Constellations

Sky Charts

Indulge your curiosity: Try this!

The Solar System

How Long Will the Sun Shine?

How Long Will the Sun Shine? We tend to take our Sun for granted, its always been there and we don't think much about its demise. We know that some stars end their lives by exploding and some just fade away. How long will our Sun live and how will it die?

How Fast does the Earth Move?

Most everyone on the planet knows that the Earth is rotating, but not so many think about how fast the Earth is moving, or why it's rotating in the first place.

Don't Miss Comet Holmes

We only get one or two naked eye comets per decade, and though this particular one seems to defy all the usual traits of comets - you'll want to see it just the same!

Solar Array Tear Mars Perfect Day

Today was perhaps one of the most difficult days for the crews on the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle Discovery. Tuesday was the third of five scheduled spacewalks and tasks included reattaching a huge solar panel plant that had been relocated, and inspecting the gears which rotate the solar panels to face the Sun. All went well despite the difficulty of the task but during the unfurling of the solar array, ISS commander Peggy Whitson noticed the solar blanket ripping and aborted the operation. In spite of the damage, the array is producing 97 percent of anticipated power.

The Many Faces of the Big Dipper

Without a doubt, in the Northern Hemisphere, the group of stars known as the Big Dipper is the most often and easily recognized. Not everyone saw it as a giant celestial dipper and there is a myriad of stories about this group of stars.

The Primal and Future Moon

Most of us appreciate the beauty of a full Moon sedately moving across our night skies. The Moon seems unchanging, as if for eons it has been there, controlling the tides, going through its phases every month and inspiring poets and lovers. It might surprise you to know that in the past, things were much different, and they are still changing.

STS-120 Image Gallery

Follow orbiter Discovery as the STS120 mission prepares for launch. We will continue updating the gallery throughout the mission.

Just About Everything You Wanted to Know about Fog

Whether it softly comes in on little cat feet, or rolls in like a spooky movie, everyone has experienced fog. Although there are different types of fog, essentially fog is a cloud on the ground which reduces visibility to less than 1km. The basic requirements for fog to form are moisture in the air – the closer to 100% humidity the better, and the air near the ground must be cooling to within 5 F (3 C) of dew point – this is the temperature to which air must be cooled in order for water vapor in the air to condense to liquid water. When the air near the ground cools to dew point, the water vapor in the air will become visible as fog in the air or dew on the ground.

The Nile Legacy

The Nile is the longest river in the world and its annual floods allowed civilization to flourish in the Nile Valley. the Nile is largely fed from the White and Blue Nile rivers which flow from the south. Although the Aswan dam has ended these epic floods, the river is still a fascinating feature.

The Legacy of the Milky Way

If you are fortunate enough to live in an area which has dark skies far from light pollution 2013 you will likely have noticed the faint band of light in the night sky we call the Milky Way. To us - it is home to our fellow planets and the Sun we orbit. The Milky Way is visible in the night sky all year round but Summer is especially a great time to go out and view it. And once you've looked at it you can easily see how many of our ancestors saw it as a river in the sky.

Viewing the Space Shuttle and International Space Station from Earth

When you know where and when to look - it's actually pretty hard not to notice either of these two vehicles as they make their way across the sky. The only requirement is that you get away from city lights. You do not need binoculars or a telescope to view them, in fact, due to their speed - using a telescope would be quite difficult.

Knowing when and where to look is even easy thanks to NASA. Use their Skywatch program, but first there are a few viewing tips we'd like to share with you which will make spotting them even easier.

Atlantis Returns to Pad

Space Shuttle Atlantic (STS-117) is once again making the 3.5 mile trip from the VAB to launch pad 39A. It may look unlike what everyone has come to envision as a space shuttle - but NASA's engineers have determined it is both safe and ready to fly.

Hail: When Hard Rains Fall

Hail is not a common event in our part of the country, and it is not usually associated with being on a damage causing scale. On the rare occurrences when we do have hail we usually make a big ordeal out of it. There are areas, however, which do commonly get bombarded by hail, and even one area in the US known as Hail Alley.

Six Tornado Tips that could save your Life

April, May and June are the peak months for tornadoes in the US. You have probably heard of the term "tornado alley" which refers to the continental plains and Gulf Coast of the US. More tornadoes strike this area than any other.

WHAT THE BIG DIPPER CAN TELL YOU

Most people can point out the asterism known as the Big Dipper. No, the dipper is not a true constellation, rather it is an asterism, a familiar group of stars located within a constellation.

Gazing at the Crescent Earth?

Astronomers believe that one day we humans will have colonies on the moon. It is especially more likely to happen since the spacecraft Prospector discovered water ice on the lunar surface.

The Color of Water

The next time you are standing by a lake, pond or the ocean, ask yourself why it looks the way it does. What makes oceans and lakes look blue or green and sometimes black? Why do rivers most often appear brown?

The Salty Seas

Walking along a beach, it is hard not to notice salt in the air, on your skin and on rocks washed by ocean waves. When we were children we all had to try tasting sea water at least once. We all decided it was not a fun beverage! We also may have wondered just where all that salt comes from. It might surprise you to know that all that salt likely originated in a place where people never even see the ocean.

Questions and Misconceptions about the Earth

Since we all live on this planet you'd think everyone would want to know all there was to know about it and some do, but some people know surprisingly little about our world. It's really a fascinating place. In out next two articles we'll talk of interesting things about our home planet. Did you know all these things?

Lifestyles of the Stars

How much do You know about Lightning?

The Survival of Green Things

Moon Tales: When the Moon saved the Sun - New York 1835

Doing the Dew

Watches and Warnings

Dippers in the Sky

By the Light, of the Silvery (waxing, or waning) moon?

The Mystery Of The Seventh Sisters

The Star Stories of Thailand

Tracking the Sun

Buying a piece of the Sun, Moon and Stars!

In the Eye of the Beholder

The Women in the Moon