Moutmout

Moutmout's blog

Astronomy, computers, random thoughts

4-Minute Read

A telescope under an open dome. You can see stars outside. In front of the telescope, there is a desk with buttons, switches and lights.

In 1967, astronomers at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence in the south of France discovered potassium flashes while they were observing stars. But the laws of physics that were known at the time didn’t provide any explanation as to how a star could produce these flashes. Were there aliens trying to communicate with us?

Centaurus A

A galaxy with an active nucleus

1-Minute Read

A galaxy with an active nucleus. There are jets above and below the plane of the galaxy.

I wrote this image caption in the context of an application to a science journalism internship.

Pluto's song

Sometimes, Pluto feels lonely and sings this song

1-Minute Read

Mountains in the haze on Pluto

When Pluto was discovered, astronomers expected to find a planet similar to Earth in size. But as they made more observations, they realized that Pluto is actually much smaller than what they initially thought.

Christopher Colombus

A visionnary genius? Really?

3-Minute Read

The ships of Christopher Columbus. Gustav Adolf Karl Closs. Public Domain.

In elementary school, I learned that Christopher Columbus was the only man in his time to believe that the Earth was round. This is why he wanted to sail westwards to India, to prove everyone wrong. People would tell him “You’re crazy! You’re going to reach the edge of the flat Earth!", and he would answer “Of course not, the Earth is round!". So in a way, he is painted to be this visionary genius who made it possible for Europeans to arrive on a new continent.

Green peas

Discovering a new type of galaxy is possible for amateurs?!?

3-Minute Read

A green pea galaxy imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA.

There is a kind of small, compact galaxy in which many stars are forming. They are one tenth of the size of our own Milky Way Galaxy, and one hundred times more compact. They are called green pea galaxies.

Pluto isn’t a planet

But that's OK

4-Minute Read

Pluto seen by New Horizons

Since the early 20th century, the International Astronomical Union or IAU – an organization that brings together astronomers from around the world – defines the names used by astronomers to talk about objects in the Solar System. In August 2006, the IAU decided a planet is an object that

Recent Posts

Categories

About

PhD, astrophysicist. I play with keyboards and telescopes whenever I can.