Five Popular Science Books by Real Scientists

The author shares a curated list of five recommended science books, emphasizing that they are well-reviewed and written by experts in their fields. The selection includes titles from prominent scientists including Neil Degrasse Tyson and David Deutsch, targeting a general audience interested in science.

The Mystery of the Ashen Light of Venus

Updated 7 December 2025 The ashen light is a faint glow, which many people claim to have seen on the night side of Venus.  The Italian astronomer Giovanni Riccioli (1598 -1671) first reported it back in 1643, 33 years after Galileo had made the first observations of Venus with a telescope and discovered the planet… Continue reading The Mystery of the Ashen Light of Venus

Latitude and Longitude on the Moon and the Planets

This post discusses the use of latitude and longitude for mapping locations on the Moon and other celestial bodies in the Solar System. It explains how these coordinates are defined, the arbitrary selection of prime meridians, and variations across different planets, emphasizing the importance of consistent astronomical conventions for navigation and mapping.

The June Solstice at Ness Point

I saw this article on the BBC News website. about ย people watching the Sun rise on the June solstice at Ness Point ย (lat 52.481 oN, long 1.763 oE), which is the UKโ€™s ย most easterly location. Source Dozens watch sunrise at UK's most easterly point - BBC News It is impressive that 200 people got up… Continue reading The June Solstice at Ness Point

The Oort Cloud

The Oort cloud is theorised to be a vast cloud of icy bodies beyond the boundary of the Solar System. It was proposed by the Dutch astronomer Jan Oort back in 1950. Interestingly, the Estonian astronomer Ernst Opik had published a very similar idea in 1931. However, Opikโ€™s earlier work was largely ignored and today… Continue reading The Oort Cloud