Universe Beyond | Observations in Astronomy

The Mysteries of the Universe Continue to Unfold

: Image via Wikipedia

Since the beginning of time astronomy and space have intrigued mankind. The number of almanacs, books and guides published is an indication of the popularity of this field of study. There are even giant observatories all over the globe dedicated to star watching. Observatories can be equipped with a high powered telescope or smaller, less advanced equipment depending on location. One high tech observatory if NASA Kepler space telescope.

This vast reaches of space still continue to surprise us with their unfolding mysteries. Each year some new discovery is revealed as satellites find never before known bodies.

The discovery early in 2010 of five exoplanets was a major breakthrough in space exploration. These exoplanets are the first finds from NASA’s program to locate planets outside the Earth’s solar system. They were discovered using NASA’s Kepler space telescope which was designed for that very purpose.

In March 2009, the Kepler space telescope, a spacecraft was launched to identify other planets similar to earth that were orbiting around suns in other galaxies. The planets that have been discovered to date by the Kepler’s space telescope have been classified as giant planets. This means that they are bigger than or equal in size to Jupiter. Jupiter is 141700 km or 88,000 miles at its diameter. This makes its diameter 11 times bigger than that of the Earth. In fact, Jupiter’s mass is over 300 times more than the earth.

It is expected that over time smaller planets further away will be discovered. The major differences between the Kepler and Hubble space telescope are:

•Kepler focuses on one starfield for extended periods unlike the Hubble. In fact, 150,000 stars were selected to be the focus of Kepler. These stars are monitored continuously and simultaneously.
•Kepler’s space telescope field of view is much larger than the Hubble ever was.

It is expected that astronomy lovers will find much to amaze them in the coming years.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Planets, Satellites, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Jupiter, NASA, Solar System

The Most Distant Object in the Universe – Almanacs, Books and Guides

The Sun is millions of miles away, the Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light years across, and the nearest galaxy is over 2½ million light years from us. As powerful telescopes scan the sky, objects farther and farther away are seen, and things that are billions and billions of light years away are still being discovered and give us an idea of how big and how old the universe is.

An explosion, detected by satellite in 2009, was found to be coming from gamma rays calculated to be 13 billion light years away. The redshift, a measurement used to calculate the distance and speed of objects that are really far away, was the highest ever measured for any space object. The explosion was then measured by telescopes in Hawaii as well as in the United Kingdom and Japan.

The estimate also means that the star exploded when the universe was just a few hundred million years old. That seems like an old universe, but considering that it’s widely accepted that it is over 13 billion years old, that’s relatively young. Star explosions give a sudden opportunity to measure things that ordinarily may be missed or haven’t been seen yet. Such discoveries give more insight into the universe overall every time they happen.

As these discoveries are made, we get closer to knowing how old the universe is as well as what its real size is. Events such as a Gamma ray burst occur sporadically, so sometimes there is the opportunity that allows us to see even more into the past. As new telescopes are built, the ability to see farther out gets greater. With so many unknowns in the universe, there could be more bursts like that which have yet to be detected, or their light has not gotten anywhere near the Earth to see.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Planets, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Galaxies, Milky Way

What Is the Size of the Universe? – Almanacs, Books and Guides

As humans have developed the capability to get to space and travel through it, the reality has set in that space is so vast and that things are so far away, it would take longer than a lifetime to get there. This truth would still be the case if travel at light speed was even possible.

Even the closest star is over 4 light years away, so traveling anywhere at the fraction of the speed of light would take very long. The Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light years away, and is by far the closest galaxy to us. Probes launched from Earth many years ago still haven’t left the solar system, even though they continue to travel at high rates of speed.

As for the actual size of the universe, this is difficult to tell because there could be light from distant places that has not yet gotten here. Even the most powerful telescopes, like Hubble, would not see it if the light hasn’t arrived yet. By mapping galaxies and galaxy clusters, it is now known that there are millions and probably billions of galaxies in the universe.

The size of the universe is now measured in the many billions of light years. There are millions of light years of space between galaxies and even the Milky Way is 100,000 light years across. We couldn’t even travel across it in the lifetimes of many generations, even at the speed of light, and it is known that no object could travel that fast.

With all of the advances in technology like computerized tracking and observing, super powerful telescopes, and the ability to get into space, there are no definite estimates on how big space is. As more discoveries are made, the calculations of their age can debunk old theories. It is not scientifically proven that the universe is infinite, but an actual number still remains elusive despite our advanced state of technology.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Galaxies, Speed of light

The Universe beyond Earth in the Night Sky

: Image via Wikipedia

In our daily routines, we work, take care of household chores and other errands, and hopefully, by the end of the day, have time to relax, go out to dinner or mingle with friends. We don’t often have time to think about what is beyond planet Earth. The night sky gives us some glimpse of what may be out there, but most stars are invisible through the light that is generated by the urban landscapes that most of us live in.

Sometimes a large park or a beach is enough to escape the light pollution, but in some places it is necessary to travel to get a good view of the night sky. If you do have an unobstructed view of the stars, then taking time to observe the constellations is one of the simplest and most inexpensive recreational activities there are. All you need to do is lay back and stare at the sky. To the south there are Scorpius and Sagittarius, and to the north is the Big Dipper, one of the most identifiable constellations in the sky.

There are many guide books that feature star charts which can help you identify everything in the sky, from stars, planets, nebula to whole galaxies and the Milky Way itself. Our own galaxy is visible as a sprawling cloud of stars that stretches across the sky. Star charts and atlases can also be found online and interactive maps can make the experience even more intriguing.

Visually, you can only see so much detail, but observers have noted the positions of stars and planets for thousands of years. Today, massive observatories sit atop mountains and accumulate massive amounts of data from images made by their telescopes and giant mirrors. Designed to follow specific points, they can turn to compensate for the Earth’s rotation to observe a single star or spot in the universe.

You may just be focused on life here on Earth, but there is a whole universe full of undiscovered space and worlds beginning just a few miles above the sky.

Filed Under: Observatory, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Big Dipper, Night sky

Possible Methods for Deep Space Travel

Since humans looked up at the sky, they dreamed traveling to other planets and stars. Science Fiction has envisioned missions to distant parts of the galaxy since its inception. While many theories exist, no probe has even left our solar system. Also, it would take many lifetimes to travel to places so distant it would take years to even count to the number of miles or light years away they are.

Rocket engines have been used to get to orbit for decades. Combustion using hydrogen or other gases has worked well for rockets and the Space Shuttle for going into orbit. The amount of fuel needed to support long distance travel, however, would be too heavy and too expensive.

Propulsion using ions is a possibility, and has been successfully tested. Using electrostatic or electromagnetic forces to propel a ship is not a new idea, but innovations in technology are making this possible. A small stream of ions blasting out the back of the vehicle at high speed steadily increases the overall velocity of the craft. During space travel, this can result in a very high speed over a longer period of acceleration than a rocket.

Within the solar system, there is plentiful light from the sun, so solar powered propulsion is a possibility. Some scientists have proposed using huge sail-like structures which are light enough to be pushed by particles from the sun. These would have to be miles across, however, and so thin the smallest impact could destroy the structure.

The traditional sci-fi and theoretical warp drive has been long considered, but there are theoretical limits as to whether a ship could actually reach the speed of light. If it even were possible, the amount of energy required would be enormous, and then there are the factors of whether you could navigate and guide the ship at such speeds.

There are many other possibilities for space propulsion. Each comes with the questions of what to do when you get to the destination, and how feasible it would be to get back to Earth.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Space Travel

Major Meteor Showers That Occur during the Year – Almanacs, Books and Guides

Many events in the sky are missed under the light shroud in urban areas. If you live in a city, as most people do, only the brightest of stars and planets are visible and it is almost impossible to make out the expanse of the Milky Way. Even most of the streaks from meteor showers are invisible. One of the most engaging parts of astronomy, these events leave watchers staring in wonder as particles burn up in the upper atmosphere.

The objects that enter the atmosphere during a meteor shower are usually no larger than sand grains. Their high speed and relatively high temperatures of the atmosphere cause them to burn up from the intense friction. The resulting flash, though small, is bright enough to be seen from the ground. Some meteors are faint, and flash so quickly that you’ll blink if you miss them. Others can be very bright and last for a few seconds, or if a rock-sized object comes in, can last for longer and even leave a dust trail.

The occurrence of small meteors concentrates around the time of well-documented meteor showers such as the Perseids in the middle of August. This tends to be a consistent event from year to year and also is one of the most active ones of the year. The meteors tend to radiate from around the constellation Perseus in the northeast sky and there could be up to 80 per hour, or even more in active years.

The Quandrantids in January are quite vivid, and concentrate near the constellation Bootes as well as the Big Dipper. Other well known events include the Leonids, which occur in November and peak in cycles of 33 years, as well as the Gemenids, during the month of December. They feature a mixture of colors and are considered to be one of the more reliable of meteor showers.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Comets and Asteroids, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Meteor shower, Meteoroid

Space Books: A Source of Knowledge and Imagination

Books on space cover a broad spectrum. There are many interesting publications that are targeted towards kids. Many of these informative books can include colorful illustrations that young children will enjoy, but the level of understanding can go up to college-level and beyond astronomy, covering anything from the observed universe to complex theories and speculative science.

We learn early on that the universe goes on forever, but scientists seem to focus on that, at 10 or 13 billion light years away from Earth, there is some kind of boundary that is the edge of the original energy from the Big Bang. The complex equations that astrophysicists have devised to explain things never seen such as black holes and wormholes are too much for the average person to comprehend.

Assuming we don’t need to know how to solve a differential equation or even algebra, it’s possible to find a book about space that is intriguing nonetheless. Books on skywatching can show the stars, constellations, and galaxies as well as comets and planets in a comical if not at least artistic fashion. With the assumption that the reader is stuck on Earth to do schoolwork or work a nine-to-five job, reading about the mysterious universe around us can at least serve as entertainment.

You can easily find something to read on the planet Earth, the solar system, and the satellites that orbit constantly. Pocket atlases are popular items as well, but the range of reading goes on until you get to authors like Carl Sagan who try to explain everything in one book. You can also read about time and the universe’s ability to make it not seem what we think from Steven Hawking.

Reading about space can also cover theories of hyperspace and travel at light speed. It can blend with science fiction, but space is so vast and unexplored that it is hard not to engage the imagination when you read about possible distant worlds, or even look up at the many stars in the sky.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Planets, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Earth, Solar System

How Dangerous are Asteroids to Earth?

Every so often, a news broadcast will mention the fact that an asteroid is passing close to the Earth. Sometimes the scientific details are unclear, and initially it may seem that there could be some danger. Over the last few years, the planet was lucky a couple of times despite close calls, but there is evidence that it was it was not so lucky in the past.

Wars, the economy, climate change and natural and human made disasters all fuel a sporadic debate on whether an apocalypse could happen. While a complete end to the world is improbable, disasters come and go. They can leave their mark, but for the most part, we weather them out, or in extreme cases, hopefully survive and recover from them.

A giant meteor is thought to have killed the dinosaurs, commonly believed to have happened 65 million years ago. It struck the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, geologists believe, and the shock wave swept across North America in minutes.

Even in modern times, massive earthquakes have struck California and Malaysia, and hurricanes have caused extensive devastation in Florida and Louisiana. This is nothing compared to what a large asteroid is capable of. There are millions of them in space. In our own solar system, an entire belt of asteroids lies between Mars and Jupiter, possibly containing millions of rocks.

Despite popular perceptions, however, this asteroid belt is not a solid conglomeration of rocks. They are spread apart and you could actually pass through the belt without ever seeing anything. Scientists have estimated it to have a total mass that is a fraction that of the moon. Most of the objects in this area are tiny, while only a tiny percentage of them are a few miles across. Ceres is the largest one; it is hundreds of miles across and is sometimes considered to be a mini planet.

While a few asteroids pass close to earth’s orbit, Scientists keep a close watch on the known objects that do. It is rare for anything large enough to pass by and be any cause for alarm.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Asteriods, Earth

How to Find an Almanac for Your Celestial Viewing Needs

It is fascinating to view each point of light in the sky at night, and know exactly what each one is. Aside from knowing the constellations, you might want to be able to pick out each star or planet, or even know when you’ll be able to see each one. There are several different almanacs that will tell you when the best time is to view what.

An almanac is a very good reference to what you can see in the sky and when. For each year, month, week or even day, you might have details on when and in what part of the sky certain planets may appear. Mercury, Venus and Mars are always great objects to find in the sky, as are Saturn and Jupiter. Planets change position more frequently than stars, so a reference as to which stars they will be near is helpful as well.

Stars and constellations, on the other hand, are regular in their seasonal appearances and their respective locations in the sky. The Big Dipper remains a favorite of the summer, while Orion somehow gets many folks through the winter. Meteor showers occur in regular intervals in many cases, such as the Perseids in August. Space almanacs will tell you when these will occur and how active they are expected to be, and whether just a handful or tens or hundreds of meteors might be seen each hour.

An almanac for the sky will also tell you when lunar or solar eclipses may occur, and where. Since an eclipse is a rare event, keeping track of this information is important.

You can find various almanacs that detail the night sky, which are available in many places. The local bookstore or library is a good place to start, but you don’t have to go anywhere to find them online as well. There are many almanac and space related websites, with information on upcoming celestial events, which are relatively easy to find.

Filed Under: Observatory, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Celestial, Planets

Astronomical Phenomena: Occultations – Almanacs, Books and Guides

With so many objects in space, one can move in front of the other from time to time, as seen from Earth. Eclipses have fascinated people throughout history, and folklore and religions have been influenced by them. A solar eclipse is amazing, and a lunar eclipse can spark hours of observing, but most people don’t think too much about occultations.

An occulation is very much like an eclipse, but an event is usually considered to be an eclipse when two objects similar in apparent size to one another are involved. The objects can be stars, planets, moons or any other entity, but it is the size as viewed from Earth that determines what we see. This eclipse-like event occurs when something large, like the Moon, obscures a star or other planet from view. The obscured objects have to be blocked by something that appears much larger than them.

Astronomical discoveries have been made just by observing occultations. The ring system of Uranus was discovered this way in the 1970’s. Stars that the planet passed over would dim and brighten several times before the planet moved over them. This led to speculation that there were rings, but this was confirmed when Voyager 2 passed by the planet. The space probe also found this to be the case with Neptune.

The Moon’s occultation of stars has led to discoveries such as binary stars, as one fades before the other. It sometimes passes stars right at its edge, which is a grazing occultation. When this happens, the star can actually disappear behind mountains and appear again through lunar valleys. Multiple observers who space themselves along a path have taken advantage of these events to profile the moons edge, which helps to detail the moons position, and also helped to map lunar topography before man ever went to the Moon.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Earth, Solar System