Why should it cost you thousands of dollars to enjoy astronomy? It doesn’t and it shouldn’t. All you have to do is “look up” on a clear, dark moonless night to enjoy the beauty of the night sky. But what if I want to get a closer look at the moon or Saturn’s rings, for[…]
Europa Clipper Mission to Jupiter And Europa NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission to Jupiter and Europa will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy booster from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Thursday, October 10th. Europa Clipper is the first NASA spacecraft dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth. It aims to find out if[…]
For our readers, members and subscribers in lower New York State and the greater Tri-State area. A proposal has been made to integrate a Las Vegas style resort and casino into the storied Nassau Coliseum, potentially leading to the demolition of the coliseum. The Nassau Coliseum is just a few blocks from Hofstra University, where[…]
The Solar Dynamics Orbiting Observatory continuously monitors the sun in 10 wavebands, mostly in the extreme ultraviolet part of the spectrum. These UV emissions correspond to super-heated gas in the million-degree range. Our full-featured video is linked below. When observing the sun in visible light, it seems benign enough and is something we’re used to[…]
I gazed at the full moon, hanging low and bright oe’r the trees last night, warm and inviting on that September night. The Autumnal Equinox The full moon nearest to the Autumnal Equinox is known as the “Harvest Moon” and they both generally occur in September. On rare occasions, the Harvest Moon occurs in October,[…]
Time-lapse video of Capella rising at 11:00 PM EDT through 1:45 AM EDT Capella is the 3rd brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere. What would happen if we replaced the sun with it? We explore that question in our full-featured video below. This isn’t just some hypothetical exercise; it helps us better understand[…]
The August 2024 Full Sturgeon Moon is low in the southeast in this view due south at 9:30 PM, EDT, 2 hours after its rising, Monday, August 19th. The teapot of Sagittarius is on the meridian, with Scorpio and its heart, the red supergiant Antares, to the west. I gazed at the full moon, hanging[…]
Update (11 August, 2024) Some additional funding has been secured, enough to keep the observatory operational at a reduced level with a reduced staff. We just published an article describing the 25th anniversary celebration of NASA’s Chandra Orbiting X-Ray Observatory, the Supernova remnant SN1987a and a study using current Chandra data. But, guess what? Chandra[…]
The Sun in the Extreme Ultraviolet Strong Rise in Solar Activity With the magnitude and frequency of solar flares increasing along with the accompanying Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), the Sun continues its strong rise towards next summer’s probable record-setting Solar Maximum. After May’s series of powerful flares and CMEs, the latest outburst occurred on July[…]
We’re watching the solution to Fermi’s Paradox unfold in real time Before I begin, I wish to state up front that this post contains no political content and does not take sides in any particular conflict. Political motivations or outcomes not withstanding, I am a sentient being who knows and feels pain. I feel the[…]
Launched on August 12, 2018, the Parker Solar Probe is designed to withstand the brutal near-solar environment and heat of the sun and its atmosphere. Its mission is to probe the near-solar environment and help us answer yet unanswered questions about the hot, tenuous solar corona, the solar wind, coronal streamers and the near-solar environment in[…]
I gazed at the full moon, hanging low and bright oe’r the trees last night, warm and inviting on that September night. Previously, we featured a story discussing this month’s full moon. In that article, we noted that the full moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox is known as the Harvest Moon. It should be[…]
I gazed at the full moon, hanging low and bright oe’r the trees last night, warm and inviting on that September night. The late summer sky is no less beautiful now than when it was at the beginning. The moon, with the southern stars of summer, Antares in Scorpio and Sagittarius to the east, are[…]
Supernova 1987a was the closest supernova to be observed since Kepler’s supernova in 1604. It was one of the first objects observed with the newly deployed Hubble Space Telescope in 1991 and thus, the first -and closest supernova- to be observed with a modern observing platform. Although it is named and designated according to the[…]
This is the fifth installment of our ten-part series on the brightest stars and, with it, we’re pleased to present the red supergiant star, Betelgeuse, the right shoulder of Orion, the hunter. Even though we’re still in August and Orion is a winter constellation, its prominence as a near-term supernova candidate makes it especially interesting.[…]
A view towards the SSE at astronomical twilight (8:15 PM EDT), Sunday, August 27. The waxing gibbous moon is low above the southern horizon and Saturn is rising further to the east. The ecliptic is presented in this view to illustrate where the plane of the solar system is. Note that all solar system objects[…]
The Full Moon in August is named after North America’s largest fish, the lake sturgeon. Other names for this Full Moon include Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon. Blue Moon The “first” full moon for this month occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The August 30 (Wednesday) full moon will be the second, hence,[…]
Featured Image The rugged Andes mountains of Patagonia, Argentina appear in the foreground in the featured image above along with the great comet of 2007, the iconic Comet McNaught. This image was obtained during the Austral Summer (20070126) by Professor Miloslav Druckmueller of the Brno University of Technology, the Czech Republic. It was also featured[…]
New podcast by Astronomy for Change’s James Daly, Ph.D:
We are fortunate to have on staff professional volunteers with advanced degrees in Mathematics, Astronomy and Astrophysics. Some of these individuals have acted in an advisory capacity in the crafting and enactment of green, sensible lighting laws for the following municipalities: The Township of Brookhaven, NY The Incorporated Village of Patchogue, NY The Township of[…]
Every year on this date, the anniversary of the famous May 29, 1919 Total Solar Eclipse, we celebrate Einstein’s Triumph, the experiment that provided incontrovertible evidence for the veracity of his theory on Gravity, the General Theory of Relativity. Up until the turn of the 20th century, the natural universe was governed by Newton’s Laws;[…]
Don’t forget, we offer tutoring in all the STEM fields, especially Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics. At this time of year, this could be a valuable resource for those who will be taking their final exams! A core aspect of our mission at Astronomy for change is education and how it can be a force for[…]
In addition to our YouTube channel, we have established ourselves on the video hosting platform Rumble. Over the coming days, we will be populating existing videos, already published on YouTube, as well as new content on Rumble. The videos published thus far on Rumble: Overview of James Webb Space Telescope Deep Field Confirming Evolutionary Theories[…]
By James Daly, Ph.D The following quote from the gospel according to Matthew is often found on holiday greeting cards and is heard around the world during this season as a message of peace and hope; the year is over and it’s time to rest, to be with family, friends and to prepare for the[…]
The Hunter’s Moon The full moon following the “Harvest Moon” is known as the Hunter’s Moon. This year, that occurs on Sunday, October 9 at 8:54 PM (UTC), 4:54 PM (EDT). As the name suggests before the invention of the electric light, the light of the full moon gave aid to the farmers and hunters[…]
Composite Image Produced from Two Flagship Orbiting Observatories At 32 million light years, this image of the Grand Design spiral galaxy, M-74 appears in this composite rendition using JWST and Hubble data. The JWST component includes data in the 2, 3 and 3.6 micron range. The Hubble component includes 435 nm, 555 nm, 656 nm[…]
I gazed at the full moon, hanging low and bright oe’r the trees last night, warm and inviting on that September night. The Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes are two days during the year with 12 equal hours of daylight and darkness. The Vernal Equinox heralds the beginning of Spring and the Autumnal Equinox, Autumn. The[…]
On July 12th of this year, the world was gifted with 5 studies and a treasure trove of data and images, content released through NASA’s Early Release Observations (ERO) program for JWST (attribution at the foot of this page). The great thing about a public space agency: the fruits and products of the agency are[…]
The last supermoon for the year occurs tonight, Thursday, August 11th. Why is August’s full moon known as a “Sturgeon Moon”? The August 2022 Full Sturgeon Supermoon is still low in the southeast over two hours after its rising at 20:15 UTC (8:15 PM, EDT) on Thursday, August 11. Flanking the moon to the north[…]
The tiny red dot at the center of this image is our galaxy of interest, z13.1,13.1 billion light years distant. Heavy Element Nucleosynthesis, the process by which heavy elements are synthesized in the cores of high-mass stars, was ongoing in this galaxy less than 700 million years after the big bang. Note: this video is[…]
Note: This article is an addendum to James Webb Space Telescope Full Science Operations Begin As 5 ‘First Light’ Images Are Released (1 of 5). Some important discoveries and confirmations have been realized with the first public release of JWST data and imagery. We can unequivocally state that our evolutionary theories of the early universe[…]
Full resolution image (2799×2856) of the SMACS 0723 cluster of galaxies, 4.6 billion light years distant in the southern constellation Volans. Known as Webb’s First Deep Field, this image of galaxy cluster is overflowing with detail and is described more fully below. Images and results from Webb’s observations are archived here with the first images[…]
July 2022 Full Buck Supermoon low in the southeast following its rising at 21:00 UT (9:00 PM, EDT) on July 13. Note: the brilliant ruby Antares is near the meridian with the “Tea Pot” of Sagittarius to the east. Image via Stellarium. The full moon for this month occurs on Wednesday, July 13. According to[…]
The sun as recorded in the extreme ultraviolet part of the spectrum by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) between July 6 and July 10. Pay particular attention to the bright orange-pink outburst that occurs on July 8 at the 10:00 position on the solar disk. This was a magnitude 2.6 M-Class flare, a classification one[…]
Update: James Webb Space Telescope Full Science Operations Get Underway As 5 ‘First Light’ Images Are Released To kick off the beginning of full science operations for the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA will be hosting a full public event Tuesday, July 12th. During the event, a traunch of full-color images and data will be[…]
Hubble Space Telescope image of UGC 12158, a “Grand Design” barred spiral (Sb D) galaxy, 384 million light years distant in the constellation Pegasus. With a distinct bar in its nuclear region and 140,000 light years in diameter, it is believed to be similar in size and structure to our home galaxy, the Milky Way.[…]
This Year’s Winter Solstice Occurs on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 10:59 am EST The sun is at its lowest point on the sky at mid-day during the third week in December in the northern hemisphere and represents the ‘beginning of winter’. The two Equinoxes (Vernal or ‘Spring’, 3rd week in March and Autumnal, 3rd[…]
There are two days during the year with 12 equal hours of daylight and darkness, the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes. The Vernal Equinox heralds the beginning of Spring and the Autumnal Equinox, Autumn. The Autumnal Equinox for this year occurs on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 7:21 pm UTC (3:21 pm EDT). Many significant astronomical[…]
Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat is a French mathematician and physicist, renowned for her pioneering work on the initial value problem of General Relativity. Her work was one of the “Milestones of General Relativity” featured in a recent CQG focus issue. She has been on the faculty of the University of Marseille, the University of Reims and the[…]
Discovered by Anglo-German Astronomer William Herschel on November 17, 1784 and located approximately 68 million light-years distant in the southern constellation Fornax, is NGC (New General Catalog) 1385. Like the Milky Way, NGC-1385 is a Barred Spiral Galaxy but 40% smaller at 70,000 light years in diameter. The central ‘bar’ is the result of density[…]
On August 8 and visible now during the summer, the faint cataclysmic variable star RS Ophiuchi at over 6,500 light-years distant brightened from magnitude 11.2 to 4.8 during the August 8-9, 2021 time frame. It went from a threshold small-telescope object to naked-eye visibility within 24 hours. Irish amateur Astronomer Keith Geary was the first[…]
The Full Moon in August is named after North America’s largest fish, the lake sturgeon. Other names for this Full Moon include Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon. Tonight’s full moon marks this year’s first Real ‘Blue Moon’ (a term suggesting the occurrence of something rare). Normally, there are only three[…]
Six Hour Time Lapse Video Showing the Perseid Meteor Shower’s Radiant Point The Perseid meteor shower is an annual event that occurs during the 2nd week in August as the Earth passes through the same debris field left behind by comet Swift–Tuttle. The Radiant Point is the imaginary point on the sky that they appear[…]
In this video, we present three favorite star clusters of summer for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. We open looking due south at twilight for mid-northern latitudes and note brilliant Venus setting as it follows the sun and Scorpio on the meridian with Sagittarius due east. Scorpio with red Supergiant Antares, the heart of the[…]
Today we look at the sky for the week beginning Sunday, July 25th. With this edition of the sky tonight, the sky has changed somewhat since last week. In the morning, Mercury is in Cancer with the sun and lost in the solar glare before sunrise. The evening sky sees Venus remaining prominently placed with[…]
With this edition of the sky tonight, the sky has changed slightly since last week. Today we look at the sky for the week beginning Sunday, July 18th. Sunday, July 18th, we have brilliant Venus and ruddy red Mars still well placed in the Southwest sky and setting at 9:50 PM, EDT, following the sun[…]
The total solar eclipse of July 11th, 1991 was hailed as the “Eclipse of the Century”. On this day 30 years ago, traveling with a group of friends and colleagues, I was in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to observe the Eclipse of 11 July, 1991. 2 days of the 5-day, 4-night trip was in Cabo.[…]
Using the Keck Observatory’s Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS) and DEep Imaging and Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) attached to the 10 meter telescopes on Mauna Kea, we’ve observed a long-postulated, third type of supernova, an “Electron Capture” supernova. It is believed, based on composite imaging across multiple spectral regimes, the famous Crab Nebula may have been[…]
With this edition of the sky tonight, the sky has changed slightly since last week’s premier installment of our weekly sky tonight program. Today we look at the sky for the week beginning Sunday, July 11th. Sunday, July 11th, we have brilliant Venus and ruddy red Mars beautifully flanking the 46-hour old waxing crescent moon,[…]
With this first installment, we begin a new program feature here at Astronomy for Change, the weekly “Sky Tonight” broadcast. Each week on Friday or Saturday, we’ll post a short podcast and video of the coming week’s sky and what to look for. Sunday, July 4th (Independence Day in the US), we have brilliant Venus[…]
With this first installment, we begin a new program feature here at Astronomy for Change, the weekly “Sky Tonight” broadcast. Each week on Friday or Saturday, we’ll post a short podcast and video of the coming week’s sky and what to look for. Sunday, July 4th (Independence Day in the US), we have brilliant Venus[…]
Please visit our Patreon page to learn what happened “A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away….” VIdeo: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Astronomy For Change: https://astronomyforchange.org Buy us a Coffee? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/astronomychange Follow Us On Twitter: https://twitter.com/astronomychange Why not support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/astronomyforchange Imagination is more important than knowledge An index of[…]
This year’s ‘Strawberry Moon‘ occurs on Thursday, June 24th. Why is June’s full moon the “Strawberry Moon“? In North America and Europe, the name of each month’s moon is linked to nature and related to a particular season or seasonal activity. June’s full moon is known as the “Strawberry Moon” since it is during this[…]
Tonight’s southern vista features the waxing gibbous moon 2 days before full, 4 degrees north of the heart of the Scorpion, the red supergiant star Antares. For complete ephemerides of the moon, including phase, please visit Time and Date. The current phase of the moon is always displayed on any of our articles or pages[…]
The Summer Solstice this year occurs on Sunday, June 20 at 3:32 AM, UTC (11:32 PM EDT). What is the Summer Solstice? Often referred to as the ‘First Day of Summer‘, a generally subjective term, the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere is the day the sun is at its highest point above the southern[…]
Image credit: Adrien Mauduit of Night Lights Films In this June, 2019 view from Vicuña, south of the Atacama Desert Plateau, Chile, home to ESO’s Very Large Telescope Complex, we stand in awe of the Milky Way’s Galactic Center front and center. Brilliant Jupiter is ‘below’ (east) of red-orange Antares and the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud[…]
For observers in the Canadian North, Greenland, the North Pole and parts of Russia, a full annular solar eclipse will be visible. The red band in the video depicts the ‘path of annularity’. Video credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight center. What is an ‘Annular’ Eclipse? As we know, a total solar eclipse occurs when the[…]
Recently, we published an article with video celebrating the Anniversary of the famous May 29th, 1919 Total Solar Eclipse instrumental in confirming a key prediction of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. Update Not only was this eclipse instrumental in confirming a key aspect of Einstein’s GTR, the duration of totality was just under 7 minutes,[…]
Every year on this date, the anniversary of the famous May 29, 1919 Total Solar Eclipse, we celebrate Einstein’s Triumph, the experiment that provided incontrovertible evidence for the veracity of his theory on Gravity, the General Theory of Relativity. Up until the turn of the 20th century, the natural universe was governed by Newton’s Laws;[…]
By James Daly, Ph.D NASA Video at foot of article NASA Hubblesite news release here On the occasion of the Hubble Space Telescope’s 31st successful year in orbit last Saturday (4/24, launch date: 4/24/1990), the iconic orbiting telescope was tasked with capturing AG Carinae, a blue supergiant star in the southern constellation of Carina. This[…]
A quick video showing the placement of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies with the massive elliptical galaxy Messier-87 at its center. Imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope, M-87 is shown here surrounded by thousands of globular star clusters. Our Milky Way galaxy, a member of the Local Cluster of Galaxies is, in turn, a member[…]
Link to video below As we all mourn the passing of Larry King, an icon, a professional with an uncommon sense of honesty, integrity and decency, a giant among journalists and communicators, let us remember him as a science communicator as well, the “middle-man” as such, between the science professional and the common man. Link[…]
The Vernal Equinox, the Astronomical Beginning of spring, occurs this year on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 9:37 UTC (5:37 AM EDT). What’s so special about this event? 12 equal hours of daylight and darkness The beginning of Astronomical Autumn for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere The sun rises due east and sets due[…]
Join Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy for Change as he showcases and describes a rare triple conjunction of Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn in the early morning hours before sunrise, a planetary alignment visible through Sunday, March 14. Those who are early risers will be witness to this rare planetary alignment. Especially rare and quite spectacular[…]
Link to video below With this video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change presents Part 1 of a multi-part series on the amazing physics and technology behind the brilliant journey and successful landing of the Mars2020 Perseverance Rover. In this first video, Dr. Daly will discuss and describe the basic physics behind the mission[…]
Video Link Below With this video we introduce a new program feature at Astronomy for Change: “The Mystery and Wonder of Astronomy”. The true structure of spiral galaxies, as yet undetermined into the first quarter of the 20th century with Edwin Hubble, Harlow Shapley, Heber Curtis and Fritz Zwicky making great strides in determining the[…]
Video link below We were reminded of the enormous power of our home star on November 29 of last year (2020), when NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded a powerful Solar Flare, entitled the ‘Anemone’ Eruption’! In this video, Dr. James Daly presents and discusses our sun and the spectacular display witnessed on November 29, 2020.[…]
Link to video below As we all mourn the passing of Larry King, an icon, a professional with an uncommon sense of honesty, integrity and decency, a giant among journalists and communicators, let us remember him as a science communicator as well, the “middle-man” as such, between the science professional and the common man. Link[…]
Link to video below As we all mourn the passing of Larry King, an icon, a professional with an uncommon sense of honesty, integrity and decency, a giant among journalists and communicators, let us remember him as a science communicator as well, the “middle-man” as such, between the science professional and the common man. Link[…]
Link to video below In this video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change choreographs the arrival of Perseverance at Mars on Thursday, February 18th and reminds everyone to set their calendars as Astronomy For Change will be live-streaming the event beginning at 1:45 PM, EST. Nine years ago this August, Curiosity rover landed at[…]
In this video, Dr. Daly discusses the advantages of visual astronomy and shares his view of the world, history and how we can back on track – and it’s not that hard! Astronomy for Change: https://astronomyforchange.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/astronomychange Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/astronomyforchange NASA/ Apollo 11 legacy archive video: https://moon.nasa.gov/resources/288/apollo-11-launch/ NASA STS-125 SM4 10th Anniversary video: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/10-years-ago-hubble-s-final-servicing-mission-made-it-better-than-ever Featured[…]
In this video Dr. James Daly of Astronomy For Change responds to Dylan’s claims that printed star charts are a waste, that we don’t have to “cut down trees to look at the stars” and that he will always defer to a digital solution. He’s free to do that but the claim that the digital[…]
When I was a young child, long before I received my first telescope as a Christmas gift from my parents, I often looked up at the moon and thought to myself, this is what the moon will look like in a hundred years from now, a thousand years from now, long after I’m gone. While[…]
Related articles linked at the foot of this page In this first of a series video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change discusses (and debunks) the growing Flat Earth Phenomenon. Related articles The #FlatEarth Phenomenon DeBunked, Part I (video) Update: Real #Science Answers to #FlatEarth Claims Real #Science Answers to #FlatEarth Claims The #EarthIsFlat[…]
The production team here at Astronomy For Change has stitched together seasonal and appropriate selections from our original content, presenting them to our viewers, patrons, members and the world at large as a gift and expression of peace for the holidays and hope for a bright 2021. Featured Image: Photo of the Canis Major produced[…]
Update: The #Christmas Star and the Great #Conjunction 2020 (with Video) Live Stream of the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, 2020 from the University of Exeter, England. Unlike Saturday’s attempt, the weather cooperated and we witnessed the Conjunction, an event not to be repeated until 2080. Dr. Daly offers instruction and commentary where appropriate.[…]
Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change Interviews Alberto Caballero. The Exoplanet Project’s home page: https://exoplanetschannel.wixsite.com/home. Alberto holds a Master’s degree and is the host of the “Exoplanets” YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdDS4j318UpKjNcpe_LeQxQ) whose focus is habitable exoplanets, extraterrestrial intelligence and Interstellar Travel. He is also involved with the Habitable Exoplanet Hunting Project, an international consortium of[…]
In this video, Dr. Jim Daly presents and discusses this once-in-a-century event: the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, 2020, an event occurring on December 21st, the Winter Solstice, and an event that won’t be repeated again until the year 2080, 60 years hence. The University of Exeter (in the UK) will host a live-stream[…]
This is a follow-up story to recent developments at Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Radio Observatory. At 7:53:50 AM EST, December 1st, the observatory’s radio transceiver superstructure, suspended above the 305-meter spherical radio dish, collapsed and fell to the dish below (watch video at the foot of this article). The NSF news release reporting the event follows:[…]
Update: watch our interview with Alberto Caballero, the project leader: The #SETI Project with Alberto Caballero (Interview) Part of our mission is to engage society, to inspire and empower current and future generations and thus affect positive change through astronomy and science education. Astronomy For Change is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to affect[…]
Update: Emergency Action Petition to the WhiteHouse to evaluate and stabilize the Arecibo radio telescope In an unexpected blow to the worldwide Astronomical community, the National Science Foundation announced on Thursday (11/19) that they would soon begin decommissioning the iconic radio telescope, the heart of the Arecibo Radio Observatory. The telescope was made famous in[…]
Dr. Jim Daly narrates the evolution of a high mass star, describing heavy element nucleosynthesis and how such a star will ultimately end it’s life in a spectacular fashion as a Type-II Core Collapse Supernova. In this video, the evolution of a 15 solar-mass star is depicted from its “0-age” or the point on it’s[…]
In this video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy for Change discusses the star Vega, where it is in the night sky, how it compares to the sun and the mythology surrounding Lyra, the constellation that it’s in. As an exercise in Astrophysics and imagination, Dr. Daly describes what would happen to our solar system if[…]
An interactive Sky Tonight portal is now available on our Web portal. Simply click the Blue Bar (or here) to launch an interactive Sky Tonight application courtesy of Stellarium Web. Imagination is more important than knowledge An index of all articles can be found here. If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting us with[…]
Dr. Jim Daly of AFC discusses the star Arcturus and its similarities to our own sun, our sun as seen through a lens that takes us on a journey in time 2.6 billion years into the future. What will happen to our solar system when that happens. We also take a look at the sky[…]
Dr. James Daly of Astronomy For Change narrates “The Sky Tonight” for for Mid-October. This is our latest Planetarium Show where we tour the waning skies of summer and focus on the third star in our list of the 10 brightest stars, Antares. Imagination is more important than knowledge An index of all articles can[…]
Related videos available at the foot of the page. With this third in installment in our ten-part series on the ten brightest stars we’re pleased to present the red supergiant star Antares, the Heart of the Scorpion. Derived from the Greek, the star’s name refers to it as a “rival to-Ares” (“opponent to-Mars”) with a[…]
Related articles linked at the foot of this page […]
Related articles linked at the foot of this page By James Daly, Ph.D We’ve published a variety of articles to address a new, and growing phenomenon, the belief that the earth is flat. To my mind, it is inconceivable that, in the 21st century, when we’ve brilliantly navigated a robot craft to flyby Pluto some[…]
Related articles linked at the foot of this page By James Daly, Ph.D I wouldn’t normally write about such things as this as there is so much to be concerned of as of late that this topic might seem trivial by comparison. Trivial on its face, yes but it bespeaks a deeper problem with grave[…]
Opinion by James Daly, Ph.D, Astronomer, Curator and Author We’ve written extensively on this subject as it is impossible to overstate the threat to ground-based Astronomy this project poses and have chronicled the various professional facilities and how they will be effected: #SpaceX #Starlink Project Tops Shortlist Of Really Bad Ideas #Starlink (#SpaceX) Update and[…]
This is the second installment of our ten-part series on the brightest stars and, with it, we’re pleased to present Vega, the “Contact Star” (made famous by the feature-length Hollywood production of the same name, starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey). Vega, at 25 light-years distant, is the fifth brightest star in the sky and[…]
Here at Astronomy for Change we often get questions, good questions, about various topics in astronomy. Here’s a sampling of some of the more common questions received as of late: Which planets we can see from earth What star did sailors use to navigate? Why is Sirius so easy to find in the night sky?[…]
One of our sponsors, Radio Astronomy Supplies, has posted an “Invitation to Observe“, for astronomers (Amateur or Professional) to participate in exploratory radio observations of the rich galaxy cluster in the constellation Coma Berencies. The details follow: Imagination is more important than knowledge An index of all articles can be found here. If you enjoyed[…]
Link to video at foot of page Back in 2016 we published an article Where are the five brightest stars in our sky? Since then, this article has been one of our most popular and, accordingly, we’re going to continue the discussion, expanding the list from 5 (6, really, when you consider the sun) to[…]
Opinion I’m an Astronomer and Astrophysicist by training and profession and care deeply about all living things, the state of our world and the planet we inhabit. In studying the universe and the natural world most of my life, I have come to learn a few things; among those, I’ve come to learn about the[…]
Here at Astronomy For Change, we’ve discussed at length, the recent discoveries, observations and scientific breakthroughs regarding these enigmatic objects whose light was emitted billions of years before the sun burned bright in space: A Discovery that Shook the World! In a galaxy far, far away, KiloNova Explosion From Neutron Star Merger Observed – Gravity[…]
On 3 October of 2017, in what the prestigious Royal Swedish Academy described simply as “a discovery that shook the world”, three Americans were awarded that year’s Nobel Prize in Physics “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves”, waves famously predicted by Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity 105[…]
Since this is a fluid situation (the planned launch of the next round of Starlink satellites on April 15th has been postponed), we will be publishing new stories as the situation evolves. We recently published an update to our original story reporting on the effects and aftermath of SpaceX’s first-round launch of 60 Starlink Satellites[…]
In June of last year, we published a story on the launch of a brand-new SpaceX mission, Starlink, an ostensible name really that has nothing to do with linking to the stars (whatever that means) rather, it would be more like eclipsing them. This is an update to that story and the news isn’t good[…]
On this cold, clear night when the stellar jewels are alight above, take the time, if just for a moment, to gaze upwards, to make that visceral connection with that from whence we all came. Regardless of your religious persuasion, if any, we are all connected at the deepest level to those stars; that grand[…]
In this un-narrated video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change takes us on a quick tour of the sky tonight starting at sunset, taking a look at the New Moon with Venus and Mercury at sunset, then jumping to Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus (yes, Uranus). Following all that, we keep moving east to the[…]
In this video, Dr. James Daly takes us on a tour of the early Autumn Sky, discussing the October Full Moon otherwise known as The Hunter’s Moon. These colloquial names for the full moon describe certain activities where the brilliant moon, high in the sky, would extend visibility and assist in the activity associated with[…]
Dr. Daly presents the science and, specifically, the Astronomy behind the event, the seasons and how they change. It should be pointed out that on this date and the Vernal Equinox (the beginning of Spring) the sun rises due East and sets due West. Dr. Daly presents the science and, specifically, the Astronomy behind the[…]
In this video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change presents this year’s Full Harvest Moon, Friday, September 13, 2019 set against the late Sumer and early Autumn Sky. Dr. Daly discusses the origin, legend and lore behind the naming of each month’s full moon and why they are significant. With the full moon rising[…]
In this video, Dr. James Daly celebrates and discusses the Centenary of the first of many confirmations of Einstein’s Theory of Gravity, his General Theory of Relativity. On 29 May, 1919, observations were made of stars in the vicinity of the totally-eclipsed sun, a rare event that provided the conditions necessary for such an experiment[…]
Without narration and with select ambient music, we explore the Labor Day weekend sky beginning tonight, August 31 through September 2nd, 2019. The holiday weekend sky features a waxing crescent moon with Venus setting 15 minutes after the sun on Labor Day with Jupiter and Saturn still well placed to the south in Scorpio and[…]
How does the sun and other stars shine? In this, the first of a multi-part series, Dr. James Daly of Astronomy For Change (https://astronomyforchange.org) teaches us and illustrates how stars, incredibly dynamic and self-regulating, shine and evolve. With this video, we start with the sun as a model and an up-close and personal laboratory to[…]
In this video, Dr. Jm Daly discusses recent developments regarding the attempted construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on the large Island of Hawaii, Mauna Kea. It is the opinion of Astronomy For Change that the TMT should be built on Site A, Mauna Kea. Dr. Daly makes a case for construction of TMT[…]
In this video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change discusses remaining viewing options for the Perseid Meteor Shower and the mid-to-late August Sky, highlighting those constellations and objects of interest that are receding from view with the close of the season. The constellations discussed include Bootes, The Herdsman, Canes Venatici, The Hunting Dogs, Hercules[…]
Dr. James Daly of Astronomy for Change presents a public lecture on the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative that, if successful, will see the launch of humanities first interstellar mission. Thousands of nano-class, gram-mass scale robotic craft will be launched via a high-power, phased-array microwave laser to 20% the speed of light towards the nearest star system[…]
Dr. James Daly of Astronomy for Change discusses the Full Moon for August, the Full Sturgeon Moon, Full Moon naming conventions, two beautiful new objects for binoculars or telescope (M-11, M-24), the Perseid Meteor Shower and the coming Autumnal Equinox. Please like, subscribe and share. Imagination is more important than knowledge An index of all[…]
In this video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change discusses the early August Night Sky with some of the jewels of the Summer Sky, some of the prominent constellations, the Milky Way, the major planets visible (Jupiter & Saturn), the phases of the moon for August 10 – 13 along with the Perseid Meteor[…]
The object discussed in this article, Terzan5, was featured as the Astronomy Picture of the Day, APOD for 21 September, 2016 Astronomy Picture of the Day In a few articles I’ve touched upon a poorly understood class of objects known as Globular Clusters. These objects and the stars in them are galactic relics, timeposts that[…]
In this video, Dr. Jim Daly of Astronomy For Change revisits the Perseid Meteor Shower and takes a look at the stunning view looking south for Friday, August 9, 2019. We present new objects to view with binoculars or an amateur telescope, discuss the phase of the moon for August 8 and 9 and take[…]
Dr. James Daly discusses Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and Newton’s Laws within the context of a recent study published by UCLA’s Dr. Andrea Ghez of the Supermassive Black Hole at the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way. The study can be found here: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2019/07/24/science.aav8137 https://phys.org/news/2019-07-einstein-relativity-theory.html Please like, share and subscribe. This subscription is[…]
The Sky Tonight for July 28, 2019 presented by Dr. James Daly of Astronomy for Change. In this edition of the series, we take a look at the early morning sky, the slim, waning crescent moon, and the morning planets Venus and Mercury. We take a brief look at the stars and constellations of autumn[…]
Opinion by Dr. James Daly The late Carl Sagan, in his 1995 book “The Demon-Haunted World, Science as a Candle In the Dark” warns of exactly what is happening today and how reliance on science, reason, thought and collaboration is the antidote to a society that has, quite literally, gone mad. Are we citizens of[…]
Related articles linked at the foot of this page Opinion by Dr. James Daly The late Carl Sagan, in his 1995 book “The Demon-Haunted World, Science as a Candle In the Dark” warns of exactly what is happening today and how reliance on science, reason, thought and collaboration is the antidote to a society that[…]
The latest edition of The Sky Tonight with Dr. James Daly of Astronomy for Change. In this video we continue our exploration of the summer sky and constellations, the summer Milky Way and notable objects of interest specific to the season. We zoom in on the Summer Triangle, the Constellations Lyra and Hercules while discussing[…]
The Sky Tonight for July 16 through July 21, 2019 presented by Dr. James Daly of Astronomy For Change. Topics include the continued discussion of the various constellations of the day and the season, the major planets visible, the ecliptic, the moon, Apollo 11 along with a brief discussion of stellar evolution. Ambient background music:[…]
The Sky Tonight for the week beginning July 14, 2019. We look at the phase of the moon, some of the prominent summer constellations and planets as well as discuss some interesting aspects of two of the season’s prominent stars. During the video we discuss the star Antares and that it is a highly evolved[…]
Looking up at the shimmering sapphire set low in the western sky towards midnight, Arcturus, we are reminded that another summer is here, that spring is gone and that Father Time continues his cadence, marking the years; it is a reminder that everything is changing and growing; it is solace in an insane world and[…]
The Old Astronomer To His Pupil By Sarah Williams Reach me down my Tycho Brahé, – I would know him when we meet, When I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet; He may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of how We are working to completion, working on from[…]
The beauty of the night sky has inspired generation after generation from the dawn of recorded history and now, that vista, the essence of that inspiration, is under direct threat! Many famous poets, authors, scientists and philosophers have written about the stars, the universe and the night sky above and, sadly, what is absent in[…]
Looking up at the shimmering sapphire ascending the northeast sky at twilight, Arcturus, reminds us that the seasons are changing, that spring is emerging from what seemed to be an intolerably long winter; it is a reminder that everything is changing and growing; it is solace in an uncertain world and allows one, at least[…]
Astronomy is an area where the Greeks displayed a remarkable talent. Observational astronomy, the main focal point where astronomy took an unprecedented leap in Greece, attempted to construct a model of the universe that could account for the observations made by Greek scholars. They explored all imaginable alternatives, and carefully accounted for several different solutions of[…]
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. there was this star that, by all known theories of stellar evolution (the study of how stars are born, live and die), should have died. Many stories in the media lately have described this star as the “Zombie” star since, contrary to what should have[…]
