tutorial

Light is all around us, and it comes in many different varieties. Visible light shines on your world every day and allows you to see the incredible planet we live on. Gamma rays shoot out from pulsars and solar flares. X-rays are emitted from the disk of hot materials surrounding a black hole...

Satellite finders are incredibly useful little machines that are particularly helpful when you’re looking to get a better dish signal. They work by measuring the signal strength of various satellites in geostationary orbit so that you can properly align your dish. Here’s how to use your...

It doesn’t have to be hard to build a model rocket engine. You don’t have to look up all the specs, dwell on the power you need, and worry about purchase costs. You can make your own model rocket engine with things you probably have around the house (and one key ingredient you may not). Here’s...

Elon Musk shouldn’t be the only one who gets to make rockets. You can make your own too, without being incredibly rich! Granted, they’ll be model rockets, but you have to start somewhere. Here’s how to make your very own homemade model rocket. 1. Gather your materials. To get started...

The Moon has fascinated us for centuries. Before we set foot on it we watched, wondered, and marveled. We also tried to find out how far away it is. The Moon Mission would not have been possible if we didn’t have the ability to measure the distance to the Moon, and believe it or not humans...

The Sun is really far away, which shouldn’t be news to you. For a long time, humans could only guess at how far away it was. It’s particularly difficult to gauge stellar distances because there’s no frame of reference. How do you know if the Sun is really big and far away, or really close and...

Satellites are passing over you every single day. At this point in human history, we’ve sent so many satellites into orbit they’re almost uncountable. The brightest satellite you’ll see is the International Space Station, and just thinking about the people on board while it’s zooming by is...

What did the sky look like on the night you were born? How about on your wedding day? Or even way back before you were alive? Thanks to technology, you can find out. And with a little creativity, you can record that moment forever by creating a custom star map detailing the layout of the heavens...

There’s nothing quite like being intimately familiar with your unique view of the night sky. The stars themselves may be the same, but wherever you are on Earth, you have a view that’s different from someone else’s. Why not keep a record of that view by creating your very own star chart? Star...

Could we ever actually live on Mars? This is a serious question that everyone from Elon Musk, to top scientists, to everyday people are thinking about. Should we be making preparations to create a new home out in the solar system, and even if we should, can we? There are a few different ways we...

There’s no better place to get started with astronomy than in your own backyard. All you have to do is step outside to experience the world in a whole new way. When you want to turn your backyard into an astronomy haven, there are a few key steps to keep in mind to set yourself up for viewing...

Kerbal Space Program is an incredible and versatile game that space-lovers everywhere have fallen in love with. There are many excellent aspects of the game, but like anything else there are a few kinks that can get in the way of an immersive experience. Screen size is one such hiccup. Here are...

When organizations like NASA announce that they’ve found a new star or binary system or something of the sort...how do they know? How exactly do they suddenly discover something no one knew was there before? As our technological capabilities increase, we will begin seeing things we could only...

When our ancestors looked up at the sky, they tried to make sense of the chaos by creating shapes and figures in the seemingly random assortment of stars. These groupings became known as the constellations, and we still use them today when we talk about astronomical positions from our vantage...

Planets are big. Strike that, they’re massive. It’s hard to comprehend just how much stuff there is packed into one planet. Take Earth, for instance. The mass of our home planet is 5.972 x10^24 kg. Can you even comprehend that number? It gets even crazier when you consider how much bigger...

Black holes are stunning, mysterious, and oh so intriguing. We know a surprising amount about them (or have at least theorized a lot), but research is ongoing and will be for quite some time. One of the most interesting aspects of a black hole that we have been able to calculate is what’s known...

Telescopes are amazing pieces of technology that allow us to glimpse parts of the universe we would otherwise not be able to see clearly. But, just like any piece of tech, there are some downsides that need to be addressed. One of the biggest problems amateur astronomers have with telescopes is...

Everything emits thermal radiation. If it has a temperature, it’s giving off energy in the form of photons (light). It’s how cops can find bad guys using thermal cameras that pick up body heat. Thermal radiation obeys two key laws that apply to what is called the thermal radiation spectrum...

Waves of light and sound both move like, well, waves. Different waves have different wavelengths depending on a few factors, and the lengths of these waves can help us identify what they’re coming from and at what speed. This is the essence of the Doppler Effect, also called the Doppler Shift...

Everything in nature seeks balance, and that underlying law helps us in a variety of fields, including chemistry. Unstable elements can’t last—they want to find a proper balance. When a chemical reaction occurs, the equation has to be balanced to demonstrate that no elements are created or...