Space Guides

No matter whether you’ve recently purchased your first telescope for astronomy and want to learn how to properly care for it, or your trusted favorite has started to look a little worse for wear, one of the most important aspects of maintaining a telescope is to properly clean its optics.At

If you have purchased a new telescope, then you probably want to use it to its full potential.And this can often mean setting it up in the backyard so that you may get a better look at the planets and stars. Telescopes are usually cumbersome in their design, which means

Becoming lost in the night’s sky is a wonderful experience. Stargazing from your very own backyard can be fun but street lights in your neighborhood can significantly impede your views. Sometimes, you will need to venture to more distant locations to see the stars and planets in all of their

If you want to maintain a telescope, there are four criteria that must be met: keep it dry, keep it clean, keep it cool, and keep it accessible. A well maintained telescope is a long term investment.With the right care and attention, a telescope can last for the lifespan of

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, or so that song says. On our planet diamonds are fairly plentiful, but in the distant worlds of Neptune and Uranus they are even more plentiful. Deep within Uranus and Neptune it rains diamonds, or at least, so it is suspected. Astronomers and Physicists have

Measuring the temperature in space is much more complicated than simply using a thermometer. This is because temperature can only be a ‘meaningful figure’ when heat can be properly transferred from one body to another.Measuring the temperature in space is tricky because the density of particles is very low, despite

Space and time go hand in hand, right? Well, “time is relative” as Albert Einstein once said. Just look at Einstein’s Theory of Relativity in which space and time are joined and create the fabric of the entire universe, otherwise known as “space-time.”Time is not as straightforward as you may

A series of repeated beeps that any ham radio operator with a big enough rig could hear, changed the course of the twentieth century and left an indelible mark on human history. On the Fourth of October, nineteen fifty seven the United States of Soviet Russia launched the first man

There are lots of interesting things to be learned about space, but even some things are unknown to astronauts themselves. What happens when a person dies in space is one of these things. There is no official plan in place to suggest what would happen following these events, and it

Every atom of carbon in every living thing on the planet was produced in the heart of a dying star - Professor Brian Cox All life on Earth is entirely dependent on the star that lies at the center of our Solar System, Sol. More commonly known as the Sun,

Humanity has been grappling with the final frontier of exploration for over 60 years now, and in that time many achievements and challenges have been met and overcome. The space race of the mid 20th century led to the rapid mobilization of both the Soviet Union and the United States

There are so many unanswered questions about space, it truly is one of the greatest mysteries in the universe. From wondering how many planets there may be out there, to wondering whether there is any other life, from questioning the existence of travel through a wormhole, and even wondering how

We’re constantly bombarded with the mind-bending physics of space. Having just about wrapped our heads around the general concept of black holes and the anti-aging effects of time dilation, we’re hit with another doozy. Does space actually make you taller?The answer is, yes, a jaunt out in the abyss can

Nearly every young kid has dreamed of being an astronaut at some point in their lives. The thought of going out into space, the final frontier, is so exciting, fantastical and a dream for many people. Astronauts have to go through thorough and extensive training, including medical skills, fitness training, courses

If you have a wormhole, then you can turn them into time machines for going backward in time - Kip Thorne The idea of traveling to the edge of the universe, charting the vast depths of space and unlocking the ancient mysteries of the cosmos, and our innate yearning to

You don’t have to have any interest or knowledge about science to wonder what would happen if the Earth stopped rotating. If the Earth were to stop rotating that would be the end of life as we humans know it, and there really would be no going back.But let’s take

he Milky Way is our home galaxy which consists of countless other stars and planets. All the stars and planets, including Earth, are bound together by gravitational forces which is what creates the swirling spiral we see in pictures. Our solar system, of which our Sun is at the heart,

Humans have been exploring space since the 1960s, with the first ever space expedition in 1961. On that mission, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gargarin became the first ever human in space, completing a 108 minutes orbital flight inside a spacecraft. Just a few years later, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and ‘Buzz’

There is a huge debate over who owns the moon, and a lot of misconceptions about whom the rightful owner is. But in reality, nobody owns the moon. A lot of people believe that the moon belongs to a specific country on the Earth, but it is actually nobody’s property,

The United States of America is the classified owner of NASA. NASA is an independent agency of the U.S Federal Government and was created under President Eisenhower in the summer of 1958 after absorbing the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).  Most of the space explorations have been conducted by

Since Pluto was first discovered back in 1930, what we know about its size, color, structure and overall appearance has changed dramatically. Originally believed to be the ninth and furthest planet from the Sun, it was thought to be of a dirty brown color. However, this was based on the

Neptune is the furthest planet from the Sun in our solar system. However, despite the planet’s vast distance from the star, it is not actually the coldest.Similarly to Earth, Neptune is warmer at times and colder during other times, as it goes through ‘seasons’ each Neptunian year.The planet's average temperature

If you have ever looked up into the night sky, you will have seen the wonder of all of the stars, and constellations. Although we can spot stars with the naked eye, you may not be aware that stars can be different colors.  Many people are unaware that stars can

Light thinks that it travels faster than anything else, but is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first and is waiting for it - Terry Pratchett Physics and the laws that govern it are irrefutable and whether we’re aware of the way

Introduction Have you ever wondered about what goes on in the cosmos? About what lurks in the universe beyond what we can see? There are many wonders that are even yet to be discovered outside of the Earth.  What we do know about though is the Black Hole. This is

If you have ever lived close to the sea or worked on the oceans, you will understand the concept of tides. Twice every day, the sea levels will rise and fall which is known as the tides.  It has long been known that the gravitational pull of the moon influences

The Sun’s magnetic field reverses every eleven years. There have been a quartet of a million reversals since  predecessor Homo Habilis emerged and they haven’t killed us yet - Jocelyn Bell-Burnell Sometimes the best way to answer a question or questions is as directly as possible. Is there a limit to

We have likely all seen our fair share of space movies, but how many of them are really accurate? Understandably, there are many things that are included in space movies that are only really there for cinematic effect, rather than real-world accuracy. It can be expected that there aren’t many movies

Disclaimer: Before we start, it’s worth pointing out that the mass of something isn’t actually affected in any way by the speed at which it is traveling, despite what you’d find in the outdated teachings and textbooks of the past. Einstein’s theory of Special Relativity disproved this theory long ago,

The Short AnswerA space ship would actually never stop because it ran out of fuel in the first place. Due to a complete lack of air resistance, any vehicle with an empty tank would simply continue to travel at the same speed until something blocked its path and caused a

The idea that a photon accelerates to light speed is a bit of a myth. Photons don’t accelerate to light speed. Instead, they are already traveling at the speed of light.Photons are traveling at the speed of light since the moment they are created. This is difficult to understand as

When you first start learning about black holes, the mind truly boggles, and the maddening, tantalizing thing about them is the more you grow to understand them, the less you feel you know. Still a mystery to the world’s greatest scientific and mathematical minds, until an entirely new theory is

We often hear the phrase, faster than the speed of light, thanks to Queen, no doubt. Our old science lessons in school way back when and pop lyrics allow us to remember how fast light travels, saving us shame on a pub quiz. But what about gravity? In every part

Though it may seem like an unusual question, what would happen if you were driving your car at nearly the speed of light and you turned on your headlights. It’s not likely something that will ever happen, but what if? Light, travels at the speed of light, obviously. But what if

The sun is the center of our solar system and has been burning bright for 4.5 billion years. It is estimated that it will burn for another 5 billion years before shifting to the burning of helium for another 130 million years.If the sun has been burning this long and

In days gone past, many people believed that the Earth was flat, but years passed and attitudes have since changed.Later, people would believe that the Earth was the center of the solar system, and some believed that the Sun is actually the center point of the solar system. Both of

Do you realize that if you fall into a black hole, you will see the entire future of the universe unfold in front of you in a matter of moments and you will emerge into another space-time created by the singularity of the black hole you just fell into? -

Gravity is a natural phenomenon, thanks to which all things with a mass or energy are brought toward one another. On Earth, we see gravity as the force that makes everything fall back down to the ground, but that’s because the planet itself has a huge mass and energy, so

Gravity is a vital force in the universe. Every single object in space has a gravitational pull, and so gravity is a force that works to influence the paths and direction of every single thing travelling through space. If gravity works to pull everything and all objects, you may be

In August of the year 2006, an official statement from the International Astronomical Union caused a stir throughout the astronomical community and the world at large. Pluto, the IAU declared, was being downgraded in status from ‘Planet’ to ‘Dwarf Planet.’ Our solar system, as we know it, would now consist of

This is a question that has a bit of weight to it, and there is no straightforward answer to it. There is an up and down in space, but perhaps not in the way that you might expect. As you have probably guessed, being in space and being on Earth

You have probably heard somewhere that the universe is expanding. Hearing this can bring up all sorts of questions. How does this affect our solar system? Will we drift away from the sun? Why is the Universe expanding anyway? You are in the right place if you have any of these

We’ve got some news for you: the Great Wall of China is actually not visible to the naked eye from space, even in low-earth orbit, according to NASA. This is surprising to many, as it’s long been circulated that the wall is visible from space, with many believing it’s the only

The sun is often referred to as a big huge ball of fire, just casually providing us with warmth, light, and basically, life. Imagine putting it out!How large would a bucket of water have to be? Your initial thought might be an incredibly off-the-scale massive bucket full of water. And

The stars in space are not actually in fixed positions, despite appearing that way. They move constantly with a very slow speed, that is almost imperceptible to the human eye. Add that to how far away the stars are from us, and you begin to understand why they appear to

Mars is one of the most well-known planets in our solar system other than Earth. It is the planet behind Earth in The Milky Way and is the fourth planet from the Sun. While it has been likened to Earth, due to some similarities, it is also quite different. You

So I saw many planets and they looked just a little bit brighter than they do from Earth - Sally Ride  Even though there are one thousand million stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, most of which are thought to have planets orbiting them and there are a further

The universe is a fascinating thing - we don’t always know why certain things happen or how. Sometimes, you may look out of the window to see that the sun is setting and then the next minute you look again and it’s completely dark. In this case, you may be

For eons, human beings have been fascinated by the happenings of the solar system. We have used the stars to guide our way through the seas, to predict our futures and they have been a source of entertainment during our leisure time.  Yet, there are still many things that we

Venus is one of the planets which even somebody who isn’t a fan of astrology will remember. It is the second planet in our solar system when you measure them back from the Sun, and the closest planet in our solar system to Earth. Venus is the brightest planet in

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the hottest planet would be the one that is closest to the sun, Mercury. It makes the most sense, after all, given how hot the sun is. However, the winner of that esteemed title is the second planet from the sun, Venus. Venus massively

Introduction: The North Star The stars truly are a magical presence, shining brightly in the sky every night. No matter where you live, you’ll be able to see the twinkling lights on a clear night’s sky. As we get older, we might start to wonder what we’re actually seeing as

If you were to ask someone to name the brightest star in the night sky, the majority of people would reply with “the North Star!” It’s understandable that most people believe this to be the case, as it sure does stand out at night. However, the North Star, or ‘Polaris’,

On July 20th, 1969, an American astronaut named Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind and became the first person to walk on the surface of the moon. The world watched in amazement as NASA’s Apollo 11 rocket thrust into the atmosphere. Over 53 million households made up of

If you are into astronomy, then you will have heard of looking at the moon, stars, constellations, and all celestial objects. Constellations have long been used by humans in order to navigate across the globe, long before there were navigational tools or Google Maps! Because constellations happen within the night

Andromeda is a constellation in the Northern sky. It is home to the Andromeda galaxy, which is the nearest comparably-sized galaxy to ours. The Andromeda galaxy is also called M31, Messier 31, or the Great Spiral Galaxy. It is one of the most faraway objects in the night sky the

What is the Little Dipper? The little dipper is an asterism, better known as a popularly know pattern of stars, which are a part of the larger constellation named ‘Ursa Minor’ or ‘The Little Bear’. Ursa Minor is majorly made up by the Little Dipper, as the handle is seen

Orion’s Belt is perhaps the most famous of the constellations. Even if you know next to nothing about stars and their constellations, you will have heard of Orion’s Belt. You might even know a little about its story and how it looks. Orion’s Belt is a very simple constellation, so

Saturn is by far one of the mystifying planets in the solar system, and in order to view this ringed planet in all its glory, you need a telescope that’s up to the job.   As the sixth planet from the sun and the second-largest in the solar system, Saturn

Are you a space fanatic? Don’t you just love those documentaries about space and the universe? Perhaps you are looking to buy a telescope to see what it can show you of the Universe beyond Earth. Or, perhaps you already have a telescope and you are curious to see what

If you’re passionate about astronomy and photography, you may be interested in combining the two, something known as Astrophotography: where people photograph objects and events of the night sky.  While astronomy has been practiced for decades, astrophotography is more of a modern phenomenon. However, as both cameras and telescopes continue

Polar alignment means that you line up the telescope’s axis mount with the motion of the sky. This allows you to track the movement of objects in the night sky more accurately.  This is done by aligning the mount with either the north or south celestial pole. You will need

Keeping your telescope in good condition is essential for ensuring you get the best quality images of the night sky, and for prolonging the lifespan of your telescope.   In particular, your telescope mirror will be exposed to dust particles, and these have silica in them that is very abrasive

The magnification of a telescope is the ratio by which the telescope is used to enlarge the object you are looking at. Generally speaking, the maximum magnification a telescope is capable of is the aperture in inches multiplied by 50 (or the aperture in millimeters multiplied by 2).This changes depending

How far you can see through a telescope largely depends on the telescope’s specifications. For example, the model, lens, and quality of the telescope. Surprisingly, the naked eye can see the Andromeda Galaxy, which is 2.5 million light-years away. In reality, this Galaxy has a diameter of approximately 220,000 light-years

Have you ever wondered how far away the stars are? Or how constellations work? Have you ever looked up into the sky and wished you could see the moon and the stars up close for yourself? You can do all of this and more with a telescope! What is a

Stargazing is without a doubt one of the most relaxing hobbies you can have. There is something so relaxing about sitting there and looking at the universe that exists outside of the world that we live in. It is a great way to detach yourself from the stresses of everyday

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest human-made object to fly in outer space and, at the right time, it can be seen from anywhere around the world. This massive space station hovers 250 miles above the surface of the earth, traveling at a speed of around 17,500 mph.