Intro
Welcome to the First Issue of the Astro Photons Space and Astronomy Weekly!
Good morning!
My name is Paweł Białecki, and I'm the author of Astro Photons - Space, Astronomy, and Astrophotography.
I have been interested in space and astronomy since I was a child. It all started with astronomy books during my school days here in Poland, where I admired beautiful pictures of colorful nebulae and distant galaxies, wondering, "why can't I see it in the sky at night with my own eyes?" The first sky atlas, pair of binoculars, the first telescope, and the first astrophotography set went by on their own.
And although I did not become a professional astronomer - I work as a software developer - my passion for astronomy did not disappear in my adult life; on the contrary (after all, now I can afford to buy new space toys telescopes!).
What's with this weekly newsletter? On the web, we can find a lot of information on every possible topic. However, browsing through "everything" is practically impossible, and being up to date, even in such a relatively small field as space and astronomy enthusiasts, is a real challenge.
In my work as a programmer, I subscribe to several thematic newsletters, where the authors manually filter and send the most exciting programming articles every week.
And since I didn't find a similar newsletter for space lovers, I decided to create my own - I hope you like it! So I invite you to the first issue of Astro Photons Space and Astronomy Weekly and right away for the next one in a week - every Thursday!
Clear skies.
Astro Photons
Planets in Order from the Sun
Do you wonder what the Solar System looks like and how it is built?
We all know the order of planets from school: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune (in the article, you will find a simple way to memorize the order if you have difficulty doing this).
But some may ask, "where is Pluto?" Exactly - what about the former last planet of the Solar System? In addition, the best pictures and interesting facts about all planets of the Solar System. Enjoy!
Astronomy
Milky Way Galaxy: Facts About our Cosmic Neighborhood
On a clear night, void of light pollution, we can catch a glimpse of the bright lights of the galactic city streaking across the night sky. Our window into the universe, this milky white band of stars, dust, and gas, is where our galaxy gets its name.
Skywatching
Space Calendar 2022: Rocket Launches, Sky Events, Missions & more
Here you will find the astronomical calendar for 2022 that Space.com authors are constantly updating (the latest data comes from July 4).
Rocket launches, sky events, Moon phases, space missions, meteor showers, and more. It is worth adding to the bookmarks to keep up to date with exciting space and astronomical events.
Astrophotography
How to Photograph the Milky Way
Astrophotography has become much easier in the last decade, especially with today’s more affordable, large sensor, high signal-to-noise ratio digital cameras. However, few photographs have as much existential impact as a nighttime landscape against the Milky Way. In this article, we’ll show you how to make a fantastic photo of the Milky Way galaxy with minimal effort and equipment.
How to Build a Deep-Sky Astrophotography Kit from the Ground Up
Do you want to start your adventure with deep-sky astrophotography in your backyard and wonder what equipment to choose? Trevor from AstroBackyard.com has published an in-depth look at the core pieces of equipment needed for deep-sky astrophotography that will surely help you with this topic.
Space Exploration
First James Webb Space Telescope Images Coming July 12 - Watch Here
NASA administrator Bill Nelson said recently that – when the space agency releases the first Webb images on July 12 – one of the images will be the deepest ever captured of our universe. He told a press briefing on June 29, 2022, at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore that the image will reveal a part of space farther than humanity has ever looked before.
Earth
An 1874 Science Project Studying the Aurora Borealis Helped Inspire Time Zones
How and when were the time zones created? We were born into a world where they existed and were considered normal. Their existence was not always the case, however.
Technology
Stellarium for Beginners [Video]
Stellarium is one of the most helpful pieces of software for astronomers and astrophotographers. It will help you orient yourself in the night sky, find exciting objects for skywatching or astrophotography, control your telescope, select the optimal exposure parameters for your photo equipment, and much more. Plus, it's free and available for almost every popular operating system.
Science Fiction
100 of the Best Science Fiction Novels of All Time
I don't think I know any space fan who doesn't like science fiction.
Clarke, Asimov, Lem, Orwell, Heinlein, Dick, Sagan, Wells, Pohl, Liu, and others - if these names are familiar to you, then you are a fan of classic SF - like me. In this article, you'll find some of the most exciting titles in the genre that are worth catching up on if you haven't read them yet. I picked at least a dozen for myself.
Astronomical Pictures
The Bubble Nebula from Hubble
A gorgeous picture of the Bubble Nebula took by the Hubble Telescope. Sadly, this stunning celestial object is reserved only for owners of much larger telescopes than my current Sky-Watcher Evostar 72ED. Nevertheless, this nebula is one of my favorites, alongside the Orion Nebula, The Witches Broom Nebula (Western Veil), Trifid Nebula, and Eagle Nebula.
Outro
If you are reading this issue on the day I sent it to your email inbox, I want to thank you very much - you are one of the 266 subscribers to my Astro Photons site who subscribed blindly to this new weekly format. Thank you for your trust!
If you have any links you would like to suggest for future issues, please reply to this mail and send me - my inbox is in always-active mode.
If you enjoy this kind of content, it would be appreciated if you would pass on a link or this email to some other space and astronomy fan who might enjoy it. Watching the increasing subscriber count is pure fun to me.
See you next week!
Clear skies,
Paweł Białecki 🚀 Astro Photons