An Introduction to Astronomy and Stargazing By Jim Oneil

Mankind has always been fascinated with the heavens since time immemorial. Stargazing was not just a pastime on lovely nights. People navigated the seas and crossed continents with stars as their guide. They even thought the constellations charted their fates. But that was before the giant leap from astrology to astronomy.

Astronomy literally means 'law of the stars,' from the Greek words 'astron' (star) and 'nomos' (law), but astronomers would rather accurately define it as the 'scientific study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere (such as the cosmic background radiation), and is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the formation and development of the universe.'

However long-winded Wikipedia's definition seems, don't let it tick you off. There's more to astronomy than theories, calculations, and tedious observations. One thing's certain though: astronomy is not for jocks.

Astronomy, one of the oldest sciences, was controversial in that it challenged long-held religious perceptions. Copernicus and Galileo Galilei paid dearly for holding on to their correct observations of the solar system - that the Earth revolved around the Sun, not the other way around, as the Catholic Church used to insist. Ancient civilizations recorded heavenly phenomena, albeit propped by superstitious underpinnings.

The invention of the telescope, however, provided the significant impetus for the transformation of celestial observations into a veritable science. 'Historically, astronomy has included disciplines as diverse as astrometry, celestial navigation, observational astronomy, the making of calendars, and even astrology,' Wiki says, 'but professional astronomy is nowadays often considered to be synonymous with astrophysics.'

Today, professional astronomy is focused on either observation or theory. Observational astronomy acquires and analyzes data using basic principles of physics, while theoretical astronomy is mainly concerned with analytical models to describe objects and phenomena in space. These two branches, of course, complement each other.

However, don't get the impression that you need a Ph.D. in astrophysics to get suitably curious with the fascinating display of stars on a clear moonless night. Amateur astronomers have made many important astronomical discoveries. In fact, astronomical societies encourage the involvement of amateur observers, the sky being too wide for just professional astronomers to cover.

So start stargazing and don't just memorize the constellations. You can buy or make your own amateur telescope and watch the sky. To paraphrase the late Carl Saga: in the vastness of the universe and the immensity of time, it is an honor to share a planet, an epoch and a 'hobby' with Galileo Galilei.

Be reacquainted with the stars and the galaxy. It's a great way to find a connection with the world. For more information you can check this site: http://www.euso-mission.org/

If you want to look at them closely and be inspired with its majesty, learn more about the night sky with telescopes on this site: http://www.euso-mission.org/What_is_a_telescope.html

Who Discovered Mars - Facts About the Red Planet Mars By James Hewson

A burning question posed from some of our readers recently has been 'who discovered Mars', the red planet. The ancient Egyptians labeled the planet, 'Har Deucher' (translated as 'The Red One') and the Babylonians in around 400 BC recalled the planet as 'Nergal' (translated as 'The Star of Death'). Following this period, the Greeks named it 'Ares' (which actually means in today's terms, 'wandering star'), and it was not until the Romans rein that the modern reference to the planet, 'Mars' was introduced (after the God of War).

Mars the Red planet is the 4th planet from the sun, only after earth and before Uranus. Mars is the Earth's outer neighbor and Mars has proven to be a good context for many films in recent years, with many representing Mars as a source of exotic and occasionally lethal life forms. Mars is also recognized as the red planet on account of the iron based dust giving the planet it's red colour. The Mars Pathfinder rover touched down on the planet on July 4th, 1997, bearing a mobile robot that examined the immediate locality.

More recently in 2001, Mars Odyssey which is an orbital craft bearing science experiments intended to make comprehensive observations of Mars to better our knowledge of the planet's atmosphere and geological past, obtained significant data to assist scientists in their objectives to learn more about this strange planet. Recently it has been disclosed that experts believe there is in fact water beneath the surface of Mars contained in underground reserves but given the surface temperatures of between -133 C to 27 C any water deposits which may find themselves escaping to the surface would not be identifiable for any length of time.

Mars turns on its axis once every 24 hours and 37 minutes, meaning its daytime is approximately the equivalent to Earth's. The atmosphere is very thin and composed principally of carbon dioxide, however dust storms can shroud the entire planet for months at a time. Also visible from recent photographs, the planet Mars also has huge canyons, sand banks, polar ice summits and additional characteristics akin to those located on Earth.

The Red Planet is not a quick trip away however, being some 228 million kilometres at a distance from the sun which is just as well, given it is believed that the severe surface conditions and intense solar radiation which saturates the surface is not capable of maintaining any form of human existence. In summary therefore in response to your 'who discovered mars' question, as far as we currently know, (in the absence of other 'we's' in the universe) 'we' discovered it....

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