astronomy

Traveling Telescope teaches Kenyan students the science of astronomy

Traveling Telescope teaches Kenyan students the science of astronomy

11 Photos

Although Kenya lies on the equator and has dramatic nighttime skies in rural areas, children find it hard to name planets and other bodies as astronomy is rarely taught in schools — but that is changing as The Traveling Telescope visits some of the country’s most remote areas with telescopes and virtual reality goggles.
More →

Marveling at Geminid meteor showers through years

Marveling at Geminid meteor showers through years

12 Photos

The Geminid meteor shower is one of the most prolific of the big, annual meteor showers, and also one of the strangest. When viewing conditions are ideal, it is possible to see between 100 and 140 meteors per hour. However, this year the Geminid peak coincided with a nearly-full moon. Because the light of the moon will drowned out some of the dimmer meteors, sky watchers saw between 40 to 60 meteors Friday night. More →

Sunday’s solar eclipse burned, burned, burned, like a ring of fire

Sunday’s solar eclipse burned, burned, burned, like a ring of fire

31 photos

The western region of the United States and other countries along the Pacific rim caught a glimpse of the first solar eclipse of the year on Sunday. While, 2011 saw a handful of partial solar eclipses, spectators got to see what’s called an annular eclipse, or a so-called “ring of fire.” This occurs when the moon, appearing slightly smaller than the sun, passes before it to create an annulus, or ring, in the sky.

More →