Day 5 (April 29)

Observatory day! After a long drive across the island to the observatory, I was rewarded by some breathtaking views of the Moon, Jupiter, the big dipper, and the Orion Nebula.

The view of the moon through one of the telescopes at the observatory.

Not only was I able to see the moon through the telescope, but Jupiter too!  Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun, is two and a half times heavier than the other planets in the solar system combined, and is mainly made of gases.  Since Jupiter turns on its axis once every nine and a half hours, it has the shortest day of all the planets in the solar system.

After looking at Jupiter and the Moon, I moved onto the third and final telescope at the observatory which focused on the Orion Nebula.

The Hubble telescope provides this photo of the heart of the Orion Nebula.
Photo Reference: nasa.gov

This recent image of the entire Orion Nebula is thanks to Nasa's Hubble space telescope.
It is one of the most detailed astronomical images ever composed.
Photo Reference: nasa.gov  

Located approximately 1,270 light-years away from earth, the Orion Nebula is the closest massive star formation to Earth. There are over 700 of new stars begin born inside the Orion Nebula.

Once I had made my way through the three telescopes, I stopped and observed the brightest and clearest big dipper I have ever seen.  It was absolutely breathtaking. At the very end of the big dipper is the North Star (also known as the Polaris).

The North Star (Polaris) remains steady and bright in the centre, while other stars move around it.
Photo Reference: space.com

The Polaris is excellent for navigational purposes due to the fact that it remains entirely still in the sky, while other stars, planets, and galaxies move around it.  How is this possible?  Is there no gravitational pull that makes it move?  Or does the gravitational pull that moves the other stars and planets come from the Polaris? Is there any gravitational pull at all or is it the Earth's rotation that is making the other stars appear as if they are moving?  This is all very baffling and fascinating to me at the same time.  

The Sirius star, as taken by the Hubble telescope.
Photo Reference: universestoday.com

While the Polaris is the 50th brightest star in our solar system, the Sirius is number 1. The Sun may appear brighter, but that is only because it is located closer to Earth than the Sirius (the sun is located 8.3 minutes away by light, whereas the Sirius is 8.6 light years away).  If I recall correctly, the guide at the observatory said that he liked to call it the Death Star.

I learned so much from visiting the observatory today and went home feeling very tiny.