Astronomy

One of the greatest mysteries of the Universe that, for the present, puzzles the mind of most astronomers, cosmologists and physicists is the question ‘What makes up our Universe?’ This is due to how, in 1998, a certain substance under the name of Dark Matter came under speculation. It is believed this enigmatic substance, of type unknown, accounts for almost three-quarters of the cosmos within the Universe, could be the answer to several questions raised by the models of the expanding Universe astronomers have created, and even decide the fate of the expansion of the Universe.

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In the solar system, the Earth has an established position as a planet.  This planet Earth has a moon; it is the third planet from the sun at exactly the right distance, with enough water and an atmosphere with enough oxygen to support complex life forms such as humans.  This planet is absolutely right for life.  But a small change, such as a rise or fall in oxygen levels, or a change in position in the solar system could render life more difficult, more

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On August 14 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the official nomenclature body for astronomy, held a meeting attended by 2,500 scientists in Prague in order to address the issue of a new definition for the term ‘planet.’ This decision was necessary due to how new telescope technologies had discovered the presence of objects in the Kuiper Belt, a region on the edge of the Solar System, that rivalled the now dwarf-planet Pluto in size.

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Last April, a small delegation from King’s joined forces with a similar yet smaller delegation from Marlborough College, courtesy of contact between Miss Astin and Mr Barclay.  What resulted was a joint trip of two teachers - Mr Barclay from Marlborough and Dr Taylor from King’s - and three students, Malcolm Morgan and me from King’s, and Simon ________ from Marlborough.  The trip took us for a week to the western most island in the Canaries, La Palma, on the top of which is located the European North Observatory (ENO), an o

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The Lunar Eclipse on the 3rd March had millions turning their heads towards the heavens. Join me as I look into the science behind lunar eclipses and their colourful history.

These awe inspiring events can only happen at times of the month when the Moon is full. For an eclipse to occur the Earth must lie directly between the Sun and the Moon. The area of shadow directly behind the Earth is called the umbral shadow. It is this umbral shadow that the Moon needs to completely pass through in order for it to be a total lunar eclipse like the one seen earlier this month.

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