Category Astronomy

Nicolaus Copernicus explained this idea in a book in 1543. The problem was, the Church stated that God had put the Earth at the centre of the Universe. You could be put to death for saying that the Earth went round the Sun.

Who was put on trial for star-gazing?

Few scientists were brave enough to say that they agreed with Copernicus’s findings that the Earth went round the Sun. The Italian astronomer Galileo was – and was put on trial for his ideas in 1634.

Is it true? The Church accepted that Galileo was right in the end.

Yes. The Church eventually agreed that the Earth and other planets travelled round the Sun. But they didn’t do this until 1992 – 350 years after Galileo’s death!

Who first used a telescope for astronomy?

Galileo started making telescopes in 1609, not long after Lippershey made his. Galileo was the first person to realize how useful a telescope would be for looking at the night sky. Because he could see more clearly, he made lots of important new finds, such as discovering four of Jupiter’s moons.

Amazing! Copernicus explained the seasons. By showing that the Earth goes round the Sun and also spins at the same time, Copernicus explained why some times of the year are warmer than others.

Hans Lippershey, a Dutch man who made spectacles, probably made the first telescope in 1608. He noticed that if he put two lenses at different ends of a tube and looked through them, objects seemed to be nearer and clearer.

Is it true? Newton saw a rainbow in his telescope.

Yes. Isaac Newton noticed that the edges of objects seemed coloured when you looked through a telescope. That’s how he began to work out that clear white light is made up of many different colours.

How does a telescope work?

The lens (curved piece of glass) at the front end of a telescope gathers light to make an image of an object that is far away. The lens at the back magnifies the image so it can be seen more clearly.

Who put mirrors in a telescope?

Isaac Newton was the first person to make a mirror or reflecting telescope. He replaced the front lens with a dish-shaped mirror at the back. The mirror reflected the image on to a smaller mirror, and then into the eye.

Amazing! You can see Saturn’s rings through a telescope. Telescopes magnify images (make them bigger) so much that you can even make out Saturn’s faint rings – which are about 1.3 billion km away!

The Babylonians were the first to write down their findings from studying the stars – around 5,000 years ago! They noticed that stars seem to form patterns, which we call constellations. The Babylonian empire was roughly where Iraq is today.

Is it true? The Babylonians were maths wizards.

Yes. At first their findings about the night sky were based on looking and guessing. By around 500 BC, the Babylonians used sums to predict exactly when events such as eclipses would happen.

How do we know about the first astronomers?

The Babylonians didn’t write on paper like we do. They wrote on clay tablets, so fragments have survived. Scientists called archaeologists dig in the ground for clues about ancient peoples such as the Babylonians.

Amazing! The Babylonians didn’t see the same night sky as us. There were no twinkling satellites, and the stars were in different places because our Solar System has moved since then.

What was a Babylonian year like?

The Babylonians worked out a 12-month year. Each month began with the first sight of the crescent Moon. The months were called Nisannu, Ayaru, Simanu, Du’uzu, Abu, Ululu, Tashritu, Arahsamnu, Kislimu, Tebetu, Shabatu and Addaru.

Picture Credit : Google

Out at sea, there are no landmarks. In the Middle Ages, sailors had special instruments that used the position of the Sun and stars to tell them where they were. These included compasses, astrolabes and cross-staffs.

Amazing! The first astrolabes were made 1,500 years ago! Indian and Arab astronomers used pocket-sized instruments called astrolabes in the AD 500s.

Is it true? Astrolabes only worked at night.

No. You could use the position of the Sun instead of the stars, when you were sailing during the day. You looked at its position compared to the horizon.

What is the pole star?

The only star which doesn’t appear to move is above the North Pole. Sailors could tell where they were by looking at the pole star – it’s lowest in the sky at the Equator.

How did an astrolabe work?

An astrolabe had two discs, one with a star map, and the other with measuring lines and a pointer. You compared them with the Sun or a star and the horizon to work out your position.

Picture Credit : Google

We all enjoy looking up at the starry night sky, especially on a clear moonless night, away from bright city lights. Some people even star-gaze as a job. They are scientists called astronomers. Astronomy is the science of studying space and all the objects in it.

Amazing! You can see about 2,500 stars in the night sky! When the sky is clear, you can see that many different stars even without a telescope!

Is it true? You can see the Moon’s craters through binoculars.

Yes. Binoculars allow you to see the Moon’s surface so clearly that you can make out individual craters – from 400,000 km away!

Can you only see the Moon and stars at night?

The Moon and stars are easiest to spot, but even without a telescope you will see meteors (shooting stars) and the brighter planets, such as Venus, Jupiter or Mars. Venus shines white and is nicknamed the ‘evening star’. Jupiter looks greeny-blue and Mars glows red.

Can anyone be an astronomer?

Anyone can learn about stars as a hobby, but it takes years of study to do it as a job. You’ll need books of star charts and maps, so you can recognize what you see. Binoculars or a telescope will let you see further.