by Joseph A'Hearn | Jan 18, 2016 | Astronomy, News, Outreach, Research
Recently I had the opportunity to attend the 227th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Kissimmee, Florida. I was able to meet several important astronomers as well as others who like me are applying for graduate school in astronomy. The convention provided...
by Joseph A'Hearn | Nov 26, 2015 | Astronomy, Basics, Observational Astronomy
When the Earth spins on its axis, the 360-degree turn is not actually what we normally call a day. That would be considered a sidereal day, that is, a day according to the distant (“fixed”) stars (the genitive singular form of “star” in Latin...
by Joseph A'Hearn | Sep 29, 2015 | Astronomy, Basics
Here are two simple explanations: 1. For anyone: The atmosphere is like an obstacle course for light from the Sun, and light that hits any obstacle bounces off in a random direction. Blue light tries to pass through a lot more obstacles, whereas light of other colors...