I had the honor of traveling the United States as a NASA Teacher-in-Space finalist following the 1986 Challenger accident. My audiences ranged from primary school classes to civic organizations. And more often than not, I had an invitation to speak at...

Rogelio Bernal Andreo's wide-field view of the nebulae in Orion the Hunter won 2009's Deep-Sky category. Rogelio Bernal Andreo If you don’t know about it already, you should be aware of Astronomy ’s 2010 Astroimaging Contest. The October 1 deadline...

Astronomy Senior Editor Michael Bakich’s new book, 1,001 Celestial Wonders to See Before You Die , is just out from Springer. It is a paperback that, in my opinion, will add significantly to the bookshelves of astronomy enthusiasts. The book (479 pp....

One Ring Zero’s latest album, Planets , includes the always controversial "Pluto," as well as the often controversial accordion and theremin. One Ring Zero We all enjoy looking at the planets, but how often do we get to hear them? The new album...

Anthony Ayiomamitis was trying to image this stunning supernova remnant in Cygnus, CTB 80, which the Hubble Space Telescope captured in 1997. NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) During the past week or so, I’ve received two e-mails from Athens...

Jack Horkheimer, America's stargazer. Bill Wisser photo I just heard some sad news. Jack Horkheimer, the astronomy television celebrity who went by the nickname “Star Hustler,” passed away in his Florida home this morning. I’m afraid I don’t have...

Lisa Frattare of the Space Telescope Science Institute is one AIC 2010's guest speakers. STScI photo The seventh incarnation of the Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC) promises to be the best one yet. The 2010 event will be held at the Hyatt Regency...

This past weekend, August 13–15, debuted the first SETIcon , which gathered more than a thousand participants in Santa Clara, California. The event — “the first-ever public convention focused on the search for life in the universe in science fact and...

One of the best parts of my job is reading the kinds of news stories and articles I used to read just for fun. “ Death Of The Big Bang, Or The Problem Of Time’s Beginning ” by frequent Astronomy contributor and astrophysicist Adam Frank...

This Perseid meteor streaks through the summer Milky Way August 13, 2010, at 2:17:12 CDT. Near the bottom of the image, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) glows, and below and to the left of center you can see the tiny image of the Double Cluster in Perseus ...

Mars sketched by Michael T. Sheehan using a 6-inch f/5 reflector at 324x with a #25A red filter and a #58 green filter, October 10, 1988, from 9:10 to 9:40 CDT. The sketch is centered on Solis Lacus, at 130° CM. David J. Eicher library To learn...

To see the time-lapse video from imager Tony Rowell, click on the picture above. Recently, image contributor Tony Rowell from Bishop, California, sent me a short time-lapse video . He took this footage in May at Lake Sabrina, which lies east of Bishop...

Open cluster NGC 2301 sketched by Contributing Editor Phil Harrington using an 8-inch f/10 SCT at 78x, January 8, 1986. David J. Eicher library To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com...

Observers have known about Mercury's existence since antiquity, but it's difficult to study because of its position in the solar system. In the first installment of the "Tour the solar system" series, Associate Editor Liz Kruesi explores...

NGC 6781 sketched by Dave Eicher with the 82-inch (2.1m) Otto Struve telescope at McDonald Observatory, June 4, 1989, during the 1989 Texas Star Party. David J. Eicher library To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers...

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and its two satellites, M32 and NGC 205, sketched by Jeff Corder using a 6-inch reflector at 30x, July 7, 1973. David J. Eicher library To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access...

Mars sketched by James P. Carroll using a 10-inch f/4 reflector at 320x on June 17, 1988, from 10:00 UT to 10:20 UT. David J. Eicher library To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video...

This summer has been an especially crazy season for me, with weekends jammed-packed with visitors, festivals, weddings, reunions, and the like. I haven’t had the chance to get away from the city at all, so my connection to astronomy has mostly been...

The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) sketched by Christian Legrand of Preaux, France, using an 8-inch f/6 reflector at 75x with an OIII filter. David J. Eicher library To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my...

The Sun with a sunspot group sketched by Richard Baum of Chester England, February 14, 1988 at 12:50 UT (left), February 21, 1988 at 11:20 UT (center), and February 23, 1988, at 9:20 UT (right). David J. Eicher library To learn more about astronomical...

The lunar crater Aristarchus and the Schröter Valley sketched by Jay Albert using an 8-inch f/10 SCT at 301x on November 27, 1982. David J. Eicher library To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy...

Jupiter sketched by Dan Troiani with a 10-inch f/6 reflector at 283x, January 24, 1981, 8:41 to 9:07 UT. David J. Eicher library To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "...

The Jewel Box (NGC 4755) sketched by Chris Schur with a 6-inch f/5 reflector at 61x from Calaundra, Australia, in April 1986. David J. Eicher library To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy...