This weekend, television viewers will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Gazer , a weekly astronomy short produced by Miami PBS station WPBT . For three decades, the one constant on the show has been the infectious enthusiasm of host Jack Horkheimer...

While wandering through Barnes & Noble the other day, I saw a book 100 Things to Do Before You Die: Travel Events You Just Can't Miss by Neil Teplica. What, I wondered, would that list look like for amateur astronomers? Well, any observer's "top...

It seems like some members of the media and disinterested public love it when NASA stumbles more so than when the agency succeeds. I suppose this is the case whenever big bucks are involved. There is a direct correlation between the dollar amount and...

Usually professional athletes are targets of autograph seekers. This time, the adoring fan is the athlete. Prior to his trip to theInternational Space Station (ISS) for 6 months, Expedition 14 Cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin autographed his crew photo for another...

Astronomy magazine is blessed with the good fortune to have an amazingly talented staff. The editors, designers, illustrators, and contributors are the best in the business, and your reaction to our product shows the confidence you have in them. The latest...

Robber Baron: The Life of Charles Tyson Yerkes (University of Illinois Press, 2006). Yerkes has some name-recognition among skywatchers ― his generosity established the world-famous observatory that bears his name in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Yerkes certainly...

Driving home last night during twilight, I was taken aback by the appearance of our nearest celestial neighbor, the Moon. The strikingly thin crescent hung low in the southwest, well away from the pretty pinks and purples clinging to the western horizon...

When I first visited Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 2004, I was afforded a behind-the-scenes tour of the 24-inch Alvan Clark & Sons refractor. It’s a gigantic telescope housed in its original 1896 dome. I was graciously allowed...

In the last installment, I outlined the history of the constellations. Now it's time to learn them. Well, at least some of them. Start with no more than three major constellations per season. In no time at all, you'll know your way around the...

Recently a learned scientist called me to tell me why we’ll never make it to Mars. According to this fine gentleman, humans will not be able to stand up to the assault of solar radiation while traveling to the Red Planet or while on Mars’...

Astronomy magazine is fortunate to have commenced a partnership with a world-class travel firm whose owner, Melita Wade Thorpe, is an active and enthusiastic amateur astronomer. Melita’s company, MWT Associates, is based in San Jose, California...

Firefly Books has published 300 Astronomical Objects (A Visual Reference to the Universe) , a new road map for a tour of the universe. Designed for those getting into the science and hobby of astronomy, the book follows a logical path from the solar system...

A few weeks ago the staff of Astronomy commenced what is a very popular feature on our web site — the podcasts. We’ve received a large response telling us how much they are enjoyed and appreciated. We’ll certainly keep them going once...

I heard it mentioned more than once at this week’s American Astronomical Society (AAS) Division of Planetary Sciences (DPS) meeting in Pasadena that scientists are a self-serving lot interested only in their own narrow research topics. Are they...

Is there life elsewhere in the galaxy? Science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke broke it down this way: “There are two possibilities, Maybe we’re alone. Maybe we’re not. Both are equally frightening.” Clarke’s summation concludes...

The American Astronomical Society Division of Planetary Sciences (AAS DPS) held a full day of sessions October 9 at its annual conference in Pasadena, California. Monday’s sessions included talks on extrasolar planets, the origin of satellites,...

Today marks the 160th anniversary of Neptune's discovery by English astronomer William Lassell. Lassell also discovered Ariel and Umbriel, satellites of Uranus; Triton, a satellite of Neptune; and Hyperion, a satellite of Saturn. William Bond and...

If you think litter is a problem here on Earth, consider the junk that orbits our planet. From nuts and bolts to gloves and other stuff left over from space missions, this trash is downright dangerous. Add to that the natural debris (meteroids) that orbit...

I want to draw your attention to our weekly podcasts , coordinated and hosted by Assistant Editor Jeremy McGovern. Available under the “perspectives” section on our home page, the podcasts have commenced to rave reviews from listeners. Thus...

In the December 2004 Astronomy , then-Assistant Editor Matt Quandt profiled Raad Ali Abdulaziz, an Iraqi amateur astronomer, engineer, and humanitarian. Just as the story was getting ready to go to press, our whole staff experienced a chilling morning...

Congratulations to Celestial North, Inc., an astronomy club based in Freeland, Washington! Last September, Celestial North became the recipient of Astronomy magazine’s first annual Out-of-this-World Award, which recognizes ongoing astronomy club...

Scientists at Cornell University have found strong solar flares can cause Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to fail. These generally unpredictable and abnormal solar belches could be devastating for “safety-of-life” GPS operations...

Eighty-eight constellations cover the sky. No gaps exist between them, and there's no overlap. It's a logical system where every object — star, planet, or galaxy — resides within one constellation's boundaries. This arrangement...

Bison Books has published the first-ever English translation of The Meteor Hunt by Jules Verne. The French writer left the novel to us when he passed away in 1905. In this novel, a meteor of pure gold heads toward Earth, setting off excitement and chaos...

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter recently captured a view of the Cydonia region, site of the famous “Face on Mars.” NASA’s Viking I revealed this ruddy mug to us back in July 1976. This region isn’t only of...