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You can own a piece of the sky

Posted 12 years ago by David Eicher

On Sunday, October 14, Heritage Auctions, based in New York City, will sell the largest piece of the Moon ever publicly offered. That sample will be one of the highlights of a set of nearly 100 meteorites — many with museum provenance — in an auction at the Fletcher Sinclair Mansion in New York City.The sale features the four-pound (1.8 kilograms) lunar specimen, which researchers split into two halves to reveal its brecciated lunar signature. Only 135 pounds (61.2kg) of the Moon in ...

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Astronomy and music Tuesday at Ravinia

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Do you like astronomy? (Presumably, yes.) Do you like music? (Who doesn’t?) Are you in the Chicago area tomorrow? (Uhh… maybe?) Then have we got an event for you! Come join us — the Cosmic Adventures duo — at Ravinia for an evening of classical music, skygazing, and astronomy knowledge. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will take care of the music and perform Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” among other selections (including an improvisation that encourages s...

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Discover the Universe: Tempe, Arizona

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Last month’s transit of Venus was a twice-in-a-lifetime event that won’t occur again until 2117, so it’s not surprising that astronomy clubs wanted to take advantage of it. As part of Astronomy magazine’s Discover the Universe program to bring sidewalk astronomy to everyone, the Arizona State University (ASU) “Astro Devils” astronomy club made sure to get people interested and excited about witnessing Venus cross the Sun’s face. The club’s Outreach...

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Comic-Con: July 14, 2012 — meeting Roger Corman and William Shatner

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Today was the day I looked forward to when I signed up for Comic-Con. At 2:30 p.m., two giants in the history of science-fiction cinema — director Roger Corman and actor William Shatner — would appear at a press conference. And I’d be there.I arrived at the designated room in the Hilton on the Bay, San Diego, 15 minutes early. By the time the organizers from the Epix Channel opened the doors, roughly 60 members of the press had queued up. Inside, we found round tables that acco...

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It’s not the God particle!

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

By now, everyone who cares about the subject probably already knows about this month’s announcement from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) about the discovery of a new particle. Probably a lot of people who don’t care have also heard a little about it. In fact, a lot of analysis and writing has already appeared on the subject, so I won’t add too much here; I just want to clarify two things. First of all, we have to keep in mind what they actually announced: ...

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Comic-Con: July 13, 2012

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

My Internet access and ability to get enough bandwidth to post blogs and photos at Comic-Con was spotty, so although the event is now over, I still have plenty to share with you, starting with the second day of the convention. Because of preview night, however, it was my third day. I husbanded my time much better, choosing fewer panels and leaving much more time for meals. That simple move means I felt far fresher at the end of Friday than I felt at the end of Thursday.One panel I decided to che...

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Comic-Con: July 12, 2012

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Day two at Comic-Con (the first official day) was, for me, a day full of panel discussions. That worked out well, too, because I got less than two hours of sleep the night before, and when a panel is occurring, the audience sits.Three of the five panels I attended (The Hobbit, The Walking Dead, and the 15th annual "Kung Fu Extravaganza") had nothing to do with astronomy, so, although I enjoyed them, I won't describe them here. The other two, "Stan Lee's World of Heroes" and "Science and Science ...

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Preview night opens Comic-Con

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

I arrived in San Diego at 11:30 a.m., a bit ahead of schedule because the last of my flights was shorter than advertised. A quick taxi ride got me to the hotel, the Marriott Marquis and Marina, which adjoins the convention center where Comic-Con is happening. I mean right next door — a two-minute stroll.My instructions said I couldn’t pick up my press badge until 3 p.m., so off to lunch I went. The route to "restaurant row" took me past the convention center, which was abuzz with act...

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Comic-Con 2012: What would you ask a legend?

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Because I've known for some time that I'm headed to Comic-Con in San Diego, and because I studied the schedule with the intensity of a nuclear physicist about to watch the first Higgs boson appear, I naturally have targeted certain events as "special." One jumps to mind. On Saturday, July 14, at 2:30 p.m. PDT, I'll be part of a press-only group hearing a panel discussion by legendary filmmaker Roger Corman and legendary actor William Shatner.I hold both of these industry giants responsible in no...

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Lowell Observatory wants your involvement

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

It seems that every day, more researchers and observatories are learning the value of collaboration between amateur and professional astronomers. With the equipment access and computer skills of a growing number of technically capable hobbyists, they can participate in scientific research like never before.Now, Lowell Observatory hopes to take advantage of these capabilities with its new Lowell Amateur Research Initiative (LARI). The program brings together professional and amateur astrono...

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A Midwest astronomer in Comic-Con’s court

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

The world’s greatest multigenre convention is about to take place. San Diego Comic-Con International 2012 officially starts Thursday, July 12, and runs through Sunday the 15th. Actually, a preview night occurs Wednesday, July 11, for professionals, exhibitors, and press. That’s me. Press. I’ll be there for the whole shebang, and I’ll report what I see related to our terrific hobby through tweets and blogs on Astronomy.com.Comic-Con started in 1970 as a three-day gathering...

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Hurry! Win funding to run your own space experiment

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

UPDATE: The contest is now accepting submissions until the 14th! Looking for a different way to spend your 4th of July holiday, or perhaps you just need a midweek break to do some science? Why not create your own in-space experiment? Yup, you really could end up, in effect, with your own Earth-orbiting satellite if you win our sister magazine’s Discover Space Challenge. NanoSatisfi, a company of aerospace experts working to democratize space access, is running a KickStarter campaign to...

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ALCon to honor young astronomy enthusiasts

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

The world’s oldest federation of astronomical societies, the Astronomical League, will hold its annual meeting next week in Chicago, Illinois, not far from Astronomy magazine’s backyard in metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The staff is excited to attend ALCon this year, with Senior Editor Michael E. Bakich giving two talks and Editor David J. Eicher speaking once and performing with the Astronomy Magazine Blues Band (with special guest new Managing Editor Ron Kovach). But it’l...

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Discover the Universe: The Sun, from sea to desert

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

It’s been an exciting couple of months for astronomy! The annular eclipse in late May followed by the last-in-our-lifetime transit of Venus in early June have provided amateur astronomers and their friends plenty to look at. As part of Astronomy’s Discover the Universe program, Astronomical League Member-at-Large and Contributing Astronomer for the Royal Observatory of Belgium R. G. “Ryc” Rienks and his wife, Penny, held public events for these spectacles. He shares his e...

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Guest blog: Venus transit from Kitt Peak

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

Frequent imaging contributor John Chumack recently returned to his home in Dayton, Ohio, from a trip to witness the June 5 transit of Venus from Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. He and two friends were able to set up their equipment to witness the event near the Arizona Radio Observatory 12-meter Radio Telescope site, which had the best western view of the transit in the area. John was kind enough to share some photos a recap of this once-in-a-lifetime trip.Two observing friends &mdash...

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Watch the recent annular eclipse

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Christopher Go from Cebu, Philippines, is a longtime contributor of planetary images to Astronomy magazine. Occasionally, however, he sends in something different. This time-lapse video shows the May 20, 2012, annular eclipse from Karannaville, Utah, the location Chris traveled to in order to see the event. Although his video runs only 21 seconds, you’ll get the feeling everyone had as they observed the eclipse. Especially note the moments of second and third contact. Second contact occur...

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Guest blog: Bucket List Astronomy Tour Class final thoughts

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

Sam Houston State University’s Bucket List Astronomy Tour Class of non-science majors has spent the past three weeks witnessing amazing astronomical phenomena, learning more about the night sky, and blogging about their experiences. Their trip finally came to a conclusion last week, and astronomy professor C. Renee James has some concluding thoughts to share of the group’s journey. Sadly, the Bucket List Astronomy Tour Class drew to a close Friday, June 8. It was a bittersweet day. ...

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On the road: American Astronomical Society June 2012 meeting, Thursday recap

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Another American Astronomical Society (AAS) summer meeting has come and gone. Today’s recap will be a shorter one, because the final day of the meeting has fewer events, and because I have to catch a flight in the afternoon (in order to arrive in Milwaukee tomorrow morning — fun!). So let’s get to it! The day began, again, with solar science. Jeffrey C. Hall of Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, spoke about “Solar Twins and Stellar Maunder Minima.” The...

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On the road: American Astronomical Society June 2012 meeting, Wednesday recap

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Another interesting and universe-filled Wednesday unfolded in Anchorage, Alaska, the third (and final) full day of the 220th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Instead of an overarching theme uniting most of the talks, today I saw a hodge-podge of lectures and sessions covering many of astronomy’s diverse disciplines. The day began with a metaphorical sunrise (the best we can do in overcast and never-dark Anchorage) when Yvonne Elsworth of the University of Birmingh...

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Guest blog: Bucket List Astronomy Tour Class — Aboriginal astronomy

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

Before Sam Houston State University’s Bucket List Astronomy Tour (BLAsT) Class left Australia after witnessing the transit of Venus, they learned a bit about Aboriginal astronomy. Theyvisited Macquarie University to learn about Aboriginal culture and the stars and myths they had long ago. The class also got to see a fascinating slideshow prepared by Duane Hamacher, a graduate student in archeoastronomy, shown by Bob Fuller of the North Sydney Astronomical Society. Here are some r...

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On the road: American Astronomical Society June 2012 meeting, Tuesday recap

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

The second day of the 220th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) started close to home, then quickly took off for the farthest reaches of the universe. Oh, the power of astronomy! Starting things off, AAS’s Solar Physics Division (SPD) awarded Dibyendu Nandy of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Kolkata the 2012 Harvey Prize (whose prize money he donated to the SPD’s Thomas Metcalf Fund). Nandy spoke on the subject, “The Solar Cycle: ...

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On the road: American Astronomical Society June 2012 meeting, Monday recap

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

It was a big day for planetary science on Monday, the first full day of the 220th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Anchorage, Alaska. As planned, I’d missed the opening reception the day before, so I really wanted to get the most out of today’s events and see everything I could.It all began at 8 a.m. with a welcoming address from AAS President Debra Elmegreen of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Unlike my previous AAS trips, the hosting city played a big ...

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On the road: American Astronomical Society June 2012 meeting preview

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Well, sometimes time really flies. It feels like I just got back from Australia, and now it’s time for me to fly off to Anchorage, Alaska, for the 220th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Unlike my previous two AAS trips, this time I’m going off into lands unknown, but I have every confidence that Alaska will be as hospitable and lovely as I’ve heard. The conference runs from Sunday evening through Thursday afternoon, but because of the difficulty in getting t...

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Venus transit time-lapse June 5, 2012

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Here’s a note I got from Craig and Tammy Temple, who live in Hendersonville, Tennessee. They’re a pair of top-notch astroimagers who have sent whatever they capture to me here at Astronomy magazine. On June 5, 2012, we packed up our equipment and drove up to Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee, where we joined the Cumberland Astronomical Society for its public outreach of the Venus transit. While there, we captured all the data for this video. At the same time, ...

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Guest blog: Bucket List Astronomy Tour Class — transit of Venus

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

The Bucket List Astronomy Tour (BLAsT) Class, a group of 10 Sam Houston State University undergraduate students on a journey to witness some of the best astronomical events of a lifetime, had the opportunity to witness the transit of Venus from a pretty cool location — Parkes Observatory, just outside Parkes, Australia, which hosts the 64-meter Parkes radio telescope. Kevin Mulcahy, a senior studying computer animation, shares his reflections: We went to the town of Parkes (about five hou...

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Guest blog: Bucket List Astronomy Tour Class — Macquarie Observatory

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

The Bucket List Astronomy Tour (BLAsT) Class, a group of 10 Sam Houston State University undergraduate students on a journey to witness some of the best astronomical events of a lifetime, has had an exciting couple of days in Australia with their professors, Scott Miller and C. Renee James. First up was a visit to Macquarie Observatory in Sydney for some stargazing and to witness the June 4 partial lunar eclipse. Mallory Smith, a senior majoring in family and consumer science, shares her reflect...

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Kalmbach Publishing Co. views the transit of Venus

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

In Waukesha, Wisconsin, home of Kalmbach Publishing Company (KPC), publishers of Astronomy magazine, Tuesday, June 5, began as a clear day and remained essentially cloudless through sunset. That’s unusual enough, but it’s not nearly as rare as the transit of Venus, which began at 5:04 P.M. CDT. A Venus transit occurs when the planet appears to cross the solar disk from our point of view. Humans won’t see another of these events for 105 years. That being the case, the staff of ...

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The transit of Venus excites scientists, too!

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

Everyone's gearing up for today's transit of Venus, the last one until 2117. Here at Astronomy, we've received tons of information about cool science related to the event, and there's no way we could write individually about them all. Instead, I provide a summary of some, and if you're interested, you can click on the links to find out more. - NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory will watch the transit to help calibrate its instruments as well as to learn more about Venus's atmosphere. Find out mo...

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Guest blog: The Bucket List Astronomy Tour Class — Sydney Observatory

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

The Bucket List Astronomy Tour (BLAsT) Class, a group of 10 Sam Houston State University undergraduate students on a journey to witness some of the best astronomical events of a lifetime, has been taking in lectures and keeping busy in Australia as they gear up for today's transit of Venus. Before the event that brought them Down Under, though, they had the opportunity to spend an evening at Sydney Observatory. Megan Willmore, a 21-year-old English major, was kind enough to share her refelctions...

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Watch the transit of Venus on your computer

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

On Tuesday, June 5, starting at 2 p.m. MST, the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter will provide a live Internet broadcast of the last transit of Venus until December 2117. The SkyCenter is a learning facility run by the University of Arizona in Tucson. It sits atop Mount Lemmon, which rises 9,157 feet (2,791 meters) above sea level just north of Tucson. A transit occurs when a planet closer to the Sun (Mercury or Venus) appears to cross the solar disk from our point of view. Mercury transits are unusual. T...

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