Astronomy is a branch of science that researches everything in the universe beyond our Earth's atmosphere. This includes things like other planets in our solar system, moons, stars, and even distant galaxies and black holes. Let’s take a closer look.
Astronomy is a branch of science that researches everything in the universe beyond our Earth's atmosphere. This includes things like other planets in our solar system, moons, stars, and even distant galaxies and black holes. Let’s take a closer look.
Walk though things that are so mind-bendingly big we can’t measure them in inches, feet, or even miles. Find new ways to wrap your head around their size.
Spotlight on Solar Eclipses
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and blocks the bright light of the Sun’s surface from view. The shadow of the Moon will fall in a small path on Earth’s surface, called the zone of totality.
When is the next solar eclipse?
There will be an annular eclipse on October 14, 2023.
An annular eclipse happens when the Moon is slightly farther away from the Earth in its orbit, so it appears smaller in the sky. When the Moon passes in front of Sun, it does not block all of the Sun's light.
The next total solar eclipse in North America will be next year on April 8, 2024.
Meet Astronomers
When you think of astronomy jobs what comes to mind? Maybe people who look through telescopes, or who build telescopes or who study space? We traveled to the Greenbank Observatory, home to the largest fully steerable radio telescope. And when we say large we mean HUGE! This telescope weighs 17 million pounds and its main dish is larger than a football field. Join us as we get up close and personal with the telescope and meet the people who keep it listening to the far corners of the universe.
Tools of the Trade
Telescopes
Telescopes are a key tool from astronomers, for smaller telescopes for an individual to use to huge space telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope.
The Hubble Space Telescope changed how we view our universe and continues to capture amazing images. The James Webb Space Telescope, which launched in December 2021, will continue to expand our understanding of the universe. Learn about each of these telescopes and how their discoveries have changed how we look at the universe.
How did we make discoveries about planets before telescopes? Before space telescopes?
About Our Solar System
A picture of the southern hemisphere of Enceladus, a grey spherical moon with large rivets. The right side is in shadow. Enceladus’ southern hemisphere is replete with fractures, folds, and ridges—all indicators of extensive geological activity for a relatively small world.
Forty years ago, NASA scientists got their first hint that something very odd was happening on the sixth moon of Saturn.
At the turn of the 20th century, astronomy got a serious glow-up. An influx of money and scientific advancements led to building bigger, better telescopes at newly-founded observatories across the country. Astronomers could see farther than ever before, and this led to a debate about exactly what they were seeing. Were these nebulous, fuzzy-looking discs in the sky part of the Milky Way? How big is our universe? We’re telling the story of how the work of many astronomers contributed to a complete redesign of how big we know our universe to be and what we think it looks like.
Want to learn more about the orbit of objects in space?
More Resources
Last Month's Theme: Food on the Fly
Jump to Section: Food in the Air Food in Space
From foil-covered food trays to floating chocolate candies, food in air and space has quite the reputation. Join us for a closer look at food on the fly.
Traveling is always an exciting experience and no matter how far you're traveling, you have to eat! What food do you eat when you're on the move? How is it different on an airplane or in a spacecraft?
Food in the Air
Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, flew in their Lockheed Sirius aircraft, “Tingmissartoq,” on two transglobal missions, one in 1931 and the other in 1933.
The Lindberghs were meticulous in their preparations for the two transglobal flights. They utilized every possible space of the aircraft to carry supplies.
While fuel and oil were stationed and lodging and meals provided at the Lindberghs' planned stops, they also packed plenty of emergency rations in case of an unexpected landing. Anne decided to bring along canned tomatoes because, as she remarked to Charles, "they keep you from getting beri-beri. Magellan's men all got beri-beri."
At this point, Miss Kiddoo offered dinner to each passenger. ''She appeared to have a wonderful selection of daintily prepared light meals. The Americans are past masters at attractive salads, sandwiches, and food of that kind.”
- Excerpt from a 1934 article recounting a flight on a Boeing 247
Advertising Amenities
This 1956 flight information packet from Continental Airlines advertises “At mealtime, you dine as the guest of Continental. Deliciously hot, or cold, meals and snacks … prepared by Continental before takeoff … will be served to you by the Hostess.”
This 1956 brochure boasts “Gourmet meals … hot, fresh and full of flavor. Here is de luxe meal service at its very best. All of the artistry of United’s own Continental chefs goes into the preparation of your full course ‘Red Carpet’ meal,” and “Bountiful buffet … between meals treat. Heaping trays of fresh chilled fruit, tangy imported cheese—and, of course, that ever-welcome Mainliner coffee—are served en route to perk you up between meals.”
What's on the Menu?
The Hindenburg was able to carry 50 passengers plus crew members. Before the explosion that killed 36 people on May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg made many transatlantic flights which took two to three days. This menu comes from October 10, 1936.
This menu is from the first flight of the Pan American Airways (Pan Am) North Atlantic Airmail Service from New York to Botwood, Newfoundland, to Shannon, Ireland, on June 25, 1939.
Do you ever chew gum on a flight to ease the pressure on your ears? Passengers in the 1930s did the same, but they didn’t pick up gum in the airport terminal— stewards on Eastern Air Lines flights offered chewing gum from elegant polished steel dispensers.
Food in Space
Can you eat in space? What do you eat in space? These might seem like ridiculous questions now but they were real concerns at the beginning of the space program.
John Glenn was the first American to eat in space aboard Friendship 7 in 1962. At that time, it was not known if ingestion and absorption of nutrients were possible in microgravity. Glenn's consumption of applesauce and beef with vegetables, pureed and packed in tubes, and xylose sugar tablets with water, demonstrated that people could eat, swallow, and digest food normally in a weightless environment.
Space food has come a long way since 1962.
Food scientist Rita M. Rapp spent her entire career ensuring that the astronauts’ bodies, and stomachs, were in good working order during missions. As head of the Apollo Food System team, she not only provided the means of getting food to space, but also helped make sure astronauts found something worth eating when they got there.
NASA put a lot of time and thought into the food astronauts ate in space. A corned beef sandwich sent aloft during Project Gemini was not part of that. “I hid a sandwich in my spacesuit,” recalled astronaut John Young.
Snack like an astronaut! Get some tortillas and join museum educator Ann Caspari as she makes PB&J’s that can be eaten in space.