Category Archives: Historical

All About Aurorae

Posted on March 5, 2023 by 7smessier45

As the title suggests, our topic for today is Earth’s aurorae (pronounced auh-ror-eye). These stunning displays generally occur in two symmetrical oval rings about the planet’s far northern and southern regions–Earth’s magnetic north and south poles. When they happen in the north, aurorae are often referred to as the northern lights or Aurora Borealis. Likewise, […] Continue reading →

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M45 – The Seven Sisters

Posted on February 28, 2023 by 7smessier45

Hey, y’all, and welcome back!  Today, we’re taking a quick jaunt outside our solar system to visit the Pleiades. This grouping of stars–commonly referred to as Messier 45 (M45)–is one of my favorite observables and can be best viewed in January–but the cluster is easily visible from late fall through the winter. The cluster is […] Continue reading →

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Solar Flares and the Carrington Event

Posted on February 26, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

We heard a little bit about the Carrington Event in class, and I wanted to know more about it. A solar flare is essentially a burst of energy on the Sun which sends electrified gas and subatomic particles toward Earth. In 1859, there was an abnormally large solar flare caused two geomagnetic storms known as […] Continue reading →

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The Tools of Discovery

Posted on February 13, 2023 by dromalley

For my second blog post, I’ve decided to provide an overview of a few of the most advanced telescopes both on and around the world which have allowed astronomers to peer into the distant mysteries of our universe and uncover more about its nature. First, we will examine some of the most advance ground based […] Continue reading →

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Sextants – Then and Now

Posted on February 12, 2023 by 7smessier45

Humans have navigated the open ocean for thousands of years; among the first to do so were the aboriginal Australians and Polynesian seafarers about 50,000 years ago. More recently–but still a few hundred years ago–celestial navigation by Western cultures relied on a navigator’s understanding of the stars (and other heavenly bodies, including the sun), the […] Continue reading →

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Retrograde… what the heck

Posted on February 12, 2023 by sadiekarr

(Diagram showing Ptolemy’s early explanation of retrograde motion) Understanding retrograde can get a little confusing. Before taking astronomy, I’d only ever heard the term used by the astrology girlies. I thought maybe it was another “constellations are not real” scenario- but retrograde is real! Early astronomer Ptolemy (c. AD 100), as he observed the night […] Continue reading →

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Celestial Navigation Techniques Blog #2

Posted on February 12, 2023 by reidwalker87

Before any GPS or easy to use maps, explorers were completely reliant on the stars and their hunches to determine their location during their travels. In the Northern Hemisphere, it was much easier to determine latitude because of the conveniently located star Polaris just above the northern celestial pole. Using the Sun is also a […] Continue reading →

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Ancient Mayan Astronomy

Posted on February 11, 2023 by zws42

The ancient Mayan civilization, which existed from approximately 2000 BCE to 1500 CE in present day Mexico and Central America, had a highly advanced understanding of astronomy. They used their astronomical knowledge for many things, including religious rituals, calendar systems, and timekeeping. Their primary focus was on tracking the movements of the sun, moon, and […] Continue reading →

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Our Lady of Guadalupe

Posted on February 11, 2023 by oilrigatoni

To me, one of the most interesting historical phenomena related to the cosmos occurred in modern day Mexico in the year 1531. This is just after the Spaniards had conquered much of the region through bloodshed and war. However, one moment of peace emerged from the area. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a well-known image […] Continue reading →

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Blog Post 2 – What was Stonehenge really for?

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Melanie Marszal

Most people have seen pictures or heard of Stonehenge, an ancient monument on the Salisbury Plain in England. Personally, while I had seen references to Stonehenge in the media, I never actually knew what it was for, or what people thought it was for. It has been difficult for historians to find a definitive answer, […] Continue reading →

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