Astronomical Events

The UniverseToday did an excellent job of compiling 101 astronomical events to keep an eye out for the year of 2014.  For most, all you’ll need is a clear sky away from city lights, but for a few you may need binoculars and/or a telescope as well.  For those of you interested in such things, here’s the lovely list: 101 Astronomical Events for 2014 It’s also interesting to examine in the light of world-building for your novels; astronomical phenomenon often plays a large role in developing societies, and the meaning a society may attribute to various astronomical events can have an impact on character development and plot depending on the story in which you wish to write. It’s definitely worth speculating over, and if you’d like to add some flavor to any journeys your protagonists may take, astronomical events are definitely a great way to add to the scene and showcase more about who the character is, what they know about their world, and how they may view the event and what it means to them. As always, when adding details such as this, it’s always important to note if it adds to the character development or to the plot. If it doesn’t, then the details, as interesting as it is, may not be necessary. If it does, then it’ll be well worth the addition.

Another wonderful link about astronomy is Carl Sagan’s Cosmos: Cosmos Even though the show is fairly old, much of the information is still relevant, and Carl Sagan does a wonderful job in narrating. He inspires a great number of people, myself included. For those that write science fiction, often examining science can help generate interesting ideas and themes for new stories. For me, these often are sources of inspiration.

Also, I am writing a post that reviews Time Travel and Warp Drives by Allen Everett and Thomas Roman, which is a nonfiction book that examines the science behind the shortcuts through time and space. I am also working on finishing my language series as well. So new posts are planned for the future!