Tag: Naming A Star

Scorpius of Farscape

Science fiction, though not a universally loved genre is one of the favourites among scientists – as it the genre that dares to dream big with what we already understand about the world. Aside from showing us the potentials of what might be possible, Sci Fi gives us an insight into who we are as hum...

The Haunted Heavens – The spookier side of space!

Halloween may just be one day down here on earth, but ghosts, ghouls and goblins are out there floating in space all year round. Not literally of course, the poor things but stars and such do create some creepy shapes! So, to make the most of Halloween, we’ll be celebrating the creepier ways to de...

Scorpius – The Polynesian Connection

Scorpion or Fish hook? To register a star must have been tricky for the ancient peoples as they only had the naked eye to use. Part of the reason we have constellations at all is that making shapes out of stars that were clustered together made them easier to locate. But not all cultures saw the...

The legend of Scorpius and Orion

This week it’s Scorpio week on the Star Blog, we’ll do a post on the constellation of Scorpius each day from the 23rd to the 28th of October. Tomorrow, the 24th is when the first day in the month of Scorpio. Scorpius When the world was new, the great hunter and giant Orion was feared by all ...

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...