Astronomy today is a serious science as well as a hobby enjoyed by many people. Every day something new happens in the world of astronomy to gather the attention of millions of fans worldwide. It can also be a lot of fun. So here are a few of the latest and greatest astronomy facts, figures and happenings.
Astronomy today on any given day might have news of meteors. The last half of 2008 was no different as meteors were certainly on the menu. Meteor swarms such as the Taurids in Leonids were quite active in November. Into was a full moon in December washing out the Gemenids. But people need not worry. Meteor shower peaks may happen during full moons, but meteors are on display for up to two weeks both before and after the peaks. So there’s a lot of clear time to view these falling chunks of space debris.
Astronomy today in 2008 was often a matter of discussing a return to the moon by 2015. The talk is of this as a world wide effort rather something any one country or agency would endeavor to accomplish. The goal may be to establish a moon base or even a colony on the moon. Think of it. Space 1999, a TV show from the 70s, may be about to become a reality.
2008 was a year of a lot of astronomy news. For much of the year many astronomy today columns were filled with news of some space garbage – a colling ammonia tank from the space station. Its long orbit had finally decayed to the point it would fall to Earth. There was some worry that large chunks would fall, or that some parts would strike in populated areas. The good news is that it all fell into the ocean.
The good old Hubble telescope made the biggest impact in astronomy today. Bear was the saga of damage which took a month to repair. Hubble then took the first visible light images of a planet orbiting another star. What a busy year for one piece of technology.
Astronomy today is more vibrant than ever. Keep up with everything on the Internet.