The Astronomical Companion - Universal Workshop
General guide to astronomy. Large page size allows a series of sphere diagrams out to the edge of the universe.| Universal Workshop
General guide to astronomy. Large page size allows a series of sphere diagrams out to the edge of the universe.| Universal Workshop
AI| Universal Workshop
AI. That pair of letters, when I first encountered it, was a Bronze Age city. It was, according to the Book of Joshua, a stronghold of the Canaanites, the Semitic-speaking population of Palestine before the invasion from across the Jordan by their cousins the Hebrews. The name, ha-`ay, “the heap of ruins,” must have been … Continue reading "AI" The post AI appeared first on Universal Workshop.| Universal Workshop
From planets to specks of dust in meteor showers, there are many kinds of solar-system bodies, and how do we classify them? By size? Or by composition? – rock lumps like asteroids, vaporizable snowballs like comets. Or by orbit? – satellites go around primaries, Trojans hovering at positions in Jupiter’s orbit, Trans-Neptunians are beyond the … Continue reading "The solar system and the Blitz"| Universal Workshop
The crescent Moon visits the lovely star cluster known as Praesepe (the Manger) or the Beehive. See the end note about enlarging illustrations. Arrows through the moving bodies show their movement (against the starry background) from 2 days earlier to 2 days later. The Sun is exaggerated 2 times in size. The Moon is exaggerated … Continue reading "This evening’s scene"| Universal Workshop
Constellations from what is now our western window. They include Tate Moderna, Turris Telecommunicationis, Fitrovia Minor, and Pons Millennia over Tamesis Flumen (the Murky Way). You can appreciate that their brilliance obscure the constellations of deep space beyond. __________ This weblog maintains its right to be about astronomy or anything under the sun. The post Stars over stars appeared first on Universal Workshop.| Universal Workshop
The nearly full Moon will pass only 0.39° south of Spica, the bright star of constellation Virgo. That is, as seen from the center of Earth. From southern places on the surface of our planet, the Moon appears farther north, and it will occult (hide) the star for a wide band of the south Pacific, … Continue reading "Moon-dazzled Virgo" The post Moon-dazzled Virgo appeared first on Universal Workshop.| Universal Workshop
The Eta Aquarid meteors, fragments of Halley’s Comet, should be seen on May 5, with a peak around 21h by Universal Time. That is, by clocks now twisted forward to so-called “daylight-saving time,” 8 PM in Britain, and 5 or more hours earlier in North America. The shower gets its name because its radiant – … Continue reading "Meteors from the Water Jar" The post Meteors from the Water Jar appeared first on Universal Workshop.| Universal Workshop
And Vesta is at opposition. April final fool! We’ve crossed the boundary from a 30-day month to a 31-day month. But the brightest asteroid really is crossing the boundary from the morning to the evening sky – directly outward from the Sun, on the midline of the midnight sky. Here is the finder chart from … Continue reading "It’s April 31"| Universal Workshop
Venus, brightest of planets, is coming to her peak of brightness low in the morning sky, above Saturn and Mercury, and, far in the background, dim Neptune. The slender waning Moon slide down among them. See the end note about enlarging illustrations. Arrows through the moving bodies show their movement (against the starry background) from … Continue reading "Sparks entangled in the dawn" The post Sparks entangled in the dawn appeared first on Universal Workshop.| Universal Workshop
The Lyrid meteor shower should be at its best this year in the night between April 21 and 22. Here is the group of four illustrations from page 134 of Astronomical Calendar 2025. (See the end note about enlarging illustrations. They will appear far sharper in the actual book, printed or digital.) The Lyrid stream … Continue reading "The April Lyrids" The post The April Lyrids appeared first on Universal Workshop.| Universal Workshop
Our web page “Easter and other rambling holidays” includes rambling – that is, rather full – explanation of how the rule evolved by which the key date rambles over a span of 35 days in this random-looking pattern. __________ This weblog maintains its right to be about astronomy or anything under the sun. ILLUSTRATIONS … Continue reading "Easter Sunday is about to dawn" The post Easter Sunday is about to dawn appeared first on Universal Workshop.| Universal Workshop
The Astronomical Calendar is back! It was popular as a printed book from 1974 to 2016, used by thousands of sky-lovers in more than 100 countries. It then continued as an electronic book. For 2023 onward it has reappeared, in both forms, printed and electronic. Printed book: $22 (it was $29.95 for the previous printed … Continue reading "Astronomical Calendar 2025"| Universal Workshop
