Category Archives: Astronomy

Beware the Scorpion in the Sky

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Scorpius Constellation

Scorpius as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825.

Have you ever wondered why the Orion Nebula has a sword and a belt? Hmm, who uses a sword? A warrior! But what could this warrior be fighting in the sky?

Orion is they mythological warrior and hunter who was friends with the goddess Artemis. They would hunt together and have many adventures. Pretty cool deal to go hunting with a goddess, huh?

Unfortunately for Orion, he developed a really bad attitude. He thought that since he was such a good hunter that he should go and kill every animal on earth! Not cool at all. Continue reading →

Aurora Tours the Galaxy: The Eagle Nebula

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Hi all, Aurora here! I have been busy visiting one nebula after another. Many are right in YOUR neighborhood. Check out these pictures I took of the Eagle Nebula just for YOU!

Eagle Nebula through a backyard telescope

This picture of the Eagle Nebula was taken by a backyard telescope. Can you see the eagle? Try tracing it out with your fingers.

Hubble's view of the Eagle Nebula

Okay, so this picture was taken by yours truly using the Hubble telescope. Can you see the eagle better? What color does it appear? Reddish-orange, right? So what does that mean the Eagle Nebula is made up of? Hydrogen! What other gases do you see? Not sure if I told you this yet, but the green usually means there is oxygen. Green can also be another gas, but for now it’s oxygen.

Now, put your finger on the tallest pillar.

Eagle Nebula with baby star

Finally, let’s look at the Eagle Nebula close-up! We can see a lot of details. Look at the tip! Did you know each tip holds onto a star? It’s like a star’s home! Totally cool, huh?

I have pictures from a lot of other fascinating nebulae, but you will have to wait till our next journey together for those. Until then, keep exploring and discovering!

Aurora

 

What’s A Nebula?

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Eagle NebulaGood question!  The word “nebula” comes from the Latin word that means “cloud,” which is what they look like to astronomers on Earth.

Edmond Halley (the astronomer who predicted when the “Great Comet” would return) was the first astronomer to suggest that the nebula contained dust and gas and he was right!

These large clouds of dust and gas serve our universe in a number of ways including the birth and death of stars. Continue reading →

Cetus: The Sea Monster in the Sky

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Cetus the Whale ConstellationIf you thought that the fish we caught on the Planet of Technology was big, just wait until you catch a glimpse of the sea monster known as Cetus! I wouldn’t want to catch him on a fishing expedition!

The Cetus (also known as “Whale”) constellation is located in the Southern Sky. It is a very large, but dim constellation which makes it hard to find with the naked eye. Continue reading →