Blogs

  • Blog Post: Astronomy magazine visits Yerkes Observatory

    Did you know that the world’s largest refracting telescope is located less than an hour from Astronomy magazine’s headquarters? Founded in 1897, Yerkes Observatory sedately sits on the shore of Geneva Lake in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. On December 3, 2010, the staff of Astronomy , its publisher...
  • Blog Post: Astronomy mobile adds daily observing events

    Astronomy magazine’s mobile-friendly website just added another reason you should immediately bookmark http://m.astronomy.com in your smart phone’s browser. Already offering on-the-go access to the latest astronomy and space news, staff blogs, and our jaw-dropping Photo of the Day, Astronomy...
  • Blog Post: Kids: Tell us what you love best about astronomy

    Hurry! Time is running out for you to enter Astronomy magazine’s 2011 Youth Essay Contest. To enter, write a 300 to 500 word essay in the next 10 days telling us what you love best about astronomy, and you could win an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2011 Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) April 16...
  • Blog Post: Outreach award deadline approaches

    Are you part of a nonprofit astronomy group that works to show the public the wonders of astronomy? Could your group use an extra $2,500? If so, have you applied yet for Astronomy magazine’s 2010 Out-of-this-world Award? The deadline for our annual outreach award is coming up quickly (all materials...
  • Blog Post: Astronomy senior editor celebrates silver milestone

    Congratulations to Senior Editor Richard Talcott, who this week celebrated his 25th anniversary with Astronomy magazine! And Rich, on behalf of the staff, I sincerely apologize. [caption image="/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/astronomy.Misc/5076.TALCOTT25Asmall...
  • Blog Post: Celebrating Pi Day perfectly

    As we’ve let slip in the past, we here at Astronomy magazine are fans of eating . We’re also somewhat geeky, as you might expect given what we do. So as you can imagine, Pi Day is a pretty big deal around here. [caption image="/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components...
  • Blog Post: Out-of-this-world 2010 update

    Just over a month ago, we announced that the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit had won our 2010 Out-of-this-world Award for public outreach . Ruben Gutierrez, the group’s president, recently let me know how they’re doing, and how they’ve put the award money to good use. [caption image...
  • Blog Post: Astronomy magazine now available on Nook

    In response to reader requests, Kalmbach Publishing Co. launched its first-ever digital version of Astronomy magazine today on the Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader . From the Nook Newsstand , users of this increasingly popular hand-held device can now order single issues or subscribe directly on their...
  • Blog Post: Astronomy magazine’s legacy — and a mini “museum”

    Although this year is the 38th in the history of Astronomy magazine, it is a big year for remembering the magazine’s heritage. Some amateur astronomers are not aware of the fact that for 31 of those years, Astronomy has been the largest circulation title on the subject, well ahead of its competitors...
  • Blog Post: The world’s most celebrated astronomy Ph.D.

    Over the Memorial Day break, I had occasion to throw in a DVD or two, and wanting to relive a little music, I watched large swaths of Live Aid, the iconic 1985 concert that featured numerous acts on stages at Wembley Stadium in London, England, and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Again, I...
  • Blog Post: Ask Michael — on Twitter

    For years, Astronomy magazine has run the popular column “Ask Astro.” Many readers have submitted astronomy-related questions and seen them answered in print. In the age of social media, however, we can go a step further. You can see your question answered immediately. On Thursday,...
  • Blog Post: A tale of two stories

    The August issue of Astronomy magazine contains two special articles. For those who have not seen or read them yet, I want to share them with you here — because they are important to the future of astronomy as an interest. [caption image="/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs...
  • Blog Post: Astronomy magazine now available on Zinio

    In response to reader requests, Kalmbach Publishing Co. launched a digital version of Astronomy magazine on the Zinio digital magazine platform this week. Users of this leading software application can now order single issues or subscribe directly from their iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac or PC, and select...
  • Blog Post: A new phase for the Astronomy Outreach Foundation

    Many of you are familiar with the telescope industry’s first trade association, the Astronomy Outreach Foundation, which was created in late 2009 to spread interest in astronomy, especially to younger folks. The group has recently undergone a reorganization. Now named simply the Astronomy Foundation...
  • Blog Post: A great time at the Northwoods Starfest

    I spent this past weekend in Fall Creek, Wisconsin. The organizers of the 23rd annual Northwoods Starfest — led by Jon Dannehy — had asked me to speak about an observing-related topic, so I made the 4-hour drive northwest. This year, the star party occurred Friday through Sunday, August 26–28...
  • Blog Post: Thinking of buying a telescope?

    Selecting a telescope, like buying a car, is subject to your tastes as a consumer. In other words, the choice is up to you. But the editors at Astronomy magazine have just made that decision a lot easier with “How to Buy Your First Telescope.” This 16-page pluck-out guide sponsored by Celestron...
  • Blog Post: Astronomy magazine now available on special collector’s DVD set

    Do you suffer from sagging bookshelves? Do you routinely walk in zigzags in your home to get from point A to point B because of the stacks of Astronomy magazines taking up space everywhere? Do your children or grandchildren conceal themselves behind those paper towers whenever you play Hide-n-Seek, snickering...
  • Blog Post: Astronomy.com named top 100 educational website

    I’m pleased to announce that Astronomy magazine’s website, Astronomy.com, was selected by Homeschool.com as one of its “Top 100 Educational Websites of 2012.” Every year, Homeschool.com asks its “product testers” to submit a list of their favorite educational Internet...
  • Blog Post: Happy Pi Day!

    As you might know, today (March 14) is Pi Day, as in π, the mathematical constant of 3.14159… (If you’re curious about what it actually means, π is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It’s also an irrational number, meaning its value cannot be expressed...
  • Blog Post: "Astronomy" magazine's history — revisiting 1974!

    I’ll be sharing the history of the magazine from time to time, a little at a time, in this blog. It’s a fascinating story that has witnessed astronomy grow in leaps and bounds as our understanding of the cosmos has deepened. And you can capture the whole history of the magazine on DVD for...
  • Blog Post: A staff of talented jugglers

    [caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-People/1447.Art_2D00_Rough.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-People/1447.Art_2D00_Rough...
  • Blog Post: Join us in Tucson for a day filled with astronomy

    On Saturday, February 16, 2013, Astronomy magazine and the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) will host an all-day skywatching party at the East Campus Observatory of Pima Community College (PCC). Activities start at 10 a.m. and continue through 9 p.m. This event will feature astronomy-based...
  • Blog Post: A key art partnership powers “Astronomy” magazine

    Even if you skim casually through the pages of Astronomy , you can’t help but notice the crucial role the art staff plays in the design, illustrations, and overall feel of the magazine. A lot of work, planning, and talent go into their effort. I’m not an artist, but I’d imagine that...
  • Blog Post: Top honors for an "Astronomy" editor

    Astronomy magazine is pleased to announce that Associate Editor Liz Kruesi has won one of the top awards in astronomical science journalism from the American Astronomical Society. The society’s High Energy Astrophysics Division honored Kruesi with the 2013 David N. Schramm Award for
 High Energy...
  • Blog Post: "Cosmic Adventures" video series returns

    [caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-People/1856.CA_2D00_behind_2D00_the_2D00_scenes.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://www.astronomy.com/cosmicadventures"]The new duo behind Cosmic Adventures is Associate Editors...