Welcome!

Hello! Welcome to my blog! It is a blog about astronomy, I hope you will enjoy my posts! And if you have any suggestions about my content or just want to chat with me, you can leave your words by comments or C-box down the right hand side!
Thanks for your coming~:)))))
Isabella

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Good Place for Observation and Useful Astronomy Websites

The best place I want to introduce to you is:

Yuanfong!

The air in the such high mountain is really clearly and the atmosphere, too. Yuanfong is a place where you can easily find amatuer astronomers doing their observation or astronomical photography there, no matter which season. They often bring very expensive instrument to observe the night sky. If you want to take a look the night sky from their telescope, don't be afraid, just go and ask. Generally, people who love astronomy are friendly. They usually willing to share with people who also interested in astronomy. I think that it is because when you go outside and doing observasion, you can't without other peers' help. Or you have to setting the instrument alone, cooking alone, setting tent alone and packaging alone. You have to cooperate and share with others. I think that is what makes astronomy lovers friendly.

Before you go there, you should package more clothes to keep you warming. No matter in summer or winter, the temperature of night at the high mountain will be very low. I suggest you can take some hot chocolate or hot milktea drinks with you, because they are really useful when you feel cold and begin shivering!

Map:









source : http://www.taroko.gov.tw/TarokoPortalEng/4_1_0/Default.aspx





I have post some useful links about astronomy before, and now I want to post more.



Graduate Institute of Astronomy, NCU

http://www.astro.ncu.edu.tw/


It provides the professional astronomy knowledge.




Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy

http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/

It provides general knowledge of astronomy.



Hubblesite


http://hubblesite.org/

Hubblesite, as it's name, it is a website about all of Hubble. Included lot of unbelievable and unforgettable images.

I put the website from general to professional, hoping you enjoy these websites no matter who you are and love astronomy!!

Special, Magnificent and Gorgeous Constellation in Winter !

I am going to introduce a constellation that everyone should knows in winter!



That is -- Orion!



Since we all know that in Greek mythology, Orion was stung to death by scorpion. Of course, Orion would afraid scorpion ever after. So that is the reason why he is placed in the sky opposite Scorpius. Orion sets, then the scorpion rises.



Orion is one of the most glorious constellations. He representing a giant hunter or warrior by his dogs( the constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor ). Orion's belt is the most distinctive feature. It is a line of three second-magnitude stars.



There's a picture that can help you visualize:





Also, there is still some beautiful things I want to show you!



From the middle of Orion's belt hang his sword, which contains the Orion nebula ( also known as M42 ), just visible to the eye. M42 is an enormous star-forming cloud of gas 1500 light years away and covering over two Moon diameters of sky. It is really magnificent. There's a picture:




By the way, in the late October each year, the Orionid meteors appear to radiate from a point near the border with Gemini.






Okay, that is the briefly description of Orion. Let's have a test, to test if you can recognized Orion in the night sky:










It is not very difficult, right?





Here comes the answer:













Hope you not only enjoy the beautiful pictures but also walk out and observe it!

pictures source: Astronomy Picture of the Day http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Want more information? Just click and enter the website, click"search" and type "Orion". It will provides you so many pictures about Orion and gives plenty of information.

Enjoy it!!!!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

International Year of Astronomy


picture source: http://www.astronomy2009.org/resources/branding/



Happy new year and happy astronomy!!



2009 is an important year for astronomy lover. It is because that 2009 is International Year of Astronomy!



The International Astronomy Union (IAU) launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). And the theme is " The Universe, Yours to Discover ". The reason that set this year as IYA is because 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of the first astronomical observation through a telescope by Galileo Galilei. 2009 will be a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, with a strong emphasis on education, public engagement and the involvement of young people, with events at national, regional and global levels throughout the whole of 2009.

information source: http://www.astronomy2009.tw/en/intro.html





In Taiwan, we definitely have some celebration and activities. The main host of IYA will be Wei-Hsin Sun(孫維新), who is the Professor of Institute of Astrophysics of National Taiwan University.
He is enthusiastic at Astronomy and publish and translated many books about astronomy. I certainly have one, too. Everyone who has touched astronomy would know him. Because compare to other astronomy schloar he is the most active in Taiwan.


Details about Taiwan's IYA celebration and activities please check this website:
http://www.astronomy2009.tw/zh/activity.html


As an astronomy lover, I am really looking forward this year's activities!
How about you? :)


Oh and by the way, I am next president of our school's astronomy club, so I may take charge of southern Taiwan's IYA activities!