Marlon Cowart (right) presents Bob Shutan with the the LakeSky Star Award. LCAS The Lake County Astronomical Society (LCAS) is based in northeastern Illinois, just across the border from Astronomy ’s home state of Wisconsin. The group’s outreach efforts have helped reveal the mysteries of the universe to the general public in both states. Through its LakeSky Star Award, the LCAS recognizes “individuals and/or organizations that make a distinctive...

We received sad news last night that Carter Roberts passed away about a long battle with colon cancer. Roberts was one of the true heavyweights of West Coast astronomy. He served on the board of Oakland’s Chabot Space and Science Center since 1994 and as president of the Eastbay Astronomical Society since 1988. He was also instrumental in coordinating events like the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference and Astronomy Day in Northern California. In...

People love to jump on NASA when things aren’t going so hot for the space agency. Do you remember the reaction of some when the Hubble Space Telescope had its early hiccups? This is the same crowd that ignores NASA’s amazing successes, such as the twin rovers on Mars , Stardust catching a comet, Cassini revealing the saturnian system, and years of amazing images from Hubble . Recently, the media picked up a story about a 13-year-old German student...

Actor Daniel Craig, director Marc Forster, and actor Mathieu Amalric on the Atacama Desert set. Sony Pictures/ESO When astronomy and cinema come together, you may think of the space views presented in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alien . Astronomy and movies also mix on Earth. Filmmakers use observatories, planetaria, and other astro-facilities in their productions. One of the most popular astronomical locations used is Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles...

I have something to look forward to on the idiot box. OK, Battlestar Galactica returns this week with the launch of season four, so two things, actually. The other: PBS will rerun Timothy Ferris ’ 60-minute masterpiece on stargazing, Seeing in the Dark , June 11 (check your local listing for times). When the special first ran last November, I didn’t know PBS aired a high-definition broadcast. Imagine, scanning deep-sky images on a crystal-clear, big...

Outreach programs sustain the hobby of astronomy. Typically, these have been hands-on activities at brick and mortar locations. Dedicated volunteers visit classrooms and hold open houses at venues ranging from observatories to planetaria to nature centers. Old school outreach still thrives, but some groups are popularizing astronomy through new media. Search the Internet and you’ll find dozens of groups that provide general web sites, blogs, podcasts...

If there is a hoax involving anything in the sky, Astronomy staff members will receive questions about it. Do you remember the “ Mars as big as the Full Moon ” prank? Lately, I’ve received a few inquiries asking if “moonvertising” is real. This comes from recent billboard and web advertising from the firm Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. This tongue-in-cheek campaign claims Latrobe Brewery Co. will use a ginormous laser to place the Rolling Rock...

One of the most flattering tribute you can pay to an invention is, “Why didn’t I think of that?” It comes close to a backhanded compliment, but the praise acknowledges the practicality, efficiency, and solution provided. I recently tested a product that provided that slap-in-the-forehead moment. Manufacturer i-Cuffs has created eyecups specifically for binoculars and telescopes. Eyecups are nothing new to optics, but these stand out. I took two i...

What’s your idea of roughing it? Staying in a 5-star hotel and NOT ordering room service? Or climbing inside a dead camel’s carcass to stay warm, like Bear Grylls of Discovery Channel ’s “Man vs. Wild”? If you lean closer to Grylls’ side and are into the night sky, I have your next vacation plan. Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS) offers a low-tech, back-country hiking experience with its “ 7-Day Desert Astronomer ” course. In late May 2008, students...

Last week, Senior Editor Francis Reddy wrote about his experience with Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope (WWT) at the American Astronomical Society ’s January meeting. Reddy summed up this introduction to Microsoft’s latest innovation as such: Imagine terabytes of astronomical imagery, ranging across the spectrum from radio waves to X-rays, seamlessly integrated and available in an easy-to-use interface. Pan left, right, up, down. Zoom in, merge different...