57 FAQs about Odds and Ends (The Astronomy Cafe)

Astronomy Misconceptions: Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy

Stupid Egg Balancing Tricks :Vernal Equinox

Pictures from Space: Astronomy Picture of the Day

 Back to the Astronomy Cafe - 365 of the most popular questions since 1996. Over 1 million page requests!

Beginner:

  1. Can psychics really tell the future using the stars?
  2. Where can I find an online glossary of astronomical terms?
  3. Are any scientists researching 'aliens' and the Loch Ness Monster?
  4. Does the value of 'pi' ever change?
  5. Why are the names of the week ordered the way they are?
  6. When do astronomers say the Age of Aquarius will begin?
  7. When did living matter first become aware of itself?
  8. Who do I report falling rocket boosters to?
  9. Where is the Point of No Return located?
  10. Could humans modify themselves to live on other planets?
  11. Do you believe in UFOs?
  12. Can you give examples of questions that sound plausible, but which have no physical answers?
  13. What is your opinion about the science fiction series 'Babylon 5'?
  14. How big is one crab unit?
  15. Has anyone had sex in space yet?
  16. What does the 'Dawning of the Age of Aquarius' mean?
  17. What is all this I have read about the 'End of Science'?
  18. What is the Photon Belt, and will it pass by the Earth in 1996?
  19. How do stars and comets get named?
  20. Why is astronomy important in our lives?
  21. If astronomers feel that life can exist elsewhere in the universe, why don't they believe in the possibility that UFOs are from other worlds?
  22. When were 'nebulae' first discovered?
  23. How do I go about writing a paper about religion and astronomy?
  24. What is the meaning of the phrase 'music of the spheres'?
  25. Are any of the star systems in 'Star Trek' real such as 'Veridean' or 'Amagosis'?
  26. How did a 'Antikythera Machine' work?
  27. What literature do you know that refers to astronomy in poetry etc?
  28. Is it easier to balance an egg during the Equinoxes?
  29. I have an astronomical theory. What do I do with it?
  30. How many objects have real names rather than catalog numbers?
  31. Can you tell from space that earth is inhabited by intelligent beings?
  32. What is your opinion about how life started on the Earth?
  33. What is the best way for an 8 year old to get involved with astronomy?
  34. Is there any astronomical meaning to the rhyme The Cat and the Fiddle?"
  35. Are we alone in the universe?
  36. Where can I find an historical timeline of astronomy?
  37. What can you say about the Photon Belt and the Golden Nebula?
  38. Are there any astronomical objects called 'Wormwood'?
  39. Could you appraise the science in Babylon 5 the science fiction series?
  40. Did a NASA computer scientist discover a 'missing day' in a program used to calculate the positions of the planets, as forecast in the Bible?
  41. Do science fiction stories ever inspire new scientific theories?
  42. What was happening in the sky when the Titanic sunk on April 14, 1912?
  43. What is the hardest question about the universe that scientists could not answer?
  44. Why were the Dog Days of summer so named?
  45. Could aliens really see our TV programs?
  46. Who invented the light year?
  47. What distinguishes pseudo-science from real science?

Intermediate:

  1. Why does air travel westward take less time than eastward?
  2. Can you make an ion-powered hovercraft?
  3. How useful is the Drake Equation in predicting how much life is 'out there'?
  4. Are the stars in the sky just there, or is there a purpose behind them?
  5. What are some of the most recent, significant advances in astronomy?
  6. What is 'Occams Razor'?

 

Advanced:

  1. Has anyone had sex in space yet?
  2. Can a convincing argument be made that a transcendent God keeps the universe going?
  3. Is it true that consciousness has co-evolved with the universe?
  4. Are there any subjects in astronomy that are considered closed books?

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