The well-known galaxy M95 (NGC 3351) in Leo, currently visible in the evening sky, now hosts a bright supernova. Italian astronomer Paolo Fagotti discovered the exploding star on images he took Saturday, March 17, with a 0.5-m reflector at Porziano...

Two weeks ago, I mentioned an ongoing light pollution battle raging in Arizona over e-billboards . As most of you know, these brightly glowing monstrosities are disastrous for viewers of the night sky, as they flood the surrounding area with photons blasting...

A few days ago, I blogged about the newly discovered bright supernova in the Leo galaxy M95 . This morning, Ohio astroimager John Chumack sent these great images of the galaxy and supernova (designated 2012aw), and they’ll show you exactly where...

As president of the Astronomy Foundation, the telescope industry association and outreach group, I’m proud to announce the appointment of John Schroer as Planetarium Committee chair. John is a highly energetic planetarium wizard, amateur astronomer...

Thanks to everyone who read last week about the depressing news over light pollution in Arizona and turned activist. Powerful lobbyists had pushed for legislation that would have allowed exceptionally bright LED billboards to spring up around the state...

A group of researchers led by Warren Brown of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has discovered a number of stars with high velocities that are being cast out of the Milky Way. Brown and his group discovered the first...

I’ve previously mentioned the Northeast Astronomy Forum, the largest telescope show in the United States that will take place in Suffern, New York, April 28–29. Alan Traino, NEAF’s driving force, has announced the speaker schedule for...

Join Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Rich Talcott, MWT Associates, and I on a trip Down Under to watch the November 14, 2012, total solar eclipse. Experience Australia's wild west Northern Territory, where they revel in a tough, maverick image. Darwin...

For years, Robert Reeves of San Antonio, Texas, has been an Astronomy contributor, friend, and amazing astroimager. Now Reeves, along with some friends in the San Antonio Astronomical Association and the Austin Astronomical Society, has produced a major...

OK — this is pretty neat stuff. For years Dutch amateur astronomer and writer Ralf Vandebergh has specialized in imaging spacecraft like the International Space Station from the ground with backyard telescopes. This requires careful tracking of...

Yesterday, a new website associated with the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, rolled out, and the folks there are urging astronomy enthusiasts to check it out. SETI Live ( www.setilive.org ) allows the public access to data collected by the...

You may have heard over the past month of an effort to recognize the New Horizons mission now en route to Pluto and due to arrive in 2015. Now, many of you know the folks here at Astronomy are Pluto backers. I was a friend of Clyde Tombaugh and considered...

Astroimagers Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre are longtime friends and contributors to Astronomy . Last week, during that phenomenal outbreak of aurorae generated in the wake of the big solar flare, they caught some magnificent images during their flight...

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) is one of the favorite objects for northern hemisphere skywatchers. At a distance of about 24 million light-years, this galaxy tucked in Canes Venatici near the handle of the Big Dipper shines at about 8th magnitude and covers...

What a fitting way to celebrate my 200th blog! Here is the story of how University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point journalism student Steve Walther started Astronomy magazine 39 years ago. I’ll be sharing the history of the magazine from time to time...

I’ve featured several eyepiece renderings of deep-sky objects from the enthusiastic teenage observer Brandon Doyle in the past. You can see his story about drawing galaxies, clusters, and nebulae at the telescope on his website . Brandon also wrote...

This fine little film about the cosmos and the author’s perspective on it is really charming. I saw it online yesterday when its creator, Robert M. Powell, posted it during a science discussion. Bob is an amateur astronomer in Mequon, Wisconsin...

Legendary planetary photographer Don Parker has done it again. As you’re probably aware, Mars reached opposition March 3, appearing bright and relatively large in the sky. Tonight, the Red Planet will shine at magnitude –1.9 and its disk will...

Oceanside Photo & Telescope (OPT) is calling for volunteers in the San Diego, California, area to help with astronomy outreach at this year’s San Diego County Fair. The fair’s 2012 theme will be “Out of this World” and will...

I’m thrilled to announce that Astronomy magazine and the Astronomy Foundation will be participating in and partnering with the Philadelphia Science Festival next month in Pennsylvania. Now in its second year, the festival is a 10-day, community...

Congratulations to a longtime friend of Astronomy magazine, Sir Patrick Moore, now 89, and to the BBC, on this 55th anniversary year of Patrick’s legendary British TV program, The Sky at Night . This show has been part of the fabric of astronomy...

I urge all of you, Arizona residents or not, to pay heed to a warning I’ve received about a terrible light pollution battle happening now in Arizona. The magazine’s longtime good friend and contributor Geoff Chester wrote a couple days ago...

Most of you know that the Astronomy Foundation (AF), the telescope industry trade organization created several years ago, promotes amateur astronomy outreach in a variety of ways. Now it offers two important documents for astronomy clubs and groups to...

Well, I wish I had better news. The business of science is in as uncomfortable a position as it’s ever been these days. In an age when education should be at its greatest level ever, when more people than ever should realize that science is the...

A new orbiting observatory is set to launch next week — NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuStar). This pioneering mission will image the sky for the first time in orbit in high-energy X-rays, promising all kinds of cool findings...