SpaceX’s satellites will populate the night sky, affecting how we observe the stars. And this is just the beginning of private satellite mega-constellations.
With the proper equipment, you can enjoy the beauty of the night sky.
Allexxandar via iStock/GettyImages
COVID-19 may have messed up school and shut down a lot of entertainment venues. But you can still brighten things up by doing a little stargazing at night, an astronomer says.
Light trails left in the sky (photographed with a long exposure time), by Starlink satellites, seen from New Mexico, USA.
Mike Lewinski/Flickr
Roland Lehoucq, Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) e François Graner, Université Paris Cité
By 2025 Elon Musk wants to launch 12,000 satellites and corner the global Internet market. What will be lost is earth-based astronomy, the idea that space belongs to us all and the beauty of a starry sky.
Two lenses might be better than one.
AstroStar/Shutterstock.com
Dark sky sites can inspire new generations of stargazers, but a better long-term solution would be connecting people with the night sky where they live.
The Milky Way: a pattern of stars, or a pattern of gaps?
Luke Busellato/Wikimedia Commons
Around the world and throughout history, we find remarkably similar constellations defined by disparate cultures, as well as strikingly similar narratives describing the relationships between them.
The panel of 60 Starlink satellites just before they were released to go into orbit around Earth.
Official SpaceX Photos
The first 60 satellites from Elon Musk’s planned low orbit internet network have lit up the skies. But with more planned, astronomers say the satellites could ruin their work.
A comet-gazing opportunity to close out the year.
I MAKE PHOTO 17/Shutterstock.com
We are in the Milky Way. If you travelled on an extremely fast spaceship for more than two million years, you would reach our neighbour, the Andromeda galaxy. All other galaxies are even further away.
About a century ago, we didn’t even know that galaxies existed.
Mai Lam/The Conversation NY-BD-CC
Pretty much as soon as we understood what galaxies were, we realised they are all moving away from each other. And the ones that are further away are moving faster. In short, the universe is expanding.
The ISS sees us on Earth, but look up at night and you may see it, too.
NASA
A couple thousand satellites are orbiting Earth right now. Under the right conditions, your naked eye can spot these human-made objects in the night sky.
As long as clouds don’t get in the way, the view should be spectacular.
NASA Goddard
To help find Planet 9, you just need a computer and a little astronomy knowledge. Already, 120,000 images have been processed by citizen scientists in just 3 days.
Full moons are good reason to look up – and the one on Nov. 14 is no exception. But here’s why you likely won’t see something shockingly different from other full moons you’ve observed over the years.
All is not calm in the cosmos.
ESA/Hubble and NASA
Stargazing seems such a quiet, calm activity. But whether our eyes can see or not, those stars out there are in constant flux. Time-domain astronomy studies how cosmic objects change with time.
A telescope can open up on the wonders of the heavens.
Grand Canyon National Park/Flickr
Stargazing in your back yard or on a camping trip can amaze and inspire. If you’re thinking of buying a telescope, here are a few key things you should look out for.