The Vostok space craft was the result of various unmanned Sputnik space flights. Unlike the American Mercury space craft, the Vostok lacked the ability to manoeuvre in orbit. It was built by the Soviet Union and the first launched was all the way back in April 12th 1961. Whilst the first Vostok only made one … Read more
Astronomy is a desirable path for many. It has its own appeal, as it exists at the intersection of math and physics, and also creeps into the mysteries of the planets, stars, and galaxies. And whilst similar, there’s a difference between astrology and astronomy. Unfortunately, astronomy may not seem like a popular career path for many. … Read more
Known for actually being one of the hardest constellations to see in the night sky, Octans is actually the pole star of the Southern hemisphere. Finding Octans is a great way to be able to find the South Celestial Pole in the night sky, but as it is quite faint, it can be pretty difficult … Read more
Home to one of the top 20 brightest stars in the Sky, Piscis Austrinus is definitely one to look for if you’re in the Southern hemisphere. This well known fish constellation can be spotted just beneath Aquarius, and unlike the constellation Pisces, it is only made up of one fish, not two. Let’s look closer … Read more
With most of the constellations taking their names from Greek and Roman words, Lynx definitely stands out from the rest. It has a unique name (which I’ll get to in a little while), with many people wondering where it got its name from. It is bordered on the well known constellation Ursa Major, as well … Read more
Ara, also known as the Altar constellation, is a fairly small group of stars that can be seen from the Southern hemisphere. Not only is it home to some well known stars, but also to the Stingray Nebula too, which can be seen to the South of the constellation. Lets find out some more about … Read more
Aquarius is undoubtedly one of the best known constellations, known for making up one of the Zodiac signs. Its location make it very easily visible, even with the naked eye, even though the constellation itself doesn’t have any stars which are particularly bright. Due to this, it’s probably best to wait for a dark night … Read more
If you’re looking to learn a little more about the Pyxis constellation, then you’re in the right place. This constellation has a ton of different stars in it, so there’s a lot to learn about! It is one of the few constellations that was discovered by French astronomer Nicolas Lacaille whilst he was situated in … Read more
Now, Aquila is one of the more interesting constellations up there in the sky. It’s one of the larger constellations, and it has a multitude of different stars within the constellation for us to talk about. It’s a great one to start out with if you’re in the Northern hemisphere, and it can be found … Read more
One of the smaller constellations in the night sky, Apus consists of just a few bright stars. Located just to the South of Triangulum Australe, this constellation is best seen from the Southern hemisphere due to it’s declination. Though small, the constellation still has an interesting history to learn about. Let’s look at some more … Read more
One of the lesser known constellations in the night sky and with few stars, Antlia might not have been one high up on your list to see. However for those in the Southern hemisphere, it might be pretty easy to find this constellation, even though it is typically quite faint. But who discovered this constellation, … Read more
There’s a lot of different things to understand about the night sky. With thousands of stars up there, it only makes sense that throughout history, people have looked up there and seen different images in their mind. At it’s most basic, a constellation is simply a concept of the human minds imagination. But is this … Read more
One of the smallest constellations up there in our night sky, Reticulum is known for being one of the constellations discovered by astronomer Nicolas Lacaille during his time spent in South Africa. This constellation is best seen in the Southern hemisphere due to it’s declination. Let’s look at some facts about Reticulum. Bordered By; Horologium, … Read more
Sagitta is one of the smallest constellations in our night sky, and is also quite dim too. However, although it is small, it is very distinctive and a true representation of the object it’s meant to resemble – the arrow. It is another of the constellations founded by Ptolemy in the 2nd Century. Let’s learn … Read more
Another one of the constellations discovered by Frenchman Nicolas Lacaille, Sculptor is one of the Southern constellations worth looking for if you’re in the Southern hemisphere. It has many stars in it, but they are all quite faint, and even the brightest of these stars isn’t easily visible without a telescope. Let’s look at some … Read more
If you’re looking at the Zodiac constellations, then one of the most visible in our night sky is Scorpius. Although it’s not visible throughout the entire year, when it is visible it is easily seen due to it’s bright stars. It is surrounded by many other constellations, and it’s a middle sized constellation. Let’s look … Read more
If you’re learning about constellations, then one that you’ve likely already heard of is Sagittarius. This archer constellation has many different stars in it, which make it one of the larger of the 88 constellations. Lets look at some facts about Sagittarius. Bordered By; Aquila, Scutum, Serpens Cauda, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Corona Australis, Telescopium, Indus, Microscopium, … Read more
Orion is a fantastic place to start when you’re looking into the night sky, as it is a larger constellation that contains some of the brightest stars in our night sky. So, let’s have a look at some more details about this constellation. Bordered By; Lepus, Monoceros, Taurus Eridanus, Gemini. Named after; The Hunter Declination; … Read more
When you get started with your astronomy career, one of the first constellations that we learn about is Gemini. It is easily identified, and it closely resembles what it’s meant to – two twin brothers in the night sky. For those interested in astrology, this constellation of course is part of the Zodiac family too. … Read more
When we’re talking about constellations in the night sky, the conversation soon turns to the Great Bear and it’s smaller companion the Little Bear, better known as Ursa Minor. Now, Ursa Minor has had many different nicknames throughout it’s lifetime, as it’s shape can be interpreted in many different ways. Whilst some refer to it … Read more
