Except we can’t see all of them at once because at least half would fall below the horizon. Daylight and haze also limit us. So in fact, the number of stars we can see at night at any given time is around 2,000.
2 The largest star visible with the naked eye is Mu Cephei, a strikingly red star in the constellation Cepheus (the King). If our sun was the size of a softball, Mu, in comparison, would be 437 feet across. The brightest star in the sky is Sirius, or the Dog Star, in the constellation Canis Major. Orbiting it is a white dwarf star known as Pup. Though about the size of Earth, Pupis far denser. On our planet, a teaspoon of its material would weigh 5 tons.
3 The farthest celestial object visible without a telescope is the Andromeda galaxy, 24 quintillion kms away. On a clear night, it appears as a faint elongated patch. When its light began travelling earthward, mastodons and saber-toothed tigers roamed North America. An estimated 1 trillion stars make up Andromeda, more than twice the number in our own Milky Way galaxy.
4 Contrary to popular belief, Galileo did not invent the telescope. The genius behind it was spectacle-maker Hans Lippershey, who applied for the patent in 1608. Telescopes were initially pointed not at the sky, but at the seas—to spy on ships. Galileo first turned a telescope toward the heavens in 1609.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.
Who Wants Coffee?
It’s bitter—but beloved around the world
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.
ME & MY SHELF
Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.
SWITCHED
In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood
Fiction's Foresight
British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.
