by colinstuart | Nov 6, 2017 | Astronomy, Explainer
Most of us have a very limited vocal range. The average human singing voice encompasses just three octaves, where an octave spans eight ascending musical notes in such a way that the last note is twice the frequency of the first. Sometimes well trained singers can...
by colinstuart | 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 colinstuart | 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...
by colinstuart | Jun 21, 2017 | Astronomy, Explainer, Thoughts
Do you ever get the sense that you’re being lied to? That those around you have fed you untruths your entire life and no-one else seems to question it? I’m not talking about the latest twists in the current crazy political landscape or any half-baked...
by colinstuart | May 17, 2017 | Astronomy, Explainer
The day may be 24 hours long now, but that hasn’t always been the case. Nor will it be the case in the far future. The Earth’s rotation is slowing under the gravitational influence of the Moon. Billions of years ago, the day was just 18 hours long. The Moon and the...
by colinstuart | May 15, 2017 | Astronomy, Explainer, History
In today’s hyper-connected world we take communication for granted. A few taps and you can fire a message around the world in seconds. You can even tweet from space. But things weren’t also so easy, and back in the 1880s the technology of the day was...
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