Have A Hobby ? It Will Help You Understand Yourself Better

The Card Players, a 1895 painting by Paul Céza...

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Why is it important to have a hobby? A person who focuses on earning money and enjoying materialistic benefits will often forget how important other things are. Having a hobby will help the person understand that there is something more important than just enjoying material benefits in life.

One does not have to opt for grand hobbies like astronomy. Of course, the idea of peering into a telescope is a lesson in humility. You will understand how small we are and how we have been chosen by destiny to enjoy our time here. Small matters that often irritate us will become minuscule when we realize how small we are.

Or take the idea of collecting stamps. Once you start collecting stamps, you realize that there is an inexhaustible supply of new ideas in this hobby. Each and every new stamp promises to bring forth another new unknown stamp which may revolutionize the collection. We realize how much time it takes to master something as insignificant as a collection of pieces of paper with the designs printed on it.

Many persons criticize hobbies as being a waste of time. Well, the truth is that time that is spent on trying to earn money can be classified as a waste of time. However, time that helps us understand ourselves and our role on the planet better is definitely not a waste of time. Of course, you have the option of ignoring the philosophical aspects and focusing only on the fun and joy of having a hobby where you can spend some time on productive purposes for some fun and relaxation.

 

 

 

 

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Learn About Dwarf Planets

Many people know at least most of the planets in our solar system but dwarf planets are a mystery. Most of the public did not know they existed until Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet. The International Astronomical Union recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto Eris, Makemake and Haumea.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) was founded in 1919 to endorse and preserve all phases of astronomical science. The IAU has over 10,000 members and is headquartered in Paris, France.

The IAU has created a three part definition of what is a dwarf planet. The first criterion to be considered a dwarf planet is that the celestial object must orbit around the Sun. Secondly; it must keep a rounded shape due to its own gravitational pull. Lastly, it can not be a satellite or clear its region of neighboring planets. There are five documented dwarf planets, but there is believed to be over thirty more objects considered to be dwarf planets in the solar system.

Ceres was discovered in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi and was first categorized as a planet. It is the smallest of all the dwarf planets and only one located in the asteroid belt.

In 1930, Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered Pluto and was considered a plant until 2006. Pluto is the largest entity of all components in the Kuiper belt.

Mike Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David Rabinowitz discovered Eris and Makemake in 2005. Eris is the ninth largest body to orbit the sun and Makemake is the third largest dwarf planet.

Haumea was discovered in 2004 by teams in the United States and Spain. Haumea location is beyond Neptune’s orbit, which makes it a plutoid.

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Learn About the Kuiper Belt

The public knows very little about an interesting part of the Solar System called the Edgeworth-Kuiper or Kuiper Belt. Interest has peaked in this area because it houses dwarf planets and moons. The number of objects in the Kuiper Belt is believed to be more than a thousand.

History

The Kuiper Belt was formally discovered in 1992, but astronomy work from 1930 has helped to support its discovery. Gerard Kuiper is credited with discovering the part of space located beyond the orbit of Neptune. Kenneth Edgeworth is recognized for proposing the notion that celestial bodies exist.

Contents

There are over 70,000 objects located in the belt that are composed of different materials including methane and ammonia. The region was originated due to the expansion of Neptune billions of years ago. The contents within the belt continue to increase and expand.

Pluto is the most recognized KBO (Kuiper Belt Object) due to its former designation as a planet. Triton, a moon of Neptune, and Saturn’s moon Phoebe are located in the belt. Three dwarf planets – Pluto, Haumea and Makemake, reside in the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt. Some of the belt’s contents have satellite sized objects or smaller.

Exploration

Scientists believe they have found configurations similar to the Kuiper belt. Observations from the Hubble space telescope have reported new information. These over 200 million year old, debris discs are clustered around nine stars.

Conclusion

Although the Kuiper belt is an unknown science phenomenon to most, it has an interesting future regarding exploration. Advances in technology should bring more information on the belt and its objects for the future.

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A Brief Overview of Comets

Comets are celestial bodies that travel close to sun; they have a tail and leave a visible path in the atmosphere. Ancient records have estimated the first appearance of comets before the year 1267. Scientists have reported more than 3,000 occurrences of comets, but believe thousands more are in the outer solar system. They estimate that only one comet per year is visible without the help of a telescope.

Comets are composed of ice, dust and carbon-based materials. They contain a nucleus, coma and tail. Comets can be seen only when traveling near the sun. Their rough exterior has gained comets the nickname of “dirty snowballs”.

Their orbit identifies the two types of comets periods; short and long. Short period comets finish their orbit cycle around the sun in 200 years or less. The long period comets orbits range from 200 to thousands of years.

The results for comets are based on a variable of factors. Some comets collide with planet, moons or descend within the sun. Others shatter into smaller pieces due to gravity of large planets and explosive materials within. Lastly, fast moving comets exit the solar system when interacting with other celestial bodies.

Historically comets were known less for their splendor but as a symbol of bad luck. Great comets are bright in appearance and noted in popular culture. Noted below are a few great comets noted by astronomers in the past.

Caesar’s Comet

The Great Comet of 44 BC was viewable for seven whole days. Caesar’s Comet is known as one of the brightest daytime comets on record.

Halley’s Comet

This short term celestial body is viewable from earth every 75 years. The first record of this incident appeared in a Chinese chronicle from 240 BC.

Comet Hale -Bopp

The Hale-Bopp comet is recognized as the brightest comet viewed since the Great Comet of 1811. Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp independently discovered the comet in 1995.

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Studying Astronomy

A diagram of a lunar eclipse

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The study of Astronomy and/or Astrology is a very interesting course of study.  For the budding scientist it is a vast abyss, waiting to be observed and for new discoveries to be made every day.  There is just too much going on in the sky.  The desire to be a scientist, especially an astronomer, starts long before the college years.  Everyone knows a kid who just loved to be outside when the sky was clear, with a telescope facing the sky, waiting for the perfect angle to view the Big Dipper.  He will camp out to observe a lunar eclipse and if there is a once in our lifetime occurrence predicted to be in the sky, you won’t be able to keep him away. He is ready and waiting for days, just to get that glimpse.  He can see pictures in books, but nothing compares to watching it in person.

He is fascinated by what he sees when he looks in that telescope.  He is overwhelmed at how the sky comes alive night after night.  There is another world out there.  A world he dreams about becoming a part of, he longs to study it, get to know it, revel in it.  Maybe it is not a world of people driving cars around, rather an entire universe of burning glory in our sky every night.  Stars are moving, burning out, beginning again all over the galaxy all the time.  The study of their perfect dance night after night is a full time job, a career.  To make a career out of watching the perfect waltz, that synchronized dance that occurs in the sky each night, is the culmination of years of looking through that telescope, wishing on those stars.

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Tips for Beginners in Astronomy

When you are first getting into astronomy, there are some things that you should do in order to help you to get started with learning the night sky. These are some of the best things that you can do in order to get started in this exciting new hobby.

  • Read About It – The first thing that you should do is to read everything about it.  This is going to help you to learn everything that you want to know about astronomy and getting to know the sky up above.
  • Find Other Beginners – The second thing that you want to do is to find other people who are new to astronomy. There are a lot of different sites and forums online that you can find people just like yourself who are new to astronomy and are just finding the new and exciting things about astronomy.
  • Start With Naked Eye – The third thing that you should do is to start learning the sky with the naked eye. Look for the things that you can recognize, like Orion and the Big and Little Dippers.
  • Go to Binoculars – The fourth thing that you should do is to buy yourself a good pair of binoculars.  This way if you find that it isn’t for you, you haven’t spent as much money as you would have on a telescope and you can use them for other things.

These are a few of the things that you should do when you are just getting into astronomy.  Astronomy is a lot of fun and it’s very interesting and exciting when you are able to see things that you wouldn’t see otherwise. Just remember that it takes time and it’s going to be something that you can enjoy for a years to come and share it with your whole family.

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An Intro To A Black Hole

Simulated view of a black hole in front of the...
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A black hole is a common concept in astronomy, but do you really know what it is? If not then here is a little insight into what a black home is. A black hole is a region of space. In this region of space there is nothing at all that can escape. Not even light can get through the black hole. So how does this happen? It’s actually the result of spacetime going through a process of deformation that can be caused, at it’s base level, by a really small and compact mass. There is even a point around the black hole that is an undetectable area which actually marks the point of no return. They call this return an event horizon.

They call it a black hole because black signifies the fact that while the hole takes in all the light that hits it, it will never reflect anything back. All it does is sit and exist as a perfect black mass. These black holes do emit radiation just like a body with a temperature. The temp decreases and the black hole and it makes it often difficult to view the black mass. The only way to really view the black mass is if the black hole interacts with other matter.

One way that a black hole can be tracked is by watching a cluster of stars and the way they move in their orbit. You can see only if the black hole is interacting with the grouping of stars. Otherwise the black hole would not be visible to you. The only other time you can see a black hole is when gas falls into it. There the gas will heat to a high temperature and will omit radiation and that radiation can be detected from telescopes. A black hole is simply fascinating.

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Understanding the Supernova

This is the remnant of a supernova.
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Understanding a supernova and what it does is key to learning the basics of astronomy. The supernova is, in effect, an explosion that is has more energy in it than a regular nova. The supernova is very luminous and that radiation that it can give off is enough to make a second or two where it will shine so bright it will literally outshine the galaxy. Once it is done shining it will go back into hiding and it won’t be seen from again for a few weeks or up to a few months. The energy of a supernova is intense. Just one burst of a supernova and it can radiate an amount of energy that is equivalent to what the Sun can generate throughout its entire lifespan.

When the explosion happens the star expels all of its material. This will put a shock wave into the surrounding medium of interstellar happening. There is more than just one type of supernova. There is a type 1 and type 2. These two types can be triggered in two different ways. There is the first where you allow nuclear fusion to be the catalyst to trigger it by generating energy. This will expel the stars layers out creating the blast. The other way is through something called a white dwarf star. Here, this will happen because the stellar companion can raise the temperature so that you can ignite carbon fusion.

The truth is that it’s been a long time since the supernova has been observed. The last time on record was the Milky Way and it happened in 1604. Now, even though these supernovas occur once every 50 years, it’s not always visible from earth. The Supernova is just one of the many fascinating things about the universe in which you live in. It’s just one in a long line.

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The History of the Supernova

Learning about the supernova is important to understand all the we now know about it. The earliest recorded supernova was in 185 AD. Then it was observed by the Chinese Astronomers. They weren’t sure what it was at the time but documented the occurrence. Only years later did they learn that it was, in fact, a supernova. The brightest recorded supernova was in 1006. It was, once again, noted by Chinese astronomers. Since that time there have only been three more supernovas with the last being the one spotted in the Milky Way Galaxy in 1604. The last two of the supernovas had a very profound effect on the development of astronomy in Europe. They were able to use it in order to prove that the universe did function beyond the start and the moon and the planets.

One of the biggest advancements for supernovas and beyond was the making and improving upon the telescope. In 1885 the observation of the supernovas in other galaxies were important. These supernovas are not just an interesting thing to see. As a matter of fact they are an important tool in the world of astronomy. They are important in measuring the distances out there in outer space. They used the supernovas in the science lab too. They took the supernovas and built models from them. By doing this they were not only able to get an accurate replica of what it did but also how it helped other interpret the information they were seeing, such as how the distances were between two objects.

The role of the supernova is a big step in learning more about the universe. Seeing a supernova is just one of the many occurrences that led people to believe that there needed to be the exploration of space. Our knowledge of these supernovas grow and the result is a better understanding of the history of our universe.

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Astronomy Fact Sheet: What is a Supernova?

A picture of a supernova (mostly imaginative, ...
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In the wonderful world of astronomy there is a beautiful event called the supernova. What is this large, bright burst of light? What does it do in the system? How is it named?

Let’s explore a little bit about the supernova and what makes this type of universe phenomena so amazing.

A supernova is a huge explosion that happens out in the universe. It is extremely bright. So bright that it actually outshines the whole solar system that it occurs in. When a star or planet has such a burst of radiation it shines brightly in the universe, as described above then quickly fades away until nothing.

The occurrence of the supernova occurs for one of two reasons. Either there is combination of nuclear fusion that causes the energy to be quickly turned on or in some cases turned off. The energy shines out brightly and quickly the core of the star or planet that showed this type of energy, folds into itself and quickly disappears from the universe.

There hasn’t been an occurrence of a supernova in the Milky Way, the solar system that Earth is in since 1607. However a supernova occurs about every 50 years in other solar systems and universes that surround the Milky Way.

The naming of a supernova is a fairly unique process. When a supernova occurs a notice gets sent out by the International Astronomical Union. In it it contains the name that is being officially assigned to the supernova that occurs. The way the name is made is that it has the year the supernova occurred in and an assigned one or two letter abbreviation. The first supernova to occur during the year is assigned the letter A all the way through Z. Once it reaches the letter Z it starts over with two lower case letters such as aa. There has never been a need to go beyond two letters.

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