Articles About Astronomy: Top 5 and 6 Prompts

Astronomy is an exciting subject concerned with everything in the universe. Discover top articles about astronomy examples and prompts for your writing.

Who doesn’t love stargazing? At one point, every child dreamt of being an astronaut to be closer to the stars and explore those beyond the Earth. In reality, the majority of those dreamers can only be as close to space in the form of planetariums. Some of the best science fiction authors delve into the workings of space in their novels, creating a vast world for us to explore.

We can only really feel so small when we think of astronomy and its many captivating planetoids, stars, and others. Because most of us won’t have the chance to even step out of the Earth, articles about astronomy give us our fill of the unknown.

1. Hubble Space Telescope’s Mesmerizing Views of Enormous Spiral Galaxy Could Help Solve One of the Biggest Mysteries in Astronomy by Andrew Jones

“Accurately determining distances to night-sky objects was one of Hubble’s original science goals and NGC 7038 has been particularly helpful to astronomers measuring distances at vast cosmic scales.”

Jones vividly describes the images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and how these photos assist astronomers in refining their cosmic distances measurements. He mentions how Hubble is achieving one of its primary science goals: measuring distances at cosmic scales. Not only that, but the telescope is also a promising key to understanding and solving the great mystery of the Hubble constant, or the speed at which the universe expands.

2. Spectacular Astronomy by Charlotte Bigg and Kurt  Vanhoutte

“While astronomy was never the sole focus of scientific spectacles, it was a strikingly recurrent theme. This might seem surprising in light of relative eclipse of astronomy from the historiography of science for this period, focusing on the rising star of the laboratory sciences, or for popular science, the potent challenge that evolutionary theory posed to social and cultural conceptions in this period. “

Bigg and Vanhoutte reflect upon the developments of astronomy since the nineteenth century, from when it was used in exhibitions and theatrics to more scientific discoveries that continue to amaze everyone. Such findings include knowing a planet’s age and anticipating its death. The piece also presents astronomy’s role in performance studies and visual arts, citing its importance in cultural terms and how humans perceive the world. 

3. Accessibility in Astronomy for the Visually Impaired by Jake Noel-Storr and Michelle Willebrands

“We have heard many ways in which we can make astronomy more accessible to the visually impaired, and also how those things extend much more widely across our community. We maybe all use sloppy language such as ‘as you can see from this plot’ when really we should understand that this language is excluding both the BVI community, but also those with good visual acuity. . . who just also don’t know what you are talking about. Giving descriptions of meaning and sharing data in different ways opens access to everyone.”

This piece includes the authors’ interview with four astronomy researchers who explained how visually-challenged individuals could appreciate the study. The researchers share that although astronomy is a highly visual science, there are other ways to teach it. There’s a way to be more inclusive in teaching astronomy to allow more, not just the blind but individuals with other sensory difficulties, to broaden their interest in the field. The interviewee offers a multi-modal approach, citing tactile resources as an example.

4. Astronomers Have Found the Closest Known Black Hole to Earth by Lisa Grossman

“The closest black hole yet found is just 1,560 light-years from Earth, a new study reports. The black hole, dubbed Gaia BH1, is about 10 times the mass of the sun and orbits a sunlike star.”

Grossman’s article is straightforward, briefly explaining what constitutes a black hole and its different categories. She relays how astronomers had been looking for black holes that don’t eat up their fill of gas through their surrounding stars, one they successfully found through the Gaia spacecraft. They dubbed the discovery as Gaia BH1, the closest black hole to Earth at only 3,200 light years away.

5. First Known Map of Night Sky Found Hidden in Medieval Parchment by Jo Marchant

“A medieval parchment from a monastery in Egypt has yielded a surprising treasure. Hidden beneath Christian texts, scholars have discovered what seems to be part of the long-lost star catalogue of the astronomer Hipparchus—believed to be the earliest known attempt to map the entire sky.”

Marchant supports his report with experts such as an astronomy historian’s comments, demonstrating the importance of the recent discovery. The catalog was by astronomer Hipparchus, which gave the researchers an idea of when space science moved into a vital measurement system. He relays crucial details such as where the treasure was found and what it contains. The next part of the article is dedicated to an in-depth exploration of the catalog. It includes the estimates of when these writings were done and their accuracy in contrast with other ancient texts.

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6 Prompts for Articles About Astronomy

1. Astronomical Phenomena

There are many astronomical events around us: high tides, blue moons, eclipses, and many more. In your article, list fascinating astronomical occurrences you can find and explain why they happen. You can focus on the rarest or most recent cases that your readers will find amusing.

2. Importance of Astronomy

Astronomy is a complex subject with data, distance, and math equations. It’s also an integral part of human survival. Astronomy assists in measuring time, navigating the oceans, and understanding the universe. In your article, discuss why astronomy is essential and what would happen if this study was never discovered or didn’t exist.

3. Astronomy: What Do Astronauts Do in Space?

Space movies are fun but only sometimes stay true to their real-life counterparts. For this prompt, you can opt to bust myths about what astronauts do in space by compiling interviews and cases that study how they navigate life beyond the Earth. Include any particular guidelines that are vastly different from how one will operate when they are on Earth. You can also add the risks and dangers of being an astronaut. 

4. Astronomy Over the Years

Astronomy is a fascinating subject with a rich history. In your article, delve into the initial goals of those who started to study astronomy and the initial roadblocks. Then, move to identify the most significant contributors and eras of this field, such as The Golden Age of Astronomy and Galileo Galilei. Then, investigate what the future of astronomy looks like depending on reliable sources explaining its current status, discoveries, and explorations.

5. Astronomy: Mars Missions

Astronomy is a broad subject, so for your essay, focus on a specific timeline or mission to report on. For instance, we now know a lot about Mars, but there is more to discover. In your article, enumerate the missions related to Mars, the goals, and the results of each. 

Then, add your informed opinion on whether authorities should continue creating assignments specific to Mars exploration or if it’ll be better if they turn their attention to less traversed planets.

6. New Discoveries in Astronomy

There are always discoveries related to astronomy that engross experts and average onlookers. Probe these discoveries by describing what they are and what their uncovering means to the human race. Add any predictions or theories experts have about these discoveries to make your article more compelling.

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