Argo Navis Constellation Of "Heroes"-06JAN2009

January 6, 2009

The story of Jason and the Argonauts is retold in the remains of the constellation Argo Navis, which has been split into four constellations in modern times. Parts of these constellations are visible low in the south on winter evenings.

Polaris (The North Star) Stays Steady-05JAN2009

January 5, 2009

Polaris, the north star, marks Earth's northern axis on the dome of the sky. As Earth turns, all the stars appear to move across the sky except Polaris. As though forming the hub of a wheel, Polaris stands still while the other northern stars circle around it.

Perihelion Today: Earth's Orbit Closest To Sun

January 4, 2009
Earth is closest to the Sun today for the entire year, a point in its orbit known as perihelion. The average distance to the Sun is about 93 million miles, but today we are about 1.5 million miles closer than that.

Mercury Shows Up Starting Tonite - 03JAN2009

January 3, 2009 The planet Mercury puts in a meek appearance the next few nights. Look for it beginning about 30 minutes after sunset. It looks like a moderately bright star, but you will need a clear southwestern horizon to spot it, and binoculars will enhance the view. This image shows Mercury down and to the right of the Moon as a very faint-looking star.

The Quadrantid Meteor Shower - 02JAN2009

January 2, 2009 The Quadrantid meteor shower is at its best tonight. It is named for the extinct constellation Quadrans Muralis, which represented an astronomical instrument. The shower is fairly reliable, so during its short peak, you may see a few dozen "shooting stars" per hour.

International Year Of Astronomy - 01JAN2009

January 1, 2009
Today marks the start of the International Year of Astronomy. It celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first use of the telescope as an astronomical instrument. Galileo's discoveries helped confirm that Earth is not the center of the universe.

The Universe: A Very Very Brief History Of Time

You can get the "gist" of Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" regarding the universe in two minutes: