Last week, I blogged about my one-year anniversary. In that article, I began listing my favorite celestial objects in several categories. Following are the categories I didn't get to. Planetary nebula — The Ghost of Jupiter (NGC 3242) in Hydra...

Amateur astronomers in the United States are familiar with organizations like the Astronomical League and Astronomical Society of the Pacific. These groups help educate the public about the sky and decipher the universe's mysteries. Several groups...

The commanders of both space shuttle Discovery (STS-120) and the International Space Station (ISS), the two crewed spacecraft now in orbit, are women. So, this week in the interstellar media, headlines gush with a milestone in the annals of gender. "Women...

This blog marks my one-year anniversary yakking about any astronomical subject that caught my fancy. Blogs were new at Astronomy in 2006, but blogging seemed like a great vehicle for covering lots of topics in a somewhat random manner. Now, many of our...

This month brings the 50th anniversary of two events that changed the world. The first, of course, needs little explanation: On October 4, 1957, the Space Age began with the Soviet Union's launch of the Sputnik 1 spacecraft. I want to talk about the...

At the veterinarian, they do it with an injection. When astronomers want to "put to sleep" one of their pets, they use a mouse click. Yesterday, astronomers at Johns Hopkins University shut down the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer...

The other week I wrote about an auction for those with celestial tastes . I've come across another space-themed auction. On October 28, Boston auctioneer Skinner will host a sale that includes several lots of NASA memorabilia. This auction features...

For the past 2 days, I've been rearranging the storage areas here at Astronomy magazine. It was lots of work and lots of fun at the same time. And, it got me thinking. Why do some telescopes last 5 years while others last 50? The answer, it turns...

Some blogs are fun, some blogs are intellectual, and some provide a handy way to find links. (Okay, mine's an exception.) But here, in no particular order, are a few blogs I try to read regularly. Cosmic Log : Since 2002, MSNBC science editor Alan...

Sinuous valley networks like these imaged by Viking 1 led many planetary scientists to think Mars’ climate once was warm and wet, but some researchers aren’t so sure. NASA/JPL Today marked the 114th consecutive day in Orlando in which the temperature...

I'm in Orlando, Florida, attending the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences. This is where the world's planetary scientists report their latest findings. One of the meeting's traditions...

The Arecibo Telescope uses radio and radar energy to explore the universe. Its massive dish, built in a natural depression in the jungles of Puerto Rico, measures 1,000 feet (305 meters) across and 167 feet (51m) deep. Its 40,000 perforated aluminum panels...

It does if you like smaller, higher-capacity hard drives. But the road from landmark paper to an iPod often is longer than we like to think. Such is the case of Albert Fert (Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France) and Peter Grünberg (Forschungszentrum...

I love baseball, and I love observing. Unfortunately, you won't find any constellations honoring the boys of summer; at least, no traditional constellations. During October, as the fall classic decides baseball's champion, go out one clear night...

Before last night, I always thought astrological predictions were made of the stinky stuff you use to fertilize flower beds. I suppose I've been naïve, thinking one's actions and fate have more to do with conscious choices and free will,...

George Takei , Star Trek 's Hikaru Sulu and Heroes ' Kaito Nakamura, has the honor of having a star named for him, albeit on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Now the actor and civil rights activist has a real celestial object named for him: 7307 Takei...

The Chang’e-1 lunar probe will explore the Moon from orbit. The mission includes mapping lunar topography, surveying the distribution of chemical elements, and gathering high-resolution photos of the lunar surface in preparation for future...

Springer If you've followed my blogging, you know I love the constellations. It follows, therefore, that I also love star maps — old, new, it doesn't matter. And along with the maps themselves, I like their stories and those of the men who...