Tag: Astronomy
Amateur astronomers help Ministry of Defence track space objects
Nissan unveils mobile space observatory in a pick-up truck!
RIP Sir Patrick Moore: Astronomy legend and GamesMaster star dies aged 89
Sir Patrick Moore, astronomer, broadcaster and Games Master star, passed away this weekend aged 89. Succumbing to the ill health that had made him wheelchair bound in recent years, Moore passed away at 12:25 on Sunday 9th December at his…
Terminator's SkyNet is real, but it's looking at the stars
Scared of our inevitable annihilation at the hands of a huge network of connected supercomputers? Seen the Terminator flicks? Then you may want to stop reading. A team of scientists from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) is…
Star Droid night sky mapping mobile app from Google
Google is launching a star gazing app for the Android platform that will allow users to identify constellations in the night sky. Star Droid will use the phone’s camera, GPS and compass to pin point exactly which celestial bodies you’re looking at and aims to educate and reignite the world’s passion with the heavens.
It’s a free download which will be launched in the coming weeks and the only practical question is over how well the phone’s viewfinder will be able to pick up the individual stars against the light pollution of Northern Europe. Of course, if you happen to live somewhere well away from the cities, you’re in luck, otherwise you might be better off sticking with Patrick Moore.
(via Telegraph)
The Meade ETX-LS – backyard astronomy made easy
I don’t profess to know a lot about telescopes. I know that the Hubble one sits out in space. I know that they make objects that are very far away seem a lot closer than they are. I know that it isn’t done by witchcraft, or so they say.
Now, what I also happen to know is that the Meade Instruments Corporation of America will be showcasing their latest stargazer at CES in January…
Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium identifies heavenly bodies (in the sky)
I love the night sky, but beyond “The Plough” and Venus, I get a bit stuck trying to identify the various planets, stars, and constellations, so the SkyScout Personal Planetarium sounds like a great little gadget…
Improve your stargazing skillz with mySky
Amateur astronomy isn’t as popular as it used to be. I blame Sir Patrick Moore. There’s nothing more guaranteed to turn The Kids off stargazing than a grumpy old right-wing bloke with a monocle. The BBC should sack him from The Sky At Night, get Alex James out of Blur in, and do more stuff about aliens. That’d sort it.
