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“Overnight America” expands

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

The popular early-morning radio program “Overnight America,” hosted by Jon Grayson, which runs from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time, has recently expanded from five stations to 25. It originally aired on stations in St. Louis, Missouri; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Orlando, Florida; Roanoke, Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Newly added markets include Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Detroit, Michigan; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Jackson, Mississippi; Denver and Grand Junction, ...

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The conclusion of the 2012 Winter Star Party

Posted 12 years ago by Mike Reynolds

After several good nights of observing — and several days of excellent talks, along with visiting with friends — the 2012 Winter Star Party (WSP) has come to a close. The closing event on Friday, February 25, was an announcement of astrophotography and photography winners, the party's "Astro Oscars," and an extravaganza of door prizes. The Astro Oscars, to recognize excellence in astronomy outreach, have been presented at the WSP by the AstronomyOutreach Network since ...

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The 2012 Winter Star Party is underway!

Posted 12 years ago by Mike Reynolds

The 2012 Winter Star Party (WSP) is underway in the Florida Keys! For many of us, the WSP is an annual pilgrimage. The skies can be exquisite, talks excellent, and vendors tempting, but for many of us it is also a chance to relax for a week, renew old friendships, and make new ones. And for some it is an escape from winter (what winter this year?). On Monday, the first day of the WSP, it was a balmy 72° Fahrenheit with light winds. I cannot describe it, but when I leave Miami and Homestead,...

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Discover the Universe: Dallas, Texas

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

With the arrival of winter and the bustle of the holidays, it’s no wonder most astronomy clubs have entered a hibernation phase with regards to public events. But, to kick off our 2012 updates about Astronomy magazine’s Discover the Universe program, Sidewalk Stargazer Earl Foster took advantage of a warmer climate and a form of observing less prone to the cold: solar observing. As Earl explains: My Sidewalk Stargazer program is all about showing and teaching people how our local st...

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Astronomy.com named top 100 educational website

Posted 12 years ago by Chris Raymond

I’m pleased to announce that Astronomy magazine’s website, Astronomy.com, was selected by Homeschool.com as one of its “Top 100 Educational Websites of 2012.” Every year, Homeschool.com asks its “product testers” to submit a list of their favorite educational Internet sites, and this year Astronomy.com joins nine others as a premier online destination in the science category.With more than a million members, Forbes magazine and Google rank Homeschool.com as th...

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The looks of science

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Quick, picture a scientist. Imagine as many details as you can, including surrounding details. What did you think of? Was it an older white guy wearing a white lab coat in a white-walled room? Perhaps he also held test tubes brimming with colorful concoctions and an equation-strewn chalkboard filled the wall behind him. Given our interests on this blog, maybe the scientist wore a thick sweater, a thicker beard, and had an eye glued to an eyepiece. Of course, when we think about it, we all know...

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2012 Youth Essay Contest deadline fast approaches

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

Attention everyone 17 and under! With less than two weeks until the deadline for Astronomy magazine’s 2012 Youth Essay Contest, I wanted to make sure everyone knows about this great opportunity. It’s your time to tell Astronomy magazine and the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), one of the world’s premier expos on the hobby, what you love best about astronomy. Share your story in 300–500 words, and you could win two round-trip airline tickets and hotel accommodations for ...

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Here’s meteorite in your eye!

Posted 12 years ago by Chris Raymond

Peanut butter and jelly. Salt and pepper. Cookies and milk. Heidi Klum and Seal. Excluding that last pair, some things just go together and form a comforting bedrock on which we can rely.So how about meteorites and wine? Sounds crazy, sure, but nattering nabobs probably said the same thing after some cave-mom first slapped some peanut butter on her cave-kid’s jelly sammich, too. You just never know, which is why Meterito, the world’s first wine aged with a genuine meteorite, intrigue...

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It’s all in the instrument renaming

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

Back in October, I shared with you two opportunities for the public to contribute to the naming of key scientific instruments. Well, the results are in, and I’d like to hear your thoughts on the new monikers. The first contest dealt with the twin Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft. Now in orbit around the Moon, the pair had the less-than-creative names GRAIL-A and GRAIL-B. But with the help of Nina DiMauro’s fourth-grade class at Emily Dickinson Elementary S...

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Kids: It’s time to tell us what you love most about astronomy!

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

The time has come for all you “Generation Zers” to share your favorite thing about the cosmos with Astronomy magazine’s 2012 Youth Essay Contest. The winner will receive two round-trip airline tickets and hotel accommodations for up to three nights for the Northeast Astronomy Forum & Telescope Show (NEAF) in Suffern, New York — one of the world’s premier astronomy expos. Astronomy already has sent two fantastic individuals to NEAF, where each has had amazing ex...

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Don’t forget: $2,500 prize deadline coming up

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

With just over a week until the deadline for Astronomy magazine’s 2011 Out-of-this-world Award, I wanted to make sure everyone knows about this great opportunity. If you’re part of a nonprofit group anywhere in the world that works to show off the wonders of astronomy to the public, you’re eligible for this $2,500 award. All materials must be postmarked by January 20, so don’t delay. Simply fill out an application form and write two short essays, one about what outreach ...

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On the road: January 2012 AAS meeting, Wednesday recap

Posted 12 years ago by Liz Kruesi

Even though the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting still has another day of research presentations and invited talks, today was the last day of press conferences — and the organizers made sure it was a good one. Members of the Kepler mission to discover extrasolar planets revealed some exciting new finds. William Welsh of San Diego State University in California announced two more cases of an exoplanet orbiting a double star system — the “Tatooine” situation. Eac...

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On the road: January 2012 AAS meeting, Tuesday recap

Posted 12 years ago by Liz Kruesi

Today was another packed day — but that seems to be the norm at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting. The first invited talk echoed a topic that one of today’s press conferences covered: the status of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. After three years in orbit, the observatory has identified more than 1,870 gamma-ray objects, including many types that hadn't been discovered before. The Fermi team also released its view of a largely unexplored region of high-energy ...

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On the road: January 2012 AAS meeting, Monday recap

Posted 12 years ago by Liz Kruesi

I’ve successfully survived the first full day of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting. I managed to attend all three press conferences, two invited talks, a session on extrasolar planets, a few science education presentations, and the poster exhibition hall. Plus, I caught up with a few fellow science journalists and met with an associate editor of our sister publication, Discover magazine.At the first press conference of the day, astronomers released the largest dark ...

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American Astronomical Society January 2012 meeting preview

Posted 12 years ago by Liz Kruesi

Well, it’s that time of the year again — when thousands of astronomers convene to present their new findings. This year, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) winter meeting takes place in Austin, Texas. It officially begins Sunday the 8th, which is when I head down. I lived in Austin for a year and a half before returning to Astronomy magazine, and I am excited to visit the city again. (Texas BBQ is definitely one reason.)Some 2,800 astronomers are expected to attend the AAS confe...

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Unexpected astronomy

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Whenever New Year’s Day comes and goes, many publications will take the time to look back and list some of the top things (people, photos, stories) of the previous year. (And of course, we’re no exception.) When lexicographer Grant Barrett compiled a list of 2011’s catchwords for The New York Times, I expected (and got) political and pop cultural entries. But, nestled in among words like Kardash (“A unit of time measuring 72 days”) and Super Committee (“A gr...

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Swap or sell your astro-gear in Sheboygan

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

On March 10, 2012, the Sheboygan Astronomical Society is hosting the fifth annual Swap ’N’ Sell. This year’s event will take place at the Aviation Heritage Center of the Sheboygan Airport in Wisconsin from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For those of you who own a GPS or like to use Google Maps or MapQuest, the address is N6191 Resource Drive, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin 53085. Maybe you have some astronomy stuff like telescopes, eyepieces, accessories, cameras, or books that you no longer us...

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Higgs boson NOT discovered (yet)

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

Last week, scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) announced findings related to their search for the Higgs boson, a long-sought elementary particle. In fact, it’s the only elementary particle predicted in the standard model — the current set of theories physicists think describe the universe at the subatomic level — that science has yet to confirm. So what did CERN announce? In a word: progress. They can’t say with enough certainty that they&...

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Who needs amateur astronomers?

Posted 12 years ago by Michael Bakich

Recently, astroimager and longtime Astronomy magazine contributor Ken Crawford from Camino, California, sent me a note regarding some astronomical research he had collaborated in. Some of you might know Ken in a different capacity. He’s one of the prime movers of the Advanced Imaging Conference held in Santa Clara, California, each year. What follows is a great response to someone who asks, “What do amateur astronomers contribute to science?” Dear Michael, “It Matt...

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Astronomy magazine now available on special collector’s DVD set

Posted 12 years ago by Chris Raymond

Do you suffer from sagging bookshelves? Do you routinely walk in zigzags in your home to get from point A to point B because of the stacks of Astronomy magazines taking up space everywhere? Do your children or grandchildren conceal themselves behind those paper towers whenever you play Hide-n-Seek, snickering at you because you can’t find them? If you suffer from any of these symptoms, then I have great news for you, my friend. Every issue of your favorite astronomy title — from its ...

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Watch December 10 total lunar eclipse live via SLOOH

Posted 12 years ago by Chris Raymond

Tomorrow’s total lunar eclipse of the Moon will provide an unforgettable experience — for those fortunate to live in (or travel to) the western United States, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Asia. Anyone living east of a line from Ohio to Mississippi, however, won’t see anything, as well as those in South America. The penguins in Antarctica will miss quite a show as well. If you won’t be favorably positioned for the premature darkening of our natural satellite, fear n...

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Asteroid Vesta in 3-D

Posted 12 years ago by Karri Ferron

It seems like everyone is getting on the 3-D bandwagon these days, including scientists. Last week, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) released a new 3-D video of the giant asteroid Vesta created by Ralf Jaumann of the German Aerospace Center using data from the Dawn spacecraft’s first two months orbiting the small world. Of course, it’s best to view the movie with those funny red-blue glasses if you have a pair, but the clip is still interesting even if you don’t &md...

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Phobos-Grunt’s failure

Posted 12 years ago by Bill Andrews

It seems Russia just can’t catch a break, at least as far as Mars is concerned. Its latest venture to the Red Planet, the Phobos-Grunt probe, has stalled out in Earth orbit almost certainly dead, and it’ll probably crash back to our planet. When it launched November 8, the mission was supposed to be Russia’s return to form. The ambitious schedule had Phobos-Grunt (literally “Phobos-Soil” in Russian) enter Mars orbit in 2012, land on the martian moon Phobos in 2013,...

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NASA budget controversy 2012 — the results

Posted 13 years ago by Karri Ferron

For months now, professional scientists and astronomy enthusiasts alike have awaited the result of congressional negotiations over NASA’s 2012 fiscal year budget. The big question: Would the troubled James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the space agency’s replacement for Hubble, survive the cut after major overspending? Would preparations for JWST end up stealing money from other science programs should Congress continue its funds? Over the summer, Congress was divided: The Senate wan...

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Guest blog: An imager’s take on the 2011 Advanced Imaging Conference

Posted 13 years ago by Michael Bakich

Astronomy magazine Contributing Editor Tony Hallas joined me at The Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC) in Santa Clara, California, November 3–6. This was the eighth annual meeting of this group. More than 300 imagers from around the world attended, and 35 vendors shared (and sold) the latest in astroimaging gear. Below is his take on the event: AIC was special to me for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it was the first time I attended as a contributing editor of Astronomy magazine. Als...

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Long story short re: Asteroid 2005 YU55

Posted 13 years ago by Chris Raymond

Have you ever noticed how by the time most people use the phrase “Well, to make a long story short,” it’s usually too late? You know what I mean ... You’re standing there listening patiently to someone for like five minutes, hearing all about their Aunt Gertrude and the locusts in her cornfield or something, and you’re starting to wish for the welcome sting of death when you finally hear those oft-misused words, “Well, to make a long story short ...” An...

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Look to the skies

Posted 13 years ago by Bill Andrews

These are exciting times for skywatchers. First, we’ll have a celestial guest in the form of asteroid 2005 YU55, which will slip in between Earth and the Moon tomorrow but presents no danger to us at all. It’ll be some 200,000 miles (320,000 kilometers) away at its closest approach, so still fairly distant. The rock itself is pretty dark but should still be visible through a medium-size telescope (6 to 8 inches), shining at magnitude 11.1. Not only will we be receiving visitors, th...

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Day 2 (part 2) at the Advanced Imaging Conference 2011

Posted 13 years ago by Michael Bakich

The second half of day 2 at the Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC), in Santa Clara, California, included (for me) more talks and more talking with vendors. Alex Filippenko, professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, presented “Hearts of Darkness: Black Holes in Space.” His talk was a roundup of the properties of the various types of black holes. After Alex, the AIC organizers alotted 1 hour and 45 minutes for its Spotlight Presentations. Three imagers, David M...

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Day 2 at the Advanced Imaging Conference 2011

Posted 13 years ago by Michael Bakich

Day 2 at the Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC), in Santa Clara, California, started with a bang. The AIC Board of Directors presented its prestigious Hubble Award to Ron Wodaski. They bestow this honor on individuals who have demonstrated significant and sustained contributions to the astrophotography community over a period of years. Ron was one of the earliest CCD imagers. Many imagers consider his 2002 book, The New CCD Astronomy, the hobby’s bible. After the short presentation and appl...

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Day 1 (part 2) at the Advanced Imaging Conference 2011

Posted 13 years ago by Michael Bakich

I have now experienced a full day at the Advanced Imaging Conference (AIC), in Santa Clara, California. Earlier, I blogged about only the first half of day 1 to keep the length of that entry manageable. Conference organizers scheduled two concurrent afternoon workshop sessions that paralleled the two in the morning. Those began at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., and the speakers were the same seven who gave talks this morning. Most of my afternoon activity occurred in the vendor area. Unlike my trek throu...

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