Author: Steve Hurley

Hi I am Steve Hurley. Although I work in the IT industry. I studied for a PhD in astronomy in the 1980s. My real passion is explaining scientific concepts to a non-scientific audience. My blog (explainingscience.org) covers various scientific topics, but primarily astronomy. It is written in a style that it is easily understandable to the non scientist. Publications and videos For links to my books and videos please visit www.explainingscience.org

12-13 August 2019 – the Perseids

Steve Hurley3 Comments

For  revised post containing more tips on how to view the Perseids see The Perseids 2021. Meteors (also known as shooting stars) are bright streaks of light caused by small lumps of rock or metal called meteoroids hitting the Earth's atmosphere at a very high speed (in the case of the Perseids around 200,000 km/h). As… Continue reading 12-13 August 2019 – the Perseids

Apollo 11 lunar landing

Steve Hurley17 Comments

20 July 2019 is the fiftieth anniversary of the first manned landing on the Moon. Mission Insignia of Apollo 11- Image from NASA   On 21 May 1961 President John F Kennedy made the following address to the United States Congress: 'I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade… Continue reading Apollo 11 lunar landing

Summer twilight

Steve Hurley15 Comments

This explains the stages of twilight , and describes how the Sun's path changes throughout the year in Manchester, England. The phenomenon of "Simmer Dim" in the Shetland Islands is highlighted, characterized by continuous twilight and celebrated with a festival.

e-book from Explaining Science on Venus

Steve Hurley6 Comments

Updated 7 December 2025 I have now updated my e-book on Venus, the planet closest to the Earth in distance, size and internal composition, and the third brightest natural object in our sky after the Sun and the Moon. Topics include how Venus appears from Earth and the fact that Venus’s phases can only be… Continue reading e-book from Explaining Science on Venus

The Impact of Stellar Aberration on Astronomy and the Speed of Light Measurement

Steve Hurley23 Comments

Stellar aberration was discovered by James Bradley in 1727. He observed unexpected star position shifts, confirming the heliocentric theory and enabling light speed measurement. Today, it's explained by Einstein's theory of relativity.