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Astronomy sketches

Explore sketches, drawings, and illustrations that simplify ideas related to Astronomy.

Looking back in time as we look to the stars: A visual explanation of how light from the Moon, Sun, stars, and galaxies shows us the past because light takes time to travel.Looking Back in Time: The Speed of Light and the Night SkyOrbit illustration: how a satellite stays in orbit - the balance between its velocity and gravity pulling it towards EarthOrbitWhat is redshift diagram: Astronomer watching the light of one star moving away being redshifted and one star moving towards being blueshiftedRedshiftRussell's Teapot illustration: an unexceptional china teapot floats peacefully in space with part of a large burnt-red planet visible in the background. Bertrand Russell's quote fills the space: "If I were to claim "there's a teapot, too small to spot, orbiting between Earth and Mars", the burden of proof lies on me."Russell's TeapotSolstice: illustration showing the paths of the sun in winter, summer and on the equinoxesSolsticeWhat is the scale of solar system distances explained: show how big is the solar system, what is an astronomical unit and the distances between planetsSolar system planets: how big is the solar system?What is The Overview Effect example explained: the classic moonrise photo from the Apollo 11 moon missions with 2 astronauts have a bit of a moment and need to sit down when taking in the majestic view of Earth from the moon and realise this is all we've got.The Overview Effect A Profound Shift in PerspectiveWhat is a blue Moon illustration: on a year-long timeline, the occurrence of full moons is plotted for each month. A blue moon is when a full moon occurs twice in the same month - once at the beginning and again at the end of the month. What is a blue moon?What causes seasons showing how it is caused by the earths tilt and light hitting differently in the north and south hemispheresSeasonsWhat is the Goldilocks Zone: the range that supports life and distance from a star which supports liquid waterThe Goldilocks ZoneWhat is the potato radius example explained: showing a bumpy potato-like asteroid at the centre of an expanding circle and how it becomes rounder and more planet like as it gets largerThe Potato Radius: When Asteroids Turn SphericalBortle ScalePhases of the moon diagram: new moon, full moon, crescent moon, gibbous moon and waxing and waning phasesPhases of the moonAsteroids, meteors and meteoritesHow to find south using the Southern Cross and The Pointers in the Southern hemisphere using the stars and the night skyUse the Southern Cross to find South (Southern Hemisphere)How to find the North Star in the northern hemisphere and find north using the stars and the night skyHow to Find the North Star to Find North (Northern Hemisphere)Pole starThe moon illusion - psychology and causes still debatedThe moon illusionSupermoon illustration: showing the moon large at its perigee, when it is closet to Earth, and smaller at it's apogee, when it's furthest from EarthSupermoonIncredibly, we only ever see one side of the moon
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