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On a clear night you can look up and see infinity. But what happens if you can’t see the stars?
By Murray Henstock This is a question my students have asked me many times and it is a problem with living in a suburban or city area. The billions of lights all around us block out the majesty of the heavens almost totally. Except for the brightest few. Sydney, in addition to it ever present, star blocking evening glow can also be covered over by clouds quite often. Of late most major astronomical events have been blocked from view from those within Sydney due to cloud cover or ambient city light. Additionally findings ways to connect my students with the...
Chandra: A Telescope Without Borders
By Megan Watzke The Chandra X-ray Observatory is NASA's premier X-ray telescope. In operation since its launch aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1999, Chandra has studied hundreds of cosmic objects during thousands of observations over its 17-year mission thus far. As one of NASA's Great Observatories (along with Hubble, Spitzer, and the now-deorbited Compton Gamma-ray Observatory), Chandra is a crown jewel of American astronomy. However, Chandra is not just a national treasure, it is a resource for the entire world. Researchers from any country may apply for observing time on Chandra. In fact, scientists from over 100 countries have...
The "glorious fifty"
by Hatim Madani Astronomy has been propelled by this new millennium and its digital revolution in which information technologies play a key role in the popularization of the discipline. Never before in its history, was this science put within the reach of all, with so many differing ways to insure its dissemination. Nowadays, within the framework of the participatory science, it is possible for everyone to be able to contribute significantly to astronomical research. Personal telescopes are now more affordable than ever and amateur astronomer communities have grown substantially worldwide. Space exploration has recorded huge achievements over past decades and...
The Planetarium Experience: A ‘Triple Threat’ yet to be exploited!
By Shane Hengst Brief and selective history of the Planetarium Planetaria (or planetariums) have historically been known for showing the motion of the night sky on the inside of a dome that is projected by electromechanical (or optical) technology. Traditional ‘Starballs', made popular by Zeiss, arguably gave the best and the sharpest view of the stars that were almost as good as the real thing. Throw in a few static images of constellations with a kick-ass presenter and you have one hella of a show! This planetarium experience has been dazzling crowds for almost a century. Figure 1 shows the...
Wondering about the Universe
By Reina Reyes "The most incomprehensible thing about the Universe is that it is comprehensible." Albert Einstein How do we comprehend the Universe? How are astronomers and astrophysicists able to study its myriad of mysteries? Dark stars so dense that even light cannot escape. Explosions so energetic they outshine the whole galaxy. Tiny planets orbiting around double stars as in science fiction films. We humans have explored far beyond our earthly shores, and there is no end in sight. We speak about "The Great Silence" it seems that no one is communicating with us from outer space but...
