Astronomical Facts
Which is the brightest star in the night sky?
Sirius(SIHR-ee-us), sometimes called the Dog star, is the brightest star that can be seen. Although it is about the same size as the Sun, Sirius is nearly 30 times brighter. Astronomers call it a star of the first magnitude - a measure of a star's brightness. Sirius is a smaller star to make a complete rotation around Sirius.
How many stars can you see on a dark, clear night?
We can see about 3,000 stars with our eyes alone. But we are viewing only part of the sky. If the whole sky were visible, we could count about 5,000 stars. If we look through a most powerful telescope, we can spot millions of stars. The astronomers were not sure but they believe that there are at least 200 billion, stars out in space.
Why is Halley's comet famous?
Halley's(HAL-eez) Comet is a very bright comet that appears once in every 76 years. It was first recorded in the year 240 B.C. We can look forward to see Halley's Comet next around the year 2062. The comet was named after Edmond Halley(1652-1742). He observed the comet in 1682. Based on this, he proposed that this comet will return regularly.
Who was the first human being in space?
Yuri Gagarin(1934-1968), a Russian Cosmonaut on April 12, 1961. He rocketed to a height of 203 miles(325 km) Alan Shepard(1923) was the first American astronaut to blast off them off from Earth. On May 5,1961, his spacecraft, Freedom 7, rose to an altitude of 117 miles.
Which is the largest asteroid?
Ceres is the largest asteroid. It is about 600 miles in diameter. Astronomers know its orbit so well that they can predict its location far in advance.
With Regards,
VIJAY.
DIAMOND Member - India Study Channel
http://medallionking.blogspot.com
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| Author: Tapas Mitra 19 Aug 2009 | Member Level: Gold Points : 2 |
Hi Vijay,
Good information. Also please add some facts about India's achievements in space.
The First Indian to go inspace- Captain Rakesh Sharma
The First Indian Woman to go in space- Kalpana Chawla
The Second Indian Woman to go in space-Sunita Williams.
With regards,
Tapas Mitra,
Bronze Level
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