EYES TO THE SKIES As long as people have been on Earth they have stared with wild wonder into the night sky What is out there Why are the stars twinkling How far away is the Moon Human understanding of the Moon stars and worlds beyond our own has grown by leaps and bounds over just the past few generations Stars are so far from Earth that their light is distorted by Earth’s atmosphere and they sometimes appear to twinkle Visible planets such as Venus do not twinkle because they are much closer 4
FIELD NOTES Most astronomers concentrate on a particular question or area of astronomy planetary science solar astronomy the origin or evolution of stars or the formation of galaxies Observational astronomers spend their time designing and carrying out observational programs with a telescope to answer a question or test the predictions of theories 5
The universe beyond our planet is limitless So are the mysteries hiding within its cold dark void Over centuries scientific minds have used their own observation and more recently stunning advances in technology to pull back the curtain on just a tiny fraction of the endless unknowns of outer space Giant telescopes housed in observatories act as a kind of window to the stars Many observatories are built in remote locations at high altitudes 6
