Category: Astronomy

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Last night, in north-central South Carolina, I used my telescope for stargazing and observed that the Moon was at its highest point in the sky; why was that?

 February 21, 2025 February 21, 2025
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      JSUadmin JSUadmin
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The Moon appearing at zenith indicates that it was directly overhead, or very close to it. This occurrence can happen depending on the time of night, your geographical location, and the lunar phase. Zenith occurs when an astronomical object is at its highest point in the sky, and this visibility is influenced by the Earth’s […]

What size and proximity would an asteroid need to have to cast a shadow on Earth similar to the Moon’s during a solar eclipse?

 February 21, 2025 February 21, 2025
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      JSUadmin JSUadmin
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For an asteroid to replicate the shadow cast by the Moon during a solar eclipse, it would need to have similar dimensions and distance from Earth as the Moon itself. The Moon is roughly 3,474 kilometers in diameter and orbits Earth at an average distance of about 384,400 kilometers. The shadow, or umbra, that the […]

Have I witnessed another spacecraft docking with the ISS?

 February 21, 2025 February 21, 2025
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      JSUadmin JSUadmin
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The International Space Station (ISS) regularly hosts spacecraft from various space agencies, docking for crew rotations and resupply missions. These spacecraft include those from NASA (such as the Crew Dragon from SpaceX), Roscosmos (Soyuz), European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and others with agreements to visit the ISS. If you believe you […]

How long would a modern probe take to travel 166.3 astronomical units if launched today, given that Voyager 1 was launched on September 5, 1977, and covered that distance in 47 years, 3 months, and 7 days?

 February 21, 2025 February 21, 2025
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To calculate how long a modern probe would take to travel 166.3 astronomical units (AU), we need to consider the advancements in propulsion technology since Voyager 1’s launch. Voyager 1 achieved a speed of about 17 kilometers per second relative to the Sun. Technologies that could improve travel times include ion propulsion and solar sails. […]

If we removed the dust covering Opportunity’s solar panels, enabling them to receive sunlight once more, would the rover start functioning again?

 February 21, 2025 February 21, 2025
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Opportunity, the Mars rover, succumbed to a planet-wide dust storm in 2018 that blocked sunlight from reaching its solar panels, causing it to lose power and establish communication. The rover operated long past its original 90-sol (Martian day) mission, ultimately spending nearly 15 years on the Martian surface. Theoretically, if Opportunity’s solar panels were cleaned […]

What are the best locations for stargazing near Alpine National Park in Australia?

 February 21, 2025 February 21, 2025
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      JSUadmin JSUadmin
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Alpine National Park, with its elevated terrain and remote nature, offers several prime locations for stargazing, away from the light pollution of urban areas. Here are some top spots to consider: Mount Hotham: This is one of the most accessible high-altitude spots in the park. On a clear night, the sky seems to unfold endlessly, […]

Could I have just seen an asteroid?

 February 21, 2025 February 21, 2025
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Observing an asteroid from Earth can be an exciting experience, but there are a few considerations to bear in mind if you believe you’ve spotted one. Firstly, asteroids are minor planets or rocky bodies that orbit the Sun, typically appearing as small, distant, and sometimes faint objects, often requiring a telescope for clear observation. If […]

What exists at a scale between the vastness of the known universe and the minuteness of an electron?

 February 21, 2025 February 21, 2025
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To comprehend the relative scales in the universe, it is useful to consider entities and structures that exist across this extensive range. The known universe spans about 93 billion light-years in diameter, which is approximately \(8.8 \times 10^{26}\) meters. Conversely, the electron, a subatomic particle, is incredibly small, with an effective “size” often considered to […]

Did the Greeks and Romans perceive the visible planets as embodiments of their gods and goddesses, or were these planets merely symbolic representations of these deities (e.g., Jupiter as merely the “Star of Jupiter”)? Scholarly insights would be greatly appreciated.

 February 21, 2025 February 21, 2025
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In ancient Greek and Roman culture, celestial bodies such as the visible planets held significant astrological and mythological importance. The Greeks and Romans did not generally believe that the planets were the actual deities themselves, but rather that they were closely associated with these gods and represented their influence and presence in the cosmos. For […]