Astronomy.com Forums

7 quick facts about Celestron

Bill Andrews — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:51:00 GMT

Celestron’s C8 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope has always been one of the company’s seminal scopes, with the modern version living up to even higher standards than the original. Celestron

Surely most of our readers here are familiar with Celestron, one of (if not the) most famous telescope makers in the world. But how many of you also know that 2010 marks the company’s 50th anniversary?

In writing a news story detailing Celestron’s anniversary, I came across a few other little facts even the most hard-core astronomy devotee might not know.

Celestron remains a private company with corporate offices in Torrance, California.
Tom Johnson founded Celestron as a division of Valor Electronics in 1960, all because he was looking for a “suitable” telescope for his two sons.
Initially named Celestron-Pacific, in 1964 the company decided to shorten its name simply to Celestron.
In 1962, Johnson dazzled attendees of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society Star Party with his first 18-inch Cassegrain telescope.
The Celestron C8 was the first Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope to be reliably mass-produced, resulting in lower costs.
Celestron’s C5 telescope, a descendant of the C8, has flown on board the space shuttle on multiple missions, after NASA selected it as a worthy observation tool.
President Obama and his wife enjoyed looking through a Celestron CPC 800 at the first star party on the White House lawn, during the International Year of Astronomy (October 6, 2009).

Feel free to add any more tidbits about Celestron you may know in the comments. And if you’re a big fan, you may want to head to http://www.celestron.com/50/ and sign their guest book, too.

Images start to roll in from Astronomy Magazine Observatories

Michael Bakich — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:51:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, Astronomy Editor David J. Eicher visited the astronomy and equestrian village at Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico. While Dave was there, developer Gene Turner surprised him by unveiling a second Astronomy Magazine Observatory, just to the east of the first one.

The goal is to stream images from the observatory (or observatories!) to our web site. As fiber-optic Internet lines become operational and as Rancho Hidalgo acquires new equipment for the process, images are beginning to flow our way. The solar image you see here is one example.

Along with the image, Gene sent all the relevant information:

“Michael, this is an H-alpha shot through Astronomy’s solar setup at your observatory at Rancho Hidalgo. The instruments used were a Tele Vue 101 refractor with a 100mm double-stacked 0.4-Angstrom Isle of Man Solarscope Hydrogen-alpha filter and a 3x Tele Vue Barlow lens. The camera was a Meade Pictor 1616. As you know, we piggybacked the whole setup on a 14-inch Meade LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. David Eicher and I shot this image February 12, 2010. Note the strong sunspot regions along with the intense filaments in multiple locations. Solar maximum is on its way, and the pictures are starting to show increased activity on the Sun.”

They sure are. 

Your own personal scanning electron microscope

Bill Andrews — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:27:00 GMT

Readers of this site (and magazine) may be accustomed to using magnification to look at the very big, very far away. But, apart from any biology or chemistry enthusiasts out there, what about using magnification to look at the very, very small? When’s the last time you looked at that not-so-distant alien world?

The ASPEX Corporation is running a campaign specifically to help you do that. If you send in a sample of something and a form, they’ll run it through their scanning electron microscope for free, and post the images online. Their site explaining the process outlines the 5 steps to make it happen: find a sample, fill out a form, send them to ASPEX, wait for them to scan it (usually about 2 weeks), and look at it online.

Their gallery already shows a lot of variety, but they think it would be even better with a high-quality picture of a meteorite or two and you know, we agree. So if you have a meteorite (or anything else) you’d like to see almost impossibly up close and personal, send it over, and they’ll apparently do the rest. Just be sure to write on the form that you’d like your sample returned, unless you want to make a thank-you donation.

So, will you submit anything for the world to see under enormous magnification? Any suggestions you hope other people will send?

ASPEX Corporation photo

Video: An interview with Glynn Burke of MyTelescope.com

David Eicher — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:23:00 GMT

Three weeks ago during my stay at Rancho Hidalgo, Gene Turner’s astronomy village near Animas, New Mexico, I had the pleasure of being introduced to Glynn Burke by our mutual friend Gene. Gene explained that Glynn is a brilliant engineer who is setting up a network of computer controlled telescopes that can be used for educational purposes remotely, by amateur astronomers situated anywhere on the planet.

Glynn operates a network of computer controlled telescopes in Manitoba, Canada, and also has 10 scopes installed (in various stages of completion, seven of them fully operational, I believe) at Rancho Hidalgo under the pristine skies of dark New Mexico. For a tour of his setup and explanatory material, see MyTelescope.com.

The accompanying video shows Glynn walking us through a demonstration of how his robotic telescope control works, and was shot by me at the ranch two weeks ago — in the film you’ll see Glynn and my dad, John Eicher, and hear me asking Glynn questions about how his scopes work. (Note: When you click the link to the video, you'll find it below the three-part interview with the Meteorite Men.) Glynn was imaging the famous galaxy-quasar pair NGC 4319-Markarian 205, the subject of much controversy over the years, and he created a stunning picture of it. The object became famous in the 1970s when astronomer Halton Arp claimed he detected a light bridge connecting the galaxy and quasar, which lay at extremely disparate redshifts, and therefore the whole method of using redshifts to determine extragalactic distances must be wrong. Instead, it was Arp who was wrong.

In any case, watch the video and you’ll see a fascinating demo of how Glynn’s telescopes work and how you can access them at Mytelescope.com.

Related:

Taking a cross-country road trip with The Pluto Files

Karri Ferron — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:27:00 GMT

Neil deGrasse Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, which caused controversy with how it categorized the solar system into three groups, placing Pluto not with the other planets but with the Kuiper Belt objects at the outskirts of our solar system. Dan Deitch photo

Last night, PBS debuted a new NOVA episode dedicated to NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson’s now somewhat infamous book, The Pluto Files. Having read the book and interviewed Tyson for the “Astro Confidential” department in the magazine, I was excited to see how they’d put his book on screen. I also knew Tyson would be interviewing staunch Pluto supporter and New Horizon’s principal investigator Alan Stern on the program, and I was curious to see how that dynamic went.

The show paid, in my opinion, a nice complement to the book, which in paperback contains some still shots from the episode and a variety of appendix material that the 1-hour program includes. If you read the book first, which I recommend you do, you’ll know Tyson’s position on Pluto, but the author doesn’t actually reveal his full stance until the end of the NOVA program. Instead, he spends most of the program explaining the history of Pluto’s discovery and how the controversy started (including some great clips from Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart), debating the pros and cons of its full planetary status, and delving into why people are so passionate about this icy world in the outskirts of our solar system. And he interviews people on all sides, including a pleasant discussion with Stern.

The Pluto Files takes readers on a journey of Pluto’s discovery and the controversy around its current planetary status.

My favorite part of the show, though, was Tyson’s visit to New Mexico to see Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh’s family. There, Clyde’s son, Alden, showed Tyson some of Clyde’s homemade telescopes. I was as amazed with him as Tyson was with the materials Clyde used (a lawn mower?!). And I loved how gracious and kind-hearted daughter Annette was upon her eventual visit to the Hayden Planetarium in New York, which is kind of the starting point for the Pluto debate.

In the end, it was a fascinating program, and I recommend people on all sides of the fence should read the book and/or try to catch the NOVA episode on repeat (check your local listings) — or buy the DVD from pbs.org. We here at the magazine are very much divided on Pluto’s status, but we all enjoyed the program.

If you have already read the book or caught last night’s Nova, what were your reactions? Should Pluto stay a dwarf planet or regain its full planetary status? What about Eris and the rest of the dwarf planets?

Related:

Happy Birthday Pluto('s discovery), by Bill Andrews, assistant editor
Pluto in my heart, by Michael E. Bakich, senior editor
Pluto's planetary predicament, by Bill Andrews, assistant editor

Exclusive pictures from the European Northern Observatory

Michael Bakich — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:50:00 GMT

Earlier this week, I received this short note from Enrico Sacchetti, a commercial photographer based in South Florida:

Dear Michael,

 I wanted to show you a few images I recently shot at the European Northern Observatory’s Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma, Spain. One of the telescopes there, the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC), is currently the world’s largest optical telescope.

Along with the note, he sent the superb pictures on this page.

Thanks, Enrico!

An inside view of the Gran Telescopio Canarias. This scope has a segmented mirror 409 inches (10.4 meters) in diameter. Enrico Sacchetti photo

Another view of the Gran Telescopio Canarias showing it silhouetted against the observatory’s slit. Enrico Sacchetti photo

The Liverpool Telescope is a 79-inch (2 meters) fully robotic telescope that has been operating since 2004. Enrico Sacchetti photo

Here is the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov Telescope, also known as the MAGIC Telescope. It is a gamma-ray telescope with a mirror surface of 2,540 square feet (236 square meters). Enrico Sacchetti photo

This is a side view of the MAGIC Telescope. This instrument studies active galactic nuclei, black hole binary systems, and supernova remnants. Enrico Sacchetti photo

The Swedish Solar Telescope (SST) is a 39-inch (1 meter) solar telescope that first went into service March 2, 2002. Enrico Sacchetti photo

The Wide Angle Search for Planets (SuperWASP) is England’s leading extrasolar planet detection program. Enrico Sacchetti photo

The Telescopio Nazionale “Galileo” is a 141-inch (3.58 meters) alt-azimuth telescope with a Ritchey-Chrétien optical configuration equipped with an active optics system. Enrico Sacchetti photo

The William Herschel Telescope is an optical/infrared instrument that first went into service in 1987. It boasts a 165-inch (4.2 meters) mirror. Enrico Sacchetti photo

Video: An interview with Michael Farmer of Michael Farmer Meteorites

David Eicher — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:54:00 GMT

The fourth video I shot during my trip to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show features Mike Farmer of Michael Farmer Meteorites (meteoriteguy.com or meteoritehunter.com). Note: When you click the link to the video, you'll find it below the three-part interview with the Meteorite Men.

At the show, Mike showed me an extensive collection of beautiful specimens. He began by pulling out some spectacular pallasites, the most beautiful of all meteorites due to their olivine inclusions. He had large slices of Fukang, Esquel, Brahin, and Springwater. Mike’s case of pallasites was truly one of the most beautiful things I saw this year at Tucson — and I probably looked at 100,000 rocks!

Mike also displayed some nice iron meteorites, including a huge slice of Nantan from China, nicely etched to show the Widmanstätten pattern. He displayed a gorgeous and very large chunk of Libyan Desert Glass, a tektite that formed from terrestrial sand when an ancient impact fused the sand into glassy masses. He displayed a whopping chunk of the Murchison meteorite that fell in Australia in 1969 and is so scientifically important because it contains amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

Be sure to check out Mike’s web site, which contains a fabulous selection of rocks from space. A tour through it will definitely get your juices going toward collecting a few meteorites of your own.

Related:

Video: An interview with the Science Channel's "Meteorite Men"

David Eicher — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:54:00 GMT

The third video I shot during my trip to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show features Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold of Aerolite Meteorites in Tucson. If you’re into meteorites, you know Geoff and Steve (pictured at right) well as the Meteorite Men from the popular TV series currently running on the Science Channel. If you’re into astronomy and you don’t watch Meteorite Men religiously, maybe it’s time to re-examine your life. It‘s a great show, entertainingly produced, and Geoff and Steve are terrific guides for all the meteorite hunting adventures they set off on.

I encourage you to check out three important web sites associated with Geoff and Steve. First, aerolite.org is a fantastic resource for meteorite collectors and lists the main inventory Geoff and Steve have for sale. Explore this site and you’ll see the whole gamut of space rocks, from common stones and irons to exotic meteorites, historic falls, lunar and martian rocks, Libyan desert glass, bargains, and spectacular, museum-grade meteorites. You will also find many meteorites of interest on Stevearnoldmeteorites.com, Steve’s web site chronicling his adventures such as his famous 2005 discovery of the main mass of the Brenham, Kansas, pallasite. Also, I encourage you to check out Meteoritemen.com, Steve and Geoff’s official show site, which features an overview of episodes past and yet to come and a blend of background info on what is undoubtedly many Astronomy readers’ favorite TV show.

You will see a gorgeous selection of meteorites in the video we shot at the Tucson show and present here. Be patient, however: Geoff and Steve’s enthusiasm is so strong that the tape rolls on for more than 34 minutes, so we broke it into three parts!

Over the coming days I’ll post other meteorite videos from the Tucson show.

Related:

The best thing about Twitter in space

Karri Ferron — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:35:00 GMT

In January, crew members of the International Space Station gained access to the Internet for personal use, and NASA encouraged them to tweet anything that interests them. Well, Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi of Japan (pictured at right), in my opinion, is really putting Twitter to good use. For the past three weeks, he has been posting Twitpics of different Earth locations that are absolutely breathtaking. If I can’t get to the ISS myself, I think his pictures are the next best thing.

If you enjoy following people on Twitter, I would definitely suggest @Astro_Soichi. And even if you’re not on the bandwagon yet, you can still bookmark his Twitpics page.

What do you think of the images? Awe-inspiring? What do you think of astronauts tweeting from space?

Also, be sure to follow Astronomy magazine on Twitter: @AstronomyMag.

Video: An interview with Anne Black of Impactika Meteorites

David Eicher — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:55:00 GMT

Last week at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, I shot a number of videos with prominent meteorite dealers who were set up at the Tucson Hotel City Center (formerly the InnSuites). The second one I shot features Anne Black of Impactika Meteorites in Denver, whose video is posted here. Anne specializes in affordable meteorites for collectors and has an amazing collection of historical falls, i.e., important meteorites from well-known impacts throughout history. She also has the largest collection of meteorite thin sections in existence (about 600 in all). Additionally, Anne proudly features a number of really interesting meteorites in her tour, including Almahata Sitta (also known as asteroid 2008 TC3), which was recovered recently in the Sudanese desert. She also has for sale Somervell County, the only pallasite ever discovered in Texas.

I encourage you to check out Anne’s web site devoted to meteorites, www.impactika.com, which showcases her inventory and is illustrated beautifully. You’ll see a wide range of amazing museum-grade historic falls, a great selection of thin sections, and many affordable falls from a wide variety of locations.

Anne also sells a fantastic book that I highly recommend to each of you: Meteorites by Alain Carion of the University of Paris, a well known mineralogist, meteorite expert, and mineral dealer. The second edition of this book has just been published, and Anne translated it into English from French. Every meteorite collector should own this important book. It is available on Impactika.com for $20.

Over the coming days, I’ll continue to post other meteorite videos from the Tucson show.

Related:

Happy Birthday Pluto(’s discovery)

Bill Andrews — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:59:00 GMT

In this illustration, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft approaches its far off destination, the Pluto system. Today marks the 80th anniversary of Pluto’s discovery, and New Horizons just a month ago marked its 4th year in space. NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute (NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI) photo

True Plutophiles are likely already aware of this, but today marks the 80th anniversary of Clyde Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto. Recently, of course, the tiny object’s biggest claim to fame was its reclassification as a dwarf planet in a 2006 decision by the International Astronomical Union. Complaints from little kids all the way up to planetary scientists have protested the demotion ever since, though, and everyone seems to have an opinion on the matter. (Except me, of course: I remain cautiously neutral, the better to serve in my journalistic capacity.)

Regardless of your personal views, this anniversary is a special one. Not only does it mark a new decade’s worth of our knowing about Pluto, but it also comes hot on the heels of a related milestone. Just 30 days ago, NASA’s Pluto-bound New Horizons mission celebrated 4 years in flight. When the spacecraft launched January 19, 2006, it left with the fastest launch speed ever recorded, yet after 4 years (longer than many entire space missions) it’s still more than 6 years from reaching the distant Pluto system. That’s not to say it isn’t making progress, though: Last December, it finally became officially closer to Pluto than to Earth.

So whether you’re a devoted Pluto-killer like Mike Brown or a crusader for Pluto’s reinstatement “as a planet of our solar system with full rights and benefits” as the Friends Of Pluto seek, perhaps we can all agree to put our differences aside for one day. If you’re looking for an appropriate way to celebrate, consider our Top Ten list from last year, or suggest a new one in the comments. When it comes to space, I think we’d all rather be lovers than fighters, so what better way to symbolically begin burying the hatchet than to call a truce on February 18, Pluto Day?

Video: An interview with meteorite dealer Luc Labenne

David Eicher — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:04:00 GMT

Last week at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, I shot a number of videos with prominent meteorite dealers who were set up at the Tucson Hotel City Center (formerly the InnSuites). First out of the gate was Luc Labenne of Labenne Meteorites in Paris, whose video is posted here. Luc is famous for extraordinary finds and high-end specimens among his inventory, and he was gracious enough to share many amazing specimens on camera during our discussion at the show. He was particularly proud of two new lunar meteorites he and his brother found in the desert in Oman, as you’ll see.

I encourage you to check out Luc’s fantastic web site devoted to meteorites, www.meteorites.tv, which showcases his inventory and is illustrated beautifully. You’ll see not only spectacular, museum-quality lunars and martians, but also more affordable, more straightforward falls from a wide variety of locations.

Over the coming days, I’ll post other meteorite videos from the Tucson show.

Related:

Adam Block’s images hit the road

Michael Bakich — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:47:00 GMT

If you're traveling down Interstate 10 in Tucson, try to sneak a peek at Adam Block's images as you head through the Speedway underpass.

If you read Astronomy magazine regularly, you’re familiar with astroimager Adam Block. Adam has been contributing superb celestial images since just about the day I arrived at the magazine 7 years ago.

Now Adam has a new feather in his photography hat. The Arizona Department of Transportation is featuring images by Adam and others at the Speedway/Interstate-10 underpass in Tucson.

Adam has three images on display: the Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) in Orion, edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 891 in Andromeda, and the Trifid Nebula (M20) in Sagittarius. Adam uses the facilities at the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter to produce all his photography.

All of us here at the magazine congratulate Adam for this honor. If you’re in the area, you probably will want to sneak a glance at Adam’s work. That’s OK if you do so as the passenger and not the driver. Remember, safety first.

Falling Stars: Observing, imaging, and shopping at the 2010 Winter Star Party

Mike Reynolds — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:38:00 GMT

We finally had a good night of observing at the Winter Star Party (WSP) Thursday night. Winds were calm, and the seeing was good. Telescopes and observers were in overdrive to make up for the un-Keys-like weather this week. The WSP seems to get one or two nights of poor weather each year. But this year has been the opposite: one or two nights of fair to decent weather and the rest … well at least it’s not snowing!

Observers started with some of the nearly overhead objects like the Orion Nebula (M42) and the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51). If it sounds funny for me to say M42 is nearly overhead, then consider the latitude of the WSP site in West Summerland Key: 24° north.

From those objects, many attendees began exploring the delights of the celestial southern hemisphere. The Southern Cross is easily visible. And there are numerous deep-sky objects to explore that many northern observers never get the opportunity to see.

Mars, shining bright nearly overhead at sunset, was another target for many telescopes. I know it’s not a great opposition this year and that Mars is not as big as the Full Moon to the naked eye. I would like a nickel for each of those e-mails I have received! But early in the evening, the seeing was so good that observers could push their scopes to high magnifications.

A fair amount of imaging also took place Thursday evening. I have been working on an article for Astronomy, so I looked forward to an evening (and morning) of imaging.

But around 12:30 a.m. Friday morning, the clouds came in, mostly in thin layers but occasionally thicker. That was the end of my imaging run for this WSP. On Friday night, a strong line of thunderstorms came through, bringing heavy rain, lightning, and wind. But at least it was not snow!

I enjoy wandering around in the vendor area. I can see — and price — a number of telescopes, accessories, and other astronomically themed goodies. Over the years, I have bought many astronomical ties from Bob and Lisa Summerfield and Astronomy to Go. I always enjoy seeing the latest from AstroGizmos — Jeffrey Goldstein is fun to catch up with. And this year there was some spectacular astronomical art created by Tim Malles from the Tim Malles Art Studio. The 2010 WSP logo for shirts, caps, and the like is Tim’s artwork. I appreciate his originality, especially because I don’t have that same level of talent. His work and that of others is a reminder of the creativity and interpretation of the universe around us. Plus, they make for great presents!

Over the years, it seemed that I had to have one telescope for every type of object I observed. Or that’s the way it looked to my wife, Debbie. As I have become more “seasoned,” I have gone in the opposite direction, only keeping the telescopes that I often use. There is one exception: the telescopes of Normand Fullum! First, understand that Normand is a master telescope optician; he grinds, polishes, and corrects his own mirrors. But it is the rest of his creations that draw multiple looks, even from seasoned stargazers. Normand’s telescopes with apertures up to 16 inches are spectacular wooden masterpieces — truly a throwback to the era of ornate telescopes. I had previously purchased a 6-inch open-truss Dobsonian from Normand with my wife’s blessings. But I reasoned we have two children, Aimee and Jeremy, and I should have two Normand Fullum Telescopes to pass on as family heirlooms.

If someone at WSP wanted to make his or her own telescope, Dan Joyce from Chicago provided the opportunity. He has been setting up mirror-grinding workshops each year. It is always good to see Dan encouraging people to “push some glass.”

As the Winter Olympics open in Vancouver, it’s time for the closing ceremonies at the Winter Star Party. This means door prizes, and lots of them! The end of WSP also recognizes those whose extraordinary efforts help make an event like this an annual success. It is also an opportunity to highlight some of the best in the world who represent our hobby through outreach. In 2004, Scott Roberts’ Astronomy Outreach organization presented the first AstroOscars. This year’s AstroOscars went to Dean Ketelsen, the organizer for the Grand Canyon Star Party; Baraket Observatory in Israel for their tremendous outreach efforts with students; and the legendary John Dobson, inventor of the Dobsonian mount.

Alas, it’s time to head home. The weather wasn’t as good as in past years. But the friendships are just as rich, and the talks and workshops were great. And the WSP staff, from director Tim Khan to all who make this event such a great success, can be proud of another successful Winter Star Party. Sound like fun? Then maybe I’ll see you next year, January 31 through February 5, 2011.

Previous: 2010 Winter Star Party, Wednesday recap, by Mike Reynolds, contributing editor

Seeing the universe like never before

Liz Kruesi — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:35:00 GMT

On Friday, Dallas got about a foot of snow, which meant our connecting flight to Tucson was cancelled. After a bit of airline shuffling, I got into Tucson Saturday night. On Sunday, I picked up Senior Editor Rich Talcott and his wife Evelyn from the airport, and we headed to Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico. We arrived at Rancho Hidalgo, home to the Astronomy Magazine Observatory, Sunday afternoon. The sky was clear and calm, promising a good night of observations.

Under pristine skies of southwestern New Mexico, Gene Turner brought out his 30-inch Starmaster. We started the evening with the Orion Nebula. I still can’t get over the view through the eyepiece. I could make out blue-green color and dust at differing depths — it looked three-dimensional. To be honest, beginning with such a fantastic object probably was a bad idea — nothing lived up to how great M42 looked.

During the rest of the evening, Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher called out NGC numbers, and Gene slewed the scope to the objects. We saw a number of nebulae — the Cone Nebula proved quite elusive. I was thrilled to see the Horsehead Nebula. While my eye couldn’t possibly capture the colors that the Hubble Space Telescope can, I made out the horsehead shape. And that was pretty darn exciting.

We observed a couple dozen objects. When I wasn’t on the ladder looking into the eyepiece, I was admiring the dark clear sky. It’s amazing how different it looks when you’re away from city lights. We could even see the zodiacal light. Initially, I thought it was light pollution — I guess I’ve become too accustomed to that living in urban areas.

With my naked eyes, I viewed a few star clusters (the Double Cluster and, of course, the Pleiades) and counted three meteors.

We ended the night with my all-time favorite object — the Whirlpool Galaxy. The view did not disappoint. I hope to see it again Monday night.

Related: Mining both earthly and deep-sky treasures in New Mexico, by David J. Eicher, editor

Mining both earthly and deep-sky treasures in New Mexico

David Eicher — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:51:00 GMT

Saturday morning we awoke after a great night of observing to an azure blue sky and a community breakfast before heading off with Gene Turner, John Eicher, Rocky Alvey (director of Vanderbilt University’s Dyer Observatory), and Nashville astroimager Mark Manner. We set a course for Old Hachita, New Mexico, over the Grant County line. Our objective? Mining.

Gene knows the lay of the land and the owners in this region, so we explored Hachita, a mining town that thrived in the days of silver and gold exploration of the 1850s and 1860s, before the railroad came along and moved Hachita to its present location. The ruins of Old Hachita are spectacular: Old as they are, adobe brick building ruins still stand, with plentiful wooden and metallic debris scattered here and there. Wide-open shafts are scattered around the landscape, with accompanying tailing piles where ore was dumped. We explored the remains of an old stamping mill, of various accessory buildings such as hoist houses, and of settlement buildings where miners lived and died looking for a big strike.

Apparent high-grade ore lay scattered around the main shaft house, inky black with sulfides. It was a rich lode of interesting stuff for mineral buffs to examine, and then we topped it off by exploring some turquoise diggings on the perilous road that leads to Old Hachita.

After a spectacular dinner prepared by Loy Guzman and her friends, at which we had 28 guests from the region, Gene rolled the 30-inch scope for 4 hours of observing before we petered out. The sky darkness and transparency tonight were world-class, much better than last night. You could see a sugary sprinkling of hundreds of minute stars you don’t normally see.

Not surprisingly, then, I had some of the finest views I’ve ever seen of many objects I’ve looked at lots of times. The Orion Nebula looked sculpted in phosphorescent green; the Andromeda Galaxy was a blazing nucleus with its broad dust band looking 3-dimensional; and the Crab Nebula appeared like a weakly colored photograph. We checked out lots of galaxies — M109, NGC 2841, NGC 4319 and the quasar Mrk 205, NGC 2403, NGC 4565, NGC 4631 and NGC 4627, M65 and M66, and lots more. We observed spectacular planetary nebulae, ranging from NGC 2438 in the rich open cluster M46 to the obscure NGC 1501 in Camelopardalis. We raved over open clusters as seen with the naked eye, such as the Hyades, Pleiades, Ursa Major Moving Group, and Alpha Persei Moving Group (not to mention the Double Cluster), a study in clusters of many distances.

Amazingly, several of us clearly saw M101 with ease using the eyes alone and also M81 and M82 in Ursa Major, a staggering feat (although the last wasn’t easy).

We observed many other objects during this run and enjoyed the company of many amateur astronomers from around the country. It was truly a world-class night. Sunday we look forward to welcoming Liz Kruesi and Rich and Evelyn Talcott, whose trips here were delayed by weather.

Visit our gallery of images of the Astronomy Magazine Observatory as well as from the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. And follow Dave's trip updates on our Twitter (@AstronomyMag) and Facebook pages.

Previous: So long, Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. Hello, Rancho Hidalgo

So long, Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. Hello, Rancho Hidalgo

David Eicher — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:46:00 GMT

A newly built observatory (left) building will hold a second telescope for Astronomy magazine use and an instrument for joint educational use between the Astronomical League and Vanderbilt University. The Astronomy Magazine Observatory is on the right. The two observatory buildings stand in front of Clyde Tombaugh’s 16-inch scope at Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico. David J. Eicher photo

On Friday, my father John and I set off from the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, which we had covered since Monday, and made the 3-hour drive down to Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico, the site of the Astronomy Magazine Observatory. We visited extensively with Gene Turner and Loy Guzman, who operate the ranch, and saw Gene’s land where he plans a major development north of Hidalgo, at Granite Gap. This spectacular area will host an RV park where amateur astronomers can come and enjoy very dark skies for a weekend or longer getaway, without the expense of building a house. Many activities other than amateur astronomy are planned for the location, in addition to being, as Gene put it, “a perpetual star party.”

We also had a big surprise at Hidalgo, as Gene has built a second observatory building to house another 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT) for use by the Astronomy magazine staff. The building stands just east of the original Astronomy Magazine Observatory and will share space with the Astronomical League and Vanderbilt University, who have a partnership to promote astronomy education through their scope. We visited extensively with, ate dinner with, and observed with Rocky Alvey, director of Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory, as well as his sidekick, Mark Manner. Manner, a Nashville attorney, also is a highly skilled astroimager and helps with Vanderbilt’s astronomy outreach. This is a high-powered team who knows how to operate robotic scopes!

We also visited with Glyn Burke, an enthusiastic Canadian engineer who operates MyTelescope.com, and is setting up 10 SCTs at Hidalgo for robotic use by amateurs, many of whom have already taken advantage of the system. (See Glyn’s web site for more on how the whole system works.) After we had observed the odd galaxy/quasar pair NGC 4319/Markarian 205 in Draco, Glyn went inside and remotely used a scope in Manitoba to photograph the galaxy, producing a very nice image of it!

After a sumptuous dinner expertly prepared by Loy, we “geared up” and headed out for a 4-hour observing session. We looked at a long list of both bright and obscure deep-sky targets with the 30-inch scope, from the Orion Nebula to galaxy NGC 2403 to globular cluster M79 to Hind’s Variable Nebula in Taurus. Among our favorites for the night were the planetary NGC 2022 in Orion; open cluster NGC 7789 in Cassiopeia; galaxy NGC 1023 in Perseus; galaxy NGC 2903 in Leo; NGC 2024 in Orion; and the Perseus galaxy cluster, NGC 1275 and friends. I will produce an article in Astronomy based on tonight’s observing and the sessions we have over the next few nights. Senior Editor Rich Talcott, his wife Evelyn, and Associate Editor Liz Kruesi will arrive on Sunday — all three delayed by snowstorms.

It was a magnificent start to what will surely be an amazing weekend.

The 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Thursday report

David Eicher — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:13:00 GMT

Each year, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society presents to the world the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, an event going on for more than 50 years. The many shows that have sprung up at numerous hotels around the city are really “satellite shows,” sprouting in the wake of the original. The real thing began in earnest Thursday morning, and my father John and I were at the gate at 10 for the opening bell. The event brings together 250 mineral, meteorite, and jewelry dealers who set up shop in the Tucson Convention Center downtown. This year’s theme, a basis for many exhibits on view along with the sales booths, is “Gems and Gem Minerals.” So, as you can imagine, we saw numerous impressive emeralds, tanzanites, topazes, rubies, and scads more types of stones that are often used for ornament as well as purely mineral specimens.

We walked the hall all day and ran into many Astronomy readers and old friends in the mineralogy world. Among those was Evan Jones, an astronomy enthusiast, preeminent mineral dealer, and son of legendary author Bob Jones. We also saw Marcus Origlieri, the young dealer who is a walking encyclopedia of mineralogy and who also is a budding amateur astronomer. We ran into a number of mineralogists from the University of Arizona who expressed their enthusiasm for Astronomy magazine. And we saw some of the old hands of the mineral world, well-known dealers and collectors such as Wayne Thompson, Rob Lavinsky, Dan Weinrich, Dave Bunk, and many others.

Meteorites are well represented at the show, and there are finds for all levels of collectors. Inexpensive irons are scattered here and there in bins, priced for kids, as are larger and more elaborate specimens for serious collectors. An upcoming article in Astronomy will present some of the highlights of the show to you.

On Friday, we’ll spend our last hours searching out meteorites in Tucson and then head south for Rancho Hidalgo, Gene Turner’s dark sky observing site in New Mexico. There we will make observations with the magazine’s observatory facility and with Gene’s 30-inch scope that will form the basis for more upcoming articles. Senior Editor Rich Talcott will meet us there Saturday evening.

Visit our gallery of images from the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and be sure to follow Dave's updates from his trip on our Twitter (@AstronomyMag) and Facebook pages.

Previous: 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Wednesday recap

The 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Wednesday recap

David Eicher — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:35:00 GMT

On Wednesday, we explored the Pueblo Gem and Mineral Show at the Riverpark Inn. We found an interesting array of meteorites, including the dealer “Palladot,” cutting and polishing olivine (peridot) gemstones from pallasite mateorites, “gemstones from outer space.” This concept will certainly catch on with meteorite collectors and astronomy buffs. My father, John, an experienced chemist and mineralogist, accompanied me then to the China Rose Restaurant, where we enjoyed lunch with Astronomy Contributing Editor David H. Levy, his wife Wendee, and their friends Thom and Twila Peck of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association.

Following lunch, the schedule dictated rushing back to the Hotel Tucson City Center (formerly the InnSuites), where we intended to film Aerolite Meteorites’ Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold (pictured at right) as a 5-minute spot. You are probably familiar with Geoff and Steve as TV’s Meteorite Men from the Science Channel. Well, enthusiasm and fun took us over, and our film of Geoff and Steve narrating their favorite meteorites in the room stretched to 32 minutes. You will see this posted on Astronomy.com when I return to Milwaukee next week. Be sure to check out their web sites at aerolite.org, Meteoritemen.com, and Stevearnoldmeteorites.com. The treasures you can explore there will astonish you.

Tired from walking miles through the hotels in search of meteorites and meteorite dealers, we surveyed a few more rooms and then attended an exclusive event at Tucson’s Skybar with Geoff, Steve, and some of their friends. We ate pizza from the restaurant next door and watched the premiere of their new episode, “Gold Basin,” on the bar’s big screen. The Skybar would be a favorite for any Astronomy reader: decorated with stars and planets, the institution claims to be a science-oriented club influenced by astronomy. What a place!

Of course, the episode was terrific, showing Steve and Geoff uncovering several Gold Basins, and during commercials they rushed up to the open mics to issue quiz challenges whereby attendees could win Gold Basin meteorites from their stock. It was a tremendous time, and one that will demand a good night’s sleep in order to hit the main Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, at the Convention Center, beginning tomorrow.

Visit our gallery of images from the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and be sure to follow Dave's updates from the Show on our Twitter (@AstronomyMag) and Facebook pages.

Previous: 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Tuesday recap

David J. Eicher photo

Falling Stars: 2010 Winter Star Party, Wednesday recap

Mike Reynolds — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:39:00 GMT

One of the best ways to shop for that next telescope — whether it’s your first or your tenth — is to go to an event like the Winter Star Party, where observing conditions are (usually!) great. Amateur astronomers bring all types of telescopes, and during a night of observing most will let you look through them. For me, it’s like the proverbial kid in a candy shop. My problem is pulling myself away from one scope and moving on to another.

The WSP also provides attendees an opportunity to see the latest telescopes and accessories from telescope manufacturers like Celestron, Meade, Orion, Tele Vue, and Vixen. It’s not unusual to find Tele Vue’s Al Nagler wandering the observing field at night, demonstrating his latest eyepieces. A couple of years ago we were observing with a Tele Vue MP127 (a 5-inch apochromatic refractor) and “through the shadows” came “Uncle Al” with the latest Tele Vue eyepiece in hand. Of course, marvelous views and great conversation followed.

The weather this year has not been as pristine as in past years. But compared to what others are dealing with nationwide, I’ll take it! Monday night was filled with clouds and teaser holes. Tuesday night brought rain and wind gusts up to 40 mph. Last night was the first good night — but we were still up against 16 mph winds out of the north. I used the night to set up and align my telescope for photography using a series of Canon digital SLRs, including the Canon 5D Mark II, a 21.2 megapixel full-chip camera. Tonight I’ll do test runs.

But last night was not a total loss for those willing to brave the wind. We had some great views of a number of deep-sky objects and Mars. It’s a treat to be able to go up and down the observing field and try out different telescopes and eyepieces.

Even if you decided the night was too windy, there’s still daytime solar observing. Barbara Harris and Howard Eskildsen were both set up observing the Sun. Solar activity has picked up, and the activity is obvious — and exciting for those of us who have been patiently waiting.

Attendees also have the option of hearing excellent presentations. Yesterday I attended an informal imaging workshop and discussion. Richard Crisp gave a great presentation on his use of various — and somewhat exotic — filters for imaging. His work with Hydrogen-alpha, Oxygen-III, and Sulfur-II filters was informative and compelling. Don Parker, always known as a witty speaker, discussed solar system dynamics from the aspect of planetary warming trends. Parker’s research — both into historic solar system data and his martian polar cap measurements — brings into the equation the obvious effect the Sun has on global warming.

Tomorrow I’ll give an update on observing and admit to my purchasing crimes, including another telescope purchase. But when you see the masterpiece I bought from Normand Fullum, I think you’ll understand why I had to buy it. I just hope my wife, Debbie, understands!

Visit our gallery of images from Mike Reynolds' trip to the 2010 Winter Star Party.

Previous blog: The 2010 Winter Star Party, Tuesday recap

Michael D. Reynolds photo

Off to Astronomy magazine’s observatory

Liz Kruesi — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:51:00 GMT

This weekend Senior Editor Rich Talcott, his wife Evelyn, and I will travel to Astronomy’s observatory at Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico. I’m quite excited, as this will be the first time I’ll get to see the famed dark site. Plus, I haven’t been observing in years, so it’ll be a great way to dive back in.

Keep in mind I typically focus on the science side of the magazine, so I’m no expert in observing. However, I’ve taken a few classes in observational astronomy and used to know my way around the sky. I’ll find out how quickly it comes back.

I still need to work on my observing list, but at the top will be the Orion Nebula and the Whirlpool Galaxy (my favorite deep-sky object). After what I’ve heard from Editor Dave Eicher and Senior Editor Michael Bakich, Rich, Evelyn, and I should be in for a treat. Keep an eye out for blogs and tweets (depending on the cell phone reception). I hope to share a slightly different point of view from what you’ve read before about the Astronomy observatory. Remember ... I’m not a seasoned observer.

Oh, and let me know if you have any favorite winter sky targets I should add to my list.

Photo by David J. Eicher, editor

On the road: The 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Tuesday recap

David Eicher — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:05:00 GMT

The first big day of activity at the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show saw me and my dad, John Eicher, an inveterate chemist, astronomy buff, mineralogist, and 88-year-old adventurer, set off for the best of the “satellite shows.” We got to the Hotel Tucson City Center (recently renamed from the InnSuites) looking for meteorites by 9 a.m., finding that most dealers weren’t awake and opening their doors until 10.

It was a cool day by Tucson standards, a bit breezy and pushing upwards of 60° F. It was funny for a Wisconsinite whose home was being pounded by (another) foot of snow to see westerners in the morning air here with winter coats on!

Soon the early risers among the dealers opened their doors, and we explored the stock of the Collector’s Edge, Crystal Classics, and others for nice mineral specimens. We talked and joked at length with Texas mineral dealer Jon Voelter, Bolivian mineral expert Alfredo Petrov (pictured at right), Czech author and great authority Jaroslav Hyrsl, and antique scientific instrument collector and dealer David Moore Spatz of Tucson — meteorite dealer Robert Haag’s brother-in-law. What a great group of experts, we thought, who were bubbling over with great stories and expertise.

Then our attention turned squarely toward meteorites. We visited several dealers, and I shot brief videos showcasing them and a selection of their specimens — more will follow over the coming days. French meteorite dealer Luc Labenne of Labenne Meteorites (www.meteorites.tv) showed us beautiful new lunar achondrites, Dhofar 1528 and 1527, one found by Luc and one by his brother, both in Oman. He also showed us Shisr 166, a lunar meteorite he had found in the desert in Oman at night! He showed us Minera Escondida, a bencubbenite from Chile.

Luc’s favorite meteorite of all comes from the Western Sahara, Itqiy, named for the village where it fell. A huge slice of this rare and primitive enstatite achondrite adorned the center of his display.

Down the hall was a spectacular room full of meteorites and the charming Anne Black of Impactika Meteorites, www.impactika.com. She showed us the largest collection of thin sections in the world, numbering 600 or so. She also offers a specialty of historic meteorite falls, such as Clark County, Kentucky, which was found in 1937. Anne also wants meteorite dealers to know about the great new edition of Alain Carion’s book Meteorites, available at the Impactika.com web site. This book is essential for novice collectors, a superb first guide.

Around the corner, we found another old friend, Mike Farmer, who operates his thriving meteorite business and calls his outstanding web site www.meteoritehunter.com. This rich web site has meteorites of all types for all collectors, as did his room. Mike showed us some fantastic pallasites including Esquel, Fukang, and many others, with beautiful olivine inclusions. He displayed nice iron meteorites, tektites including a basketball-sized piece of Libyan Desert Glass, and a big Murchison, the primitive carbonaceous chondrite that is chock full of amino acids. This was an exciting discovery in 1969 and points toward comets being a significant source of not only water but also organic.

We walked away from the show having seen a dazzling array of hundreds of meteorites and thousands of minerals, and will bring you highlights of many more tomorrow!

Visit our gallery of images from the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and be sure to follow Dave's updates from the Show on our Twitter (@AstronomyMag) and Facebook pages.

Photo by David J. Eicher

Falling Stars: The 2010 Winter Star Party, Tuesday recap

Mike Reynolds — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:01:00 GMT

There is simply something special for me about coming to the Winter Star Party (WSP). I don’t know if it’s the Florida Keys, the weather, incredible (when clear) skies with a terrific southern horizon, or the comradery. It’s probably a combination of all of the above; the WSP always seems to recharge my batteries. My wife Debbie and I always put it on our calendars and make a point of being here. We’ve been coming to the Keys since 1970 … observing the Delta Aquarids meteor shower and an occasional grazing occultation or comet.

Even though the WSP had not yet started, the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour Monday morning was like the opening ceremony. From about 400 miles away from the Kennedy Space Center, we easily could see Endeavour’s fiery lift off, even through thin haze at the horizon. Once the solid-rocket-booster separation had occurred, Endeavour looked like a star jetting off to the east as its three main engines burned brightly. This is the first time I’ve seen a shuttle launch from such a distance; usually I cover launches for Astronomy from the Kennedy Space Center press site 3 miles from the launch or from our home in Jacksonville Beach, about 95 miles away.

When we arrived at the WSP site on West Summerland Key, many of the participants had already set up telescopes and tents. Most of the vendors had also set up and were open for business. I try hard to keep my wallet in my pocket (more about my lack of success in that department later in the week). I do enjoy checking out all of the astronomical goodies.

Telescopes of all types, mounts, and makes cover the observing field. If you really want to do an “eyeball-on” comparison, this is the place.

The 2010 WSP opened with a talk by my good friend and WSP founder, Tippy D’Auria. Tippy’s talks are always delightful and provide listeners with insight — and some (a lot!) of that Tippy humor.

Monday night and Tuesday morning provided some opportunities for observing; more of a tease for me since I am doing test astrophotography for Astronomy magazine. I am researching the new 21+ megapixel 35mm full-frame-chip digital SLRs for astrophotography and comparing them to the 6- to 9-megapixel models. So far I am impressed … but I need some pristine skies to confirm my observations. More to follow here and in a future article!

Check out this fireball cloud

Michael Bakich — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:24:00 GMT

Matt Ayerst III photo

I just got an e-mail from Canadian amateur astronomer Matt Ayerst III. On November 24, 2008, he used a Canon PowerShot A710 IS with a 35mm lens to photograph the debris cloud of a fireball (brilliant meteor) over Vancouver. Here is the text of his e-mail:

Hello, my name is Matt Ayerst III. I live in Vancouver, British Columbia. I have been subscribing to your magazine for 3 years now. Great stuff. I took this picture with my little handheld camera 2 years ago from the top of Burnaby Mountain at Simon Fraser University. In the background is Vancouver Island. The following day I read in the paper that a falling “fireball” was discovered in Alberta. Seems like a far shot (pun intended), but I figured if anyone would know, you guys would. I hope the quality is acceptable.

Thank you, Matt, for a great report and photo.

Off to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show 2010

David Eicher — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:16:00 GMT

On Monday, my dad and I will fly to Tucson for the annual Gem and Mineral Show, the worldwide mecca for meteorite and mineral collectors. I’ll write two stories for the magazine from the show: a summary of the state of meteorite collecting and dealing for an upcoming issue, as well as an observing feature based on nights of viewing at Rancho Hidalgo, where Astronomy magazine has its observatory.

I also will submit daily reports from the gem show, including videos shot with some of the leading meteorite dealers to show you some of their current stock. I’ll visit with Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold who operate Aerolite Meteorites in Tucson. You may know them better as the Science Channel’s Meteorite Men, a beautifully produced and entertaining show I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

I’ll also visit with Anne Black of Impactika Meteorites, Luc Labenne of Labenne Meteorites, Michael Farmer of Meteoritehunter.com/Michael Farmer Meteorites, and others. Stay tuned for “live” reports via Facebook, Twitter (@AstronomyMag), and MySpace from the show.

I’ll not only check out meteorites, but also minerals, as I love to collect and study them, too. They represent the chemistry and crystallization not only of Earth minerals, but perhaps of other planets spread out there, as well. (Chemistry and physics are pretty consistent throughout the universe, as far as we can observe, ya know.) Through it all, I’ll have an expert with me: Although he became an organic chemist, my dad taught mineralogy while he was at Purdue prior to his days on the Manhattan Project in New York.

So stay tuned for updates from the gem show next week and some blogs from our observatory at Rancho Hidalgo next weekend, where we hope clear skies will grace us when we visit Gene Turner, Loy Guzman, and the whole gang near Animas, New Mexico. Senior Editor Rich Talcott and Associate Editor Liz Kruesi will be on hand at the ranch, too, and I’m sure they’ll share their impressions of big-scope, dark-sky viewing with you.

Related blog:

Falling stars: A preview of the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, by Mike Reynolds, contributing editor