Chaotic Astronomy

Just when you thought that amateur astronomy only came into existence when Copernicus discovered that the Earth was round or that Haley saw a unique comet, which he named after him, you’ll realize that it was practiced thousands of years ago. The first people on earth already had huge love in amateur astronomy. They observe the stars and the moons to help them decide on the best times for harvest or hunt. Amateur Astronomy formed the different superstitions and beliefs, which are popular until now. A common example is that during full moon, some humans will transform into werewolves. Read more »

Technorati Tags: Amateur Astronomy, Astronomy 101

The stars are unbearably many. You can tell that when you look up at the sky. Yet, astronomers actually refer to each star by a name. The name may be proper, like Alpha Centauri, or it can be codes like C4H1 or the like. You might wonder how scientists can accurately pinpoint an individual star to name it, when they are as numerous as the ants that live below the earth.

That’s because astronomers have an Astronomy map. These are maps in which they plot the locations of known stars so they would know where Alpha Centauri is placed. They use this data to make observations focusing on one or two specific stars. An astronomy map is very accurate, and is printed in monthly versions since stars change locations every month due to the revolution of the Earth around the sun. Read more »

Technorati Tags: Astronomy, Astronomy 101, astronomy map