Asteroids

Outer Space is simply full of objects floating about endlessly. Stars, planets, meteorites, comets, and many more, but one yet remains. This next object closely resembles parts from each of the previously discussed topics. These are the "tiny planets", asteroids.

The Milky Way galaxy is full of these beings. Our solar system has hundreds flying about it, most between the Sun and Jupiter. Asteroids are mostly rock or metal, but the surface of each closely resembles the appearance of comets. They are often referred to as tiny planets due to their behavior. They, like planets, orbit the sun. Asteroids travel alone, and sometimes in asteroid belts. An asteroid belt is a massive grouping of asteroids that forms a semi-circle of asteroids that orbit together. It almost resembles a large cloud of rock.

In this picture, there is an asteroid (the left), the dwarf planet Ceres (center), and the Moon (right). Note how similar each one is to the other. Asteroids, in both behavior and appearance, truly are like tiny planets, just making their way in the night sky.

Comets

Back in the days of the Ancients, people looked to the sky for signs and guidance. The Greeks literally named this astral symbol "long-haired", based on the trail it etched across the evening light. This beautiful light; however, was not a welcome sign, as they believed it signified bad things to come. I am talking about the celestial beings know as comets.

Let's go back to the etymology (origins of the word's name) of comets. The names meaning "long-haired" is quite significant to the identification of a comet. The only discernible difference between comets and asteroids is the fact that comets have comas and tails. Now, what do I mean by this? Please note this picture below.

The super bright core is the comet itself, but the light aura surrounding the core is the "coma" and the trail following them is the "tail". These things form around the comet as its orbit brings it close to the sun. The solar wind and solar radiation cause these lights to appear as they take their toll on the comet.

Comets are usually giant orbs or ice, but can be dust or rock as well, sometimes mixtures of the three. There are over 4,000 known comets that can be seen from earth, and more are entering visible sight. There is about one that can be seen annually. Comets are usually more visually striking than their relatives the meteor and asteroid, but they are harder to find. They are worth the effort. I know I will not forget the first time I saw a comet. It really did look something like this:

Meteor Showers

Meteor showers are fantastic things. So many shooting stars in a single night, it is just a sight to behold. I must admit, growing up I had numerous misconceptions as to what a meteor shower was like. I hope to maybe clear some of those up for you all.

Please look closely at the picture at the top. Note how it looks like all of the meteors are centered around a specific center point. This is not an optical illusion, that is how meteor showers actually happen. There is one central location that the meteors stem from during a meteor shower. The meteors can still appear at almost any point in the sky, but they all come from the same point regardless. Most news places will notify you of the center point of the meteor shower before it happens. If you watch this point, you are far more likely to see the shooting stars.

Now, in multiple fictional depictions, meteor showers are a sudden, short burst of an army of stars. This is not the case in real life. Most meteor showers last for hours on end, with a shooting star visible maybe every few minutes or so. There will be many stars, but they will be spaced out over a period of time.

The next meteor shower is the Leonids shower that will start on November 17 (this Thursday), after midnight. It should be visible from any of the 48 mainland states. Use the info from this post, and go see some of the greatest sights the night has to offer. Be sure to have some wishes ready!

Meteors

Have you ever seen a shooting star? This misleading term does not mean that a star is moving across the sky. Stars are, in fact, quite stationary. What we are seeing are meteors. Meteors are actually the visible trails left by meteoroids. Meteors are seen when a meteoroid trails through the earth's mesosphere. The light comes from the burning of the meteoroid, due to friction, as it passes through the atmosphere.

It is a common misconception that a meteor is the solid mass that flies through space. The light trail is known as a meteor. The meteoroid is the solid mass that soars through the heavens. Meteoroids can be any size from a grain of sand to the size of a boulder, or even bigger. They are almost exclusively made of rock or metal, unlike comets (which we will discuss later). Here we see a meteoroid that landed in Argentina.

The next time you see a meteor, remember, that is just the light. What truly creates the majestic sight is space rock and interplanetary dust. At the bottom, is one of the most bright, brilliant meteors ever captured on photo.
Please feel free to continue to wish on them. I still will be.

Next Stargazing Locale near the Huntington Area!

Dear Stargazers, I have your next location for a great night of stargazing. This spot is pretty sweet during the day as well! It is the Hanging Rock near Andrews Indiana.

To get to this location, star by taking 24 West out until you reach the intersection of 24 and 105. At this point, take 105 South through the town of Andrews IN. It's a small, quaint town, but not much there to report really. After you pass through Andrews, you will eventually come across Division Road in the middle of some farm fields. Take this road west. You will know you are on the right road if you eventually pass by a Ballschmidt's Family Processing. Keep down this road, and follow it as it hits a T in the road. Turn right at the T, and once you finish a few twists of the road, you are there.

It is important to note that this land is owned by a private company, but they have the land open during the day time to the public for use. It is a fantastic area, please check it out. Attached below is a picture of the Hanging Rock. Image courtesy of www.fwdailynews.com.

Nebulae Series #4 Supernova Remnants

When a star's core fusion dies out from lack of fuel, the star sucks into itself until the force of it causes it to implode. This is a supernova. Sometimes, when a supernova occurs, the gases of the stars will be energized and propelled out into space, leaving charged gases in the place where the star used to be. This is a supernova remnant, a special type of diffuse nebula.

The Crab Nebula, seen above, is a popular supernova remnant. It even looks like part of an explosion frozen in time and space. Some of the light from these nebulae comes from ionized gas and x-rays, like the nebulae we discussed previously. This one does have a distinct distinguish-er though:  most of its light is created by radiation from the old star's core.

Nebulae Series #3 Protoplanetary Nebulae

The protoplanetary nebula (PPN) is an interesting variant on most nebulae. This one is actually part of a specific star's stellar evolution. As the same may suggest, it is also a precursor to the planetary nebulae.

During the stellar evolution, the star releases a huge amount of hydrogen into the surrounding sky. The hydrogen, as it is being released, forms a sort of shell around the star. Once this is complete, the PPN phase is in effect. The star core of the PPN fuels the light, creating the fantastically bright visuals that PPN are famous for. Attached below is the Egg Nebula, which is part of the constellation Cygnus, and is a PPN.

 Stellar winds are  responsible for the symmetrical shape of these nebulae. They remain this way until the core temperature of the star reaches about 30,000 degrees Kelvin. AT this point, the heat ionizes the hydrogen cloud, and the PPN becomes a planetary nebulae. Note the distinct symmetrical shape of the Red Rectangle nebula below.