Aug 29, 2024 | Focal Plane
Many times, we are at the telescope waiting for the sky to get darker. The Sun had set about a half hour to go, but with light pollution the sky is still not dark enough for targets to come out. Are you in your yard with family waiting to share your hobby with them?...
Jul 29, 2024 | Focal Plane
Dwarf stars are the most plentiful in our sky. But as their name suggests, they are smaller in mass and thus less intrinsically bright. Our August fundamentals will focus on some white and red dwarf stars. Although each of these stars are dwarf stars, they are more...
Jul 14, 2024 | Focal Plane
Every year, the Naperville Astronomical Association hosts Family Night during one of our fundamentals in the summer. This year’s Family Night will be held on Tuesday, July 16th! What can you expect during our Family Fun(damentals) Night? We will have hands-on...
Jul 14, 2024 | Focal Plane
Space Elevators appear in many science fiction novels, but they may not be as much fiction as faster than light warp or hyperdrive. Space elevators may become science fact. The cost to move objects into space is the main obstacle, and why we currently are striving for...
Jun 17, 2024 | Focal Plane
Scientists are using several methods to determine the nature of dark matter, indirect searches, laboratory experiments, and direct searches. Indirect and direct detection search for dark matter particles. Laboratory experiments use colliders to generate dark matter...
May 27, 2024 | Focal Plane
The earliest record of an eclipse in human history may have been from around 3,340 B.C.E. The consistent record of eclipses over the years has allowed astronomers to study Earth’s past. Scribes in Anyang, China, recorded eclipses on animal bones and tortoise shells as...
