Written by Education Assistant Mark Grimley Today we are going to talk about some lesser-known bodies in our solar system – and one that you might still be upset about. These are the dwarf planets in our part of the ‘neighbourhood.’ But first I want to clear a few things Read more
Now we weren’t going to leave out everyone’s favourite dwarf planet, were we?! Small but Mighty! Pluto is named after the Roman god of the Underworld, who coincidentally was also the god of wealth as diamond and other jewels supposedly came from the Underworld. It’s ironic that such a tiny Read more
The discovery of planets orbiting around other stars has been one of humankinds greatest achievements. The existance of these ‘exo-planets’ can challenge our perception of our place in the universe. Since the first confirmed detection of a planet around another normal star (51 Peg) in 1995, many thousands of planets have been discovered. Indeed, it is likely that most stars will have their own system of planets. It is important in answering the question – is there intelligent life out there?
After a special vote in the IAu General Assembly, we interview Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Director. Professor MIchael Burton, on the renaming of the Hubble Law.
Space is forever changing. Here is a list of 10 things we used to believe about Space.
Article written by: Heather Alexander Have you ever had a fun night out with friends, or a lazy day in with loved ones, or even just strolled down the street, and asked the question “Who discovered…?” I am the type of person who asks this question, frequently. Thanks goodness I Read more
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
New Horizon’s arrival at Pluto this year, after a nine year-long traverse through the Solar System has revealed many new things about this little icy planet. Pluto used to be the ninth planet but was demoted in 2006 to the status of dwarf planet. Until the New Horizons mission started Read more
Nine years of waiting are over! New Horizons has been to Pluto! Well done humans! Pluto has turned out to be slightly bigger than we thought having a diameter of 2370 km. This means Pluto is about 30km larger than Eris, making Pluto the largest known object in the Read more
July is here and that means it is officially the summer holidays. School is out and we are all planning our holidays either abroad or at home. Whether you leave the country or stay in it, there will be many things in the night sky to observe. We start Read more
Our Solar System is vast. We on Earth cruise around the Sun in an orbit with a radius of about 150 million km (93 million miles), but the most distant planet, Neptune, is about thirty times further from the Sun. Enormous distances and the limitations of rocketry means reaching the Read more
In July 2015, we will finally have our long-awaited closeup views of the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons when NASA’s New Horizons probe flies past the tiny and distant worlds. Assuming all goes well, suddenly we will have revealed to us about 25 million square kilometres of alien landscapes 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
One of the latest members of the Solar System to be discovered, 2012 VP113 is a tiny isolated world in the outer Solar System. It’s attracting attention as it could one day help lead astronomers to discover a whole new planet. Flying outward from the Sun, away from the 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
If you had asked me in June 2013 how many moons Neptune had, I would have told you the answer was 13. If you asked me in August 2013 how many moons Neptune had, my answer would be 14! 2013 marks the year when a new moon has been found 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
Perhaps you haven’t noticed but new Astronotes posts have been a little short on the ground of late.I’d love to be able to say that this was because I was offworld on the International Space Station, but sadly the real reason was I’ve been ill (indeed I did spend some Read more
In 2003 astronomers discovered Eris, an object seemingly bigger than Pluto, in the frigid Trans-Neptunian wastes of the Solar System. Rather than becoming the Tenth Planet, Eris led directly to Pluto’s demotion from planetary status! But is this saga over? Martina Redpath has the details. I’m sure most of you 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