Astronomy Definition and 833 Threads

After 30 years, I finally have enough property that I could put up a little hut for my scope. It's just a 5" one-metre Newt, (and it's got a janky gear in the eq-mount that I haven't succeeded in fixing properly) so it would be easy to inadvertantly over-engineer and observatory for it. I live...

Hi Just a brief intro/bio. Aged 68.5yo but mentally still a (responsible) teenager - that may be an oxymoron.. Interests: Astronomy, Cosmology, Spectroscopy, solar dynamics and anything Physics and maths related. Beyond that, add any other form of science and for more fun, I design, build...

There are some hints from the orbits of known objects in the solar system that there might be a Planet X out there that has not been discovered. A recent study by Siraj et al. (the link is to a pre-print of the paper), analyzes a bigger data set (orbits of 51 objects v. 11 in previous studies)...

I was happy to discover the stargazers' forum. I definitely can't claim to be an astronomer of any description. I'm in the physics fan club, more than any kind of actual physicist.

Hello everyone, I need some statistics help relating to one aspect of the Fermi Paradox. The Universe is a very big place and even if there are millions of other alien civilizations out there, they are likely so far away from us that we will never ever meet them. But another factor that will...

Hi My name is Virendra Singh Rawat, I am 63 years old male, staying at Indore, India. I did my B.Tech in Metullurgy from IIT Kanpur, India in 1985. I have no formal qualification or training in any dedicated field. I am fascinated by sky and love to see the dance of heavenly bodies. For 20 years...

Good day to all. I'm a new member who is fascinated by and interested in physics, quantum mechanics, astronomy, and cosmology, though I never took classes during my schooling. Admittedly, I have basic math skills and worked hard to attain mediocrity in math classes (a living example of the law...

I'm just starting out with amateur astronomy and decided to buy a 10x50 Celestron Up-close G2 binoculars. I believe that tomorrow is the planet parade (the aligning of 6 planets) and I'd like to catch a glimpse of it. In the bortle 7 location that I'm in, I could only see a handful of stars...

Does anyone know of a reliable source from which to get star spectral data (flux versus wavelength)? The best source I've found is GAIA which has spectral data for some stars but for many it does not.

Hi! I'm going into college during the fall, (Stony Brook University in the US) and I want to research general relativity in the future. I can choose to do an astronomy or math double major alongside my physics degree, and I want to know which degree will best prepare me for a graduate program in GR

TL;DR Summary: I had a physics EE idea for finding the age of Andromeda using data from the university our school is linked with, however this turned out to be near impossible, therefore I wanted to find more doable things. Need Ideas for Physics EE

I am a retired musician and music teacher (woodwinds). I have had a lifetime amateur interest in astronomy and physics generally. I am also interested in the physics of musical instruments. For many years I was an amateur pilot so I also have an interest in the physics of flight.

So I've seen that radar can be used in space which is interesting and brings questions to mind as well as theories. Unrelated Sonar which uses sound waves don't work as sound isn't transmittable through space. Questions: 1) What techniques are used in radar to prevent "wondering" or the radio...

User New here but this conundrum is something that occurred to me as I was watching a physics video and I have run out of ways to ask about this. So here I am. Ok first principle. the setup. let's say we have invented a perfect telescope on earth. such that we can resolve any object no matter...

I know, I know, I'm committing the cardinal sin of putting any stock in the technobabble of a TV show, but this one seems egregious. Lewis (English WhoDunnit-in-Oxford on Britbox) Season 8 Episode 2 "The Lions of Nemea" had an astro physics professor who said this: "... and so we see that one...

This semester, I'm taking a class on Observational Astronomy which requires us to perform observations for a final project over the course of roughly a month (mid-March to Mid-april, although it could be a bit longer or shorter). As we get to choose the project, I'd like to take this opportunity...

Just a guy with huge Curiosity Quotient, in subjects ranging from Astronomy to Quantum Physics, to Geology and Ancient Mythology, Chemistry to Science Fiction & Fantasy, and finally Science in General.

Please select up to 3 members who were most impactful in the Astronomy and Cosmology forums in 2023. This is a popular vote. Polls were created by weighing activity and measure of helpfulness. Everyone nominated should feel honored. Many more could be added to this poll, we can never...

Astronomer - have built and used lots of stuff for ground and space based astronomy, and worked on top of countless mountain tops across many continents; studying the radio Universe from the deserts of New Mexico, taking pictures from mountain tops in Chile, Hawaii, La Palma, listening to the...

Hello there. I am Diamond Tiara and I am interested in Astronomy and Cosmology. I am also into fictional works involving solar systems and planets.

Imagine in the distance you see a glowing spherical object hovering in the air. Suppose light from point B on the surface of the sphere facing away from you can arrive at the camera simultaneously with light from A: Since the object is moving at relativistic speeds, by the time light begins to...

I am trying to decide on the material and dimensions for the rail. The rails are supported on either side of a 10ft span. -- What dimension steel angle can carry a 200lb load across a 10ft span? a=? b=? c=? -- What dimension aluminum angle can carry a 200lb load across a 10ft span? a=? b=? c=?

I was editing a timelapse I did of a sunset this summer with my Pentax K70, using 18-270mm lens at full zoom, using raw photos. At first I thought I had a speck on the lens when I saw a spot on the left side about the middle, then I noticed it stayed on the sun as it went down. Then I noticed...

Hello everybody. I have been having a lingering question about the State of the Universe. As humans, we view the Universe's expanse as historical from the vantage point of Earth. For example, 10,000 light years away would have occurred 10,000 years ago. On that same logic, looking at Earth from...

With all the recent debates about CDM vs MOND etc, I decided I need some more background on astrophysics and phenomenology. I have the physics background, I prefer concise books even if they are harder. I was considering something like this for phenomenology...

I have just taken three photos of the full moon. I am in Southern Spain and the photos were taken around 22.40 (CET). In each of the three photos, taken within seconds of each other, there is a bright point of light (a dot). In one frame it is in front of the surface of the moon. In the other...

Just a thread to see how inertia works, just studied the laws of motion, and have been fascinated with it.. could use some help on it tho :)

Planning to manually rediscover or confirm our exact place in the Solar System, Galaxy and Universe. I've noticed that even 50 mm high quality amateur telescopes are likely well better than what Galileo Galilei era scientists had for the first half century. The theodolite looks like an inspiring...

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/star-cluster-milky-way-old-universe https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2306.02180 Cheers, Tom

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined in August 2006 that, in the Solar System,[1] a planet is a celestial body that: is in orbit around the Sun, has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape), and has "cleared the neighbourhood" around its orbit...

The Guardian claims Betelgeuse is the closest red giant to Earth. Not even close. Aldebaran Arcturus Mira Delta Andromedae The abominably named Gacrux Capella, which despite the color is a red giant Possibly Antares (distances are similar) And, what is likely the correct answer, Pollux. Think...

The earth is a sphere. I can stand anywhere on its surface and look up directly above my head at the night sky and see lots of stars many light years away. I see this view wherever I stand on the earth's surface although the stars will be different ones, depending on where I'm standing...

I will apply for a Ph.D. in Astronomy in the fall of 2023. I want to have a realistic evaluation of my profile to see if I am over-ambitious or not. I think I am out of reach for the "big four" universities. I will donate money to two of them only and will be targeting other top schools...

Well... that: Please, could you please assist me in obtaining a rough estimate of the distance from the Sun at which a planet resembling Venus or a hypothetical Venus-like planet (for the sake of simplicity) would have a habitable-zone surface temperature? A "back-of-the-envelope" educated...

I asked Bard that question and it responded (among other things) that a) globular clusters are spherical and b) that they are spinning rapidly. Aren't those two things contradictory, as in they should be flattened by centrifugal forces?

Saturn reclaims 'moon king' title with 62 newfound satellites, bringing total to 145 https://www.space.com/saturn-moon-king-62-newfound-satellites Astronomers have discovered 62 new moons orbiting the ringed planet Saturn, bringing to total to 145 Moons, with 121 irregular moons and 24 regular...

I was reading about the Tusi couple and read it "as a solution for the latitudinal motion of the inferior planets, and later used extensively as a substitute for the equant". Since the Tusi couple is related to plotting out an ellipse, did Nasir al-Din al-Tusi already discover the laws for...

I am looking into proper and well tested solar glasses for the upcoming total eclipse next year. Also solar film and clip to attach to my camera so I can do a video. I'm scared to just buy randomly on Amazon.

TL;DR Summary: It seems inevitable that internet searches to answer astronomy questions will someday involve AI assistance. Is ChatGPT reliable enough yet for that, or still nowhere close? The issue for me at this point is how to distinguish the errors ChatGPT currently makes, versus the...

Hi. I am looking for scientific papers, articles and/or even simulations that investigate how many moons it would be possible for earth to have and maybe modern theories about what these moons can be and look like (i.e what characteristics they have) if they were to exist. I have googled and...

I'm currently in my first year of a combined major in Physics and Astronomy. I'm hoping to study theoretical cosmology, and get a PhD in physics. I've been told it would be wise to get a double major in Physics and Math if I wish to study theory, but would it also be wise to get a combined major...

tldr summary

I recently watched History of the Universe and they talked about the Giant Arc, a large scale structure that spans 3.3 billion light years long, exceeding the hypothetical limit of 1.2 billion. The Arc was discovered last year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giant_Arc They said if the Giant...

The result I get is 2 hours and 10 minutes. My reasoning is down here. But! Checking the map for the 2024 Solar eclipse, https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8, in many locations you can see a partial eclipse of over 2 hours 40 minutes. What is the main source of error here? Here...

Is there any specialize articles that talk about how Astronomy can help learning Math and Physics? In particular, how observational astronomy can help in the learning process of Math and Physics.

In 1846 three astronomers and mathematicians discovered Neptune because Uranus wasn't quite moving as Newton's law of gravity explains. So they did calculations and point the telescope at a specific part of the sky. They discovered Neptune. What formulas did they use? How did they calculate this...

Umm.. yes I think. Not sure what I’m getting into, but the pursuit of knowledge eh? Teach me please. I’m just here to share thoughts and bounce between fellow big brains. Haha this strange. Good luck!

Hi! I'm Varsha and I'm going to be a junior in high school this coming fall. I'm quite interested in astronomy and engineering so I plan to study aerospace in college, but I'm not sure which topics to focus on and what I should do to stand out to colleges. I'd love to interact with others and...

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a database of planetary events similar to this resource but that has a longer span of time that can be accessed (the site goes back to 2009). I haven't had success in my google searches. Does anybody know where I can find this information? In particular I am...