For those of you that are still bearing the psychological scars from Pluto’s demotion from planet to dwarf planet a decade ago, here is news that may add salt to the wounds. Published recently in the Astronomical Journal, Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown claim they have found evidence of a Read more…
When Percival Lowell began the search for “Planet X” little did he know the countless arguments he would cause and effectively how these would lead to a seemingly ever changing solar system. “Planet X” was not the believed birthplace of the X-Men for anyone hoping for the possibility of super Read more…
During the mid-19th century reports of strange motions in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune led astronomers, among them Percival Lowell, to think that perhaps another celestial body was having a gravitational effect on their paths through space. Lowell searched for a mysterious ninth planet until his death in 1916. Read more…
Percival Lowell was born into a wealthy Boston family on 13 March 1855. ‘No man is an island’ so like all of us he was a product of his times and class and also like many he rebelled against family traditions and expectations. He is best known for his ‘canals Read more…
“Is there life on Mars?” This must be one of the most-asked questions in astronomy. In this article I am going to look at the historical background to this question. Current thoughts on the possibilities of Martian life will be considered in a follow up article. Why is life Read more…
As it’s Halloween, we examine the life and works of HP Lovecraft, author of horror classics including The Call of Cthulhu and The Shadow over Innsmouth. How did his lifelong interest in astronomy influence his work? Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is praised as one of the twentieth century’s most influential Read more…