If your knowledge of astronomy lies somewhere between chowing down on a Milky Way and Wallace & Gromit’s 1989 claymation space adventure, well, you’re not alone. Seniors Jesse Feddersen and Katie Gosmeyer and other members of the IU Astronomy Club would like to set the record straight on this brand of science.
Grab your pencil and paper (there may be a quiz!); it’s time for a little lesson in misconceptions of astronomical proportions.
Oh, you’re ?majoring in astronomy! When are you going to space?
“We get it all the time. You tell people you’re majoring in astronomy, and then they think you want to be an astronaut. Wrong.”
Rocket ships, zero gravity, and space ice cream are not always the aspirations of someone sitting through a class on astronomy. No one’s going to teach you to moonwalk in A100: The Solar System.
Astronomy is a major grounded in Bachelor of Science classes where you’re more likely to be studying physics, calculus, and computer or geological sciences. With advanced mathematical problem solving skills, students can go on to graduate degrees and work in technology, programming, or careers that are research-based.
Astronomy, huh? Can you read my palm and tell me the future?
“I tell someone I study astronomy and then they’re asking for me to look at their hand and tell their fortune... Sometimes I go along with it.”
A simple equation for you to memorize: astronomy ? astrology. And the difference is more than a just few letters in their spellings.
Astrology is what scientists call a pseudoscience; it is based on the idea that there’s a relationship between celestial objects and phenomena and earthly, human events.
Failed your exam because of the zodiac? Not so much astronomy’s fault.
Wait, so the moon isn’t made of cheese?
“There is no such thing as moon cheese! And the sun is not made of spareribs either.”
That myth can be traced back to a cheesy couplet that has set many young Galileos looking to the sky for their sandwich ?ingredients.
16th century English poet John Heywood wrote, “Ye set circumquaques to make me beleue / Or thinke, that the moone is made of gréene chéese.”
Get your head out of the stars and grab yourself a grocery cart — the refrigerated cheese aisle will have to do, earthling.
Help, I’m lost! I just need to find the brightest spot in the sky and I’ll find my way home, right?
“Polaris, commonly called the North Star, is actually not the brightest star in the sky...”
Sirius, the Dog Star, holds that title. Polaris is only ranked as the 50th brightest star, so don’t set your sights on this spot as nature’s foolproof GPS.
The star sits as a fixed point aligned to the north celestial pole, thus earning its name and its ability to be used as a navigational tool. But you’ll be led astray if you look only for the brightest dot in the night sky.
Open for Observation
Nestled on the edge of campus near the Sample Gates, the Kirkwood Observatory makes stargazing accessible to the general public. Astronomy graduate student Maria Cordero gives the details on this round-topped piece of history.
- The observatory’s named for Daniel Kirkwood, a professor of mathematics at IU from 1856-1886. His name also graces nearby Kirkwood Avenue and a lunar crater, due to his significant research in comets, asteroids, and meteors.
- Dedicated in 1901 and used for research on binary stars, the observatory now serves only as an educational facility.
- A 111-year-old, 12-inch refracting telescope sits on the upper floor. On public viewing nights, the top of the observatory opens up for the scope to peer out at the skies.
- The best time for viewing is in the summer, but December brings events like the opposition of Jupiter, when the planet shines from opposite the sun. This means Jupiter and some of its moons will be visible through Kirkwood’s telescope.
- Public viewings are Wednesday nights March to November. Viewing times vary based on the season, check their website astro.indiana.edu/kirkwood.shtml. For updated weather conditions and closings, call their hotline at 812-855-7736 or follow @iuastro on Twitter.
Cassiopeia
In the myths, Cassiopeia boasted she and her daughter Andromeda were the two fairest that ever lived. To punish Cassiopeia for her narcissism, the gods condemned her to circle Polaris forever in her throne. Even today, she alternates between sitting right side up and hanging upside down in the sky.
Ursa Major
Also known as the Great Bear, this constellation contains the group of stars called the Big Dipper. According to some Native American legends, the bowl of the Big Dipper is a giant bear and the stars of the handle form the shape of three warriors chasing it.
Ursa Minor
Also known as the Little Bear, this constellation contains the group of stars called the Little Dipper. The star at the end of the Dipper’s handle is known as Polaris, the North Star. To find the North Star, locate the Big Dipper, then look straight up from the two stars making up the outside of the cup.
Pegasus
In the myth, this famous winged horse is brought to life from the blood of Medusa, a snake-headed monster. Tamed and ridden by his master, Pegasus was rewarded for his good deeds by the gods who placed him among the stars for the rest of time.
