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Blog Post:
Big Orange helps astronomy
Anonymous
I’ve never been a fan of Home Depot. My typical experience involves trying to locate an employee for assistance, only to find an apathetic teenager who doesn’t know a coupling from a chicken coop. I do my best to avoid Big Orange in favor for my local mom-and-pop hardware store. Despite my disdain...
on
Wed, Jul 30 2008
Blog Post:
Back to the saddle
Anonymous
Scott Roberts with the apochromatic refractor telescope presented to National Young Astronomer Award winner John Hodge. Explore Scientific, LLC Most amateur astronomers are familiar with Scott Roberts. During his days with Meade Instruments , he was a common visitor to dozens of annual star parties and...
on
Wed, Jul 23 2008
Blog Post:
The Astronomical League acknowledges webmasters
Anonymous
Bob Schneider, the administrator of the Astronomical League Webmaster Award, announced the winners of the group’s annual contest. First place goes to Del Gordon of the Huachuca Astronomy Club . Besides providing information about the club and its events, he uses the site to promote the people in the...
on
Fri, Jul 11 2008
Blog Post:
Extreme observing
Anonymous
Several astronomy clubs send us their newsletters covering group activities and upcoming sky events. I recently received “Desert Skies” from the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association . While perusing it, I came across the story concerning rattlesnake alerts for observers. Holy cow! Now that is an observing...
on
Thu, Jul 3 2008
Blog Post:
Prolific SOHO reaches benchmark
Anonymous
On June 25, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) discovered its 1,500th comet. This tally tops all other comet discoverers throughout history combined. From ESA: When it comes to comet catching, the SOHO has one big advantage over everybody else: its location. Situated between the Sun and...
on
Fri, Jun 27 2008
Blog Post:
How to make a bad first impression
Anonymous
The EISCAT European space station in the Arctic Circle will pepper an unfortunate solar system in Ursa Major with a Doritos ad. EISCAT How little do we think of potential extraterrestrial life? Not much, it seems. The University of Leicester helped Doritos — yes, THAT Doritos — send a message to a...
on
Fri, Jun 13 2008
Blog Post:
Long time listener, first time caller
Anonymous
Gus Grissom snuck dimes aboard the Liberty 7 capsule. Alan Shepard trumped that by taking a modified 6 iron and a golf ball on Apollo 14. Today, NASA permits astronauts to take a few items along on shuttle flights, as long as they aren’t potato chips . STS-124 Pilot Ken Ham appeared on “ Mike and...
on
Sat, May 31 2008
Blog Post:
Off Orbit
Anonymous
Back in March, I wrote about Astrocast , a non-profit web channel that produces videos on astronomy. The show is designed to reach anybody with an interest in the sky, who may have seen astronomy information on television or the web and wants to learn more. This is an exciting time for the hobby....
on
Fri, May 23 2008
Blog Post:
WorldWide Telescope
Anonymous
Have you downloaded Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope (WWT)? If not, you can find it here , free of charge. Once you kick the tires, be sure to join our community. WWT communities provide tours, images, and other information relating to the night (and day) sky to members. So far, our community features...
on
Wed, May 14 2008
Blog Post:
The Lake County Astronomical Society recognizes Shutan
Anonymous
Marlon Cowart (right) presents Bob Shutan with the the LakeSky Star Award. LCAS The Lake County Astronomical Society (LCAS) is based in northeastern Illinois, just across the border from Astronomy ’s home state of Wisconsin. The group’s outreach efforts have helped reveal the mysteries of the universe...
on
Thu, May 8 2008
Blog Post:
Carter W. Roberts (1946-2008)
Anonymous
We received sad news last night that Carter Roberts passed away about a long battle with colon cancer. Roberts was one of the true heavyweights of West Coast astronomy. He served on the board of Oakland’s Chabot Space and Science Center since 1994 and as president of the Eastbay Astronomical Society...
on
Fri, Apr 25 2008
Blog Post:
Child's play
Anonymous
People love to jump on NASA when things aren’t going so hot for the space agency. Do you remember the reaction of some when the Hubble Space Telescope had its early hiccups? This is the same crowd that ignores NASA’s amazing successes, such as the twin rovers on Mars , Stardust catching a comet, Cassini...
on
Thu, Apr 17 2008
Blog Post:
007 at Atacama
Anonymous
Actor Daniel Craig, director Marc Forster, and actor Mathieu Amalric on the Atacama Desert set. Sony Pictures/ESO When astronomy and cinema come together, you may think of the space views presented in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alien . Astronomy and movies also mix on Earth. Filmmakers use observatories...
on
Thu, Apr 10 2008
Blog Post:
Must-see TV
Anonymous
I have something to look forward to on the idiot box. OK, Battlestar Galactica returns this week with the launch of season four, so two things, actually. The other: PBS will rerun Timothy Ferris ’ 60-minute masterpiece on stargazing, Seeing in the Dark , June 11 (check your local listing for times)....
on
Thu, Apr 3 2008
Blog Post:
Outreach in a digital age
Anonymous
Outreach programs sustain the hobby of astronomy. Typically, these have been hands-on activities at brick and mortar locations. Dedicated volunteers visit classrooms and hold open houses at venues ranging from observatories to planetaria to nature centers. Old school outreach still thrives, but some...
on
Fri, Mar 28 2008
Blog Post:
You can fool some of the people all of the time ...
Anonymous
If there is a hoax involving anything in the sky, Astronomy staff members will receive questions about it. Do you remember the “ Mars as big as the Full Moon ” prank? Lately, I’ve received a few inquiries asking if “moonvertising” is real. This comes from recent billboard and web advertising from...
on
Thu, Mar 20 2008
Blog Post:
Not seeing the light
Anonymous
One of the most flattering tribute you can pay to an invention is, “Why didn’t I think of that?” It comes close to a backhanded compliment, but the praise acknowledges the practicality, efficiency, and solution provided. I recently tested a product that provided that slap-in-the-forehead moment. Manufacturer...
on
Wed, Mar 12 2008
Blog Post:
Skygazers go into the wild
Anonymous
What’s your idea of roughing it? Staying in a 5-star hotel and NOT ordering room service? Or climbing inside a dead camel’s carcass to stay warm, like Bear Grylls of Discovery Channel ’s “Man vs. Wild”? If you lean closer to Grylls’ side and are into the night sky, I have your next vacation plan. Boulder...
on
Sat, Mar 8 2008
Blog Post:
CNET looks at the WorldWide Telescope
Anonymous
Last week, Senior Editor Francis Reddy wrote about his experience with Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope (WWT) at the American Astronomical Society ’s January meeting. Reddy summed up this introduction to Microsoft’s latest innovation as such: Imagine terabytes of astronomical imagery, ranging...
on
Thu, Mar 6 2008
Blog Post:
Uncentering the Earth
Anonymous
In the past few years, various publishers have released several titles on or related to Copernicus. Two that stand out for me are Dennis Danielson’s The First Copernican and Jack Repcheck’s Copernicus’ Secret . I interviewed both authors about their books. You can listen to my Danielson interview here...
on
Thu, Mar 6 2008
Blog Post:
What can mom serve us now?
Anonymous
Before the International Astronomical Union ’s (IAU) 2006 demotion of Pluto, many schoolchildren remembered the solar system’s planetary progression with mnemonics, including “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.” Following the IAU’s solar system tweaks, kids need a new memory aid. ...
on
Wed, Feb 27 2008
Blog Post:
Terminate with extreme prejudice
Anonymous
A Delta II rocket carrying satellite USA-193 takes off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, December 14, 2006. USAF Tonight, the United States Navy may make its first attempt to shoot down failing spy satellite USA-193 . The Pentagon released notification, but conditions must be ideal for...
on
Wed, Feb 20 2008
Blog Post:
Keeping time
Anonymous
This morning, I was looking through images of the current shuttle mission on NASA’s site . I came across the photograph posted to the right. In it, STS-122 Commander Steven Frick is writing on a tablet in front of a control panel. I’m a gadget freak, so although the operations portion of the image is...
on
Thu, Feb 14 2008
Blog Post:
Winter Star Party (Day 3)
Anonymous
Location, location, location. This maxim isn’t only reserved for real estate, but also holds true for vendors at star parties. This year, Astronomy holds another great position at the Winter Star Party (WSP). Best of all, right next door is Tele Vue ’s booth, commanded by the company's founder, Al...
on
Fri, Feb 8 2008
Blog Post:
Winter Star Party 2008 (Day 2)
Anonymous
The Southern Cross Astronomical Society is the gracious host of the Winter Star Party (WSP). Many folks you run into at the WSP come from this group or another of the several astro communities throughout Florida. However, participants aren't limited to the Sunshine State. Walking through the...
on
Thu, Feb 7 2008
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