Dave Eicher, editor of Astronomy magazine and science popularizer, brings you thoughts about astronomy, cosmology, nature, the hobby of astronomy, the sometimes disturbingly pseudoscientific culture we live in, and more.
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Reflections on Carl Sagan and the new Cosmos

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
I've watched the new incarnation of Cosmos with a sharp eye, for several reasons. When I was young, I was one of those who knew Carl Sagan, and I was materially influenced in my career path by him. Currently, I'm involved in a weekly series of Google Hangouts with Astronomy and Discover magazine editors critiquing and commenting on the episodes as they swing by. But I have to say that for all of this, I am very impressed with the job that the new Cosmos team has done. Listening to some of the r...
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Huffington Post Carl Sagan and Cosmos Blog

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Many of you have asked me what I think of the new Cosmos TV series on FOX, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. I love it. There are a few things to discuss at minor levels, but it is a superb production thus far, ably communicating the spirit and essence of Carl Sagan. Check out my full blog comments on the show, posted yesterday on The Huffington Post.And by the way, every week editors from Astronomy and Discover magazines are participating in a Google Hangout discussing the episodes in detail. The ...
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Join the Online Messier Marathon!

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Many of you know our friend Gianluca Masi of Rome, Italy, who is owner and scientific director of the Virtual Telescope Project and an astrophysicist and curator of science at the planetarium in Rome. Gianluca has let me know that today, Tuesday, April 1, 2014, he is conducting an online virtual Messier Marathon, for the 6th time, in which you can observe all the Messier objects — star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. The event starts at 18:00 UT, and you can participate via the...
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Tony Hallas's spectacular Orion Nebula

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
The Orion Nebula (M42) is the most observed emission nebula in the sky, a spectacular stellar birthplace located some 1,500 light-years away in the belt of the most famous constellation of the winter evening sky. It is often photographed by amateur astronomers — so much so that we are almost numbed by seeing too many images of it. This image, however, is different. Check out the superb detail in this shot by northern California astrophotographer Tony Hallas, a longtime friend and con...
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Northeast Astronomy Forum rapidly approaching

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Once again, I’m delighted to say that Astronomy magazine will be a principal sponsor of the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) telescope show in New York, the largest astronomy gathering in the United States. This year, NEAF takes place April 12 and 13 at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, and is again hosted by the Rockland Astronomy Club.Chairman Ed Siemenn does a great job of running this big show, which draws several thousand people each year to view more than 100...
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Check out the Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Over the past 10 years, the Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference (NEAIC), held each year in Suffern, New York, has become one of the principal places where astrophotographers can learn a great deal from their fellow hobbyists. If you have any interest in imaging the sky, whether it be with simple camera and tripod or with sophisticated telescopic shooting, I really encourage you to go. This year, NEAIC takes place just before its sister conference, the Northeast Astronomy Forum, on April 10 and 11...
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Great contest for UK astroimagers

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
For those of you UK astrophotographers looking for a great opportunity, I want to pass along an announcement I just received from the UK National Photography Awards. This year's awards include an astronomy category, judged by one of England's most famous astronomers, Lord Martin Rees. I've included the full announcement below, and I encourage those eligible to participate. Good luck! --- UK National Photography Awards announce Lord Martin Rees as guest judge for Astronomy category The UK Nati...
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Check out ASU's "Red Planet Report" website!

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Robert Burnham, former editor in chief of Astronomy, has for some years been working on Mars and related science activities at Arizona State University in Tempe. One of the many things Robert is involved with is running a great website, known as the Red Planet Report, devoted to new martian imagery. Just about every day, Robert posts new images, news reports about Mars science, and other updates that are key to understanding the central focus of planetary science. It is a GREAT resource, and you...
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Watch an asteroid whiz past Earth on Wednesday

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at 21:07 UT (that’s 4:07 p.m. EST), a 98-foot-diameter (30 meters) asteroid will pass a mere 217,000 miles (350,000 kilometers) from Earth. While that’s a long hike, the small space rock will hurtle 0.9 lunar distances — that is, closer than the Moon is to us. Designated 2014 DX110, the asteroid poses no threat of striking Earth but will make for an interesting show. Thanks to Gianluca Masi’s Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 Web pages, you w...
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Talks shape up for Northeast Astronomy Forum

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
With less than six weeks to go before the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), the organizers have issued a lineup of talks that will be presented this year. NEAF is the largest astronomy and telescope expo in the United States, drawing several thousand people over a weekend to Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, about 28 miles north of New York City. The event is hosted by the Rockland Astronomy Club and many of its intrepid, tireless officers, including chairman Ed Siemenn and that w...
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Tony Hallas' phenomenal Tadpole Nebula shot

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Deep-sky observers know about the wispy nebulae inhabiting the constellation Auriga. There’s IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula, and also a somewhat fainter large nebula called IC 410. The nebulosity surrounds an open star cluster, and the object lies a few degrees southwest of the bright Messier clusters M36 and M38. Within IC 410 is a curious structure, a pair of parallel, twisting cometary nebulae nicknamed the Tadpoles. California astroimager Tony Hallas has long been at the head of his c...
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Amar Sharma: Guest blog on eclipse comets

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
You comet hunters out there have a treat — a guest blog from Amar A. Sharma of the Nikaya Observatory in Bangalore, India, that is the most comprehensive story about eclipse comets I know of. Enjoy!...
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Damian Peach's M99 supernova shot

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
In late January, we had a bright supernova in the well-loved galaxy M82 in Ursa Major. A month ago, astronomers discovered a supernova, albeit fainter than M82’s, in the Virgo cluster galaxy M99, located some 50 million light-years away in Coma Berenices.Designated Supernova 2014L, the object glowed at approximate magnitude 15.7 on January 28, 2014. It lies 14" west and 16" south of the center of M99. On February 23, the star shone at magnitude 15.4, and English astrophotographer Damian Pe...
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Now you can name a crater on Mars

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Thanks to Alan Stern’s Uwingu project, you can now help to raise money for science funding by naming craters on Mars. The latest? Eicher Crater, 10.5 kilometers in diameter, nestled next to Sagan Crater, at latitude 10.32° N, longitude 330.22° E. Where else? The naming is unofficial as far as the IAU is concerned, but hey — if it raises money for astronomy, cosmology, and planetary exploration, why not? You can find out more at uwingu.com.The whole Astronomy staff has ta...
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The light pollution reduction challenge

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
David Fuller, amateur astronomer and friend of the magazine, runs the Eyes on the Sky website, which features many self-produced videos of interest. Now, he has also issued a challenge relating to light pollution. Read on . . . Eyes on the Sky as a website exists entirely as a means to raise awareness about light pollution and work toward reducing it. I started writing articles for my local newspaper to educate about the night sky and include a paragraph or two about light pollution, and then i...
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Tony Hallas' amazing Flaming Star Nebula

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Lots of things on the go today — only enough time to share an image — this one another killer shot from Tony Hallas. Tony has been experimenting with the 11-inch Celestron 1100 HD with EdgeHD optics, and this scope is producing amazing results. This shot shows you the Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405) in Auriga. Many more to come . . . Now back to work for Dave!...
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Astro Poetry Contest 2014

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Good friend Tony Berendsen, the driving force behind Tahoe Star Tours in Reno, Nevada, has just announced his 2014 Astro Poetry Contest, which is open for kids from kindergarten through 12th grade. Sponsored by Celestron, the Challenger Learning Center, and the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, the contest offers some sweet prizes for kids getting interested in the universe around them. Please click on the announcement to enlarge and encourage those kids to send in their astronomy-related...
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A new funding method for SETI?

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Today I have the pleasure of sharing a guest blog from Suzanne Jacobs, an enthusiastic student in the MIT Science Writing program in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Suzanne’s topic covers a potential change in the landscape for funding SETI research. Enjoy . . .  Guest blog By Suzanne Jacobs What if a signal from E.T. came with a big cash prize?A new proposal to fund the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) through a lottery bond could give the decades-old endeavor a much-needed ...
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Public voting opens in our Comet ISON Photo Contest

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
PRESS RELEASETime to Cast Your Vote:
Comet ISON photography contest readies for People's Choice “Ballots” While Comet ISON’s appearance close to planet Earth in late November seemed far too short-lived, astrophotographers worldwide were quick on the draw, capturing spectacular images of this dirty ball of ice as it came into our orbit and before it faced its premature demise. The National Science Foundation and Astronomy magazine/Discover magazine teame...
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Three moonwalkers join 2014 Starmus Festival

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
A few weeks ago, I announced Astronomy magazine's involvement with the 2014 Starmus Festival, an event that will bring together great minds in astronomy, chemistry, physics, and much more for a week of incredible talks, sharing of information, and appreciation of the knowledge we have of space and the universe. The first Starmus took place in 2011, and the festival again will occur in the Canary Islands, at Tenerife and La Palma, this time September 22-27, 2014. You can find complete information...
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A gallery of Aerolite Meteorites

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
OK, heading into the weekend, with meteorites everywhere at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, here are images of some of the interesting specimens I saw at Geoff Notkin’s room. You probably know Geoff as one of the Meteorite Men, from the TV show on the Science Channel, along with Steve Arnold. Geoff’s company, Aerolite Meteorites, always has very high caliber and quite interesting specimens. See his website here.I was overwhelmed by the unusual and beautiful specimens in his display,...
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A visit to Kitt Peak National Observatory

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
On Wednesday, February 12, 2014, I had the great pleasure of spending the day at one of the most spectacular astronomical institutions of the world, Kitt Peak National Observatory, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Tucson. I owe a great debt of thanks to my hosts, Operations Manager Bob Martino and Education Specialist Sheri Loftin, who spent the day with me and guided me around the mountain to all of the major facilities. It was the first time I had been to Kitt Peak in some 15 years, and i...
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Visiting the MMT and the Whipple Observatory in Arizona

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
On Tuesday, February 11, I spent the day with three astronomers at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory on Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, some 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Tucson and not far north of the Mexican border. It was clear, calm, warm, and with decent transparency, and from the summit of Mt. Hopkins, which houses the magnificent Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT), you could easily see Nogales, Mexico, to the south and the tiny white domes on Kitt Peak to the west, the latter being 55 miles ...
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Day 1 of meteorites at the Tucson Gem Show

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
I spent Monday, February 10, in the great city of Tucson, first appearing on The Morning Blend TV show on KGUN, ABC, the local Journal Broadcasting station. This was a return appearance; I enjoyed being on the show in November, talking about the Arizona Science and Astronomy Expo. This time the hosts, Amanda Guralski and Sally Shamrell, welcomed me, and Sally and I discussed the Astronomy magazine star party event held on Saturday night, meteorites and gems at the Tucson Gem Show, and the climat...
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Astronomy's 2014 Tucson Public Star Party a big success!

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
On Saturday, February 8, 2014, about 200 astronomy enthusiasts assembled in Tucson, Arizona, for Astronomy magazine’s second annual Tucson Public Star Party, enjoying great views of the night sky. The event was held at Pima Community College’s East Campus, on the southeastern side of the city, which is the “capital” of astronomy in the United States. Partnering with Astronomy and the college were the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and the Tucson Amateur Astronom...
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Dave Eicher at Tucson star party, observatories, gem show, TV

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Very early tomorrow morning, I’ll be leaving for the annual pilgrimage to Tucson, the capital of astronomy in the United States, for a multitask trip that will center on Astronomy magazine’s big public star party. This event will draw several hundred astronomy enthusiasts to Pima Community College, East Campus, this Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. I’ll be speaking along with several other astronomers, including Scott Kardel, Mike Reynolds, and Keith Schlottman, and we’ll...
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Astronomy's Tucson Public Star Party this Saturday!

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
This Saturday, February 8, 2014, members of the Astronomy magazine staff will put on a big public star party event at Pima Community College, East Campus, in Tucson, Arizona. This will be an all-day event with solar observing, talks, and nighttime observing. The campus is located at 8181 East Irvington Road, on the southeastern edge of the city, and the event will be held at and near the campus observatory. The day of astro activities begins at 10 a.m. and concludes at 9 p.m. The speakers i...
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Starmus Festival planned for September!

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
Imagine a gathering where the greatest minds in space exploration, astronomy, cosmology, and planetary science get together for a week of incredible talks, sharing of information, and appreciation of the knowledge we have of space and the universe. And imagine the event took place at one of the most beautiful places in the world, the Canary Islands, Spain, in the shadow of the world’s largest telescope, and involved making new friends and renewing old acquaintances. And imagine that not on...
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Check out Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas!

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
My good friend Ronald Stoyan in Erlangen, Germany, is a one-of-a-kind expert deep-sky observer and publisher. Ronald has developed a new star atlas, called Interstellarum, that will be a fabulous addition for deep-sky observers. You must check it out. In Ronald’s words . . . “I would like to tell you about Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas (isDSA for short), a major cartographic project I have been working on for more than 10 years. Finally, some weeks ago, the German edition was publish...
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Cosmos-inspired band releases DIMENSIONAUT

Posted 10 years ago by David Eicher
All of us know Phil Collins well. Growing up with Genesis, with his solo hits from the 1980s — “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” “Easy Lover,” “Sussudio,” and more, they are part of the soundtrack of our youth, for many of us. Phil Collins’ son Simon Collins has a band, too, called Sound of Contact, and he, like his father, is a singer and a drummer. Formed in 2009, Sound of Contact is inspired by astronomical themes, and t...
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