“When Mariner 9 approached Mars in 1971, to become the first probe to orbit the planet, Mars was at its closest to the Sun and in the grip of a dust storm more severe than any we’ve seen since”
Beginners Astronomy: Mars Part 2- Mars and its Weather
Tectonics on Venus
Polygonal blocks or ‘campuses’ on the lowland surface of Venus. Note the zones of ridges that roughly parallel ‘campus’ margins. Credit: Paul K. Byrne, North Carolina State University and Sean C. Solomon, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Beginner’s Astronomy: Precession
“The Vernal Equinox, where the Sun crosses the equator on its way north in spring, moves steadily along the Ecliptic (the plane of the Earth’s orbit, projected on to the sky) from year to year “
Life could exist in the clouds of Jupiter but not Venus
” “Our research shows that the sulphuric acid clouds in Venus have too little water for active life to exist, based on what we know of life on Earth.” Dr John E. Hallsworth
‘The Stones and the Stars, Building Scotland’s Newest Megalith’
Duncan Lunan who writes The Orkney News astronomy column and beginner’s guides is also the man behind the building of the Sighthill Stone Circle.
The Sky Above You – July 2021
Like last month, it will never be completely dark during July, as the Sun never gets far below the horizon. It’s a good time to see noctilucent (night-glowing) clouds in the north, lit by sunlight at high altitudes, first reported in the 19th century and still not fully explained.
Beginners Astronomy: Atmospheric Refraction
“If the Earth had no atmosphere, life would be much easier for astronomers – as long as they didn’t need to breathe. “
Astronomy for Beginners: Venus
Although it can be seen in daylight if you know exactly where to look, Venus is the morning and evening star, generally seen in twilight and hardly ever against a truly black sky.
Hubble Captures a Spiral Galaxy 120 million light-years away
This spectacular image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the trailing arms of NGC 2276, a spiral galaxy 120 million light-years away in the constellation of Cepheus
Moonrock 2021
In anticipation of the Chang’e 5 returned sample analysis, Duncan Lunan reviews what we have learned to date.
