On Tuesday, our fifth major day of activities, Astronomy ’s Galileo our group set out on an ambitious and long day focused squarely on Galileo himself. We began by traveling about a half hour outside Florence to Arcetri and the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, an institution founded in 1872. We explored the observatory’s grounds, discussed astronomical subjects with some of the institution’s astronomers, and explored the 14-inch refractor (image...

April includes a key Cornerstone Project for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), which commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo turning the telescope to the heavens . Here’s what’s in store for you: April 2009 NASA Theme: Galaxies and the distant universe Featured object in the sky: The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) April 2-5: Spend time trying to bring astronomy to a worldwide public with the 100 Hours of Astronomy IYA2009 Cornerstone...

When you see a photo like this, you stop and look. And you wonder: What’s that guy’s story? Who is this kilt-wearing fellow with the big stone ball on his shoulder? And what does this have to do with astronomy? Let me introduce you to Mike Sidonio, former competitor for the title of World’s Strongest Man and award-winning astrophotographer. (In case you’re wondering, the ball is sandstone and weighs 337 pounds [153 kilograms]). I’ve been working on...

I just received a copy of Prelude Lake (Nightscapes 3-D Publishing, 2008), a coffee-table book that showcases great images of the aurora borealis, or northern lights. In addition to the night sky photography by Bryan Rich White, the book also comes with a music CD by Jonn Serrie. Prelude Lake also contains more than 60 stereo images. Each is a 7-inch wide “card” with a left and right image. The author included a handheld image fuser called a lorgnette...

Well, a few hours in Florence convince you why it’s one of the most historic and beloved spots on the planet. Our Astronomy Galileo tour group of 19 enjoyed our first day in the historic city Monday, and it was a long one. We were on the move, walking briskly and efficiently, moving from site to site, like a well-oiled machine. Editor's note: We've posted more images from Dave's trip in our Online Reader Gallery's "Trips and Tours"...

Astronomy ’s Galileo tour group left Rome this morning and stopped today in Orvietro, in southwestern Umbria, where we explored a fascinating and often-overlooked town that was built up originally as an Etruscan fortress. The town (pictured at right) then changed hands repeatedly, with the Romans taking over until Goths and Lombards preceded a self-governing commune that took over the town in the 10th century. Editor's note: We've posted more...

Our second full day of touring Italy concentrated on ancient Rome. We started with the Piazza del Popolo, where the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo provided sensational views of art created by the likes of Carravaggio, Carracci, Bernini, and Raphael. We later saw other churches, including Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri (Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs) in part of what was the mammoth Baths of Diocletion, and San Pietro...

After traveling from a variety of cities across the United States, our modest group of 19 travelers assembled in Rome to begin our quest for Galileo’s Italy, some 400 years after the scientist’s first telescopic observations. For some of us, this is a return trip, as Rome in particular is a place that, once visited, draws you back magnetically. Others looked forward to their first tour of the fabled city. Editor's note: We've posted more images...

Turn out your lights tomorrow night for 1 hour to show support for the Earth Hour campaign. All across the globe, people, businesses, and cities will go dark on Saturday, March 28 from 8:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. local time. Earth Hour is the World Wildlife Fund’s global initiative to show support for action on climate change. Last year, 50 million people across the globe participated in Earth Hour. Not bad for its second year. This year, the campaign...

Here is the transcript for my podcast about how to see Coma Berenices Star Cluster, the Stargate, and spiral galaxy M99 this week. Check out the Astronomy.com's interactive star chart — StarDome — to see an accurate map of your sky. It'll help you locate some of this week's key targets. Astronomy magazine subscribers have access to a slew of cool functions with StarDome PLUS. Each week, I highlight three different night-sky targets for...