Astronomy magazine editors share their unique insight from behind the scenes of the science, hobby, and magazine.
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Falling Stars: Observing, imaging, and shopping at the 2010 Winter Star Party

Posted 14 years ago by Mike Reynolds
We finally had a good night of observing at the Winter Star Party (WSP) Thursday night. Winds were calm, and the seeing was good. Telescopes and observers were in overdrive to make up for the un-Keys-like weather this week. The WSP seems to get one or two nights of poor weather each year. But this year has been the opposite: one or two nights of fair to decent weather and the rest … well at least it’s not snowing!Observers started with some of the nearly overhead objects like the Orion Nebula (M...
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Seeing the universe like never before

Posted 14 years ago by Liz Kruesi
On Friday, Dallas got about a foot of snow, which meant our connecting flight to Tucson was cancelled. After a bit of airline shuffling, I got into Tucson Saturday night. On Sunday, I picked up Senior Editor Rich Talcott and his wife Evelyn from the airport, and we headed to Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico. We arrived at Rancho Hidalgo, home to the Astronomy Magazine Observatory, Sunday afternoon. The sky was clear and calm, promising a good night of observations.Under pristine skies of s...
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Mining both earthly and deep-sky treasures in New Mexico

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
Saturday morning we awoke after a great night of observing to an azure blue sky and a community breakfast before heading off with Gene Turner, John Eicher, Rocky Alvey (director of Vanderbilt University’s Dyer Observatory), and Nashville astroimager Mark Manner. We set a course for Old Hachita, New Mexico, over the Grant County line. Our objective? Mining. Gene knows the lay of the land and the owners in this region, so we explored Hachita, a mining town that thrived in the days of silver and go...
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So long, Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. Hello, Rancho Hidalgo

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
A newly built observatory (left) building will hold a second telescope for Astronomy magazine use and an instrument for joint educational use between the Astronomical League and Vanderbilt University. The Astronomy Magazine Observatory is on the right. The two observatory buildings stand in front of Clyde Tombaugh’s 16-inch scope at Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico. David J. Eicher photoOn Friday, my father John and I set off from the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, which we had covered since...
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The 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Thursday report

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
Each year, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society presents to the world the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, an event going on for more than 50 years. The many shows that have sprung up at numerous hotels around the city are really “satellite shows,” sprouting in the wake of the original. The real thing began in earnest Thursday morning, and my father John and I were at the gate at 10 for the opening bell. The event brings together 250 mineral, meteorite, and jewelry dealers who set up shop in the ...
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The 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Wednesday recap

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
On Wednesday, we explored the Pueblo Gem and Mineral Show at the Riverpark Inn. We found an interesting array of meteorites, including the dealer “Palladot,” cutting and polishing olivine (peridot) gemstones from pallasite mateorites, “gemstones from outer space.” This concept will certainly catch on with meteorite collectors and astronomy buffs. My father, John, an experienced chemist and mineralogist, accompanied me then to the China Rose Restaurant, where we enjoyed lunch with Astronomy Contr...
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Falling Stars: 2010 Winter Star Party, Wednesday recap

Posted 14 years ago by Mike Reynolds
One of the best ways to shop for that next telescope — whether it’s your first or your tenth — is to go to an event like the Winter Star Party, where observing conditions are (usually!) great. Amateur astronomers bring all types of telescopes, and during a night of observing most will let you look through them. For me, it’s like the proverbial kid in a candy shop. My problem is pulling myself away from one scope and moving on to another.The WSP also provides attendees an opportunity to see the l...
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Off to Astronomy magazine’s observatory

Posted 14 years ago by Liz Kruesi
This weekend Senior Editor Rich Talcott, his wife Evelyn, and I will travel to Astronomy’s observatory at Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico. I’m quite excited, as this will be the first time I’ll get to see the famed dark site. Plus, I haven’t been observing in years, so it’ll be a great way to dive back in. Keep in mind I typically focus on the science side of the magazine, so I’m no expert in observing. However, I’ve taken a few classes in observational astronomy and used to know my way a...
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On the road: The 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Tuesday recap

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
The first big day of activity at the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show saw me and my dad, John Eicher, an inveterate chemist, astronomy buff, mineralogist, and 88-year-old adventurer, set off for the best of the “satellite shows.” We got to the Hotel Tucson City Center (recently renamed from the InnSuites) looking for meteorites by 9 a.m., finding that most dealers weren’t awake and opening their doors until 10. It was a cool day by Tucson standards, a bit breezy and pushing upwards of 60° F. It ...
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Falling Stars: The 2010 Winter Star Party, Tuesday recap

Posted 14 years ago by Mike Reynolds
There is simply something special for me about coming to the Winter Star Party (WSP). I don’t know if it’s the Florida Keys, the weather, incredible (when clear) skies with a terrific southern horizon, or the comradery. It’s probably a combination of all of the above; the WSP always seems to recharge my batteries. My wife Debbie and I always put it on our calendars and make a point of being here. We’ve been coming to the Keys since 1970 … observing the Delta Aquarids meteor shower and an occasio...
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Check out this fireball cloud

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich
Matt Ayerst III photoI just got an e-mail from Canadian amateur astronomer Matt Ayerst III. On November 24, 2008, he used a Canon PowerShot A710 IS with a 35mm lens to photograph the debris cloud of a fireball (brilliant meteor) over Vancouver. Here is the text of his e-mail:Hello, my name is Matt Ayerst III. I live in Vancouver, British Columbia. I have been subscribing to your magazine for 3 years now. Great stuff. I took this picture with my little handheld camera 2 years ago from the top of ...
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Off to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show 2010

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
On Monday, my dad and I will fly to Tucson for the annual Gem and Mineral Show, the worldwide mecca for meteorite and mineral collectors. I’ll write two stories for the magazine from the show: a summary of the state of meteorite collecting and dealing for an upcoming issue, as well as an observing feature based on nights of viewing at Rancho Hidalgo, where Astronomy magazine has its observatory. I also will submit daily reports from the gem show, including videos shot with some of the leading me...
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NASA unveils latest robot

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews
NASA and GM extend their dexterous, robotic hands to the future! NASA photo Given that we have no flying cars, laser guns, or even time machines (1985-era technology!), it’s easy to forget sometimes that we’re living in the future. But, once again, NASA’s done its job and reminded us just what century we live in.On Thursday, NASA announced the next iteration of its brand of robots, built and designed with cooperation from GM. Their press release doesn’t focus merely on the fact that we now have ...
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Orion introduces line of giant telescopes

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich
Here at Astronomy magazine, several of us have been observers for decades. Needless to say, it takes pretty big news to surprise us on the amateur astronomy front. Well, today a spectacular announcement from Orion Telescopes & Binoculars stunned us: The company is introducing three new large Dobsonian-mounted reflectors.Did I say large? The smallest has a mirror 36 inches across! The mid-size model sports a 40-inch mirror, and the top-of-the-line version touts an aperture of 50 inches.The st...
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To the Moon

Posted 14 years ago by Dick McNally
I’m old enough to remember when, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would land an American on the Moon by the end of the decade. The 1960s were difficult years, with the assassinations of President Kennedy and his brother Robert as well as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The turmoil continued with race riots in many major cities and, of course, a seemingly endless war in Vietnam.Nonetheless, as President Kennedy had promised, we did manage to land astron...
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Meteorites, minerals, and diamonds on display at the Field Museum

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
Allende meteorite slice. David J. Eicher photoSunday I went to the Field Museum in Chicago to check out their displays of meteorites and minerals, having heard about a great exhibition of diamonds in town. I also wanted to see the kickoff of the newly renovated Grainger Hall of Gems, in which diamonds and other minerals are displayed in a spectacular, state-of-the-art fashion. I wasn’t disappointed. Although the systematic collection of meteorites and minerals is displayed in displays and with p...
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Fake stars are better than no stars

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews
With this giant disco ball suspended 50 meters above Paris, the city got to appreciate once again what a starry night might look and feel like. Michel de Broin photo Or, in French, Aimez-vous les étoiles?As many of you probably know already, the Moon was full and extraordinarily bright Friday because it was at perigee, the closest it gets to Earth. Likewise, Mars was unusually bright because it, too, was at its closest point to us, called opposition (because it’s directly opposite the Sun in our...
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Pictures from Astronomy’s annular eclipse trip to Africa, final batch

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
OK, it’s the final batch of pictures from the magazine’s trip to Kenya to see the solar eclipse of two weeks ago. Enough already with the lions! Thanks to all of you who have contacted me about your enjoyment from these images, and let me say that for anyone considering a safari to eastern Africa, I would heartily encourage you to do it. There’s really nothing like seeing all this wildlife in its natural environment; it’s a changing experience for anyone who goes through it. “You can leave Afric...
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Playing tour guide at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron
The Hubble test telescope Karri Ferron photoLast week, I took a little vacation to Washington, D.C., figuring I’d leave life at Astronomy behind for a few days. I have some friends who live in or near the district who I hadn’t seen in awhile. They couldn’t believe upon my arrival that I had actually never stepped foot in D.C. before. (“You shouldn’t be allowed to live outside the country before you visit our nation’s capital.” Oops!) So some sightseeing was in order.It was a rainy day, so we sta...
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Pictures from Astronomy’s annular eclipse trip to Kenya, part four

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
Here is a selection of images from January 17 and 18, representing more amazing sightseeing at Masai Mara, Kenya’s greatest game park. More images to come later. Related: Reader-submitted images of the 2010 annular solar eclipse. Previous blogs: Pictures from Astronomy's annular eclipse trip to Kenya, part threePictures and videos from Astronomy’s annular eclipse trip to Kenya, part twoPictures from Astronomy's annular eclipse trip to Kenya, part oneWrapping up the trip of a lifetime...
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Pictures from Astronomy’s annular eclipse trip to Kenya, part three

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
Here is a selection of images from January 16 and 17, representing our first full day at Masai Mara, Kenya’s greatest game park, as well as our journey from Lake Nakuru down to Nairobi en route to the Mara. We traveled by bus southward and the group dined at a fancy Nairobi restaurant, Carnivore, before flying in two little bush planes for 45 minutes to the Mara. I bet you can guess what Carnivore featured: meat, and more meat. Among the items, served on swords and carved at the table, was croco...
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Pictures and videos from Astronomy’s annular eclipse trip to Kenya, part two

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
Here is a selection of images from the day following the eclipse, January 16. On this day we began to explore the Lake Nakuru National Park north of Nairobi, a sanctuary for birds and known for rhino, reedbuck, and Rothschild giraffes. We saw countless types of wildlife and really got the feel that we were no longer in Kansas. The enormity of the Great Rift Valley, with herds of animals everywhere you look and plains stretching to mountains on the horizon, is overwhelming. I can guarantee you th...
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Pictures from Astronomy's annular eclipse trip to Kenya, part one

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s 2010 Annular Eclipse Trip to Kenya, I had enough bandwidth to send back reports of our activities but not to relay photos and movies back home. Now that I have arrived back in the U.S.A., I will begin posting pictures from the trip in our Online Reader Gallery's Trips and Tours section. The first batch concentrates on eclipse day, January 15, 2010. If you witnessed the eclipse, I encourage you to send your images to the magazine. Feel free to send them to editor@astronomy.co...
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Falling stars: A preview of the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

Posted 14 years ago by Mike Reynolds
Assortment of meteorites! This case display gives you an idea of the many fascinating meteorites you can see and consider for purchase. Mike D. Reynolds photoJanuary is one of my favorite times of the year. Why, you ask? Because the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is right around the corner! This year’s show runs from January 30 through February 14. The Tucson show is a must at least once in the life of a rockhound. And for museums, meteorite collectors, dealers, and researchers, it is an opportunit...
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Discount on space shuttles! This year only!

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews
This could be in your house, if you have about $29 million to spare. And an enormous living room. NASA photoWhat do you get that person who has everything? The kind of person it’s always tough to shop for because anything he wants, he gets? Well, if you have a few dozen million lying around, you might be able to get a memorable, only-three-of-a-kind gift: a NASA space shuttle!Because the 30-year-old spaceships will stop flying after this fall, NASA needs to get rid of them. It already promised D...
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On the road: Wrapping up the trip of a lifetime

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
A couple things about Africa’s Great Rift Valley: It’s the largest, longest, and most visible feature of its kind on Earth. Astronauts, in fact, have suggested it is the easiest geographical feature to see from orbit. The Valley spans some 3,500 miles (5,600 kilometers) from the Horn of Africa in the north, southward through Ethiopia and Kenya, Tanzania, and all the way down to Malawi and Mozambique. A giant faulting procedure in Earth’s crust, along with terrific volcanic energy, transformed th...
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On the road: Into the wild with elephants, lions, and cheetah

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
Sunday we had our first full day in the country’s greatest game park. Sleeping in a tent in the Mara is an experience in itself. The constant sounds outside put your mind into a state of conflict over falling asleep or continuing to listen for more strange calls. I awoke this morning to sounds of a large-scale baboon fight not far away. “It’s okay,” the guides say, “the baboons can’t figure out how to open your tent’s zipper.” Then they erupt with laughter. At 6:30 a.m. our Land Rovers set off i...
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On the road: We arrive at Kenya’s greatest game park

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher
[January 16] was a travel day for our group of amateur astronomers basking in the Great Rift Valley and the [January 15] eclipse. But that wouldn’t stop us from doing a whole lotta stuff in addition to moving around Kenya. We awoke in our rooms at Lake Nakuru and breakfasted before driving back to Nairobi. The journey was fascinating, including barren areas, busy crossroads, shops of all kinds laden across the roadways (many of them loudly advertising cell phones and the Internet in their paint ...
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Apollo Moon rocks lost and found

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews
Is a Moon rock, like this one brought back on Apollo 16, the kind of thing you could leave lying around, forgotten? NASA photoI’m probably not alone in saying my house isn’t the cleanest, most organized place ever. I don’t live in squalor or anything, but occasionally I just can’t find something I know I have — it’s not lost, you see, I just don’t know where it is. Of course, this doesn’t include my most valuable (and valued) personal possessions that I keep a slightly more watchful eye on.I gue...
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10 things to do when it’s cloudy at Rancho Hidalgo

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich
Most nights at the Rancho Hidalgo astronomy and equestrian village near Animas, New Mexico, are clear as a bell. Occasionally, however, clouds roll in, and what’s an astronomer to do then? The following list chronicles some of the things I’ve done at Rancho Hidalgo — most of them on clear days.1) Hike the mountains.Mountains lie in every direction. Paths are abundant. Developer Gene Turner’s land abuts the Coronado National Forest (which, to observers, means a vast nearby area will stay dark). I...
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