AstroLabTHE CURIOSITY JOURNAL
The sky makes us
want to understand.
Films, views and tutorials to explore the Universe at your own pace. Follow a curiosity, then take the controls.
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FilmWatch filmAstroLab — The Universe at your fingertipsFrom Saturn to the lunar sky, a new viewpoint changes our place.
ViewExplore viewSaturn · Around the ringsA nearly edge-on disc surrounds the globe of the ringed planet
TutorialOpen tutorialWhy the Moon changes shapeThe visible bright portion changes as the Moon circles our planetA changing sky
TutorialOpen tutorialWhy do seasons change?A tilted axis explains the seasons better than distance from the Sun
FilmWatch filmChange latitude, change skyPolaris sinks and unfamiliar stars appear as our horizon changes.
ViewExplore viewBehind Orion’s outlineThe stars of one familiar pattern occupy very different depthsSurprising orbits
FilmWatch filmVoyager: the grand tour of the giantsFour giant planets shape one spacecraft’s long journey beyond them.
TutorialOpen tutorialGaining speed from a planetA moving planet can reshape the route of a spacecraft
ViewExplore viewKepler-16 · Two suns, one planetOne planet circles a pair of stars that never stand still.Beyond appearances
ViewExplore viewThe black hole at the centre of our GalaxyGravity reshapes the image of gas around our galaxy’s dark centre.
TutorialOpen tutorialStars around black holesA moving star can reveal a companion hidden from direct view.
ViewExplore viewBeidou, the Northern DipperNorthern stars form a ladle within the Chinese sky traditionMeeting asteroids
ViewExplore viewEros · the orbiter that survived landingAn elongated world became the first asteroid explored from orbit
ViewExplore viewBennu · seconds to collect billions of yearsA small world covered in boulders preserves remarkably ancient material
ViewExplore viewRyugu · bringing a dark world homeA spinning-top outline holds clues to a primitive Solar System worldFrom atoms to galaxies
FilmWatch filmThe story of our atomsThe hydrogen in water and the carbon in us have different origins.
FilmWatch filmFrom Earth to galaxiesEarth, Sirius and Andromeda invite a new scale at every step.
TutorialOpen tutorialBig Bang, expansion and Hubble’s lawChanging viewpoint removes Earth from the apparent centre of expansion.WHY ASTROLAB?
The joy of understanding the sky.
Share the joy of understanding science. Explore documented data, explain models and acknowledge their limits. AstroLab is a young project: despite the care taken with its content, errors may remain. Your feedback helps correct them and improve the experience.
This young project evolves with your feedback. Sources and the limits of its representations are documented.
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If you enjoy the journey, you can support Médecins Sans Frontières. This donation is optional.