As with so many things in life — phones, cars, computers, etc. — websites occasionally get worn out, so they require an upgrade — a new look, more features, and better organization. And that’s what we’re planning to give you when we unveil a new Astronomy.com October 26. Our editorial team, as well as the great staff in online publishing, has been working diligently this past year to create an even better experience for you at our website. To get the new site up and running, there will be a transitional period where Astronomy.com is down on the 26th, but it will return that same day with a fresh look and great new features, including:
The Sky this Week
This new column previews the week’s observable sky events. You’ll learn when and where to spot planets, meteor showers, comets, asteroids, deep-sky objects, and more.
Products & Reviews
We’re expanding our equipment coverage on Astronomy.com! In addition to the Equipment Review Archive, we’ll now include all the new products from the magazine’s monthly New Products section in a searchable database. The listings will include manufacturer contact information, as well as product descriptions and specifications.
Trips & Tours
The new Trips & Tours section is your destination to learn about upcoming Astronomy magazine tours, as well as watch videos and browse pictures of current Astronomy tours. In the next year, readers will join us on adventures hiking the trails of the Maya in Mexico, exploring the desert sands of Tunisia for meteorites, and more.
Ask Astro archive
We’ve added search functionality to the Ask Astro section. This area features answers from the world’s foremost astronomy experts to your questions. Simply type in a keyword topic and hit “Search.” Ask Astro is a great educational and outreach resource. Answers are clear, concise, and often include graphics.
Astronomy.com Community
The Community area (Forums, Blogs, and Online Reader Gallery) is also getting a new look with updated software. These popular online destinations will go live October 27 (maintenance will require the area to be down on the 26th). The organization of the Forum posts will remain the same, but your profile page will offer more features, including: sending private messages as conversations (where you can send a note to more than one person if you like), the option to create friendships with fellow forum members, the ability to make announcements in your profile, and more.
The Online Reader Gallery will also sport a fresh look and the much-anticipated ability to edit your description text even after you’ve posted your photo, as well as the ability to sort photos based on different parameters such as “most comments.”
This is just a taste of what the new Astronomy.com will offer. We hope you will feel as excited about the upgrades as we do during our countdown to October 26.