|
Our Sun
The Constellations
There were originally 48 ancient constellations. The naming of the constellations began in the Middle East many centuries ago, but all societies named constellations, and the origins are mostly shrouded in time.
The ancient Greeks added stories and verses, and the ancient Romans gave the constellations Latin names. The ancient constellations are made up of only the brightest stars in the sky. Astronomers later broke the constellation Argo into three parts, so there are now 50 ancient constellations.
It was during the early part of the twentieth century, and astronomers of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted another 38 modern constellations. (This is the same group who recently decided that Pluto is not a planet.)
The members of the IAU drew rectangular borders around all of the 88 constellations. There are informal constellations, or "asterisms" -- like Ursa Major holding the "Big Dipper" -- that young people who are interested in astronomy first learn to identify.
The names of the 88 constellations:
1. Andromeda
2. Antlia
3. Apus
4. Aquarius
5. Aquila
6. Ara
7. Aries
8. Auriga
9. Boötes
10. Caelum
11. Camelopardalis
12. Cancer
13. Canes Venatici
14. Canis Major
15. Canis Minor
16. Capricornus
17. Carina
18. Cassiopeia
19. Centaurus
20. Cepheus
21. Cetus
22. Chamaeleon
23. Circinus
24. Columba
25. Coma Berenices
26. Corona Austrina
27. Corona Borealis
| 28. Corvus
29. Crater
30. Crux
31. Cygnus
32. Delphinus
33. Dorado
34. Draco
35. Equuleus
36. Eridanus
37. Fornax
38. Gemini
39. Grus
40. Hercules
41. Horologium
42. Hydra
43. Hydrus
44. Indus
45. Lacerta
46. Leo
47. Leo Minor
48. Lepus
49. Libra
50. Lupus
51. Lynx
52. Lyra
53. Mensa
54. Microscopium
| 55. Monoceros
56. Musca
57. Norma
58. Octans
59. Ophiuchus
60. Orion
61. Pavo
62. Pegasus
63. Perseus
64. Phoenix
65. Pictor
66. Pisces
67. Piscis Austrinus
68. Puppis
69. Pyxis
70. Reticulum
71. Sagitta
72. Sagittarius
73. Scorpius
74. Sculptor
75. Scutum
76. Serpens
77. Sextans
78. Taurus
79. Telescopium
80. Triangulum
81. Triangulum Australe
82. Tucana
83. Ursa Major
84. Ursa Minor
85. Vela
86. Virgo
87. Volans
88. Vulpecula
|
A few of the constellations do actually resemble what they are supposed to represent, but most of them don't. The purpose of the names for constellations is not usually to name them for what they portray, but rather to honor or represent.
See Also:
A Guide to Buying a Dobsonian Telescope
Carl Sagan
The Planet Neptune
Adams and Leverrier predicted the existence of the planet Neptune back in 1845. Neptune is very difficult to observe from the earth because of (1) the distance, and (2) the earth's atmosphere. The closest and best look that we have had at Neptune was provided by the Voyager 2 flyby in 1989.
Neptune is the most distant planet from the sun. It was once believed that Pluto was a planet Pluto beyond Neptune, but astronomers have declared that Pluto is not a planet but one of many dwarf planets in our solar system.
Neptune has a diameter that is about four times larger than earths. Computer models suggest that Neptune has a rocky core that comprises about 15 earth masses at the center, but there is no confirmation of this theory. Neptune has a rotation period of about 16 hours. Neptune has an internal heat source, and it produces about 2.7 times more heat than it absorbs.
Strong winds, bright, high-altitude clouds, and two large dark spots attributed to long-lived giant storm systems were reveled by the 1989 Voyager flyby. Wind speeds are as high as 739 miles per hour. The larger of the two dark spots that Voyager reveals is called the "Great Dark Spot."
Neptune's rings were first detected from Earth in 1983, but no real study could be conducted at that time. It wasn't until the data supplied by the Voyager 2 flyby was available that any determination about the rings could be disseminated. There are two bright rings and two fainter rings. The rings rotate in the same direction as Neptune, and they are all close to the equator.
Triton and Nereid are the two large moons of Neptune and are visible from Earth. Voyager 2 discovered six more moons, and one of them is actually larger than Nereid; but it is difficult to see because it orbits so close to Neptune. |
|
More articles:
Hubble Space Telescope
Neptune
Saturn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laughter is the BEST medicine!
#o91 : tuesday !
Sir Christopher Wren
NASA
In 1958, the Congress of the United States enacted, and the President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Act (NASA). The act begins with a very simple statement; "An Act to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, and for other purposes."
The Cold War between the United States and (what was) the Soviet Union was in full swing. With the passing and signing of the act that established NASA, what has come to be known as the "space race" was kicked off. The Soviet Union had launched Sputnik 1 and had an apparent head start in the race to space.
The United States caught up quickly. In January 1958, Explorer 1 (America's first earth satellite) was launched.
Then NASA launched human space flight initiatives with Mercury's single astronaut program (flights during 1961-1963) to determine if a human could survive in space.
The Project Gemini (flights during 1965-1966) with two astronauts to was used to practice space operations, like rendezvousing and docking spacecraft and extravehicular activity (EVA or space walks).
This was followed with Project Apollo (flights during 1968-1972) to explore the Moon. Since then NASA has conducted robotic missions to the Moon (Ranger, Surveyor, and Lunar Orbiter); Venus (Pioneer Venus), Mars (Mariner 4, Viking 1 and 2), and the outer planets (Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2).
NASA has had its problems over the years. The space shuttle Challenger blew up on January 28, 1986, killing seven astronauts. The space program was grounded for two years. Another tragedy happened on February 1, 2003, when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry. All seven people on board were killed instantly.
Space travel is not without its dangers, but space in the next great frontier for mankind to conquer. You can be sure that the space program and NASA will continue into the foreseeable future.
Related Topics: The First Seven Astronauts,
The Planet Mars, The Planet Mercury
|