Star Clusters

Star Clusters: An Introduction

Star clusters are very large groups of stars. There are two types of star clusters can be distinguished by astronomers. The first type of star cluster is the globular cluster, which are tight groups of hundreds to millions…


Hertzsprung–Russell Diagram

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

The  Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram is a scatter plot of stars showing the relationship between the stars’ absolute magnitudes, otherwise known as their luminosity, versus their stellar classifications, otherwise known as their effective temperatures. A simple definition of what the diagram represents is…


James Webb Space Telescope Famous Space Missions

James Webb Telescope

Planned to be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope’s primary scientific mission has four key goals: to search for light from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the Universe after the Big Bang, to study the formation…


COVID-19 Member at Astronomy Club Event Stargazing COVID19 Amateur Astronomy Coronavirus Oregon State Parks Idaho State Parks Star Party Volunteering Covid-19 Kids Star Party cybersecurity telescope

What Is Stargazing?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, stargazing can be defined as “the act or practice of a stargazer.”[1] Digging a bit deeper, Merriam-Webster defines a stargazer as “one who gazes at the stars, such as an astrologer or…


Earth Science Overview Effect

Earth Science: An Intro

With the 50th Earth Day celebrations, let’s take a look at the topic of earth science. Some of the most famous photographs taken by the Apollo astronauts have spurred on the environmental movement and the…


Lyrids

Lyrids Meteor Shower

Lyrids Quick Facts Lyrids Meteor Shower Dates: April 16 to April 26 Peak Dates: ~ April 22ndPeak Meteor Showers: 10-20 under perfect conditions*Best Viewing Times: At night after moonset, but before dawnOriginating Constellation: Lyra *=Some years…


Earthrise Holiday

Earthrise

Earthrise is a photograph of Earth and some of the Moon’s surface that was taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission. The Apollo 8 mission did set many world records and did make the astronauts…


The Blue Marble

The Blue Marble Inspiring Humanity

Taken on December 7th, 1972 by the crew of Apollo 17, The Blue Marble is an image of Earth‘s surface. The photo shows the Earth from the Mediterranean Sea to Antarctica. Despite the large amount of clouds in…


Hubble Space Telescope Observatory Location Famous Astronomers

Hubble Space Telescope At 30

Named after astronomer Edmund Hubble, the Hubble Space Telescope launched on April 25th, 1990 from shuttle Discovery. At its launch and deployment, the telescope weighed approximately 25,000 pounds, 11,355 kg. The first image taken by…


Land

Acquiring Land For Astronomy: A Series

Curious in buying land for astronomical purpose, but not sure where to start? Have the funds to purchase land, but unsure about regulations for buying land? Wondering where to buy and what your considerations should…