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

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Photomicrographs of meteorites make nice art!

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

I recently acquired a fantastic new toy — Celestron’s Handheld Digital Microscope, Model #44302. I’m amazed by it. Retailing for just $69.95, it is one of the neatest gadgets I’ve seen in a long time. The microscope consists of a small optical tube that rests in a desktop stand and a USB cable connects the output to a PC or Mac. It’s a “plug and play” device, and within minutes of opening the box, I was capturing images of meteorites in my collection wit...

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On the road: Norwegian aurorae

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Next Tuesday, November 2, I will be going away on vacation for 10 days. I’ll be joining Melita Thorpe of MWT Associates, Astronomy magazine’s travel partner, and a small group of 13 Astronomy readers to observe what will no doubt be spectacular displays of aurora borealis from Norway. Despite the fact that I am on vacation time, kicking back, I will attempt to blog about the trip as far as my Internet connectivity allows. I will fly from Milwaukee to Chicago to Newark to Copenhagen a...

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A new and improved Astronomy.com

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron

As I’m sure you’ve already noticed, Astronomy.com has gotten a makeover. We’ve done some reorganizing, added new content, and, above all, tried to make the site a more dynamic and user-friendly place to visit. We hope you’ll spend some time exploring it, and below I’ve listed a few highlights that you definitely should check out. But as is with any site transition, there will be a few kinks here and there that our programmers are still working out. Hopefully, they ...

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Upgraded Astronomy.com goes live October 26

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron

If you haven’t already heard, Astronomy.com is getting an upgrade October 26 — a new look, more features, and better organization. To get the new site up and running, there will be a transitional period where Astronomy.com is down on the 26th, but it will return that same day. The Community area (Blogs, Forums, and Online Reader Gallery) will also undergo maintenance on the 26th, but that won’t return until 27th. Here is a sampling of the upgrades below for users to preview. We hope you enjoy t...

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AIC 2010 wrap-up

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

The 2010 Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC) in San Jose, California, is over.Sunday morning, two imagers, Al Kelly and Martin Pugh, presented workshops. Kelly discussed the necessity of obtaining accurate white balance in images. He emphasized the significance of G2V (Sun-like) star color in the reproduction of accurate hues.Pugh’s talk, “High-Resolution Imaging,” discussed key procedural aspects in data acquisition such as the mount, camera, and optical tube assembly. He ...

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Comparing astroimaging to Kepler imaging

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

The second day continued the excitement at the 2010 Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC) in San Jose, California. I heard a great talk by Todd Klaus, lead engineer at the Kepler Science Operations Center, at the NASA Ames Research Center.Klaus’ lecture “From the Backyard to Space — Parallels Between the Kepler Mission and the Backyard Astrophotographer” was just the kind of subject matter AIC attendees love. He gave an overview of Kepler, and then engaged in a detailed...

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Top-shelf astroimaging

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

The second day at the 2010 Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC) in San Jose, California, began with a bang — actually, two of them. AIC President Ken Crawford said a few words to start this morning’s session, in which all attendees are in the same room.On behalf of the AIC Board of Directors, Crawford presented long-time imager Russ Croman the 2010 Hubble Award, the group’s highest honor. Croman thanked the AIC and then gave a spirited talk in which he demonstrated many of h...

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Sponsor updates at AIC

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

The first day has come and gone at the 2010 Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC) in San Jose, California. The last item on Friday’s super-busy agenda was the General Session Opener and Sponsor Update, which began at 8 p.m. and ran for 2 hours.Six sponsors gave product or company updates: Apogee Instruments, Astro-Physics, DC-3 Dreams, LightBuckets online telescope rentals, and PlaneWave Telescopes. Oh, and me, from one of the editorial sponsors, Astronomy magazine.I chatted about our up...

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Putting faces to images at AIC

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

The 2010 Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC) in San Jose, California, is officially less than a day old. Even so, already I’ve had first encounters with several people who contributed images to this November’s issue of Astronomy magazine. The first meeting occurred during the shuttle ride last night from the airport to the conference. I chatted with Mark Manner of Nunnelly, Tennessee. You can see his image of galaxy cluster Abell 262 on page 71. Then, as I was mowing down breakfast, ...

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The best imagers are in California

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

I arrived in San Jose, California, Thursday night, October 21, to attend the 2010 Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC). Eight other attendees and I took the AIC shuttle from the airport to the hotel. I’m talking first class: This was a stretched bus with meters-long couches, neon lighting, a high-definition television (showing an AIC presentation), and a full bar. The driver even served champagne to those who wanted it. All that for a 10-minute ride. After enjoying supper, I headed down to the ven...

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On my way to the AIC 2010

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Although flying isn’t my favorite pastime, I don’t mind the two flights today because I’m headed to the 2010 Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC). The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Santa Clara, California, October 22–24.I look forward to attending AIC each year (this one’s my seventh) for several reasons. First, 300 of the world’s best astroimagers will be there. As Astronomy magazine’s photo editor, I know many of them, and I’m usually among the first to see their latest work. S...

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Granite Gap observatories commenced

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Pouring the foundation of the first observatory at Granite Gap; construction on more than a dozen others will begin shortly. Gene Turner photoAs several of us have reported in Astronomy magazine, astronomy developer Gene Turner is creating the first low-cost dark-sky community for amateur astronomers in the country. Located near Animas in southwestern New Mexico, Granite Gap offers several hundred parcels of land for dark-sky observing or astroimaging, either on site or via robotic control. The ...

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Astronomy.com gets an upgrade

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron

As with so many things in life — phones, cars, computers, etc. — websites occasionally get worn out, so they require an upgrade — a new look, more features, and better organization. And that’s what we’re planning to give you when we unveil a new Astronomy.com October 26. Our editorial team, as well as the great staff in online publishing, has been working diligently this past year to create an even better experience for you at our website. To get the new site up and running, there will be a tran...

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Future Galileos: Starry Messenger Project class of 2010

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

The 2010 class of Future Galileos from the Cincinnati Observatory each received an 8-inch telescope for future outreach use. Dean Regas photoI just received an update from Cincinnati Observatory Center's Outreach Astronomer Dean Regas, which won Astronomy's 2008 Out-of-this-World Award for outstanding programming for the observatory's Future Galileos project. Last year, the money from Astronomy's program allowed the Cincinnati Observatory to award 40 Orion telescopes to indi...

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Time again for the Ghost Hunt

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

In the October 2009 issue of Astronomy, Contributing Editor Stephen James O’Meara wrote “Take the Ghost Hunt challenge.” In that story, he listed 109 Halloween-themed targets perfect for fall observing.Well, it’s fall again, so you might want to check out this link and revisit the Ghost Hunt. (Subscriber access required.) We’ve revised the information to make it up-to-date for 2010. In addition to O’Meara's general overview, you’ll find a downloadable PDF file of all 109 objects to help you ...

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The Astronomy Outreach Foundation hits YouTube

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

This year, the Astronomy Outreach Foundation (AOF) formed to help amateur astronomers, astronomy clubs, and educators learn more about — and more easily share their love of — astronomy. The first AOF get-together — part of an international Saturday night Moon-watching event — occurred September 18 and 19 in conjunction with the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show in Pasadena, California.The AOF produced a short video that night and uploaded it to the foundation's YouTube page. You can see i...

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On the Road: Granite Gap, New Mexico, follow-up

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

The Celestron and Astronomy Magazine observatories stand side by side at Rancho Hidalgo, near Animas, New Mexico, with Clyde Tombaugh’s 16-inch telescope in the background. David J. Eicher photoWell, you win some and you lose some. After a spectacular first night of observing on Friday, October 1, an extremely late monsoonal flow wiped out the Astronomy magazine group’s observing at Granite Gap and Rancho Hidalgo, New Mexico. On Saturday the skies were cloudy, but on Sunday it rained — almost un...

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On the Road: Dark-sky observing at Granite Gap, day 1

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

On Friday, October 1, Astronomy Assistant Editor Bill Andrews, Copy Editor Karri Ferron, and I left Milwaukee and traveled to Tucson to spend a long weekend of observing under very dark skies at Granite Gap, New Mexico. There, near the hamlet of Animas, in the southwestern corner of the state, astronomy developer Gene Turner is creating the first low-cost, dark-sky community for amateur astronomers, an idea that is about 30 years overdue. We were joined by a crowd of other enthusiastic ama...

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Fire Drill

Posted 14 years ago by Chris Raymond

I experienced my first company fire drill last week. That’s right, the same routine we practiced in grade school — except replace the giggling, inattentive, don’t-take-this-seriously kids with giggling, inattentive, don’t-take-this-seriously adults, and you’ll get the picture.Theoretically, these things should just happen without warning to trigger our adrenalin pumps. How else can the company accurately assess whether employees will depart in an orderly fashion, or...

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Inaugurating Granite Gap

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Granite Gap, New Mexico, as seen from the air. The newly created circuit of roads winds around land that RV and park model owners will use to join the 24/7 star party under very dark skies. The lake is visible to the left. An existing central house will serve as a community and cultural center. The planetarium and mineral museum buildings will be built near the right-hand edge of the property. Gene Turner photoTomorrow morning, I leave on vacation for Granite Gap, New Mexico, near Animas, where ...

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New products abound at PATS 2010

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Senior Editor Michael E. Bakich talked to three well-known companies at the PATS 2010 about their new products. Click on the image above to go to the videos. Michael E. BakichThe third annual Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show (PATS) occurred September 18–19, 2010. While I was at PATS, I talked to many manufacturers who either have introduced new products or who will be introducing them soon. And although not everyone was ready to chat about their latest and greatest, I did record representati...

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See the light pollution!

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

These two views of Linz, Austria, taken September 3, 2009, show the difference light pollution makes. With the cooperation of the city’s mayor, officials turned off all unnecessary lights halfway through the night. Dietmar Hager photosI recently received an e-mail from Astronomy magazine image contributor Dietmar Hager, who lives in St. Johann am Wimberg, Austria. He included an amazing before-and after-shot of the lights of nearby Linz, which is the country’s third-largest city and the capital ...

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California dreaming (about astronomy)

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Astronomy magazine’s booth at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show proved quite popular. Members of Astronomy’s advertising sales staff passed out thousands of printed pieces, including magazines and informative booklets. Ken Kozerski photoI just returned from Pasadena, California, after spending the weekend at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show (PATS). This manufacturers’ show was a success on three levels: First, it gave lots of visitors the chance to look at and discuss the latest a...

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Book review: “1,001 Celestial Wonders to See Before You Die”

Posted 14 years ago by Chris Raymond

1,001 Celestial Wonders to See Before You Die — The Best Sky Objects for Star Gazers by Michael E. Bakich. Springer, 2010.Despite working as editor of a monthly magazine for funeral directors for many years, I must admit I dislike the term bucket list — as in, “I want to do the following things before I kick the bucket.” It’s not the idea the words convey that bothers me so much as its sheer overuse. A Google search of “before you die” just returned 118 million results. Geesh, it’d take me the r...

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U.S. of Asteroid

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

When I read the headline, “Why is it America’s job to save the world from asteroids?” on Passport, Foreign Policy’s main blog, I’ll admit my initial reaction was something akin to “duh.” Surely the United States is in the best position to save the world from catastrophe. Simple! But author Joshua Keating’s point in the September 13 entry may be more subtle. A little-known law mandates October 15 as the day the White House must assign a federal age...

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How McNeil’s Nebula has changed

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

This image by Chris Schur of the M78 region inspired Steve Cullen to create a time-lapse video about a small area in the region known as McNeil's Nebula. Click on the image to go to the video. Chris Schur photoLast week, I received the following e-mail from Steve Cullen, president of LightBuckets online telescope rentals: Seeing Chris Schur’s M78 as the picture of the day on Astronomy.com got me thinking about McNeil’s Nebula. I wondered how its brightness had changed since I hadn’t heard...

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Observe the Moon Saturday night

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Saturday night, September 18, will mark the first annual International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN). This event, originated by NASA, is for people who are curious about our satellite and would like to find out more about it. On August 1, 2009, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team hosted a public outreach event called “We’re at the Moon!” at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. That same night, the Lunar CRater Observation and Sen...

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New book alert: “The Shape of Inner Space”

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

Astronomy readers should know about a terrific new book exploring string theory and its implications for multidimensional space. Just published by Basic Books, The Shape of Inner Space: String Theory and the Geometry of the Universe’s Hidden Dimensions (377 pp., hardcover, New York, 2010, ISBN 978–0–465–02023–2) is a masterwork on its subject. Written by Harvard mathematician Shing-Tung Yau and Astronomy’s own Contributing Editor Steve Nadis, the book explores many interrelated subjects centered...

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A star (video) is born

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

In Assistant Editor Bill Andrew's first foray into Astronomy videos, he explains the ins and outs of our home star in "Tour the solar system: The Sun." Click on the image to go to the video.Well, I’ve finally hit the big time. Sort of. The latest installment in Astronomy’s video series “Tour the solar system” just debuted, and in it I talk about our local star, the Sun. It’s just an overview, but I touch upon what makes it tick and how astronomers are learning more about it, ...

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Keep our skies secure, too

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Recently, I received the following e-mail from Steve Cullen, president of LightBuckets online astronomy service: Hi, Michael,I wanted to give you a heads-up on a possible light pollution threat to southwestern New Mexico. The U.S. Border Patrol is in the process of building a new facility in Lordsburg. From the specifications we have seen, it is slated to keep at least a 24-acre area lit up all the time. The station will be about 40 miles from the LightBuckets facility in Rodeo, about 3...

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