When new students register for our online astronomy courses, one of the first questions they ask me is if I can recommend a good telescope. Our courses do not require use of a telescope—as that could make them cost-prohibitive for many families—but some students and parents still want a nice telescope to explore the sky. […]
The Peak of Eternal Light: Where the Sun Never Sets on the Moon
It might sound crazy, but if you lived right at the north pole of the Earth, you would only see one sunrise and one sunset every year. Since the Earth is tilted in space in respect to the sun, between mid-March and mid-September, the northern half of the Earth is tilted more towards the sun. […]
Dao Look Kai: A Taiwanese Folk Tale
Hello, I am a farmer in Thailand. You might have heard of a group of stars in the night sky where you live—we call it the Dao Look Kai. I have heard there are a lot of different stories about this cluster, but if I told you all the different stories, we would be here […]
The Astronomy Behind the Japanese Holiday Tanabata
If you’re ever in Japan on July 7th, you might see many people laughing, dancing, shooting off fireworks, and tying wishes to bamboo trees—but most importantly, looking up into the heavens. This joyful event is called Tanabata, created to commemorate the two lovers in the stars, Princess Orihime, daughter of the god of the heavens, […]
Hercules: The Myth of His 12 Labors
Zeus, the most powerful of all gods, had a son named Hercules. Hercules was the strongest man on earth and considered himself equal to many of the gods. Because his mother was mortal, and his father was the king of gods, he was half-god, half-mortal. Hercules was confident, brave, and cunning, but he was also […]