by Colin Stuart | Oct 31, 2017 | Explainer, Inspiration, solar system
No humans have left Low Earth Orbit since 1972, an achingly long time given the fervour of excitement surrounding the Apollo program that saw twelve men walk on the Moon. That said, eyes are starting to focus on Mars as a credible target for people to explore. The US...
by Colin Stuart | Oct 31, 2017 | Astronomy, Explainer, solar system
Of all the stories we pass on from generation to generation, one of the most persistent is that the Moon is made of cheese. The idea is a very old one, dating back at least as far as 1546 to The Proverbs of John Heywood which carries the line “the moon is made of a...
by Colin Stuart | Oct 9, 2017 | Astronomy, Explainer, solar system
I was delighted and stunned to learn that, in recognition of my work to popularise astronomy, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has renamed the asteroid formerly known as (15347) 1994 UD. It is now called (15347) Colinstuart. A main belt asteroid, it sits...