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Star parties - great for beginners

The lack of a telescope is no problem for astronomy beginners. When you attend a star party, just about everyone there is willing to let you look through his or her scope. Last night, here at the Winter Star Party in Big Pine Key, Florida, my wife Mary Lee and I were treated to sights of Saturn and its...

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 02-15-2007
Tags: Dick McNally
Winter Star Party opens

Martin Willes sets up his Astrophysics refractor with a Baader Energy Rejection filter and Hydrogen-alpha filter. Dick McNally Florida's famous Winter Star Party is up and running with a sold-out crowd enjoying temperatures in the 80s. Many telescopes are set up on the beach, and not just for the...

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 02-14-2007
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The Barnyard Constellation

I had a flying instructior once - his name was John - who told about some of the darkest skies in the United States - over North Dakota. John was flying cross-country in his Cessna 172 at night. It was so dark that he couldn't see the horizon. The yard lights on the farms below looked like stars...

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 12-04-2006
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Expensive eating: $5,000 a pound

When I read recently that the International Space Station received more than 2 tons of supplies, including food, water and fuel, I got to thinking how expensive some of that stuff is when you include the shipping. Keep in mind that it costs some $5,000 to $10,000 a pound just to get stuff in orbit. That...

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 11-14-2006
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Mars and why we’ll get there

Recently a learned scientist called me to tell me why we’ll never make it to Mars. According to this fine gentleman, humans will not be able to stand up to the assault of solar radiation while traveling to the Red Planet or while on Mars’ surface, especially because of the extended length...

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 10-22-2006
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Space junk: faster than a speeding bullet, and more dangerous

If you think litter is a problem here on Earth, consider the junk that orbits our planet. From nuts and bolts to gloves and other stuff left over from space missions, this trash is downright dangerous. Add to that the natural debris (meteroids) that orbit our planet, and you can see we have to be careful...

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 10-09-2006
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Those magnificent roving machines

On September 11, 2007, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity entered Victoria Crater on the rover's 1,291st martian day, or sol. NASA/JPL-Caltech Note to carmakers: Find out who the people were who built those fantastic rovers on Mars and hire them. They know how to make electric vehicles...

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 09-14-2007
Tags: Dick McNally, NASA, spacecraft, solar system
NASA chief promotes human exploration

NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin answers a girl’s question at the Experimental Aviation Association’s annual convention July 29. Dick McNally photo NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin says the United States will establish a base on the Moon in 15 years, and astronauts will land on Mars in 25 years...

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 07-30-2008
Tags: Dick McNally, NASA, spacecraft
Thinking small makes an astronomical difference

Is a big telescope better than a small one? Well, it all depends on what you want to use it for and how much the cost difference is. As with airplanes, bigger isn’t always better. A little two-place airplane works just fine for training pilots in the initial stages, thank you. A six-place jet can often...

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 04-20-2009
Tags: Dick McNally, observing, telescopes, outreach
Views of the Winter Star Party

I've created a gallery featuring some pictures of the Winter Star Party — a sold-out event held February 12–18 at Big Pine Key, Florida. Click here to view these images.

Posted to Astronomy.com blog (Weblog) by Dick McNally on 02-21-2007
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