This week, I conclude my three-part series on filters by discussing specialty filters. Everyone's welcome to their opinion, but, to me, any filter that's not a color filter is a specialty filter. Most specialty filters fall into the category of...

Saturn's rings glint brightly thanks to the "opposition effect" in this June 12 image, taken by the Cassini spacecraft. NASA/JPL/SSI While I was out walking Wednesday evening, brilliant Jupiter stood slightly above the gibbous Moon. With...

Q: What's the difference between trash and important archaeological artifacts? A: About 100 years. Where people tossed their garbage a century ago, archaeologists can often find revealing remnants of culture. On the Moon, the transformation from trash...

This week, I continue my three-part series on filters by giving specific recommendations about planetary observing through color filters. Mars lies at opposition as 2007 ends, and it's already on most observers' minds, so let's start with...

I just read, with a mixture of fascination and embarrassment, writer Nancy Atkins' compelling article — posted on the Universe Today web site — about the realities of landing humans on Mars. The article asks the simple question of how...

The first photo ever taken from the surface of Mars showed lots of rocks and sand — and the footpad of the Viking 1 lander. NASA/JPL Virtually everyone who reads this blog knows what happened on this date in history. But I'm not going to spend...

Dava Newman models her BioSuit on the MIT campus. Donna Coveney Ever since NASA has launched people into space, astronauts have worn bulky, gas-pressurized outfits. Over time, these suits have increased in weight to 300 lbs. — limiting mobility...

Do you want a little help appreciating the utter inherent coolness of the Mars Exploration Rover missions? Check out the video created by up-and-coming digital artist Daniel Maas . The 9-minute video, accurate to the smallest detail, depicts the launch...

With Mars beginning to brighten to its best appearance of the year (which will happen Christmas Eve), I thought I'd blog about filters. Lots of articles will explain the best way to observe Mars — you can catch mine in December's Astronomy...

Several dark spots mar Jupiter’s atmosphere after Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 smashed into it between July 16 and 22, 1994. NASA/Hubble Space Telescope Science Team Where were you 13 years ago? If you're like me, you were eagerly anticipating a once...

My wife and I maintain a running gag. Let's say she and I are observing a meteor shower. Perhaps I saw a nice meteor and exclaimed, "There's one through Triangulum, heading south; magnitude –1; 10° trail." If she didn't...

Could NASA's current approach to exobiology — the study of alien life forms — end up with astronauts stumbling across extraterrestrial life and not even realizing it? A report by the National Research Council (NRC) released Friday raises...

The past two blogs I've posted described the Vatican Observatory Summer School and its activities. What a tremendous group of students — I had a wonderful time visiting with them, seeing the Vatican Observatory's treasures, and meeting the skilled...

I just caught some hot news about exoplanets on the " Centauri Dreams " blog by Paul Gilster, a veteran science and technology writer and author of Centauri Dreams: Imagining and Planning Interstellar Exploration . If you have never seen Paul's...