Astronomy
Comets are unpredictable beasts
The media was full of talk of comets with the inaugural visit of Comet ISON C/2012 S1. It was pre-hyped as being “The Comet of the Century”, being visible in daylight etc, etc. The reality of the matter is that comets are strange beasts and are rarely predictable unless they have been round a few …
Catch a falling star: Quadrantids ring in 2014
Falling stars, shooting stars and fireballs are all common names for meteors. ‘Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket’ was a number 1 song by Perry Como from 1957. The lyrics, of course, allude to meteors. To bring in the new year there is a regular meteor shower called the Quadrantids. This …
Cygnus the swan
Cygnus, The Swan, is a majestic and easy to identify constellation in the northern hemisphere. This is best viewed in summer and autumn when it rises overhead in the night skies. Cygnus is a great naked eye constellation with lots of detail and great objects within it as you start to use more powerful optical …
Orion The Hunter
The constellation Orion is an easily recognisable star grouping visible in the northern hemisphere in even the most light polluted skies. Orion is depicted in amy ways: as a hunter wielding a club and shield, brandishing a sword and shield, or clubbing a lion. These however are just visualisations interpreting a pattern in the stars. …
Astronomy: Guide to stargazing for students
Everyone at some time in their lives must have looked up at the stars in awe at the vastness of our home galaxy and the universe. This is the first step in your journey in the amazing world of astronomy. I am writing this series of articles as I found it very difficult to work …