Tag

Altair

All articles tagged with #altair

Three bright stars unlock the summer night sky
astronomy12 days ago

Three bright stars unlock the summer night sky

Space.com explains how the Summer Triangle—Altair, Vega and Deneb—serves as an easy anchor to learn the night sky this July: Altair is nearby (~17 light-years), Vega ~25 ly, and Deneb is extraordinarily distant (~2,600 ly). Spotting the triangle around 11 p.m. gives a mental map to the Milky Way, Cygnus, and surrounding regions, turning stargazing into a three‑dimensional exploration rather than a flat view. The piece also notes observing tips with binoculars or a telescope, mentions the Moon’s approach to Antares later in July, and points to nearby constellations Sagitta and Delphinus to help beginners map the sky by exploring regions instead of chasing individual objects.

Awaiting the Arrival: Astronomers Anticipate Response from Aliens
science-and-technology3 years ago

Awaiting the Arrival: Astronomers Anticipate Response from Aliens

Astronomers are eagerly awaiting a potential reply from intelligent life to a message sent into space 40 years ago. The message, consisting of 13 drawings depicting Earth's history and human appearance, was transmitted in 1983 and aimed at Altair, a star system 16.7 light years away. Researchers in Japan will deploy a large antenna to observe any potential radio signals in response to the message. They believe that with the discovery of numerous exoplanets, the possibility of intelligent life existing elsewhere in the universe is high. The date of August 22, coinciding with the Tanabata star festival, was chosen symbolically for the observation.