Neptune – Planet Profile
Welcome back!
Neptune is the furthest out of the “Gas Giant” planets and is right out at the limits of our Solar System, 2800 million miles from the Sun.
The story of its discovery is fascinating… read on..
Page listing for the category: History Of Astronomy
William Herschel – Telescope Maker And Outstanding Astronomer
William Herschel stands out in the history of astronomy as a remarkable man.
He was initially a successful musician, but then began to concentrate on his hobby of astronomy.
Over the course of the next fifty years, he become the greatest telescope-maker of his time and quite possibly, the greatest observer ever.
The big achievement he is now most often remembered for, is his discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781.
He did this with his home-made telescope. It was the first ever planet discovered by telescope… read on..
M Numbers And The Messier Catalogue
If you look at any astronomy books or star charts, you will quickly come across “M” numbers being used to identify objects in the sky.
For example, the Andromeda Galaxy (which is our nearest-neighbour, spiral galaxy and the furthest-away object you can see with the unaided eye) is referred to as M31. read on..