Reflection nebula

nebulae are so bright they are routinely featured in telescopic tours of the Sagittarius constellation and the central Milky Way galaxy. M8 or the Lagoon Nebula and M20 or Trifid were first cataloged in 1764 by Charles Messier (Kronberg). The Trifid Nebula, M20, (at the upper right in the image) is a “rare combination of an emission and reflection nebula” (Koprolin). This colorful contrasting nebulae is 5,000 light-years from Earth and 40 light-years across. A star forming region in the plane of our galaxy

Grant Robbins Astronomy 170 BI Fall 2016 Actually observing the sky through the campus Steward Observatory telescope brought perspective to just how lucky we are in Tucson to have such amazing resources to study the sky. The location of the telescope is amazing; right in the middle of our historic campus which allows the general public accessibility to something that might otherwise be reserved for astronomers or scientists. Having a 21” telescope to view the night sky expands the field of view

blanket of stars that we see with our naked eye? Nebulas are one of many galactic phenomena that lie beyond the Kuiper belt. Mysterious and fascinatingly beautiful sights to behold, they have more of a purpose than just painting the galaxy backdrop with color. I’m not a diehard fan of astronomy and to be perfectly honest I find it difficult to follow most of the information I have learned. However, when I came across pictures and information on nebulas I was instantly fascinated. From how and why

Life Cycle of a Star A star is born in a high-density nebula and condenses into gas and dust and contracts under its own gravity. Next, a region of condensing matter will begin to heat up and star to glow, forming protostars. The temperature at this point is 5 million degrees centigrade. When this temperature

Caroline Herschel “was a pioneer of her time! She was an educated woman who would catalogue stars and nebula, and discover comets. She would be the first woman astronomer to earn a salary, acquire honors, and be accepted into scientific organizations” (AmazingSpace). She became an instrumental figure in the study of astronomy. Her work and achievements has broken monumental barriers and has expanded our knowledge of astronomy. Some of her work and documentation is still used today, approximately

Johann Elert Bode was born in Hamburg, Germany on January 19, 1747. His father was a merchant and his mother stayed at home with him and his eight younger brothers and sisters. Bode never went to formal school, but his father was determined to teach him how to be a great merchant. However, Bode didn’t want to become a merchant. He was very interested in mathematics, geography, and astrology. He decided to go against what his father was teaching him and pursue a career in Astrology instead. When

Born in Germany as Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel, it wasn’t until his was 30 when he discovered what his true passion was. One night while he was looking at the night sky with his sister Caroline, he discovered Uranus and several of moons around other gas giants. While he was alive, he compiled a catalogue of 2,500 celestial objects that are still being used in today’s society. While in his early life he mainly studied music with his sister. His sister, Caroline was the first women to discover a comet

Hazel Bishop was a female chemist and invented many things such as smear proof lipstick, skin care and many perfumes and cosmetics. She was one of the most accomplished female chemists in the 1900s. Her inventions had an impact on the world of makeup. Hazel invented many things, showed great characteristics and influenced us greatly. Hazel was born in Hoboken, New Jersey and started her never ending career in 1929 when she attended Barnard College in New York and graduated with a degree in chemistry

The comparison and contrast of Messier 89, Messier 91 and Messier 98 Charles Messier was a French astronomer who created an astronomical catalogue containing information on nebulae and star clusters, which was later known as the 110 Messier objects. The catalogue was to help astronomical observers, particularly comet hunters. As a comet hunter Charles Messier came across what are known now to be galaxies, nebulae, planetary nebulae and star clusters. With help from his assistant Pierre Méchain

In this Observation Report, I will be discussing the technology and sights I encountered throughout both the Dark Sky Night, and the 1st Quarter Night. Explanations of both the astronomical instruments as well as visuals will be provided. All of the information and opportunities were provided to me by Austin Peay State University, with instruction by Dr. Buckner. The First Quarter Night was focused more on the technology and instruments used to view and document targeted subjects in space, whereas