Two Great Star Clusters of the Early Summer Sky

As we transition from late June to early July, the weather changes from the mild days of spring to decidedly warmer days and balmy nights. Summer has arrived. Having just past June’s Strawberry moon (named to mark the Strawberry harvest in many regions) and the almost coincidental occurrence of the Summer Solstice, the stars of[…]

Replacing the Sun with Arcturus, what would happen? (video)

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[…]

Mid-October Night Sky #Planetarium Show (20201015) with #Antares (video)

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[…]

The Ten Brightest Stars (and where they are, with video) – 2. Vega

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[…]

Some Common Questions in Astronomy (Part I)

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?[…]

The Ten Brightest Stars (and where they are, with video) – 1. Arcturus

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[…]

Galactic Relic Globular Cluster Terzan5

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[…]

Some Thoughts about Summer, Arcturus and the Future

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[…]

Reflections on Arcturus, The Sun and the Changing Seasons

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[…]

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