The FAS Astronomers Blog

  • The Solar System

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 31, Number 7. We live in a solar system. So, just what is it? It is a star and all the objects and material that are gravitationally bound to the star. Until recently, the only example we knew of was our local group of planets orbiting the Sun. In 1995, Michel…

  • The Multiverse

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 31, Number 6. This is part 5 of a 5-part series on the Universe (The Visible Universe, The Dark Universe, The Expanding Universe, The Microscopic Universe, and The Multiverse). Define the Universe and give five examples. Many years ago, this would be a joke, but today maybe not. Recently, astronomers have…

  • The Microscopic Universe

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 31, Number 5. This is part 4 of a 5-part series on the Universe (The Visible Universe, The Dark Universe, The Expanding Universe, The Microscopic Universe, and The Multiverse). The universe is huge and filled with light. We can see out 46 billion light-years in any direction. It is full of…

  • The Dark Universe

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 31, Number 3. This is part 2 of a 5-part series on the Universe (The Visible Universe, The Dark Universe, The Expanding Universe, The Microscopic Universe, and The Multiverse). There is much we can see in the visible universe. On the other hand, the universe is also dark and mysterious. And…

  • The Visible Universe

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 31, Number 2. This is part 1 of a 5-part series on the Universe (The Visible Universe, The Dark Universe, The Microscopic Universe, The Expanding Universe, and The Multiverse). When we look up at the night sky, we can see clouds. Yes, for most of us interested in astronomy, this is…

  • The Copernican Revolution

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 31, Number 1. Back in the old days, people would look up at the sky. They noticed that the Sun and the stars would rise in the east and set in the west. From month to month the stars would follow a similar patter as they rose earlier and set earlier…

  • FAS Astronomers Blog – Year End 2022

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 30, Year End. I hope you enjoyed the FAS Astronomers Blogs for 2022. Just in case you missed a few, below is a summary of the articles from the past three years. Look for more blogs in 2023, which will be posted to https://www.fas37.org/wp/category/club-heading/fasastroblog/. Observing the Night Sky Telescopes The Night…

  • A Map of the Universe

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 30, Number 15. Earlier this year (2022), I posted an article about the history of the universe. I followed with a second article about the shape and future of the universe. The universe is big (really big). Estimates place the diameter of the visible universe at 92 billion light years. It…

  • Telescopes

    FAS Astronomers Blog, Volume 30, Number 14. Have you ever walked out at night and looked up into the night sky? If you live away from a city, the sky is filled with stars. If you’re lucky you might see the Milky Way stretch across the sky. From time to time a brighter object or…