Category: Blog

The Layers of a Star

When you’re looking to get a star named after you, or name a star after someone you know, it’s easy to forget the sheer wonder that allows these flaming balls of gas to exist in the first place. The existence of every available star in the intergalactic star database is dependent on the laws of phys...

Star Lyrics – Sky Full of Stars (Coldplay)

Coldplay’s reputation is, suffice to say, a mixed one at best. Their fans see them as catchy and sincere, while their detractors might view them as sickly sweet and lazy. Nevertheless, they have dominated the music landscape for 17 years and in many ways are the definitive band of the 00’s and the 2...

Fomalhaut; the loneliest star?

For the stargazing among us Autumn can be a particularly grim time of year. That chill of the night only gets worse the closer we edge toward Christmas and the casual stargazer could be forgiven for not wanting to be outside too much for extended periods of time. Winter is coming If you’re loo...

Apocalypse Theories that Weren’t the End of The World.

It seems that people have been attempting to predict the end of the world for as long as people have been around. The world has apparently been due to end in many colourful ways- floods, fires, comets – but luckily for humanity, none of it has been accurate. The 2012 Mayan Apocalypse. Accor...

Starry Superstitions

Throughout history and in cultures all over the world, the stars have held the answers to questions for philosophers, farmers and dreamers alike, but do you know the history of these superstitions? 10: Hands to Yourself Pretty much everyone knows that it is rude to point, but some cultures bel...

Ridiculous Things People Have Believed to be UFOs.

Lightning It is probably unsurprising that weird weather phenomena are linked with UFO sightings. This happens particularly often with a phenomenon known as sprite flashes, which are triggered high up in the Earth’s atmosphere by thunderstorms. These sprites often take the form of fast-mov...

How the Body is Affected by Spaceflight.

Even though it has been half a century since humanity took its first step towards the final frontier, questions remain on how a human body is affected by space flight. In a recent study, scientists were able to get a look at these effects, particularly that of weightlessness, on a molecular level....

Space Inspired Fashion

There is no denying that the fascination with space extends far beyond the realms of science and has inspired designers for decades. In both interior design, for example, the Sputnik chandelier and of course, fashion.   The Space Race showed a jump forward in the clothes of the time, and is to...

How Nasa Has Changed Your Everyday Life

Long Distance Communication Without the 200 or so NASA satellites in orbit around the Earth it would not be possible to stay in touch with people on the other side of the world. Solar Energy NASA developed solar energy in an attempt to cr...

The History of Solar Eclipses

For many ancient civilisations, the Sun and the Moon were seen as deities, so when the sun disappeared in the daytime, it was seen as a cataclysmic event. They were considered omens for the Aztecs, and many Hawaiian leader were named after such events Keke-la (thin sun), Ku-ko-hu (appearing blotted)...

Interplanetary Record Breakers

Oldest Person in Space John Glenn became the oldest person in Space when he flew on the space shuttle Discovery’s STS-95 mission in October 1998. He was 77! He also broke another record – the longest time between trips to space. He had been the first American to orbit the earth in February 1...

Facts about Black Holes

Fact 1: You can’t directly see a black hole. Black holes are black, but not in that they are coloured black, but because no light can escape from them. This means that it is impossible to use any kind of equipment to detect the black hole itself. Instead scientists must observe the effects of th...