As we get closer and closer to July 20, the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 and celebrating man’s first steps on the Moon, more cool ways to commemorate the Apollo program are popping up. NASA has a bunch of events planned already, and I’m sure they’ll...

Special contribution from Astronomy magazine illustrator, Roen Kelly Very seldom do I get a request to write for the magazine. Smart move on management’s part. However, it just so happened a book of paintings arrived at the Astronomy offices. The book...

“Now therefore, we, the Board of Trustees and its President, do hereby proclaim the dark sky over the village of Barrington Hills a fitting attribute for the celebration of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.” So states the proclamation dated...

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a real astronaut? What would it be like to feel the g-forces of spaceflight? How do you perform everyday tasks out in space? Well, here’s your chance to find out. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of man’s first steps...

On Saturday night, June 20, once again a clear night, good friends, and a 30-inch telescope combined to make a memorable observing session. Astronomy Editor David J. Eicher and I had been at developer Gene Turner’s Rancho Hidalgo in Animas, New Mexico...

Each week, Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Michael Bakich , a master at explaining how to observe, posts a podcast about three objects or events you can see in the sky. In each episode, Michael highlights: One object you can see without any optical...

Now that the August 2009 issue of Astronomy is in the mail or already in hand, we’ve updated Astronomy.com with our newest web extras to give subscribers exclusive complementary information to this special issue about our return to the Moon. Take a sneak...

Spending time in the desert in New Mexico in June usually means automatic clear skies. However, after departing for the Rancho Hidalgo astronomy development on Thursday, Senior Editor Michael Bakich and I found ourselves trapped by clouds . We had an...

Monsoon — In the United States Southwest, a southerly weather flow characterized by increased humidity, periodic showers, and heavy clouds; usually occurs from mid-July to mid-September. If you’re thinking that doesn’t sound like a great scenario for...

On Thursday, Senior Editor Michael Bakich and I traveled to Tucson and then made the 3-hour drive to Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico. We spent a couple days with a stellar array of amateur astronomers at the site, flummoxed by a very unusual...

Each week, Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Michael Bakich , a master at explaining how to observe, posts a podcast about three objects or events you can see in the sky. In each episode, Michael highlights: One object you can see without any optical...

On July 16, 2009, the world will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 launching from the Kennedy Space Center and heading to the Moon for the first lunar landing. To commemorate this historical event, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and...

A new reference, The Cambridge Double Star Atlas (Cambridge University Press, 2009), just arrived at the magazine. Written by experienced observer James Mullaney and beautifully illustrated by renowned celestial cartographer Wil Tirion, this is a comprehensive...

If all goes as planned, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) will launch from Cape Canaveral either Thursday or Friday, depending on the launch of space shuttle Endeavour. Brown University professor and LRO researcher Michael Wyatt is at the launch...

Saturday was the big day for Apollo Rendezvous, the 39th such convention held by the Miami Valley Astronomical Society (MVAS) at the Boonshoft Museum of Science in Dayton, Ohio. The day started off early and, although turnout was down somewhat this...

The first day of the Apollo Rendezvous meeting in Dayton, Ohio, got rolling with a celebratory lunch with the Eichers — the undersigned, father John and sister Nancy — and members of the host Miami Valley Astronomical Society at the upscale and interesting...

Thursday I traveled to Dayton, Ohio, my family’s old stomping grounds, to attend the annual Apollo Rendezvous meeting that got rolling Friday. After arriving, I met my father John and sister Nancy and we spent a little time running around the city visiting...

Each week, Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Michael Bakich , a master at explaining how to observe, posts a podcast about three objects or events you can see in the sky. In each episode, Michael highlights: One object you can see without any optical...

Wednesday I had the time to attend most of the big talks (in addition to two press conferences). The first presentation of the morning was about astronomy education, public outreach, and Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. I was planning on going to...

Tuesday was a busy day: two press conferences, a science session on the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) , two invited talks, and a session about planet definition. In one of the press conferences, University of California at Berkeley astronomers...

I began working for Astronomy February 17, 2003. Since then, we have published more than 70 equipment reviews — almost one per month. And when you include product roundups like “ 25 top telescopes for starry nights ” and “ 25 great observing accessories...

Tomorrow I’ll travel to my old home grounds in southern Ohio to attend the 2009 Apollo Rendezvous meeting in Dayton. I’ll give a talk about Galileo’s telescopes and observations in this 400th anniversary year . Apollo Rendezvous is a nice meeting, held...

Monday was my first day at the 214th American Astronomical Society meeting. What I’ve already noticed is that it’s not as jam-packed with press events as the January meeting — which I like. (I have the time to check out the science presentations.) Recent...

It’s a common misconception that someone has to be good at math or science to have an interest in space. Art is an integral part of astronomy these days — many discoveries in the distant universe can’t be captured in a photo but must be portrayed through...

This weekend I travel to southern California (Pasadena to be exact) for the 214th American Astronomical Society meeting. I’ll be there through Thursday morning, soaking up the science updates. In addition, I’m planning to head to Griffith Observatory...