Category Archives: Historical

Newton in Context

Posted on February 1, 2018 by lexisastronomyblog

Isaac Newton (Jan. 4, 1643 until Mar. 31, 1727) was an extremely important physicist and mathematician. Newton’s first major stride in his fields came in 1668, when he created the first reflecting telescope. His next major, and arguably most influential, work came in 1687 in the form of his book Principia. Principia is often called … Continue reading Newton in Context → Continue reading →

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Copernicus in Context

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Chris K.

Nicolaus Copernicus (b. 2/19/1473, d. 5/24/1543) is a man who revolutionized the field of astronomy. Unlike his contemporaries, who were satisfied with a Ptolemaic universe driven by Aristotelian physics, Copernicus wasted to understand the heavens and stars as accurately as possible. Although not the first to do so, Copernicus devised a new model for the … Continue reading Copernicus in Context → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on January 30, 2018 by carolastronomy

Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) Born: December 14, 1546, Knutstorp Castle, Sweden Died: October 24, 1601, Prague, Czech Republic Tycho Brahe was a Danish astronomer and writer known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations. He developed instruments for measuring the position of stats and measured the position of 777 fixed stars. Things happened in that […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on January 30, 2018 by kyleweil

Tycho Brahe (December 14, 1546-October 24, 1601) was the best naked-eye observer of his time. He compiled a comprehensive list of stellar and planetary positions in the sky and noticed that the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn occurred two days after Copernicus had predicted it. He also observed and recorded a supernova. He was able […] Continue reading →

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Blog #1 – Moon Myths

Posted on January 23, 2018 by lexisastronomyblog

No other celestial body has quite the same reputation as our moon. The source of myths, legends, and ghost stories, the Moon is a symbol of superstition and wonder. We know that the Moon causes the rising and falling of the ocean tides, but could this mysterious master of the tides control something other than … Continue reading Blog #1 – Moon Myths → Continue reading →

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Moon Myths

Posted on January 23, 2018 by lexisastronomyblog

No other celestial body has quite the same reputation as our moon. The source of myths, legends, and ghost stories, the Moon is a symbol of superstition and wonder. We know that the Moon causes the rising and falling of the ocean tides, but could this mysterious master of the tides control something other than … Continue reading Moon Myths → Continue reading →

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The Cosmic Calendar and the Cosmic Perspective

Posted on January 22, 2018 by stellarastronomy1995

Shrinking the history of the Universe down to fit into the time frame of one Earth year may not seem all too impressive at first. The realization however that, fit into a calendar year, each month is representative of about one billion years, while each day is 40 million years, presents one with the inescapable … Continue reading The Cosmic Calendar and the Cosmic Perspective → Continue reading →

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The Pervasive Nature of Astrology in Popular Culture

Posted on January 18, 2018 by kyleweil

Astrologists: Airheads. Idiots. Superstitious children. Continue reading →

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Monkeys in Space!

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Haley's Comet

The pioneer monkey in space was named Albert II. On his mission, he made it 83 miles above the Earth. However, despite surviving the trip up, Albert II died when his parachute malfunctioned on his way down.  On his trip, he was under anesthesia, and attached to sensors so that scientists could monitor his vitals… Continue reading Monkeys in Space! Continue reading →

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The Pioneer Plaque

Posted on April 27, 2017 by josiezd

While unlikely that Pioneer 10 will reach another civilization, NASA (mainly Carl Sagan and Frank Drake) provided Pioneer 10 with a plaque that would hopefully tell another intelligent civilization about our own civilization on Earth. Continue reading →

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