260 Items Tagged

Astronomy

Glasgow, Scotland

Sighthill Stone Circle

This astronomically-aligned stone circle was the first of its kind to be built in Great Britain after a 3,000-year hiatus.

'The Astronomer'

Parkes, Australia

'The Astronomer'

A stargazing sculpture made from the ruins of an iconic telescope.

Lund Observatory Clock

This antique clock once gave the most accurate time in the area.

"Portrait of a Mathematician" by Mary Beale (left); a 1702 portrait of Isaac Newton by Godfrey Kneller (right).

The Mystery of the Missing Portrait of Robert Hooke

He was a famed 17th-century scientist. Isaac Newton was one of his rivals.

Atlas Obscura September 4, 2020

Inside a Historic Observatory That Almost Went Up in Flames

Lick Observatory in California has lived to see another starry night.

Isaac Schultz September 3, 2020

Flagstaff, Arizona

Lowell Mausoleum

The final resting place of the businessman-turned-astronomer who helped discover Pluto stands near his observatory.

A drawing depicting a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, by Johannes Kepler, December 1603.

Astrologers Were the Quants of the Ancient World

Coincidence and correlation in the stars, from the founding of Baghdad to the New York Yankees to COVID-19.

Alexander Boxer August 7, 2020

Grave of Charles Piazzi Smyth

Sharow, England

Grave of Charles Piazzi Smyth

The pyramid-shaped grave of one of the first mountain astronomers and a pyramid theorist.

Why a 16th-Century Artist Imagined Comets as Glorious, Fiery Swords

Explore a captivating compendium of cosmic illustrations.

Jessica Leigh Hester May 29, 2020

"Stellar Spire in the Eagle Nebula" (left); "Tower at Tower Falls," painted by Thomas Moran in the 1870s (right).

What Hubble Space Photos and Western Landscape Paintings Have in Common

Both traffic in the sublime, and have helped us grok new frontiers.

Luna Shyr May 15, 2020

Shorbulak Observatory

This remote, abandoned Soviet observatory promises spectacular views for those who can reach it.

There are billions and billions of galaxies out there, beyond our own.

How to Help Scientists Without Leaving Home

Gaze out the window or at your computer, in the name of data.

Jessica Leigh Hester March 25, 2020

The Grande Lunette at Meudon Observatory

The Grande Lunette

The largest refracting telescope in Europe is housed on the grounds of a former French castle.

The newly described auroral dunes are visible on the left, next to the more common curtain-like forms.

How Finnish Skywatchers Discovered a Strange New Aurora

The mysterious phenomenon resembles green sand dunes in the sky.

Sabrina Imbler January 31, 2020

Melbourne Observatory Building and Astrograph House

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne Observatory

The city’s oldest gateway to the galaxy lies at the entrance to the Royal Botanical Gardens.

The Aperture Array Verification System of the MRO resembles a stand of metal trees.

Probing the Secrets of the Universe From Deep in the Australian Outback

Extreme heat, ants, and stray cell phones are big concerns.

Isaac Schultz November 13, 2019

Göttingen, Germany

Planetenweg Göttingen

A 1:2 billion-scale solar system leads visitors into this German university town.

MPS satellite models.

Göttingen, Germany

Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research Satellite Models

A staggering collection of satellite models and actual flight parts.