Local Group - Astronomy Magazine - Interactive Star Charts, Planets, Meteors, Comets, Telescopes

2

A half-century history of amateur astronomy

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

The Prairie Astronomy Club: Fifty Years of Amateur Astronomy documents this Midwest astronomy club's past and will probably trigger many great memories of readers' own relationships with the night sky. Chris Raymond photoI just received an incredible book by amateur astronomer Mark Dahmke. The Prairie Astronomy Club: Fifty Years of Amateur Astronomy contains 560 pages crammed full of the history of a small Midwestern collection of amateur astronomers. And although I had no connectio...

0

Sketching at the telescope: A. J. Crayon’s NGC 6520 and B86

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

NGC 6520 and B86 sketched by A. J. Crayon using an 8-inch f/6 reflector at 80x. David J. Eicher libraryThis “sketching at the telescope” edition features a drawing by Arizona observer A. J. Crayon showing the open star cluster NGC 6520 in Sagittarius and the nearby dark nebula B86. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics column "Sketchi...

0

Visiting the Harvard-Smithsonian Observatory

Posted 14 years ago by Liz Kruesi

Venus shines to the left of the Great Refractor’s dome atop the Harvard-Smithsonian Observatory. Liz Kruesi photoI’m back from the Knight/Kavli Universe Workshop and, whew, it was a whirlwind few days, jam-packed with astronomy lectures and lab visits. Luckily, I love learning about the different areas of astronomy and astrophysics; so much of it is fascinating. And it’s always a pleasure to sit in on a science lecture where the scientist is fully capable of explaining complex ideas at a more ba...

0

On the Road: Post-ALCON Rancho Hidalgo, Day 2

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Rick Garrison, Gene Turner, Corey Lee, and Eric Kopit set off on a journey to ancient Native American caves in the mountains near Rancho Hidalgo, near Animas, New Mexico, June 28, 2010. David J. Eicher photoOn Monday, June 28, I had the pleasure of spending the day at Rancho Hidalgo, near Animas, New Mexico, with developer Gene Turner, our great host Loy Guzman, and three friends from Celestron, Corey Lee, Eric Kopit, and Rick Garrison. We talked over the whole state of amateur astronomy at grea...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Richard Baum’s 1973 transit of Mercury

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Mercury’s transit across the Sun sketched by Richard Baum of Chester, England, using a 4.5-inch scope at 186x, November 10, 1973, from 13:09 UT to 13:16:45 UT. David J. Eicher libraryToday’s sketch is one by Richard Baum showing the transit of Mercury that occurred November 10, 1973. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics column "Sketc...

0

On the Road: Post-ALCON Rancho Hidalgo, Day 1

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

At Rancho Hidalgo, Astronomy magazine's observatory (right) stand next to the Astronomical League's roll-off roof shed, with Clyde Tombaugh's telescope in the background. David J. Eicher photoFollowing the superb ALCon meeting this weekend in Tucson, Arizona, I traveled southeast about 2.5 hours to the vicinity of Animas, New Mexico, to spend a couple days at Gene Turner’s Rancho Hidalgo astronomy community. Gene and his wife, Loy Guzman, are terrific hosts, and the facility contains...

0

On the Road: ALCON Expo, Day 3

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Well-known to Astronomy readers, Adam Block of the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter (right, with Keith Schlottmann) paraded viewers through many of his sensational images in “The Power of Pictures.” David J. Eicher photoSaturday, June 26, marked the second full day of the Astronomical League’s annual convention, called the ALCon Expo. Held in Tucson, Arizona, the meeting was sponsored by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association and also incorporated the annual meeting of the International Dark-Sky Assoc...

0

On the Road: ALCON Expo, Day 2

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Bob Gent, former president of the Astronomical League and of the International Dark-Sky Association, and co-chair of the meeting, describes activities for local television covering the event. David J. Eicher photoOn the first full day of the ALCON Expo, Friday, June 25, Bob Gent and Keith Schlottman kicked off the meeting by welcoming some 300 amateur astronomers from many states and a few countries outside the United States. The meeting is being held at the Tucson Hotel East in sunny Tucson, Ar...

0

On the Road: ALCON Expo, Day 1

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Some 50 amateur astronomers gathered on Thursday night at David and Wendee Levy’s Jarnac Observatory, outside of Tucson, June 24, 2010. David J. Eicher photoThursday, June 24, 2010, was a travel day, but ALCON (or ALCon Expo, as it is now properly referred to) got its start that night. Some 300 amateur astronomers from around the United States and a few from overseas were set to gather at the Hilton Tucson East in Arizona for talks, observing, and activities centered on the Astronomical League, ...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Jay Albert’s Blackeye Galaxy

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

The Blackeye Galaxy (M64) sketched by Jay Albert using an 11-inch SCT at 165x. David J. Eicher libraryToday I’ve dug up a sketch by Jay Albert showing M64, also known as the Blackeye Galaxy, in Coma Berenices. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics column "Sketching 101." See the rest of the Sketching at the telescope series. &n...

0

Book review: “A Question and Answer Guide to Astronomy”

Posted 14 years ago by Chris Raymond

A Question and Answer Guide to Astronomy by Pierre-Yves Bely, Carol Christian, and Jean-René Roy (Cambridge University Press, 2010). Chris Raymond photoOne of the perks of working for a magazine is that we generally receive advance copies of relevant books from publishers seeking “ink” to promote their latest titles. In my previous life as editor of a monthly publication for funeral directors, discovering such works in my mailbox didn’t exactly trigger an interest I felt eager to explore, if you...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Joe Caruso’s Whirlpool Galaxy

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) sketched by Joe Caruso using a 10-inch reflector. David J. Eicher libraryToday’s sketch is one by Joe Caruso showing the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) in Canes Venatici. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics column "Sketching 101." See the rest of the Sketching at the telescope series. ...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Jay Albert’s NGC 205

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

NGC 205 sketched by Jay Albert using an 11-inch SCT at 88x and 311x. David J. Eicher libraryWe continue our series with a sketch by Jay Albert showing NGC 205, one of the satellite galaxies to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics column "Sketching 101." See the rest of the Sketching at the telescope ...

1

Comet McNaught glows over Astronomy’s observatory

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Comet C/2009 R1 (McNaught) was just visible to the naked eye at the time of this image. Developer Gene Turner photographed the comet as it passed through the constellation Perseus the Hero near the 4th-magnitude star Mu Persei June 17, 2010. Gene Turner photoDeveloper Gene Turner awakened early the morning of June 17, and the image on this page is the result. To capture Comet C/2009 R1 (McNaught), he used the Astronomy Magazine Observatory that he constructed in 2009. That facility sits within t...

0

On the road: ALCON preview

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Tomorrow I leave to attend ALCON Expo 2010, the annual meeting of the Astronomical League, the national federation of astronomical societies. This year the meeting will be held in Tucson, Arizona, and jointly hosted by the League, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, and the International Dark Sky Association. The event will attract several hundred amateur astronomers and will be built around a series of talks, observing sessions, and seminars on lighting and light pollution. I greatly enjo...

0

On the road: astronomy bootcamp preview

Posted 14 years ago by Liz Kruesi

I’m heading to Boston, Massachusetts, (well, Cambridge, really) today for a 3-day astronomy “bootcamp,” and I’m pretty darned excited. You may have read about this workshop in Managing Editor Chris Raymond’s forum post.The Knight Foundation (the premier journalism organization in the United States) and the Kavli Foundation (an international organization dedicated to advancing science) host science journalism workshops every year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Because Kavli f...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Phillip W. Budine’s edge-on Saturn

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Saturn sketched by Phillip W. Budine with an 8-inch reflector at 200x, May 15, 1966, from 8h15m to 9h30m UT, from Binghamton, New York. David J. Eicher libraryThis “sketching at the telescope” edition features a drawing by Phillip W. Budine of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers. His sketch shows Saturn in 1966, when its rings were edge-on to our line of sight. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketch...

2

Astronomers verify directly imaged planet

Posted 14 years ago by Liz Kruesi

A group confirms that a planet orbitting 1RXS J160929.1–210524 is about 8.4 times Jupiter's mass and orbits at 330 times times the distance from Earth to the Sun. Gemini Observatory photoIn the fall of 2008, a number of institutions announced that their scientists had directly imaged planets orbiting around other stars — one of the biggest stories of the past few years of astronomy. Still, some of the astronomy teams acknowledged that there was a chance the imaged planet and sun were either ...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Bob Erdmann’s NGC 3887

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

NGC 3887 sketched by Bob Erdmann using a 16-inch f/5 reflector at 100x, from Magma, Arizona. David J. Eicher libraryWe begin the week with a sketch by Arizona observer Bob Erdmann showing the galaxy NGC 3887 in Crater. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics column "Sketching 101." See the rest of the Sketching at the telescope se...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Dave Eicher’s M101

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

M101 sketched by Dave Eicher using an 8-inch f/10 SCT at 100x. David J. Eicher libraryIt’s time for another sketch of mine. This one features the bright galaxy M101 in Ursa Major. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics column "Sketching 101." See the rest of the Sketching at the telescope series. ...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Richard Baum’s Mars south polar cap

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Mars and its south polar cap sketched by Richard Baum with a 4.5-inch scope at 186x, August 17, 1971, from 0h to 1h UT. David J. Eicher libraryToday’s sketch is one by English observer Richard Baum showing Mars’ south polar cap. Baum’s notation reads: “Showing indentation in cap with indications of ragged edge. Region surrounding cap relatively blank except for a pale greenish orange hue.” To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com vi...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Glenn Chaple’s Albireo

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Albireo sketched by Glenn Chaple with a 3-inch f/10 reflector at 60x. David J. Eicher libraryThis “sketching at the telescope” edition features a sketch by Contributing Editor Glenn Chaple of the beautiful blue and yellow double star Albireo (Beta [β] Cygni). To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics column "Sketching 101." See the ...

0

Where in the world is Astronomy?

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron

Tim Sisk of Bismarck, North Dakota, submitted this inspiring photo to us saying, “This picture proves that this magazine appeals not just to the animate among us.” To submit your own creative Astronomy picture, go to “Where in the World is Astronomy?” in our Online Reader Gallery. Tim Sisk photoHere at the magazine, we get reader letters on a daily basis, from questions and suggestions to compliments and complaints (and yes, we do read them all). Occasionally, though, we get a truly unique comme...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Charles F. Capen’s Eclipse Comet

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Comet 1948 XI (annotated by the observer as 1948L) sketched by Charles F. Capen with 7x35 binoculars and a 3.5-inch f/10 reflector, November 10, 1948, at 5:30 a.m. CST. David J. Eicher libraryToday I’ve dug up a sketch by noted lunar and planetary astronomer Charles F. “Chick” Capen (1926–1986) showing his observation of Comet 1948 XI, known as the “Eclipse Comet.” The comet was first observed during the November 1, 1948, solar eclipse by a viewer in Kenya. On a protective wrapper around the dra...

1

Mars Rocks!

Posted 14 years ago by Chris Raymond

Cornell University’s Jim Bell thanks attendees June 10, 2010, and hints at what the evening has in store during a private reception before his public presentation. Bell is an associate professor in Cornell University’s astronomy department and lead scientist on the Pancam color-imaging system used by the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, which landed in 2004 on the surface of Mars. Chris Raymond photoSeveral weeks ago, Astronomy Editor Dave Eicher asked if I’d be interested in attending a lecture b...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Stephen James O’Meara’s Comet West

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Comet West sketched by Stephen James O’Meara as seen with the naked eye over Boston March 9, 1976 (lower right), in 7x35 binoculars February 25, 1976 (upper right), and telescopically February 25, 1976 (upper and lower left). David J. Eicher libraryMonday’s edition features sketches by Contributing Editor Stephen James O’Meara showing Comet West in 1976. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telesco...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Michael Sweetman’s Saturn

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Saturn sketched by Michael Sweetman with a 10-inch f/16 Cassegrain scope at 397x, May 25, 1988. David J. Eicher libraryToday’s sketch is one by Arizona observer Michael Sweetman showing the ringed planet as it appeared in May of 1988. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics column "Sketching 101." See the rest of the Sketching at ...

0

Sketching at the telescope: Richard Baum’s Mars

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Mars sketched by Richard Baum with a 4.5-inch scope at 186x, June 18, 1984, from 21h30m to 24h UT. David J. Eicher libraryThis “sketching at the telescope” edition features a sketch by Richard Baum of Chester, England, showing the Red Planet. The area shown covers Amazonis to Elysium. The white spot in the center “may have been Olympica,” according to Baum. The north polar cap was noted as being quite small. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access ...

0

Astronomy belongs in space, right?

Posted 14 years ago by Chris Raymond

Courtesy of NASA's "Face in Space" program, the entire crew of Astronomy magazine will be aboard STS-134, the final mission of the space shuttle program, sometime in November. William Zuback photoWith pulsar-like regularity, Astronomy magazine’s editorial and art staff gathers every Wednesday at 10 a.m. to discuss the status of each issue currently in production. Publishing a magazine requires tremendous attention to detail; because we’re working on or planning no fewer than six is...

1

Sketching at the telescope: Tom Polakis’ Tarantula Nebula

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

The Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) sketched by Tom Polakis with an 8-inch f/4 reflector at 89x and an OIII filter, June 12, 1988, from Kenilworth, Queensland, Australia. David J. Eicher libraryToday, I’ve uncovered a sketch by Astronomy Contributing Editor Tom Polakis showing the Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) in Dorado. To learn more about astronomical sketching, Astronomy magazine subscribers can access my Astronomy.com video "Sketching from the telescope" and read Glenn Chaple's Obs...

ABOUT THE MAGAZINE

SUBSCRIBER EXTRAS

IN EVERY ISSUE

COLUMNISTS

FEATURES

RECENT HEADLINES

TOPICS

RECENT HEADLINES

TOPICS

RECENT HEADLINES

TOPICS

PICTURE OF THE DAY

RECENT GALLERIES

TOPICS

RECENT POSTS

TOPICS

READER GALLERIES

TOPICS

NEW PRODUCTS

IN OUR STORE

CURRENT ISSUE