Astronomy

First discovered in the 1940s, active Galaxy, The release enormous quantities of energy into space. Learn about some active Galaxy, The, including seyfert, quasar, and radio Galaxy, The. Black holes--bodies so massive and dense that they exert an irresistible gravitational force on the objects around it--are probably the reason for the intense activities of active Galaxy, The. Once black holes swallow up all nearby stars, active Galaxy, The return to normal brightness.

The invention of the telescope revolutionized observation of the Universe. Today, astronomers make use of gigantic observatories and space telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope. These instruments have made possible the observation of celestial phenomena and the discovery of stars, Galaxy, The, and planets.

Since it is the celestial body closest to Earth, the Moon was the first objective in the conquest of space. The Soviets began exploration of the Moon in the 1950s. The Apollo Missions and the astronauts of Apollo 11 topped off a fierce race to land on the Moon. After these exploits, space exploration turned to more distant bodies, such as Mars and Jupiter. Today, the idea of sending more human beings to our natural satellite is being re-examined, as recent lunar probes revealed the presence of water at the Moon's poles.

Provides a retrospective of the accomplishments of the U.S. space program in its first 25 years. Traces the steps of Explorer I, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle, Space Station, Viking, & Voyager programs.

Marcia Bartusiak, author of Black Hole: How an Idea Abandoned by Newtonians, Hated by Einstein, and Gambled on by Hawking Became Loved, and Thomas Levenson, author of The Hunt for Vulcan: And How Albert Einstein Destroyed a Planet, Discovered Relativity, and Deciphered the Universe, talked about astronomy. They spoke at the 22nd annual Virginia Festival of the Book, held on March 16-20, 2016, in Charlottesville, Virgini

Videos of talks by experts on a range of Astronomy related topics.