Astronomy magazine editors share their unique insight from behind the scenes of the science, hobby, and magazine.
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NASA scientists find a dusty lighthouse leading us to earthlike planets

Posted 16 years ago by Daniel Pendick
Rocky, earthlike planets are way too small and dim to detect directly with today’s telescopes. Astronomers at Goddard Space Flight Center may have found a really clever way around this problem. The NASA researchers think we might be able to spot tiny planets based on their gravitational effects on interplanetary dust particles. Our solar system has dust, and you can see it as a faint glow called the zodiacal light, visible before sunrise or after sunset.NASA researchers led by Christopher Stark ...
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Readers sound off on my top 10 galaxies

Posted 16 years ago by Michael Bakich
In the November 2008 issue of Astronomy, I wrote a story called “The northern sky’s top 10 galaxies.” At the end of the report, I invited readers to submit their favorite galaxies or to comment on my list. I’ve received a couple of responses so far. Science writer John Mood suggested five of his favorite galaxies that I hadn’t listed: Pinwheel Galaxy (M33) Virgo A (M87) Sombrero Galaxy (M104) Black Eye Galaxy (M64) 3C–273 Lucky for me, M104 lies below the celestial equator (making it a so...
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Astronomy magazine's annual editorial retreat

Posted 16 years ago by David Eicher
Last Friday the magazine’s editors, art staff, and publisher left the office to hang out at my house. It’s something we do once a year, and it’s a major component of how we bring you fresh, new ideas each year with the magazine and with our web site. Accompanied by throngs of magazines, covers, planning boards, and journals, we spread out with our pastries and orange juice and tackled the notions of what we should plan to do over the coming months to continue to make Astronomy the best it possib...
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Michael Phelps owes NASA a thank you

Posted 16 years ago by Karri Ferron
NASA recently released its 2008 edition of Spinoff, a publication that chronicles successfully commercialized NASA technology. They have a web site to go with the print version, and it’s an easy place to lose yourself for a few hours (trust me, I did it one night last week).The 2008 issue features 50 “spinoffs” in the areas of health and medicine; transportation; public safety; computer technology; and more. My personal favorites were the spinoffs for less invasive (and less painful) dentistry e...
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Nobel Prize in Physics awarded

Posted 16 years ago by Liz Kruesi
Three researchers who have contributed greatly to physicists’ understanding of the Standard Model of particle physics won the Nobel Prize in Physics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded Yoichiro Nambu of the Enrico Fermi Institute at the University of Chicago half the prize. Makoto Kobayashi of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization in Tsukuba, Japan, and Toshihide Maskawa of the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics at Kyoto University, Japan, each won one-quarter of th...
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October 10-17, 2008: Constellation Equuleus, double star Albireo, Polarissima Borealis

Posted 16 years ago by Michael Bakich
Here is the transcript for my podcast about how to see the constellation Equuleus, the double star Albireo, and Polarissima Borealis Check out the Astronomy.com's interactive star chart to see an accurate map of your sky. It'll help you locate some of this week's key targets. Astronomy magazine subscribers have access to a slew of cool functions with StarDome PLUS.--Start transcript-- The constellation Equuleus, the spectacular double star Albireo, and Polarissima Borealis are v...
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More images of 2008 TC3

Posted 16 years ago by Matt Quandt
Thanks to Ron Dantowitz and Marek Kozubal at the Clay Center Observatory in Brookline, Massachusetts, for sending us these two images of 2008 TC3.                Related: First images of asteroid 2008 TC3 ...
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Contributing astrophotographer wins award

Posted 16 years ago by Michael Bakich
The people I’ve met who are more than armchair astronomers fall into two categories: observers and astrophotographers. The latter combine a passion for astronomy with photography to make dazzling images of distant objects in the night sky. Adam Block is one of the best of them, and people are starting to notice. Recently, the Santa Barbara Instrument Group awarded Block its Award for Excellence in Astronomical Imaging and named him to its astrophotography Hall of Fame. The board chose Block as ...
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First images of asteroid 2008 TC3

Posted 16 years ago by Matt Quandt
STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES This morning, the husband and wife observing team of Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre forwarded to Astronomy an image and an animation of the asteroid 2008 TC3 they received from amateur astronomer friends in Italy. Imelda runs an image service company and is a contributor to Astronomy magazine. The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 6282 "Edwelda" after Imelda and Edwin. "Here's a sequence of photos and animation of 2008 TC3 taken by...
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From asteroid to fireball — in a day

Posted 16 years ago by Daniel Pendick
If you want to witness something historic, get on the next flight to Sudan. That’s where a unique meteorological event may take place late tonight. Astronomer Rich Kowalski of the Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson discovered asteroid 2008 TC3 last night. And astronomers predict that tonight, on October 7 Africa time, the object will enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up in a spectacular fireball. The asteroid is only a few meters across at most, so it will not reach the surface and thus poses...
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Everything you want to know about our solar system

Posted 16 years ago by Karri Ferron
Next week, Astronomy magazine’s latest special issue hits newsstands, and it’s one I’ve been looking forward to seeing published since I started working here almost 4 months ago. The Solar System was one of the first projects I got to work on, which by that time meant reading all the stories and checking the layouts for any minor errors. So, it was really as if I were getting a sneak peek at the final product. And by doing so, I got a glimpse of how much the editors here care about giving their ...
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Video of 2008 Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show

Posted 16 years ago by Matt Quandt
Senior Editor Michael Bakich's video footage from the 2008 Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, September 13-14, is up on Astronomy.com. Michael used his digital camera to record his walk-through of the show floor inside the Pasadena Convention Center. There's no audio, so when you don't hear anything, don't worry. Video: On the road: Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show 2008Image gallery: Pacific Astronomy and Telscope Show 2008 ...
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Magazine staff prepares for annual brainstorming session

Posted 16 years ago by David Eicher
Every year, for a single day, the Astronomy staff gets together and moves off site to think about the universe. We like to operate like a big family, and when this family goes on the road, we tend to think clearly about the magazine and the web site. The group moves to my house for the day, where we can dress informally, spread out, and think and talk about the coming year.This year’s summit will take place Friday, October 10. We’ll have coffee, breakfast foods, juice, water, sodas, boxed lunche...
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<i>Astronomy</i> editor discusses MESSENGER flyby with reporter

Posted 16 years ago by Matt Quandt
Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Michael Bakich spoke with a reporter from TechNewsWorld about the upcoming Mercury flyby. Read Michael's comments and learn more about the flyby in "NASA Craft to Make Second, Closer Swing Past Mercury". We've put together a nice package that includes a preview of the flyby, various news from MESSENGER's mission so far, a blog wrap-up, and podcasts: MESSENGER's second Mercury flyby....
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October 3-10, 2008: Andromeda Galaxy (M31), Gamma Andromedae, and the Deer Lick Group

Posted 16 years ago by Michael Bakich
Here is the transcript for my podcast about how to see the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the double star Gamma Andromedae, and the Deer Lick Group during the next few days. Check out the Astronomy.com's interactive star chart to see an accurate map of your sky. It'll help you locate some of this week's key targets. Astronomy magazine subscribers have access to a slew of cool functions with StarDome PLUS. --Start transcript-- The Andromeda Galaxy, the double star Gamma Andromedae, ...
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Young Astronomers Video Contest

Posted 16 years ago by Karri Ferron
Some of you may have already noticed the new section in the rotating box on our home page promoting the Young Astronomers Video Contest, but, in case you haven’t, I want you to check it out, break out those cameras, and start shooting. Because, frankly, I’m really excited for this contest. Now, let me offer some advice to those of you who plan to enter the contest (which I hope is many of you). Start with some research because you do have to document where you’re getting your facts and figures....
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Thank you, amateur astronomers

Posted 16 years ago by Liz Kruesi
My fellow editors and I are reading through entries for Astronomy’s annual Out-of-this-world award for outstanding astronomy programming. I’m impressed with how helpful you amateur astronomers are to your community. I’ve been to a few star parties (one at the Grand Canyon and another outside Austin, Texas), and both times everyone I encountered was more than willing to help me around the sky and let me look through their telescopes. I’m one of those “armchair astronomers” (I read books, work thr...
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Interactive astronomy education

Posted 16 years ago by Karri Ferron
In August, we asked you if astronomy should be included in middle school or high school curriculums through our Astronomy.com Online Poll. The results overwhelmingly favored including astronomy as either a mandatory or an optional course. Well, even though many schools still don’t include astronomy as a mandatory course (or offer it at all), there are some great computer tools that now educate and let users participate in active research. In its 13th issue, the Astronomy Education Review (A...
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On the road: Great Lakes Star Gaze, day 3

Posted 16 years ago by Michael Bakich
The third night at the Great Lakes Star Gaze (GLSG) started out clear but turned cloudy around 11 p.m. That’s too bad, because lots of observers were waiting for some great objects to climb high in the sky. Editor's note: Visit the online photo album, "Astronomy on the road: Great Lakes Star Gaze 2008" for images from Michael's trip. During the day, I spent several fun hours chatting lots of attendees, including well-known amateur astronomer Tom Trusock. Tom has written...
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On the road: Enchanted Skies Star Party, day 3

Posted 16 years ago by David Eicher
The day after we had a wonderful night of observing at El Camino Real, the Enchanted Skies Star Party slowed down a bit. Attendees spread out doing a variety of things during the day. Editor's note: View the photo album, Enchanted Skies Star party 2008, to see images from Dave's time in and around Socorro. I checked out the New Mexico Tech Mineral Museum on the campus, with its spectacular collection of minerals. Thursday, I wrote about the value of studying minerals for astronomer...
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On the road: Great Lakes Star Gaze, days 1 and 2

Posted 16 years ago by Michael Bakich
Now that I have Internet access, I can report the first two nights at the Great Lakes Star Gaze (GLSG) were clear. Unfortunately, they also were quite humid. Editor's note: Visit the online photo album, "Astronomy on the road: Great Lakes Star Gaze 2008" for more images from Michael's trip. The clarity ensured that, with the naked eye or through binoculars, we all could trace the Milky Way’s ethereal outline down to the horizon. So the sky looked good in a general sense. ...
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Exploring dusty disks around baby stars

Posted 16 years ago by Daniel Pendick
Trillions of miles way, disks and gas and dust encircle baby stars just a few million years old. Rocky planetary cores form, then sweep through the disks, accreting additional material around themselves like a cardboard tube swirling through a carnival cotton-candy machine. As the protoplanets gain mass, they carve racetrack-like gaps in the gaseous disk. How do I know this? Dan Watson told me. He’s an astronomer at the University of Rochester in New York and a member of the Infrared Spectrograp...
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On the road: Enchanted Skies Star Party, VLA tour day

Posted 16 years ago by David Eicher
Getting a multi-hour, behind-the-scenes tour of the Very Large Array radio telescope is a very enriching experience — and that’s exactly what a group of 10 of us from the Enchanted Skies Star Party experienced yesterday, Thursday, September 25. Our expert guide was Jon Spargo, who retired a few years ago after 35 years of service with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. He’s now busier than ever, and one of his activities (lucky for us) is leading tours at the VLA. ***Editor's not...
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Why I love cosmology

Posted 16 years ago by Liz Kruesi
Yesterday I spent a bit of time reading through the scientific paper regarding the flow of galaxy clusters pulled by possible dark matter beyond the universe’s horizon. I don’t know what it is about cosmology, but I find it fascinating. It’s weird stuff, completely crazy ideas, and very difficult to understand, but something about it just gets me. Maybe it’s the knowledge that we (well, scientists) are learning so much about our universe. Not just the small neighborhood around us, but the far ...
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September 26-October 2, 2008: Great Square of Pegasus, globular cluster M15, and Stephan’s Quintet

Posted 16 years ago by Michael Bakich
Here is the transcript for my podcast about how to see Great Square of Pegasus, globular cluster M15, and Stephan’s Quintet during the next few days. Check out the Astronomy.com's interactive star chart to see an accurate map of your sky. It'll help you locate some of this week's key targets. Astronomy magazine subscribers have access to a slew of cool functions with StarDome PLUS. --Start transcript-- Hello, I’m Astronomy magazine senior editor Michael Bakich. Each week, I ...
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On the road: Enchanted Skies Star Party, day 1

Posted 16 years ago by David Eicher
As Matt Quandt told you yesterday, I’m on the road in Socorro, New Mexico, this week at the Enchanted Skies Star Party. Although it’s a relatively small gathering, the star party is a great one and an event you should consider attending next year. The former residence of Astronomy’s longtime editor Robert Burnham, Socorro stands in a scientific district that holds the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, the Very Large Array radio telescope to the west, the Trinity site where the first...
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On the road: Great Lakes Star Gaze preview

Posted 16 years ago by Michael Bakich
On Thursday, I’ll leave Milwaukee and drive around Lake Michigan to the Great Lakes Star Gaze (GLSG), near Gladwin, Michigan. This will mark the 6th year of this annual event. In 2008, GLSG runs from September 25–28. As the invited speaker, I won’t need to bring a telescope or even binoculars. I’m just going to wander the observing field chatting with folks and looking through their scopes. I’m giving two talks while at GLSG: “How the Constellations Came to Be” and “Take the Sharpless Cata...
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On the road: Enchanted Skies Star Party preview

Posted 16 years ago by Matt Quandt
Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher is traveling to the Enchanted Skies Star Party in Socorro, New Mexico, September 24–27. This event boasts pristine observing conditions ... a welcome departure from the Midwest’s fall skies. I attended this star party a few years ago. One of the highlights for me was the night of observing from an elevation of 10,600 feet. It’s an experience well worth the slow, precarious drive up South Baldy. In addition to the overhead targets, we all marveled at the...
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Subscriber extras for November 2008

Posted 16 years ago by Karri Ferron
Now that subscribers have the November issue in hand, we’ve updated Astronomy.com with our newest Web extras, which complement the articles you are starting to read (that is, if you haven’t already read the magazine cover-to-cover over the weekend). And this month, we’ve got great examples of all the possibilities online publishing has to offer: text, images, audio, AND video. Here are the highlights of this month's subscriber extras: Associate Editor Daniel Pendick gives the basics on d...
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Image gallery from eclipse trip to Russia

Posted 16 years ago by David Eicher
From July 18 through August 2, 2008, Astronomy magazine had the pleasure of hosting a total eclipse expedition — along with MWT Associates — to visit Russia and witness the August 1 total solar eclipse. It was great fun, made so largely by the fantastic organization and energy of Melita Thorpe, president of MWT. I accompanied Senior Editor Rich Talcott, our readers, and travelers from Chicago's Adler Planetarium and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. What a fabulous time we had! The...
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