astronomy

1y

The Six Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made About Neptune

By Shi En Kim

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-six-most-amazing-discoveries-weve-made-about-neptune-180985333/

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1y

Epic Dust Storm on Mars!

Full size video (1920x1080): https://flic.kr/p/2qqz3ZU
Full res image (9770x5500): https://flic.kr/p/2qpZ51C

Credits:
Processing: AndreaLuck CC BY
Raw Data: ESA/DLR/FUBerlin

ESA Mars Express HRSC
Vastitas Borealis
Orbit 21940
Frames
1 HL940_0000_S14.IMG Time: 2021-05-12T12:42
2 HL940_0000_ND4.IMG Time: 2021-05-12T12:44
3 HL940_0000_S24.IMG Time: 2021-05-12T12:46
Colours
HL940_0000_RE4.IMG HL940_0000_GR4.IMG
HL940_0000_BL4.IMG

#Space #Astronomy #Astrodon #Solarocks

Edited 1y ago

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256d

#OTD in 1612 (and 27 January 1613). Galileo Galilei became the first person to observe the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly catalogued it as a fixed star.

Because Neptune was only beginning its yearly retrograde cycle in Dec. 1612, the motion of the planet was far too slight to be detected with Galileo's small telescope.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune

Neptune at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/34991

#books #astronomy

Portrait of Galileo Galilei.

A half-length portrait, in old age, of the Italian mathematician, philosopher and astronomer, who was appointed court mathematician to the Medici dukes of Tuscany at Florence in 1610. He is dressed in black, wears a white beard and is seated in a chair holding a telescope in his right hand. His left hand rests on the arm of the chair and he wears a ring with a clear stone on his fourth finger. He faces forward towards the viewer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Galileo_Galilei_(1564-1642)_RMG_BHC2700.tiff&page=1

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257d

This week's #NewBooks at the library (the last one for 2025!): Three second-hand copies of Atlas of the Galilean Satellites from Cambridge University Press; the absolutely massive Fire and Mud: Eruptions and Lahars of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines from the University of Washington Press; and #CharlesDarwin, Geologist from Cornell University Press which I might well review sometime soon in the new year in light of an upcoming Darwin biography...

#Books #Scicomm #Bookstodon #Astronomy #Cosmology #Volcanoes #Volcanology #Geology #EarthSciences #HistoryOfScience #ScienceHistory #HistSci @bookstodon

A photo of three books standing on a small, brown, wooden table. The out-of-focus background shows black shelves full of books and part of the beech-coloured laminate floor.

On the left, standing up, Atlas of the Galilean Satellites, showing a composite photo of four of Jupiter's large moons shown in crescent view, arranged left to right from small to large: Callisto, Ganymede, Europa, and Io, showing a tiny sulfur dioxide-rich volcanic plume in deep purple erupting from its surface.

In the middle, lying down, Fire and Mud, a very thick hardback book, showing a colour photo of an agricultural field with in the foreground the tiny figures of an ox pulling a plough, followed by a human holding the reins. The background shows various white-roofed buildings against a background of hills. The top 80% of the photo shows the sky in which an enormous eruption cloud blossoms skywards. The dust jacket explains this is an early pre-climactic eruption at 0851h, June 12, 1991. In the middle, towards the bottom, is an inset colour photo showing a house surrounded by felled trees, all covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash.

On the right, standing up, Charles Darwin, Geologist, showing a period black-and-white photo of a seated, middle-aged, balding Charles Darwin circa 1855, wearing a waistcoat. The bottom third of the photo shows a fold-out colour plate with three colourful cross-sections through the Cordilleras of the South American Andes mountains. The writing is too small to read.

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1y

The Seven Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made About Pluto

Though technically not a planet, it has as rich geology as any of its planetary siblings in the solar system

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-seven-most-amazing-discoveries-weve-made-about-pluto-180985089/

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1y

Are the colours in astronomical images real? What do these colours mean? And what about images that aren't taken in visible light?

We get these questions all the time, so in the latest episode of Chasing Starlight we show you how these colourful images are made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BodtjPYFaP8

#astrodon #astronomy #space #science

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1y

#OTD in 1924.

The New York Times published evidence from Edwin Hubble stating that the Andromeda Nebula, previously believed to be part of the Milky Way, is in fact another galaxy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Hubble

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/54776

#books #astronomy

Studio Portrait of Edwin Powell Hubble. Photographer: Johan Hagemeyer, Camera Portraits Carmel. Photograph signed by photographer, dated 1931.

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250d

Going to the Moon: Early Cartography of the Lunar Surface

The lunar maps shown in this post were created long before satellite images became available. The topography is highly detailed and the historical backgrounds of the astronomers who created them are compelling.

by: Cynthia Smith (from the archives)

https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/2020/03/going-to-the-moon-early-cartography-of-the-lunar-surface/

Galileo at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/39014

#books #astronomy

This is a historic page showing three of Galileo Galilei's pioneering telescopic observations of the Moon, from his Opere di Galileo Galilei (1655), held in the Rare Books and Special Collections Division at the Library of Congress.

The page displays three circular illustrations of the Moon in different phases, arranged with two at the top (left and right) and one at the bottom right. The page header reads "OBSERVAT SIDERUM" (Observations of the Stars/Heavens), with page numbers visible (34 and 35, suggesting this is a two-page spread).

https://brescia-raccoltestoriche.unicatt.it/storie/la-sezione-galileo-galilei/

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1y

Venus and Saturn accompanying the Moon
月に伴う金星と土星
金星、土星伴月
(Picture 2 & 3 are captured from Stellarium)

#pictureoftheday #pictures #photooftheday #photographie #photography #Scenes #star #stellarium #stellar #moon #moonlight #venus #saturn #sky #night #nightphotography #nightsky #🌙 #🪐 #🌌 #🌃 #🌒 #夜 #攝影 #撮影 #摄影 #月 #金星 #土星 #星空 #天文 #宇宙_天文 #風景 #風景写真 #夜空 #天 #天空 #天空の #照片 #月光 #astronomy #astrophotography

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1y

#OTD in 1787.

William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus.

Orbiting at a much greater distance from Uranus are the ten known irregular moons. The planet's magnetosphere is highly asymmetric and has many charged particles, which may be the cause of the darkening of its rings and moons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus

#science #astronomy

Model of Telescope with which William Herschel discovered Uranus. In the Herschel Museum of Astronomy in Bath.

The secret of Herschel's success as an observer was the power and magnification of his telescopes.

This seven foot long, six inch diameter, ƒ14 reflector was particularly favoured. Its main mirror at the bottom of the tube and the secondary mirror near the top in front of the ocular were made of speculum metal.

It was with a seven foot telescope that Herschel made the discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781.

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1y

Looked up at the vast sky
Took in Beijing (39°56'51"N, 116°18'5"E)
18:17 and 18:34, Jan. 10, 2025 (UTC+8:00)

仰觀宇宙之大
攝於北京（39°56'51"N，116°18'5"E）
2025年1月10日18:17和18:34（UTC+8:00）

#picture #photo #fotografia #foto #Photos #風景写真 #照片 #撮影 #攝影 #写真 #photography #摄影 #天空の #fotografie #фотография #photographie #astrophotography #astronomy #月光 #天 #夜 #夜空 #宇宙_天文 #天文 #月 #night #nightphotography #sky #nightsky #星空 #moonlight #moon #scenery #Scenes #photographyisart #photooftheday #pictures #pictureoftheday #saturn #venus #土星 #金星 #木星 #木星合月 #火星 #星座 #星宿 #starrysky #starry_night #starrynight #starry_sky #Stellar #starsigns #mars #jupiter #jupiter_star #stars #Star #space #universe #universeodon #photodon

18:17

18:34

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1y

Irish astronomer Agnes Mary Clerke died #OTD in 1907.

During her career she wrote reviews of many books, including some written in French, German, Greek, or Italian. In 1885, she published her best known work, A Popular History of Astronomy during the Nineteenth Century. This book became commonly used for its discussion of the spectroscope.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Mary_Clerke

Books about or by Agnes Mary Clerke at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Agnes+Mary+Clerke&submit_search=Search

#books #astronomy #womeninStem

Portrait photograph of astronomy writer Agnes Mary Clerke (1842–1907) by Hayman Selig Mendelssohn (1847–1908).

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Clerke is depicted in a composed and serious manner, reflecting her scholarly nature and contributions to astronomy.

Her attire is modest and typical of the Victorian era, likely consisting of a high-collared dress with lace, emphasizing both her refinement and intellectual standing.

Her expression is calm and introspective.

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1y

This may be the strangest planet yet discovered. It seems to be a Pluto-size world circling the remains of three dead stars: two white dwarfs & a pulsar, as massive as the Sun but no bigger than Brooklyn.

If confirmed, it would also be the smallest exoplanet known.

https://astrobiology.com/2025/01/have-we-discovered-the-smallest-extra-solar-planet.html #space #science #astronomy #nature

Illustration of a likely planet orbiting PSR J0337+1715, a tightly packed triple-star system consisting of a pulsar and two white dwarfs.

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1y

Vera Rubin Was a Pioneering Female Astronomer. Her Federal Bio Now Doesn’t Mention Efforts to Diversify Science.
—

The edits to the webpage offer a glimpse into how far the Trump administration will go in refusing to acknowledge today’s inequalities as it purges federal initiatives promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

https://www.propublica.org/article/vera-rubin-astronomer-dei-trump?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#News #Government #DEI #Science #Astronomy #Space #Trump

Edited 1y ago

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1y

#OTD in 1616.

Galileo Galilei is formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the view that the earth orbits the sun.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_affair#Inquisition_and_first_judgment,_1616

Galileo Galilei at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=galileo+galilei&submit_search=Search

#books #science #astronomy

Galileo before the Holy Office, a 19th-century painting by Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury

Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury - https://respvblica.com/galileo-galilei-before-the-holy-office-in-the-vatican-by-robert-fleury/

The artwork depicts the famous moment when the Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei stands before the Roman Catholic Inquisition, facing trial for his support of the heliocentric theory, which proposed that the Earth orbits the Sun.

The scene is rendered with dramatic realism, characteristic of 19th-century historical painting.

Galileo, an elderly man with a long white beard, appears dignified yet weary as he stands before a panel of stern-faced inquisitors. He is dressed in dark robes, a symbol of his scholarly status, while the members of the tribunal, seated in a semicircle, wear elaborate garments reflecting their authority.

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227d

Here's my second go at processing my wide-field image of the region of the sky around Orion. It took me a lot of effort to figure out how to get it to look decent, but I'm much happier with it now!

Full resolution and technical details: https://app.astrobin.com/i/5yiiw5

#astronomy #astrophotography

A field of stars containing a large section of the Milky Way

Same as previous image, but with annotations showing the constellations and many notable celestial objects

A full-resolution crop of the lower half of the constellation of Orion. The Orion Nebula (M42), Horsehead Nebula, and Flame Nebula are clearly visible, along with most of Barnard's Loop.

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115d

Today is Omar Khayyam’s 978th birthday
(May 18, 1048 — December 4, 1131)

There is something beautiful about celebrating the birthday of a man who helped humanity measure time. Khayyam was a brilliant scholar, respected for his work in mathematics, astronomy, and calendar reform.

His rubaiyat are small poems with a long shadow — a reminder that life is too brief to waste.

#birthday #today #Khayyam #poet #wtiter #poem #poetry #books #book #time #astronomy #bookstodon @bookstodon @poetry

Omar Khayyam’s poem

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226d

"You've come, have you? – You've come, you source of tears to many mothers. It is long since I saw you; but as I see you now you are much more terrible, for I see you brandishing the downfall of my country."
William of Malmesbury, Gesta regum Anglorum

Halley’s comet may need a new, medieval name

Astronomers suggest the honor should go to an 11th century monk known for a disastrous flying attempt.

by Andrew Paul

https://www.popsci.com/science/halleys-comet-new-name/

At PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=halley+comet

#books #astronomy

The 1066 CE appearance of Halley's comet is famously depicted in the Bayeux tapestry.

The image shows:
Left panel: Figures pointing upward at the sky, gesturing in what appears to be alarm or wonder
Center: A stylized representation of the comet with streaming tail, labeled "ISTI MIRANT[UR] STELLA[M]" (These men marvel at the star)
Right panel: Shows King Harold II of England seated on his throne, with the label "HAROLD" visible. Attendants are informing him about the omen
The comet: Depicted with a bright head and flowing tail in the characteristic medieval artistic style

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1y

#OTD in 1616.

Nicolaus Copernicus's book On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres is added to the Index of Forbidden Books 73 years after it was first published. The book, first printed in 1543 in Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire, offered an alternative model of the universe to Ptolemy's geocentric system, which had been widely accepted since ancient times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_revolutionibus_orbium_coelestium

About Copernicus at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=copernicus&submit_search=Search

#books #astronomy

Order of the heavenly spheres annotated with periods of revolution from Chapter 10 of Copernicus' manuscript.

At the center of the diagram is the Sol (Sun), around which the planets are arranged in concentric circles. The planets are labeled with their Latin names and their respective orbital periods:

Stellarum Fixarum Sphaera Immobilis (Sphere of the Fixed Stars – the outermost, immobile sphere)
Saturnus (Saturn – 30-year revolution)
Iovis (Jupiter – 12-year revolution)
Martis (Mars – 2-year revolution)
Telluris cum Luna (Earth with the Moon – 1-year revolution)
Veneris (Venus – approximately 9-month revolution)
Mercurii (Mercury – approximately 88-day revolution)

The surrounding Latin annotations provide explanations about the movements of celestial bodies, reinforcing the revolutionary idea that Earth and the planets revolve around the Sun rather than the traditional geocentric (Earth-centered) model.

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1y

Edits to Vera Rubin’s Biography Downplay the Need for Women in Science Amid Federal DEI Crackdown

To comply with Trump's executive order about DEI, a federally funded telescope project has altered the biography of its namesake astronomer.

By Passant Rabie

https://gizmodo.com/edits-to-vera-rubins-biography-downplay-the-need-for-women-in-science-amid-federal-dei-crackdown-2000562941

#astronomy #womeninStem

Vera Rubin, Dept. of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institute of Washington.

NASA - These pictures of posed groups from the NASA Sponsors Women in Astronomy and Space Science 2009 Conference

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1y

What Counts as a Planet?

by Patricia Fara

The scientific disagreement about whether Pluto is a planet is just the latest war in the classifications of planets.

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/great-debates/what-counts-planet

#science #astronomy

Comparative Size of the Planetary Worlds

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185d

Forty years of data give unique insight into Sun’s inner life

forty-years-of-data-give-unique-insight-into-suns-inner-life

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1y

New Quarter Honors Vera Rubin, Astronomer Who Revealed the Universe’s Hidden Mass

Astronomer Vera Rubin, now honored on a U.S. quarter, transformed our understanding of the universe by uncovering powerful evidence of dark matter.

By Gabrielle Stewart

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-american-womens-history-museum/2025/06/09/new-quarter-honors-vera-rubin-astronomer-who-revealed-the-universes-hidden-mass/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&lctg=93133550

#astronomy #womeninStem

Vera Rubin looking through a telescope at Vassar College.

https://repository.aip.org/vera-rubin-looking-through-telescope-vassar-college

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1y

#OTD in 1930.

While studying photographs taken in January, Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto, making it by far the first known object in the Kuiper belt. It was immediately hailed as the ninth planet.

However, its planetary status was questioned when it was found to be much smaller than expected. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) formally redefined the term planet to exclude dwarf planets such as Pluto.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde_Tombaugh

#science #astronomy

The astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto here shown with his homemade 9-inch telescope.

In the image, he is shown standing next to his homemade 9-inch Newtonian telescope.

He is dressed formally, wearing glasses, a white shirt, and a tie, and appears to be adjusting or inspecting the telescope.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clyde_W._Tombaugh.jpeg

The telescope itself is a large tube mounted on an equatorial mount, with visible mechanical adjustment components.

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102d

Non-Rotating Early Galaxy Is a Surprise to Astronomers

non-rotating-early-galaxy-surprise-astronomers

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