by Colin Stuart | Dec 20, 2017 | Explainer, solar system, Thoughts
Something has been bugging me for a while. In recent years astronomers have realised there might be another planet in our solar system. For now it is called Planet Nine and we think it is there because we can see its gravity lining up smaller solar system objects. It...
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...
by Colin Stuart | Dec 2, 2016 | Explainer, solar system, Uncategorised
I talk to a lot of people about the universe. Tens of thousands of people a year, ranging from 3-year-olds to 93-year-olds. And one of the things everyone finds hard to comprehend is the sheer scale of the universe. We’re used to dealing with a daily...
by Colin Stuart | Jan 21, 2016 | Astronomy news, solar system, Uncategorised
The internet and news media are awash with news of “Planet Nine”. For the last few years astronomers have known that some of the objects orbiting the Sun beyond Pluto appear to be mysteriously aligned. One possible explanation for this is that there is a...
