Beyond The Stars
Gazing at the stars at night, it is sometimes difficult to see how the ancients saw the constellations and zodiac signs. Looking at the stars from someplace that doesn’t obscure the view with city lights and smog, it becomes a little easier to understand why the ancients named the stars what they named them.
Even with just binoculars, one will be able to see beyond the stars. Double star systems, planets and galaxies that can’t be seen with the naked eye will come into view. With the right telescope, comets, the rings of Saturn and even the moons of Jupiter can be viewed.
Space is more than what meets the naked eye. Some of the “stars” viewed are actually planets. They are amazing. For example, Mars is red because its surface is covered with rust. Jupiter’s big red spot is a storm system.
Venus’s atmospheric pressure is 90 times that of Earth’s. Pluto, it is theorized, may be a runaway moon of Neptune, because, at times, its orbit brings it closer to the Sun than Neptune. The way to tell the difference between stars and planets is that planets don’t twinkle.
That twinkling of the stars is actually due to the dust in space that averages one spec for every 15 miles.
Other “stars” are actually galaxies. The galaxies have names such as the Cat’s Eye, Horse Head and Whirlpool and are astonishing to see. They vary in size and shape. The Whirlpool galaxy is a spiral galaxy like ours, the Milky Way.
Elliptical galaxies are rounded and usually shaped a bit like a football. The other galaxies that do not fit in either one of these categories are known as irregular galaxies. Two or more galaxies have been known to merge into one, as many of the galaxies have companion galaxies.
Satellites can also be viewed. They appear as slowly moving dim stars that fade out as they cross the sky. Earth has over 27 satellites that scientists refer to as “space junk”. They are the ejected parts of space shuttles.
One special satellite, the International Space Station, was actually observable between 4:00 and 4:30 this morning, Friday, August 12. Finding out more and studying the universe will never cease to amaze and will always have another surprise in store.