Read More
2023-05-17 14:58
When I started to really get into stargazing and getting mediocre results, I wanted to try every accessory out there. Surely the next one would fix my photos or deliver better views, right?… Read More
2023-05-16 18:08
Asteroids are very interesting astronomical objects. There are billions of them just in the Solar system and each of them has a different shape, composition, and orbit. Understanding them ha… Read More
2023-05-15 23:12
Comparing Mercury and Jupiter is a very interesting exercise because, at first glance, they are complete opposites. Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar system, while Jupiter is the b… Read More
2023-05-14 19:08
Uranus is one of the eight planets in the Solar system. It is second-to-last in order of distance from the Sun. Only Neptune is farther away. This planet is so far away that it is very hard… Read More
2023-05-12 14:08
The Moon is the closest celestial body to Earth we have. As such, scientists have managed to learn a lot about it since ancient times. We understand very well how it works, what it is made o… Read More
2023-05-11 13:16
At the time of writing, about 6,000 planets have been confirmed outside the Solar system. But that’s just the beginning. It is believed that there are billions of planets out there in… Read More
2023-05-10 01:48
Looking up at the night sky is one of life’s simplest pleasures, and owning a telescope can take this experience to a whole new level. Did you know that approximately 15% of American h… Read More
2023-05-06 23:15
It is very likely that Mars looked similar to Earth millions of years ago. What is now a red, cold, inhabitable planet might have been blue and warmer. Mars is the planet scientists are the… Read More
2023-05-04 14:20
We are all standing on a planet that is floating in space right now. We call it Earth and it is the home to all humans. This is why planets are important to study and understand. Because may… Read More
2023-05-02 08:54
When the first manned multi-day missions to space were being planned, a challenge presented itself. How were astronauts supposed to stay clean in space? The ships and stations astronauts tra… Read More
2023-04-30 03:31
Saturn is one of the coolest planets in the Solar system. And I’m not just saying that because of how amazing it looks with all its rings and pretty colors. It is literally cool with a… Read More
2023-03-02 18:51
Stargazing is an all-ages hobby. It is the kind of activity that you can do alone, or share with friends and family. Starting out with astronomy and stargazing as an adult is nothing to be a… Read More
2023-02-25 00:16
At the time of writing this, more than 600 people have gone to space. The first person to do it was the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, in 1961. Most of the people that have achieved the drea… Read More
2023-02-24 07:19
In this post, we’ll learn more about Dr. Mae Jemison, an astronaut and historical figure in the field of space exploration due to her accomplishments. It was hard trying to pick only 1… Read More
2023-02-22 23:47
Mars rovers have been helping scientists explore the red planet since the 1990s. Even though we can learn a lot about a planet using telescopes and orbiters, there is no substitute for actua… Read More
2023-02-22 00:17
Astronomy has captured the imaginations of people for centuries. The cosmos has been the inspiration of all kinds of people, from engineers and scientists to writers and entrepreneurs. We al… Read More
2023-02-17 08:22
Venus is one of our two neighbors in the Solar system and it is one of the most interesting planets that we know about. This is why space agencies from all around the world have sent more th… Read More
2023-02-15 23:36
With our current technology, a trip to Venus would take more than 3 months to make. Even though it is one of our neighboring planets, it is 215 million kilometers (133.5 million miles) away… Read More
2023-02-14 03:29
Wouldn’t it be cool to walk on top of Saturn’s rings? see the whole planet and the rest of the Solar system in all its glory? We all agree it would be a great idea, but is it eve… Read More
2023-02-07 08:31
$500 dollars is a lot of money. But investing them in a telescope can definitely be worth it. At this price range, you can get a very powerful device that goes well beyond the “entry-l… Read More
2023-02-04 10:32
A Mars Rover is a robotic vehicle that was designed to travel through the surface of Mars in order to study the planet from the ground. Rovers (also known as landers) have many advantages ov… Read More
2023-02-03 05:41
Naming conventions in the scientific world can be weird. And sometimes you end up with two different types of objects that have nothing to do with each other but that have very similar names… Read More
2023-02-02 01:33
Neptune is almost 35 times farther away from Earth than Mars. It is the farthest planet in the Solar system, and as a result, it is very difficult to study. This means that Neptune is one of… Read More
2023-01-28 00:52
It is not necessary to spend a fortune to enjoy the wonders of the night sky. There are many budget telescopes available to beginners and hobbyists. As a matter of fact, there are more optio… Read More
2023-01-24 06:44
We look at them every night. We see them move across the sky and then disappear for a few months while others take their place. Then, they come back every year around the same date and the p… Read More
2023-01-21 05:58
The Solar system is a great place for kids to start learning about the universe. But reading about it can be overwhelming. There is so much information about the Solar system for kids but a… Read More
2023-01-20 02:30
All of the eight planets in the Solar System formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago. They all have more or less the same age. And even though they don’t look the same, they were ma… Read More
2023-01-19 06:20
Pluto is one of the most controversial objects in the Solar system. It is the only body that has been “demoted” from being a planet which was very confusing to the people that gr… Read More
2023-01-17 06:27
Here’s the short version of this review. The StarSense telescopes are my first recommendation for a beginner looking to get into stargazing. The StarSense app removes many of the diffi… Read More
2023-01-15 07:39
We have known about the existence of planets outside the Solar system for decades, but they are so far away that we had only been able to discover a few of them. This changed in 2009 when NA… Read More
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