This week, I officially started my astronomy learning journey by looking at the basics, and holy moly, space is already mind-boggling.
I focused my attention on getting to know the solar system, learning the differences between stars and planets, and grasping how constellations are ordered in the night sky. To help me with that, I downloaded the app called “Stellarium Web” and it has been a game-changer. Using this app, I was able to spot Orion and the Big Dipper from my own balcony. It was unreal seeing how this app covers constellations and planets onto the night sky live. It made stargazing feel like I knew what I was doing, but really I had no idea what I was doing!
Have you ever used a stargazing app? If not, maybe this is your time to try one now! You might be shocked to see how easy it is to find a constellation!
To get a better understanding, I watched a few videos that really open up my eyes:
- CrashCourse Astronomy: The Solar System: This video shows how the solar system is put together, with the Sun at the core, surrounded by the rocky planets like Earth and Gas Giants like Jupiter. I found out about the asteriod belt and how dwaf planets like Pluto fit in.
- The Life Cycle of Stars: While watching this video, I learned about hwo the stars are born in stellar nuersises from clouds of gas and dust. I was amazard about the smaller stars, like the Sun, can live longer and burn fuel more slowly, while the larger stars burn out quickly and then end in dramatic supernova explosions.
Here’s a screenshot that I took while using Stellarium showing Orion, one of the constellations that I was able to find this week:
Researching about the solar system and the lives of stars has given me a new outlook for the universe! I’m loving every single moment of this journey and I can’t wait to look deeper into more constellations, planets and celestial events!
I want to know what space related topic you’re super curious about?