Well, the United States House of Representatives has done some dumb things in its time, but yesterday it may have equaled its best. The House Appropriations Committee proposed killing the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the centerpiece of NASA’s...

On April 4, 2011, the New York Times ran a story called “ Black-Market Trinkets from Space ” in which writer William J. Broad lashed out at amateur meteorite collectors and dealers for practicing their hobby. “An illegal sales market...

Very sad news greeted me when I came into the office this morning. Michael Bakich informed me that he had heard of David Healy’s death, which actually happened a few days ago. For those who didn’t know him or know of him, David Healy (1936–2011...

OK, a few days ago I told you about Astronomy magazine’s planned trip to see the June transit of Venus in Hawaii. Now I’m going to suggest you also go to Australia to see the big eclipse event of the year, the total solar eclipse on November...

You wanna know one thing that really grates on me? B.S. ads that misrepresent science at the most basic level and the consumers who willingly and enthusiastically slurp up the products without having any idea they are being hustled. One such enormous...

A type Ia supernova discovered Wednesday, August 24 , in the nearby galaxy M101 in Ursa Major is the nearest type Ia supernova astronomers have found since 1986. The brightness of this exploding star is on the rise, and it could be visible in a 6-inch...

Several of you who were at star parties over the past few days commented to me about how cool it was to see Comet Garradd slide past the rich globular cluster M71 in Sagitta, a close encounter that occurred on the evening of Saturday, August 27. C/2009...

Welcome to “Dave’s universe,” the new blog by Dave Eicher, editor of Astronomy magazine, and astronomy and science popularizer. I’ll be bringing you new thoughts about astronomy, cosmology, nature, the hobby of astronomy, the sometimes...

Astronomy’s roots in human culture run deep, and rarely more so than with nomenclature for our days of the week. Origins of the days of the week date to Sumerians around 5,000 B.C. The Romans revised them in A. D. 321. The Romans named weekdays...

You may have heard over the past few days of an effort to recognize the New Horizons mission now en route to Pluto and due to arrive in 2015. Yesterday, Alan Stern, the mission’s project scientist, called me and asked Astronomy magazine to step...

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...

I’m proud to announce that again this year Astronomy magazine will be sponsoring the world’s largest consumer telescope show, the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF). The 22nd NEAF will take place April 20–21, 2013, at Rockland Community...

My first encounter with Carl Sagan came as a teenager when I readied for a late night of observing with my telescope. I hovered over The Tonight Show before heading outside and sat, mesmerized, as this Cornell University professor made astronomy relevant...

Ph.D. astronomer, Queen guitarist, and Astronomy Editorial Advisory Board member Brian May sent some 3-D images of Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4) the other day. These are absolutely incredible and will blow your mind when you see them in the right way. You...

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...

In the old days at Astronomy , we used to have a saying whenever someone separated Earth science from astronomy— “Earth is a planet, too.” NASA has just released what may be the greatest image yet of our planet, a multicolor photo of...

Audrey Fischer is on a mission. This tireless promoter of dark skies has an important milestone coming in her fight to reduce light pollution in Chicago, Illinois — and you can help in a big way. Audrey is a friend of the magazine, one of the organizers...

All right, yesterday I ranted at ya a bit over the nonsense energy drink phenomenon that is making lots of marketing groups and beverage companies super rich as you swill their heavily caffeinated water. Today I’m gonna report on an equally bogus...

An “electronic artist,” Rafael Lozano-Hammer, is planning to light up the sky over Philadelphia from September 20 through October 14, 2012, using an array of powerful searchlights. The so-called Open Air art project will employ 24 high-powered...

When I was a young teenager, I leaned in interest toward medicine — a physician’s career, I thought. Then, at 14, I went to a local star party and saw Saturn through a small scope. That moment changed my life. All other interests ceased; I...

Have you ever been watching a movie late at night when you’re interrupted by one of these inane commercials for magnetic bracelets? You know, the ones that show people wearing a magnetized piece of metal on their wrist or as a pendant and somehow...

If we’re going to have a world in which people get smarter as time goes on, we must start living in the current century. Today, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), our friends Down Under, issued a press release conveniently calling attention...