2009 Going Into 2010

As the year ends, I wanted to go over some of the most important posts on the blog in 2009, and some previews about what I'm going to cover in 2010.

Solar System Gravity Wells

On Monday (December 28), Randall Munroe released an XKCD comic on gravity wells. It's a funny, but accurate, way to look at and compare the sizes and masses of the bodies in the solar system. So what exactly is a gravity well?

The Known Universe, Compressed into a Short Video

The Known Universe is a new film produced by the American Museum of Natural History as a part of the new exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe. Info about the video and the video itself are available below the fold.

A Nearby Watery Planet

A new rocky planet, GJ 1214b, has been found very close to the solar system, one of a few hundred exoplanets currently known. Making this discovery special, though, is that the planet contains water, being almost completely covered by it, and that its mass is just a little bit greater than the Earth's.

Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars

I just received my Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars in the mail today. They look great, but I haven't had the time to test them out completely yet. I hope to use them and publish a review on this blog in a few weeks. Meanwhile, here are some unboxing pictures:





If you want to get the binoculars right now, they are currently available through Amazon for a great price.

Astronomy and Space Celebrates International Year of Astronomy 2009.