Sheldon Reynolds, who for 14 years was the lead guitarist for the legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire, has always moved in astronomy-related directions. His latest venture is a fundraising effort for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI...

For the second year in a row , I spent a great weekend in Fall Creek, Wisconsin. The organizers of the 25th annual Northwoods Starfest — led by Jon Dannehy — once again asked me to speak, so my wife, Holley, and I made the four-hour drive...

We here at Astronomy are all about outreach . Not only is it fun to share the skies with someone who’s never really noticed them before, but it’s also a good idea to make sure people will still want to observe the heavens after we’re...

This year, the organizers of the Northwoods Starfest have once again asked me to be a featured speaker. That’s two years in a row . You’d think they’d learn! This annual three-day star party — 2012 marks the 24th year — takes...

On September 17, 1912, American astronomer Vesto Melvin Slipher changed the study of the universe when he measured the first velocity of a “spiral nebula” from its light spectrum. As an object moves toward us, its light shifts to shorter,...

I’ve always been a fan of science, especially space (my bedroom in Puerto Rico featured a pretty nifty mural of the solar system), and science museums played a big part in developing that interest. Whether it was at the Parque de las Ciencias in...

The peak of the Perseid meteor shower occurred August 11/12, and I was wondering if any of our readers took the opportunity to head out and observe it. If so, please email a brief report to me at mbakich@astronomy.com . My wife, Holley, and I received...

Here at Astronomy world headquarters, we make no secret about our love of food . Perhaps it was with us in mind, then, that the good people at Oreo sent us a few examples of their ad campaign that incorporates recent events using their iconic cookies...

The Ravinia “Music and astronomy under the stars” program Tuesday, July 31, went wonderfully. We had lots of people — and hoards of children — stop by our table to chat. Somebody asked us about NASA’s future plans regarding...

I just stumbled across this awesome action shot of the Curiosity rover’s landing ! The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) aboard the Mars Renaissance Orbiter captured this picture of the rover’s deployed parachute. The HiRISE...

If you’re a space geek AND a car geek, Ford Motor Co. has put together a little graphic about the imminent landing (we hope) of Curiosity on the surface of Mars that you might find interesting. Yes, it’s a promotional thing, but not without...

A great way to get beginners interested in astronomy and stargazing is to set up a telescope in a public location and attract passersby. Some observers have taken to street corners, others to central parks, but in Geneva, New York, one amateur astronomer...

On Friday, July 27, Astronomy Editor David J. Eicher and I made the 1½-hour drive from Waukesha to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture show. And we weren’t alone. This year, AirVenture, which...