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Day 1 at the Advanced Imaging Conference 2011

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

I’m at the Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC), which for the second straight year is being held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Santa Clara, California. The 2011 version is the conference’s eighth incarnation. November 4–6. For the third straight year, Astronomy magazine is proud to be an editorial sponsor. Jay GaBany, one of the conference organizers, confirmed to me that this year’s event is the largest so far. “We have more than 300 attendees,” Jay said, &ldq...

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Discover the Universe: Houston, Texas

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

It’s been a little while since our last update about Astronomy magazine’s Discover the Universe program, but Jim Wessel, educational outreach chairman of the Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society, remedies that with news on his group’s latest success. Jim writes: Thank you for the handouts you generously provided for use at our Houston area Astronomy Day (A-Day)! Because it happened October 8, the same evening as the International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN), we scored ...

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Previewing the Advanced Imaging Conference 2011

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

The eighth annual Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC) promises to be the best one yet. The 2011 event is being held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Santa Clara, California, November 4–6. For the third straight year, Astronomy magazine is proud to be an editorial sponsor. This year’s speakers include regular Astronomy contributors Adam Block (“ABCs of Image Processing”), Steve Cannistra (“Wide-field Image Processing”), R. Jay GaBany (“Awakening Your Astronom...

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New NOVA shows take on the universe

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Do you ever wonder what space-time, that mystical fabric of the universe, really is? Have you heard of the more interesting effects of physics, stuff like time dilation and quantum tunneling, but just can’t wrap your mind around the ideas? Would you, in short, like a better picture of the universe? Well, besides reading Astronomy magazine every month, you can tune in to a special NOVA series airing in November titled The Fabric of the Cosmos. Based on a book by physicist and science commu...

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Delightful doctoral dancing

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Well, it’s official! Science has announced the winner of the fourth annual “Dance your Ph.D.” contest. The grand prize goes to Joel Miller, a biomedical engineer at the University of Western Australia in Perth, who performed “Microstructure-Property relationships in Ti2448 components produced by Selective Laser Melting: A Love Story” (see the video below). Miller gets not only $1,000 and a free trip to Belgium to be crowned champion, but also the admiration and res...

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Astroimager “honored” by NASA

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Astronomy magazine features some well-known contributors, many on the science end and others who represent amateur astronomy. And when one of these people wins the Nobel Prize, for example, or receives some other award, we like to tout it here. What you’re about to read, however, may be the strangest “honor” one of our contributors has ever received. Astroimager R. Jay GaBany has sent Astronomy his high-quality shots for years, and we’ve published many of them. Most rece...

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What’s in an instrument’s name?

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

Recently, I’ve learned about two opportunities for the public to contribute in naming key scientific instruments in the astronomy community. First up is a contest to help NASA give the twin Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft new names. It won’t be hard to beat the current ones, with their creative monikers of GRAIL-A and GRAIL-B. The pair lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on September 10 and will arrive at the Moon near the end of t...

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Thinking of buying a telescope?

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Selecting a telescope, like buying a car, is subject to your tastes as a consumer. In other words, the choice is up to you. But the editors at Astronomy magazine have just made that decision a lot easier with “How to Buy Your First Telescope.” This 16-page pluck-out guide sponsored by Celestron appears in the November 2011 issue of Astronomy, on newsstands now. After reading this goldmine of information, you’ll be able to identify the main types of telescopes (and the advantag...

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This weekend only: Enjoy a free tour of Astronomy.com!

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

From noon CDT, Friday, October 14, through 8 a.m. CDT, Monday, October 17, all the great Astronomy.com features available only to registered users or Astronomy magazine subscribers will be offered to everyone — for free! Find out what you've been missing! Check out these exclusive benefits: StarDome Plus — Locate specific objects like planets, comets, galaxies, nebulae, and more in your night sky with the expanded version of Astronomy.com’s interactive star chart. Equi...

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Women and science

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

I heard some good news the other day. The Royal Astronomical Society published a study in the October Astronomy & Geophysics showing that astronomy and solid-Earth geophysics have a better representation of women than other disciplines of physics. Yay! It’s nice to see “my” branch of science come out ahead. Of course, the accomplishment is sort of like being the smartest cow: It’s not saying all that much. A study in the October issue of Gender & Society says tha...

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Discover the Universe: Jacksonville, Florida, Day 2

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Saturday, October 8, was the second and final day of the Discover the Universe (DtU) public event held at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) in Florida. Lots of people and organizations participated in making this a grand event. I want to give special recognition to Mike Reynolds, Dean of Liberal Arts at FSCJ. Reynolds also serves the Astronomy Foundation as the chairman of its Star Party committee, and he is passionate about outreach. In addition to the hall used for today&rs...

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Discover the Universe: Jacksonville, Florida, Day 1

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Friday, October 7, was the first day of the premier Discover the Universe (DtU) public star party event held at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) in Florida. Sponsors of DtU included the Astronomy Foundation, Astronomy magazine, Explore Scientific, Meade Instruments, Hospitality Inn of Jacksonville, the Upsilon Eta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the STEM Club, Starbucks Coffee on Roosevelt Boulevard in Jacksonville, the Brian Gooding Planetarium, OpticsPlanet.com, and t...

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Watch a comet move

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Astroimager John Bunyan from Grants Pass, Oregon, just sent me a video of Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd). Although the video’s run-time is short (only 5 seconds), it encompasses 2.5 hours of exposures. John shot thirty 5-minute images back to back and compiled them into this video. The movie shows Comet Garradd slowly drifting toward the Coathanger asterism, a grouping of 10 stars brighter than 7th magnitude in the constellation Vulpecula the Fox. This group appears distinct to the naked eye ...

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It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a satellite!

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

I’m sure this is probably unnecessary advice for many of Astronomy magazine’s readers, but make sure to look up this Friday. That’s when NASA has calculated its 20-year-old Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) should reenter Earth’s atmosphere. The odds that it hits someone are only 1 in 3,200 (and the odds that it hits you in particular are almost infinitesimal), but it still couldn’t hurt to remain extra vigilant and keep an eye out for pieces of the roughly...

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Guest blog: A historical comet discovery

Posted 12 years ago by Liz Kruesi

An amateur astronomer in India recently contacted us to let Astronomy magazine know a bit of comet discovery history. Amar A. Sharma, an active visual comet and deep-sky observer from the Bangalore Astronomical Society in India, told us of the first (and only) comet to be discovered by an Indian. Thanks for the great information, Amar! Manali Kallat Vainu Bappu (1927–1982) is the father of modern Indian astronomy. He also happens to be the only Indian after whom a comet has been named. A...

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American spaceflight’s impact on the “Space Coast”

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

The landing of space shuttle Atlantis July 21, 2011, marked the end of a great achievement in American spaceflight; it also left an uncomfortable feeling of a great unknown. With the cancellation of the Constellation Program — NASA’s next-generation human spaceflight plan — how would Americans get themselves back into low Earth orbit and beyond? Would we remain stuck hitching a lift on Russian Soyuz spacecraft? But the end of the Space Shuttle Program brought even greater ques...

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On the road: The 2011 Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, Day 2

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Yesterday, Sunday, September 18, was the last day of the fourth annual Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show (PATS) in Pasadena, California. One of the conference’s organizers told me that Saturday was the best day (attendance-wise) in the 4-year history of the event.Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen several products you’ll be reading reviews of in upcoming issues of Astronomy magazine. And I’ve talked to other manufacturers who promised announcements of new gear soon....

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On the road: The 2011 Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, Day 1

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

It’s that time of year again. I’m in Pasadena, California, spending the weekend (September 16–18) at the fourth annual Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show (PATS). This gathering gives telescope and astronomy equipment manufacturers the chance to show off to lots of visitors (many of whom are nurturing their first love of our hobby) the chance to look at and discuss the latest astronomy gear. The newest telescopes, mounts, cameras, eyepieces, and accessories are all on ...

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Guest blog: The 21st Connecticut Star Party

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

I’ve just heard from Cheryl Barker, vice president of the Astronomical Society of New Haven, about an event that might interest many of Astronomy magazine’s New England readers: the 21st Connecticut Star Party. We asked her to write a guest blog about the event, so readers could get all the information straight from the source. The Astronomical Society of New Haven (ASNH) has been bringing amateur astronomy to Connecticut for 74 years, including 21 years hosting the Connecticut Star...

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A great time at the Northwoods Starfest

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

I spent this past weekend in Fall Creek, Wisconsin. The organizers of the 23rd annual Northwoods Starfest — led by Jon Dannehy — had asked me to speak about an observing-related topic, so I made the 4-hour drive northwest. This year, the star party occurred Friday through Sunday, August 26–28, at Hobbs Observatory, which is part of the Beaver Creek Reserve. One of the impressive things about viewing through the observatory’s scopes is the mount for their 24-inch reflecto...

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Falling stars: All about shatter cones

Posted 12 years ago by Mike Reynolds

When sleuthing a potential or known meteorite impact crater, scientists look for clues. One of these clues is a geological feature known as a “shatter cone.” These objects — also called shocked rocks — bear the patterns of high-energy impacts. They are found only in the bedrock under meteorite impact craters or near underground nuclear explosions. This gives us some idea of the power of a meteorite impact. Shatter cones show that the rocks near the impact site have been ...

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Updating a dome

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Rich Olson from the Ash Manufacturing Company based in Plainfield, Illinois, just sent some really cool pictures showing his company refurbishing an observatory dome for Institut d’Astrophysique de l’Université de Liège in Belgium. The dome, which astronomers call the TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope) Dome, sits at an altitude of nearly 7,900 feet (2,400 meters) atop a mountain near La Silla, Chile. It has been in need of repair for some ti...

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Heading north to observe

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Tomorrow (Friday, August 26), I’ll be driving up to Fall Creek, Wisconsin, to speak at the 23rd annual Northwoods Starfest. This year, the star party occurs August 26–28, at Hobbs Observatory.That facility is part of the Beaver Creek Reserve. The observatory has two domes, one with a 24-inch f/5 reflector and the other with a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. There is also a large meeting area where talks and presentations take place. I guess that’s where I’ll be at ...

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NASA’s invading aliens?

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

It’s no secret that part of the wonder of space exploration lies in the possibility of finding extraterrestrial life. Not just little green men either — encountering any kind of life, whether primitive, fungal, or even something unrecognizable, would significantly change how we see our place in the cosmos. Helping bring that fact home has been a recent article, “Would Contact with Extraterrestrials Benefit or Harm Humanity? A Scenario Analysis” in the June-July issue of...

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Book review: “Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted”

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

If anyone remembers the controversy around 2007’s “New Seven Wonders of the World” announcement, you realize that making a top seven list about any of the amazing sites — man-made or natural — found on Earth is going to be contentious and difficult. Now try expanding the list to include the entire universe. How could you pick? In Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011), author C. Renée James doe...

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Discover the Universe: Oak Harbor, Washington

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

The primary purpose of Astronomy magazine’s Discover the Universe program is to bring the heavens to the masses, whether that’s at a busy downtown street corner or a crowded neighborhood festival. Carol Ogden, president of the Island County Astronomical Society, took the latter route and found much success, as she explains: We finally had some clear skies to enjoy in Oak Harbor, Washington, during a festival called National Night Out on Tuesday, August 2. The city police, county she...

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Discover the Universe: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

So far, Astronomy magazine’s Discover the Universe program has helped groups put on sidewalk astronomy events in the United States, Canada, and Europe. We can now add another continent to the list, as I’ve just heard back from Tuan Duy, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Amateur Astronomy Club in Vietnam, which put on a number of great events this summer, including one for June’s total lunar eclipse, which featured the most dramatic images and description. Astronomy is quite a n...

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Astronomy magazine now available on Zinio

Posted 12 years ago by Chris Raymond

In response to reader requests, Kalmbach Publishing Co. launched a digital version of Astronomy magazine on the Zinio digital magazine platform this week. Users of this leading software application can now order single issues or subscribe directly from their iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac or PC, and select Android tablets.Starting with the June 2011 issue, Zinio users may purchase single issues of Astronomy, subscribe to the digital-only version, or take advantage of a Digital and Print Combo for...

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LEGO and NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Partnership Rocks!

Posted 12 years ago by Chris Raymond

Those who know me understand that within my 45-year-old frame beats the heart of a child. I still play video games, still shake presents under the tree in the days leading up to Christmas, and still feel that same sense of awe when viewing the rings of Saturn like I did when I first glimpsed them through my telescope in fourth grade. Recently, I finished assembling a LEGO version of Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous house Fallingwater that this man-child simply had to have.Well, I could hardly f...

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Introducing “The week in pictures”

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

While astronomy is frequently considered the most beautiful science, creating fantastic imagery isn’t often the primary goal of the research featured in Astronomy magazine or on Astronomy.com. It’s a fortunate byproduct of the sheer wonder of the cosmos coupled with amazing advancements in research technology — huge ground-based telescopes, orbiting observatories, and unmanned imaging spacecraft. To celebrate our good fortune of witnessing amazing discoveries and cutting-edge ...

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