Astronomy Problems

Have any astronomy pet peeves? We feel you. Here are templates to submit your problems. Space Problems

[astronomyproblems]

Okay so I like stars and clouds and planets etc. I'm not going to say I love them because I'd like to refrain from making anyone angry. I like how they look, though. I like looking at photos of them and looking up into the sky. But I also really don't like learning about them (as there is way too much info for me). I wonder, does this piss people who like astronomy off?

For me personally, it doesn’t piss me off at all. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes and things they want to learn about. I think it’s important to recognize that the stars are where we came from, but you don’t have to study it in detail. 

- Laura

[astronomyproblems]

Also may I ask you another question? So, I really want to study astronomy once I get to college. It is my only passion. But let's be honest the job market for astronomers isn't exactly excellent. My parents keep telling me "well what are you going to do with astronomy!? You'll waste your time and get nothing but a useless degree." I've considered just falling back and settling for engineering. I'm not sure. Help.

Laura here again. I'm facing sort of the same dilemma. I really want to go into astronomy or some kind of space exploration, but there is an excess of astronomers currently. That's why I'm going into engineering. Once you get an engineering degree, you can pretty much do anything. I'm planning on getting an engineering degree and then maybe doing graduate work in planetary science or something! People really do that, jump from engineering straight into science. (I don't think it's really "settling" for a degree in engineering.. I find engineering very interesting, and it will only open up more doors for me in the future).

You can also look into a physics degree. Then from there, you can get an astrophysics degree! That's what Carl Sagan did.

But please, please please please please PLEASE don't let your passion for astronomy and science die. Don't let men scare you away from a degree in STEM. Do whatever you can to keep your passion alive, because it's very valuable. Our world needs people with engineering and math and physics and astrophysics degrees! We're the ones who help push the boundary of knowledge forward and help improve the lives of many.

That's all from me!! If you want to talk to me, message me at astrotastic. If you have more questions for astronomyproblems, ask away!

[astronomyproblems]

Favorite planet? Mine is Saturn I guess. I'm a huge fan of the Cassini mission.

I guess I'll answer this! (Laura @ astrotastic). I'm a huge fan of Saturn, too, but I also love Jupiter. I guess it was Kubrick's adaptation of 2001: A Space Odyssey that got me so into Jupiter. It's moons are so fascinating too! My favorite moon of Jupiter has got to be Europa. So many possibilities for life there.

I'm also a Mars fan, of course, with prospects of real exploration very near in the future. 

Any other admins want to add anything?

[astronomyproblems]

The moon drawing thing is inaccurate because y'know… there is still moon there even though it's not visible…

How is it inaccurate? That's exactly what it shows.

[astronomyproblems]

i felt so smart but yet so frustrated

[astronomyproblems]

Sorry for the crappy editing, but I made this whilst consumed by rage at yet another observation failure because of a grey sky. I'm sure I'm not the only one who considers clouds to be her mortal enemy. 

[astronomyproblems]

Okay so maybe I'm still really confused but are all stars the exact same size as the sun or can there be smaller stars? I'm honestly super confused and I don't pay much attention to the subject. I know basic things(i.e; planets, the big dipper, galaxies, etc) Like, cant there be a star much smaller than the sun or even the same size as Pluto? Like I'm confused. Is every single star in existence the same size as the sun? I don't get it.

Awesome question! Yes, there are stars that are bigger than the Sun and there are stars that are actually about the same size as the Earth. Our Sun is actually considered on the small side. There's this star, VY Canis Majoris, that is the biggest star that astronomers have ever found. Small stars, on the other hand, are incredibly dense. They are usually neutron stars or pulsars. 

A Supernova is the result of an incredibly large and heavy star collapsing in on itself. These huge explosions usually result in a black hole, so that's where those come from too! Thanks for the great question, I hope I answered it well enough!

[imagineatoms]

Astronomy problems: wearing glasses

[astronomyproblems]

You're cool for how you responded to that anon by showing him what was wrong and everything all in such a calm manner. I would've shown annoyance, at least.

Thanks. Showing annoyance doesn't really do much. If you legitimately don't know about something, it would be pretty off-putting to be treated like an idiot or a nuisance. 

[astrotastic]

Ok so I’m friends with this guy named David Grinspoon on facebook and he just posted this picture of him with Carl Sagan???

Carl please there are children on the internet

[astronomyproblems]

Girl look at that body. Girl look at that body.

[astronomyproblems]

[astronomyproblems]

out of curiosity, how often do you get asks that display an absolute misunderstanding of the size of stars? I feel this happens a lot to you guys.

Science illiteracy is a lot more common than a lot of science-literate people think.

[astronomyproblems]

your post about the moon must having a dark part when its in crescent form, you do realize that there can be stars IN FRONT of the dark area?? stars obviously arent just shiny dots on a flat sky: they are in different places to, in this case, being in front of or behind the moon.

You're right, stars aren't just shiny dots on a flat sky, but they aren't just tiny little specks either. A common example of a star is our sun. Compared to the Earth and Moon, is is many many many many many - you get the point - times bigger. A picture for reference: 

So, if there were a star in front of the moon, we'd all be toast. They look like little dots only because they are immense distances away. 

[astronomyproblems]

When your mom tells you that studying astronomy is stupid.

Submission by sincerelyscience

[astronomyproblems]

THE FACT THAT CARL SAGAN IS DEAD

Submission by sincerelyscience

Admin note: THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE

[astronomyproblems]

The pet peeve post is so popular because someone legitimately wondered if drawing stars in the dark part of a crescent moon would actually be fine because "space isn't 2D, so aren't there stars everywhere? couldn't some be in front of the moon?"

We know. :P They should have come to us and asked so they wouldn't have been put down like that!

[astronomyproblems]

Haha, wow, that pet peeve post has gotten really popular.