The New York Times has launched a new column, Across the Universe featuring Sir Patrick Moore, Brian May and Chris Lintott.

This will be an outstanding resource for teachers, grades 3 – 12. Moore has been the host of “The Sky at Night,” a monthly TV show on BBC, for 50 years. Yes, that’s right. 50 years! You can watch the programs online for free.

Lintott just received his Ph.D. in astronomy, and Brian May, who started out in astronomy but became known as a guitarist and performer for the band Queen, has recently returned to study astrophysics.

I think you will enjoy reading the first entry. Here you will read about the fact that astronomers, as they use sophisticated technology, and the old technology of the telescope are looking back in time. This has always amazed me.

The Parkes Observatory, New South Wales, Australia

Paranal Observatory in Chile

The objects we see in the sky are light points that have traveled to us. For example, the closest star is about 4 light years away, so when we look at it, we see it as it was four years ago. And the center of our galaxy, The Milky Way is about 25 million light years away. But much of what we see is much further away than that. Galaxies that millions for light years away from our own galaxy.

The authors also talked about how technology has enabled astrophysicists to identify planets revolving around other stars. As they point out, most of these are large planets (easier to detect), but they judge that there are planets out there the size of Earth. Carl Sagan estimated that there are probably millions of them!

As the authors said, they intend to show us around the Universe. It should be interesting, and should be a powerful site if you are teaching elementary science, middle school earth science, or high school physics.

Here are the sites:
New York Times Column: Across the Universe
Sir Patrick Moores BBC Program: The Sky at Night