Named after the Roman God of the Sea, the ice giant Neptune is the eighth and most distant planet in our solar system and is famously characterized by its bluish hue. Not only is Neptune more than 30 times as far from the Sun as Earth, but it is also the only planet in our solar …
When you think of star and planet gazing technology, the first item that springs to mind is most likely a telescope. But, before you begin working with such a complex (and expensive) object, you should first try out a planisphere.Planispheres are simple devices that can show you incredibly complex things. The night sky is full …
When it comes to telescopes, we all know that they can be costly purchases. There is a range of telescopes on the market, and knowing which one to buy can be tricky, especially if you are a beginner wanting to see more of the night sky. The Celestron NexStar 8SE is a popular choice for beginners …
Whether you’re a curious child or an adult who still longs to be an astronaut, you might look to the vast expanses of space and wonder: just how many stars are up there? Millions? Billions? Trillions?Well, whilst it’s impossible to know for sure an exact figure, we can tell you the number of stars you’ll …
I still remember the first I pointed a telescope at the sky and saw Saturn and its rings. It was a beautiful image – Umberto Guidoni Known as Phainon (the sky god of Kronion) by the ancient Greeks, Saturn was first studied by Babylonian astronomers nearly three millennia ago.One of only five planets visible from Earth …
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Uranus is the 7th planet from the sun and is one of only 2 ice giants in our entire solar system (the other is Neptune.) This means that Uranus is subjected to some very extreme weather conditions, including sub-zero temperatures and bone-chilling gale-force winds. If you’ve ever seen a picture of Uranus, you’ll be familiar …
Mars, our tiny red neighbor. It can be one of the most fascinating yet one of the most difficult planets to find, despite how close we might be to it. Space is very large and there are many, many contributing factors to its visibility that fluctuate depending on what time of year it is and …
If you have an interest in astronomy, then you might have found yourself wondering how many craters are actually on the moon. The answer is probably more than you thought. The number of craters that are on the moon can seem like it is endless when you are looking at them through a telescope, but …
Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus is one of the brightest objects in our night sky. Because of her similar size, mass, and composition, Venus is often referred to as earth’s “sister planet”.Venus orbits closer to the sun than Earth making it one of the easiest planets to see. As it …
By the mid 17th century, telescopes had improved enough to make visible the seasonally growing and shrinking polar ice caps on Mars and features such as Syrtis Major, a dark patch thought to be a shallow sea – John Updike It’s a common astronomical misconception that every planet has at least one moon. While most of …
How Many Moons Does Mars Have And Can I See Them With A Telescope? Read More »
