Astronomy Courses

Astronomy hasn’t always been a science, it was at one time more closely connected to astrology than it currently is. But over time theories were tested and recorded by men who wanted answers. These were men such as Ptolemy who imagined the solar system way back in 100AD, as well as Galileo who was the first to turn a telescope to the heavens. The universe is infinite, which means astronomy is infinite. Therefore it becomes necessary to specialize in one small part of astronomy. Let’s pick a constellation, Pisces, and discuss Pisces constellation astronomy.

As large as the universe is, isn’t a constellation too specialized a subject? The constellations aren’t just mythical beings imagined by ancient people. Constellations are made up of a large number of interstellar objects like stars and galaxies. Pisces is the home of one of the most interesting galaxies we can see. Galaxy NGC629, or M74, is a spiral galaxy like our own Milky Way, and we can see its facing side. We see all of it’s arms extending out from its center. To us it looks like a spiral someone might draw. Not with the naked eye, of course. It’s just a splotch as seen through most amateur telescopes. If the telescope is 12 inches or more aperture, suddenly its seen as a spiral.

Over time Pisces has also taken on a significant place in the sky. The sun travels northward over time through Pisces. It’s a phenomenon, really a time, known as the Vernal Equinox. When Pisces was first established the 1st point of Aries was not within it. But it has moved into Pisces over time. This movement of space objects in relation to Earth perspective is called precession. It happens, of course, because none of these objects are stationary, and neither is the Earth. Our sun and our galaxy are moving at incredible speeds. For instance our sun and solar system move at about 220 kilometers per second around the center of the Milky Way. Since humans have kept records the solar system has traveled about 1/250th of a complete orbit. The galaxy too, as well as everything in the universe, also moves at a breakneck pace. Constellations are always shifting and in flux. Pisces and the First Point of Aries are a great example of this.