🌀 What Is a Light Curve, Really?

Light curves are more than just squiggly lines on a graph — they’re a star’s diary. In ASTR 270, we’ll use light curves to decode stellar rotation, eclipses, transits, and more.

"A light curve is time’s way of whispering a star’s secrets."

• Dips: Something passed in front of the star (planet, dust).
• Peaks: Flares, activity, or noise.
• Patterns: Reveal rotation or eclipses.

Coming soon: You’ll build your own light curve in the lab using real ZTF data.

🌌 Simulating the Sky in the Planetarium

Ever wonder how we recreate the Milky Way overhead in the UW dome?

• A digital star catalog synced with time and location
• Fisheye lens dome projection
• Scripting tools for flying through space, time-lapse starscapes, and more

It’s a storytelling and teaching powerhouse. You’ll get a chance to run the system yourself this quarter!

🛸 Top Astronomy Misconceptions

• “The Moon has a dark side.” Nope — it’s tidally locked. We just don’t see the far side.
• “Winter is when Earth is far from the Sun.” Earth is actually closest to the Sun in January.
• “Black holes suck everything in.” Not unless you’re close — they obey gravity like everything else.

Send me your favorite space myths and I’ll feature them in a future post!