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Leaving Earth behind

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

The International Space Station may not inspire everyone with awe, but it has kept humanity consistently in space at all times for just over 9 years. NASA photoI inadvertently let an anniversary slip by a few weeks ago. It wasn’t a major one (I’m not sleeping on the couch), but it was nifty enough that I wish I could have celebrated appropriately.I refer, of course, to the ninth anniversary of the last day every human being was on Earth. On October 31, 2000, the first resident crew of the Intern...

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Busting astronomy myths

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

As the editorial staff of the world’s best-selling astronomy publication, we get a lot of e-mails. Some suggest story ideas, some praise a column, feature, or image, and many ask questions.Lately, lots of e-mail writers have enquired about astronomy-related stories they’ve heard on the radio or television or read on the Internet. For example, “Is it true that Mars will appear as large as the Full Moon to the naked eye in August?” or, “I’ve heard astronauts can see the Great Wall of China from th...

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This is the way the world ends

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

This isn’t going to happen in 2012! Baseless theories, like a proposed planetary alignment on the scale of this photo illustration, have led many to fear the year 2012 needlessly. Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (NASA) photoRejoice, for the end is nigh. Not of the actual world, of course, but of 2012’s marketing campaign.As you are no doubt aware, Roland Emmerich’s end-of-the-world epic, 2012, opened this weekend. As in Emmerich’s previous movies (Independence Day, Godzilla, The Day After Tomorro...

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Enjoy a free tour of Astronomy.com this weekend!

Posted 14 years ago by Matt Quandt

From noon, Friday, November 13, through 8 a.m. CST, Monday, November 16, all the great features that are available only to registered users or Astronomy magazine subscribers will be available to everyone. For free!Find out what you've been missing! Check out these exclusive benefits:StarDome Plus — Locate specific objects like planets, comets, galaxies, nebulae, and more in your night sky with the expanded version of Astronomy.com’s interactive star chart.Equipment review archive — Astronomy...

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Kids: Learn about Apollo 11 from the experts

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron

Next week (November 16–20), NASA’s Digital Learning Network will host a series of videoconferences with NASA employees who had a special connection with Apollo 11 to let students hear firsthand accounts from people who made the lunar landing possible. The 1-hour programs will be held each day at 1 p.m. EST from a different NASA location and will be webcast to the public. The schedule will run as follows:Monday: (from NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virgina) Explore the work of aerospa...

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BOOK REVIEW: Faces of the Moon, by Bob Crelin

Posted 14 years ago by Matt Quandt

Faces of the Moon cover imageGuest review from Contributing Editor and Columnist Glenn ChapleIf you’ve ever doubted that the elegance of the night sky can be expressed poetically, you haven’t encountered Bob Crelin’s young readers’ book Faces of the Moon. With a marvelous blend of science and rhyme, Crelin tells the story of the Moon’s phases in a way that a youngster (and many adults) will understand and appreciate. Bob’s verse and artist Leslie Evans’ beautiful illustrations bring to life a co...

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2009 AIC recap: Heavenly images abounded, part two

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Longtime astroimager and Astronomy magazine contributor Tony Hallas thinks about his upcoming acceptance speech. The Advanced Imaging Conference committee awarded Hallas its most prestigious award, the Hubble Award, for his service and the advances he brought to astroimaging. Michael E. Bakich photoIn my previous blog, I described the first day at the 2009 Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC), which occurred October 30 through November 1 at the San Jose, California, Doubletree Hotel. Day 1 revolved...

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Correction to November “Observing Basics” column

Posted 14 years ago by Matt Quandt

Guest post from Contributing Editor Glenn ChapleIn the November edition of my “Observing Basics” column, I wrote that Galileo would be “relieved to know that the Roman Catholic Church, which excommunicated him for his heretical teachings, has since exonerated him.”Three readers — Chris Cuoco (Grand Junction, Colorado), Ed Hahnenberg (Lake Leelanau, Michigan), and Fr. Ronald Gripshover (Fredericksburg, Virginia) — sent e-mails pointing out that Galileo had, in fact, not been excommunicated.I apol...

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2009 AIC recap: “Advanced” doesn’t begin to cover it, part one

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Renowned astroimager Adam Block of the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter presented a pair of workshops at the 2009 Advanced Imaging Conference. Michael E. Bakich photoAs part of my duties as photo editor for the world’s most popular astronomy publication, I attended the sixth annual Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC) October 30 through November 1 at the San Jose, California, Doubletree Hotel. If you’re one of our many readers who love the “eye candy” that top-level astroimagers produce, future issues of Ast...

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Are we boldly going places?

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

NASA’s done a good job getting us into space, but should it work harder on convincing people why that’s a good idea? NASA photoChances are you’ll recognize the phrase, “To boldly go,” as part of the monologue introducing each episode of Star Trek. I’ve heard it called the most famous split infinitive in the English language, and whatever a person’s science knowledge or familiarity with Star Trek, they’ll usually recognize “To boldly go — where no one has gone before.”Jeremy McCarter argues in “R...

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Approach of the robot armada!

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

In this artist’s illustration, an orbiter works together with blimps and rovers to explore an unfamiliar landscape. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory photoWolfgang Fink has a dream straight out of science fiction: Instead of sending a paltry robot or two to distant planets, scientists should send multiple expendable robots. Robots that can talk to one another and adapt to unexpected events. Robots that can think. Creepy as that might sound to some, it’s really just the next step in space exploratio...

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Ares I-X finally reaches T-minus-zero

Posted 14 years ago by Matt Quandt

Three days ago, Contributing Editor Mike Reynolds wrote his first in what will be a series of blogs about meteorites and meteorite collecting. While we talked with Mike about that first piece, we learned that he was going to attend the Ares I-X launch. In this entry, he shares what it was like to witness Wednesday’s successful test flight. Mike also took photos of the event, and we'll post those with this entry soon.Ares I-X lifted off from Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center after a number ...

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SmartBean encourages kids’ interest in astronomy

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron

Smartbean lists images from the Hubble Space Telescope like this one of the Bug Nebula (NGC 6302) as a reason kids will love astronomy. NASA photoCultivating children’s interest in astronomy is a goal for professional scientists, planetarium directors, schoolteachers, and astronomy clubs alike. So it’s nice to see when parents are encouraged to get involved in astronomy with their kids. In a recently published article, SmartBean is doing just that.SmartBean is a web site dedicated to providing p...

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Meteorite expert Mike Reynolds chats about falling stars

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Astronomy Contributing Editor Mike Reynolds presented a talk at the 2009 Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show about meteorite collecting. During the talk he passed around some great examples. Reynolds is going to share his expertise about meteorites periodically with Astronomy.com blog readers. While chatting with Astronomy magazine Contributing Editor Mike Reynolds the other day, he proposed a (roughly) monthly series that focuses on meteorites. Everyone here loved the idea, so it’s my job to...

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Mad scientists’ revenge?

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

Stewart David Nozette, later arrested by the FBI for attempted espionage, worked on the LRO’s Mini-RF hardware. NASA PhotoWe here at Astronomy magazine try to stay out of politics as much as we can because, after all, astronomy can be plenty controversial on its own — Pluto, anyone?. But sometimes, we just can’t help it. Take, for instance, the case of Stewart David Nozette (pictured at right), the former NASA scientist who was arrested October 19 for allegedly trying to sell government secrets....

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Nicolaus Copernicus: “Old, old blue eyes”

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

Like Frank Sinatra (1915–1998), renowned Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) had blue eyes, according to genetic tests that identified his remains. This paints a much different picture than the ones I grew up with. Researchers announced the findings last November and published them in July. They suggest that Copernicus most likely had blue eyes, fair skin, and light hair color.In 2005, a team led by Polish archaeologist Jerzy Gassowski found an incomplete skeleton under the St. Cro...

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Get ready for some Galilean Nights

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron

Official Galilean Nights posterAnother International Year of Astronomy 2009 Cornerstone Project kicks off tomorrow night around the globe. The goal of Galilean Nights, October 22-24, is to allow hundreds of thousands of people all around the world to experience their own “Galileo moment” when they look up at the sky through a telescope for the first time. Currently there are more than 1,000 public observing events in more than 70 countries to help achieve such a goal. The Galilean Nights web sit...

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Behind the scenes of Hubble 3D IMAX movie

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

STS-125 astronauts Mike Massimino (lower left) and Mike Good (right, on arm) rehearse Hubble Space Telescope repairs in NASA’s NBL in this IMAX footage from Hubble 3D. NASA photoToni Myers is my kind of big-time Hollywood director. She’s worked on such famous space-themed IMAX movies as Space Station 3D, Destiny in Space, and 1985’s The Dream is Alive. I remember seeing Dream is Alive when I was just a kid, and it played no small role in my fascination with the skies. She’s also the director, wr...

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An amateur astronomer discovers an exploding star

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

 This 5-minute exposure shows Stuart Parker’s latest supernova discovery in spiral galaxy PGC 17517. Stuart Parker photoNew Zealand amateur astronomer Stuart Parker just sent me an e-mail in which he announced his fourth supernova discovery. Parker routinely surveys numerous galaxies as part of a regular search program.He discovered the magnitude 17.1 object October 18 in PGC 17517, a magnitude 13.6 galaxy in Pictor. PGC is an acronym that designates this galaxy as one in the Principal Galaxies ...

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Astronomy editors head off site to brainstorm magazine improvements

Posted 14 years ago by David Eicher

The Astronomy staff gets things rolling the morning of October 16, 2009. David J. Eicher photoBe prepared for plenty of surprises to come in the next few months. Last Friday Astronomy’s editorial staff joined forces with the art staff and our publisher and went off site, as we do each year, for a daylong discussion. The topics cover the entire spectrum of magazine and web site creation, and the goal is to give you the best possible product we can over the coming year. We spoke about potential st...

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Stephen James O’Meara recaps the George Moore Astronomy Workshop

Posted 14 years ago by Matt Quandt

Please enjoy this guest post from Astronomy magazine Columnist Stephen James O’Meara:Just wrapped up with a successful and fun George Moore Astronomy Workshop at Camp Maskepetoon near Pigeon Lake in Alberta. The Edmonton Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada sponsors the event and hosted me. Aside from meeting old friends, like Astronomy magazine Contributing Editor Alister Ling, who gave a wonderful presentation on how best to use the Sky Clock to maximize your chances of heading o...

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A Moon resource guide

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron

A waxing gibbous Moon. Astronomy.com member "LATiger" photoI have a love-hate relationship with the Internet. It makes getting information easier than ever, but it also can make getting the CORRECT information more difficult than ever. Sometimes, it takes a lot of sifting through less-than-reputable sites to find goods ones you can trust. So it’s a bonus when someone else does it for you.The Astronomy Society of the Pacific has been working to collect series of resources on different a...

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Seeing the (faint) light in Tucson

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

While it’s no secret that Astronomy magazine just opened its own observatory, don’t think it’s something only professionals can aspire to. The Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) has been working to establish a permanent dark observing facility for more than 2 years now, and it’s impressive how much they’ve already done. After finding a good spot, the group had to convince the surrounding community they wouldn’t be lousy neighbors. Apparently, the idea of a star party conjured up images ...

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Astronomy editors sit down with the band They Might Be Giants

Posted 14 years ago by Bill Andrews

As a journalist, I’ve had the chance occasionally to meet some famous people and even interact with them. Just a few weeks ago I joined many of my colleagues to hang out with noted author Dava Sobel, and I’ve taken classes from pretty famous physicists. I once even interviewed Neil deGrasse Tyson, trying to ask professional, interesting questions and not reveal how awestruck I was to be in the man’s presence. Until yesterday, that had been the undisputed peak of my career. Now, a new contender h...

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World’s largest solar telescope is now online

Posted 14 years ago by Michael Bakich

On October 3, the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) dedicated the world’s largest solar telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) in California. BBSO, located on the north shore of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California, is one of the world’s leading solar observatories. It sits at an altitude of 6,780 feet (2,067 meters).The telescope, which has an aperture of 63 inches (1.6 meters), took 5 years to construct. It collects light by means of an aspheric ...

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Astronomy contributing editor attends White House star party

Posted 14 years ago by Matt Quandt

Special guest blog from Contributing Editor Martin Ratcliffe President Barack Obama and his family joined 150 school children, dozens of amateur astronomers, professional scientists, and education and public outreach professionals Wednesday night during the Star Party at the White House. And how cool was this? “Cool” doesn’t even come close. I was lucky to be a part of the exciting events running one of the planetarium domes set up on the South Lawn of the White House.Thirty of us spent most of...

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Division of Planetary Sciences meeting, Thursday recap

Posted 14 years ago by Liz Kruesi

Thursday was a short day at the conference. I had to check out of the hotel in the late morning, so I had time only to jump between two sessions (another exoplanet one, and one about near-Earth asteroids [NEAs]). Editor's note: Liz is posting updates regularly from DPS09 to Twitter.com/AstronomyMag. The exoplanet session focused on what I’ve noticed to be an extremely popular topic here at the conference — modeling exoplanet atmospheres. That’s good to hear, because a near future issue of As...

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Division of Planetary Sciences meeting, Wednesday recap

Posted 14 years ago by Liz Kruesi

I started off Wednesday at a lunar science session where presenters focused on results from the Japanese Kaguya mission and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Robert Reedy of the Planetary Science Institute discussed Kaguya maps of the Moon. The probe measured gamma rays to study the distribution of elements, and it produced the first global uranium map of the Moon.Editor's note: Liz is posting updates regularly from DPS09 to Twitter.com/AstronomyMag. A few presenters talked about early...

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November 2009 web extras for subscribers

Posted 14 years ago by Karri Ferron

The November 2009 issue of Astronomy should be in your mailbox any day now (if it’s not already in your hands), and we’ve updated Astronomy.com with our newest web extras to give subscribers exclusive information complementary to the issue.Take a sneak peek inside the November 2009 Astronomy magazine. Or watch Editor David J. Eicher's video preview of the issue.If you subscribe to Astronomy, make sure you’re registered with Astronomy.com so you can access these great extras. Here are this is...

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Division of Planetary Sciences meeting, Tuesday recap

Posted 14 years ago by Liz Kruesi

One thing I’ve noticed at thisi year’s Division of Planetary Sciences meeting is how well members of the planetary science community support each other. Often when asking a question regarding a talk, the questioner starts out with “great talk.” It’s refreshing to see. There’s a lot of competition in the sciences (so much of a career rides on how many papers one publishes), but clearly there’s a lot of collaboration as well.Editor's note: Liz is posting updates regularly from DPS09 to Twitter...

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