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...

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...

NASA and GM extend their dexterous, robotic hands to the future! NASA photo Given that we have no flying cars, laser guns, or even time machines (1985-era technology!), it’s easy to forget sometimes that we’re living in the future. But, once again, NASA’s done its job and reminded us just what century we live in. On Thursday, NASA announced the next iteration of its brand of robots, built and designed with cooperation from GM. Their press release...

Here at Astronomy magazine, several of us have been observers for decades. Needless to say, it takes pretty big news to surprise us on the amateur astronomy front. Well, today a spectacular announcement from Orion Telescopes & Binoculars stunned us: The company is introducing three new large Dobsonian-mounted reflectors . Did I say large? The smallest has a mirror 36 inches across! The mid-size model sports a 40-inch mirror, and the top-of-the...

I’m old enough to remember when, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would land an American on the Moon by the end of the decade. The 1960s were difficult years, with the assassinations of President Kennedy and his brother Robert as well as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The turmoil continued with race riots in many major cities and, of course, a seemingly endless war in Vietnam. Nonetheless, as President...

Allende meteorite slice. David J. Eicher photo Sunday I went to the Field Museum in Chicago to check out their displays of meteorites and minerals, having heard about a great exhibition of diamonds in town. I also wanted to see the kickoff of the newly renovated Grainger Hall of Gems, in which diamonds and other minerals are displayed in a spectacular, state-of-the-art fashion. I wasn’t disappointed. Although the systematic collection of meteorites...

With this giant disco ball suspended 50 meters above Paris, the city got to appreciate once again what a starry night might look and feel like. Michel de Broin photo Or, in French, Aimez-vous les étoiles ? As many of you probably know already, the Moon was full and extraordinarily bright Friday because it was at perigee, the closest it gets to Earth. Likewise, Mars was unusually bright because it, too, was at its closest point to us, called opposition...

OK, it’s the final batch of pictures from the magazine’s trip to Kenya to see the solar eclipse of two weeks ago. Enough already with the lions! Thanks to all of you who have contacted me about your enjoyment from these images, and let me say that for anyone considering a safari to eastern Africa, I would heartily encourage you to do it. There’s really nothing like seeing all this wildlife in its natural environment; it’s a changing experience for...

The Hubble test telescope Karri Ferron phot o Last week, I took a little vacation to Washington, D.C., figuring I’d leave life at Astronomy behind for a few days. I have some friends who live in or near the district who I hadn’t seen in awhile. They couldn’t believe upon my arrival that I had actually never stepped foot in D.C. before. (“You shouldn’t be allowed to live outside the country before you visit our nation’s capital.” Oops!) So some sightseeing...

Here is a selection of images from January 17 and 18 , representing more amazing sightseeing at Masai Mara, Kenya’s greatest game park. More images to come later. Related: Reader-submitted images of the 2010 annular solar eclipse . Previous blogs: Pictures from Astronomy 's annular eclipse trip to Kenya, part three Pictures and videos from Astronomy ’s annular eclipse trip to Kenya, part two Pictures from Astronomy 's annular eclipse trip...