The Woman Who Helped Us Measure the Universe In the early 1900s, measuring distances in space was one of astronomy’s greatest challenges. We knew there were other galaxies out there, but we had no reliable way to determine how far away they were. Enter Henrietta Swan Leavitt, an American astronomer whose brilliant discovery would forever… Continue reading Henrietta Swan Leavitt:
Tag: Astronomy
The Parade of Planets:
A Guide to this Upcoming Celestial Event Looking out my window one recent night, I noticed the crescent moon with three other bright points of light trailing in an arc. I had often seen Venus and, less often, Mars and Jupiter. I hadn’t noted that arc before, though I must have seen it. What was… Continue reading The Parade of Planets:
A Northern Light Show in Northern California:
The Aurora Borealis Illuminates the Sky In a rare celestial display, the Aurora Borealis painted the night skies over Northern California with glowing, spectral colors this past Friday and Saturday, May 10th and 11th. Stargazers and casual observers alike seldom see the Northern Lights so far south. What are the Northern Lights? The Northern Lights… Continue reading A Northern Light Show in Northern California:
Goodbye Moon?
“Some say the world will end in fire…” —Robert Frost As we prepare for a spectacular eclipse on April 8, 2024, we can reflect on a cosmic question. Are we losing our moon? Although the moon seems constant in its orbit about 384,000 km from earth, it is moving slowly away. Each year the moon… Continue reading Goodbye Moon?
Nancy Grace Roman:
Gazing Beyond the Stars Last week’s post referred to the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope and a reader asked, “Who is Nancy Grace Roman?” NASA astronomer Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, a tireless champion of the Hubble Space Telescope, became the first woman to serve as Chief of Astronomy at NASA. Her pioneering work laid the groundwork… Continue reading Nancy Grace Roman: