July Guest Post: Stars in Our Skies
Of the twelve zodiacal constellations, only one of them represents an inanimate object while the other eleven depict living entities. It is also the star pattern we are highlighting for the month of July. Called MUL Zibanu (meaning “scales” or “balance”) by ancient Babylonian astronomers, the constellation of Libra was sacred to their sun god Shamash, who also served as a divine judge. The Ancient Egyptians, by contrast, thought that the three brightest stars in Libra (Alpha Librae, Beta Librae, and Sigma Librae) formed a boat.
Pixar’s Elio: Astronomy Review
While Pixar’s newest release, Elio, is a science fiction adventure (with emphasis on fiction!!), and has a lot of fantastical physics (travel to the Communiverse, for example, where the aliens live, takes mere seconds). However, they DO get some of the astronomy right, and I wanted to share some of the delightful nuances and small details that they did well from an astronomy perspective.
June Guest Post: Stars in Our Skies
The evening stars of summer are slowly drifting westward as a new season approaches. Soon we’ll be enjoying familiar star patterns and the return of the Milky Way overhead.
The Naming of Asterisk Observatory
So where did the name Asterisk Observatory come from? First, the word asterisk etymologically comes from Greek and means ‘small star’. We are, indeed, the ‘Small Star Observatory’! Second, a prominent feature in the Smith Rock State Park skyline (which can be seen by taking a short walk across the street from Asterisk Observatory) is the Asterisk Pass.
May Guest Post: Stars in Our Skies
As the sun climbs higher into the sky with each passing day of spring, it’s starting to get warm enough to really enjoy stargazing without having to bundle up against the cold. And this month’s narrative highlights a prime region of the celestial sphere that hopefully will instill a desire to at least give it an upward glance.
Exploring the Flora and Fauna of Asterisk Observatory
The world around us is full of wonders, and sometimes, all it takes is a quiet stroll to discover them. The cosmos around us is also full of wonders, and I’d love to share both the things we see looking up as well as the things we see looking down with you during your visit to the Asterisk Observatory!