tutorial

Mathematics and astronomy go hand in hand. You really can’t have one without the other if you want to get a clearer picture of the universe. Great minds of the past have developed some extremely useful equations and laws that help us measure distances and sizes, understand the underlying rules...

Our search for life out in the universe has led to the development of a few different methods for detecting exoplanets. One method, the transit method, allows us to not only spot planets orbiting around their suns, but also determine the size of these exoplanets. All it takes is a little...

How do you measure something that’s light-years away? How can we comprehend the enormous size scales that dominate our universe when we’re nothing but little grains of sand on a floating rock? Amazingly, mathematics combined with observation has given us the tools to determine stellar radii...

The term “astrophysics” makes some people shudder with apprehension. “Astrophysics?” they ask, “Doesn’t that mean a lot of math?” While fancy equations with little to no discernible meaning to an outsider do characterize many branches of science, there’s so much more to discover. Mathematical...

Oh boy. How many times have you heard someone say “astrology” instead of astronomy and wanted to strangle them? The two words are easy enough to muddle up, but the concepts behind them are and should be kept far away from one another. So, to settle things once and for all, here are the...

Did you know that some of the dust that’s collecting on every available surface in your home is actually space debris? Makes you not want to clean your house, doesn’t it? While no one will judge you if you refrain from dusting for the rest of your life (well, someone might), one item you should...

Times have changed. Gone are the days when you needed to tote around a sky chart to figure out the layout of the heavens. Now, whenever a brilliantly bright object in the night sky catches your attention, all you have to do is pull out your phone and open up a stargazing app. But which do you...

Many augmented reality stargazing apps are clunky, difficult to use, and cluttered. When you’re trying to learn the layout of the night sky, the last thing you need is an app that makes it even more confusing! Thankfully, apps like SkyView exist. SkyView offers exceptional graphics and a clean...

There are dozens of apps available that are tailored to stargazers, but many of them fall short of their promises. SkyView, however, does not disappoint. Quality AR (augmented reality), beautiful graphics, and extra features like facts about celestial objects make SkyView a top choice. To top it...

What’s that really bright star in the sky? Where’s Jupiter tonight? What’s the shape of that constellation? Without the right stargazing app, all of these questions go unanswered. Star Tracker can help you up your stargazing game and help you identify planets, stars, constellations, and so much...

As fascinating as it is to look at the Moon from Earth, we don’t always get the best view. When you want to get up close and personal with Earth’s companion, you can always turn to technology. Google offers you two different ways to explore the Moon: Through Google Maps, and Google Earth Pro...

Thanks to technology, we’ve managed to map a staggering 1.7 billion stars in our observable universe. Of course, with our puny human eyes, even locating just one specific star in the night sky can be a challenge. That’s where stargazing apps come in. Whether you’re just getting started in...

The night sky offers so many amazing sights. Between the craters of the Moon, the rings of Saturn, Jupiter’s moons, and our closest neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy, the spectacle is almost overwhelming. By far the best views come from a telescope, so here’s how to get started exploring the cosmos...

For as long as humans have existed, we have been fascinated by what we see when we look up on a dark and cloudless night. Telescopes weren’t invented until the 1600s, and there was plenty to see before then. If you want to know more about what’s out there in the universe, the best way to begin...

When you’re not ready to upgrade to a telescope but want to see more than your inefficient human eyes can reveal, binoculars are the best option for taking stargazing to the next level. You might think it’s as simple as pointing them at the sky, but there is actually a bit of finesse required to...