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.
0

More specimens from the vault at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England.At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements, and compounds are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks call ...
0

How to see Comet ISON this week — November 11-17, 2013

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
Comet ISON (C/2012 S1), the much-anticipated visitor from the distant depths of the solar system, continues to brighten and this week should reach naked-eye visibility as seen from a dark sky, away from city lights. The comet was discovered more than a year ago and has sparked big interest from those who think it may be terrifically bright and also from some who believe it will be nothing special. The burst of excitement came from the realization that ISON will swoop quite close to the Sun on No...
1

Dave Eicher to appear Saturday on Fox News Channel

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
A couple nights ago a bright fireball flashed across Southern California, stirring people up again about the numbers of space rocks and their dangers to Earth. I will appear tomorrow, Saturday, November 9, 2013, on the Fox News Channel to discuss the dangers of space debris. The interview will be live at approximately 3:48 p.m. CST....
0

Dioptase at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements, and compounds are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks call...
0

Phosphate minerals at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements, and compounds are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks call rock...
0

Alan Hale’s new book "SPORT OPTICS"

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
I’m delighted to announce that a good friend of the magazine and a genius in the world of optics and telescopes, Alan R. Hale, has just published a new book that will be valuable for many amateur astronomers. For years, Alan was president and CEO of Celestron and has been retired for a number of years. His unique experience in the optical field led to the publication of SPORT OPTICS: Binoculars, Spotting Scopes & Rifle Scopes (182 pp., paper, Hale Optics, Rolling Hills Estates, Califor...
0

Comet West: an excerpt from my new book

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
My new book, COMETS! Visitors from Deep Space, is just published by Cambridge University Press. You can find it at bookstores, or for more info, see this website.Here’s an excerpt that takes you back to a Great Comet of my youth . . . Enjoy! When I was young, I fancied becoming a doctor. The allure of medicine, of diagnosing diseases, of understanding the complexity of the human body — it all seemed endlessly fascinating. It offered a universe of ideas and challenges you could l...
0

Arizona Science & Astronomy Expo next week!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
The fall is racing along, and soon it’ll be winter. With comets, astroimaging, big telescope projects, special digital products we’re developing at Astronomy, and all manner of other things, time seems to be flying. And so it is that a big event in Arizona is sneaking up quickly! Next week, a huge astronomy event will take place in Tucson, and I hope to see some of you there. Organizer Warren Keller reports about the first ever Southwest Astrophotography Seminar (SWAP), which will ta...
3

Announcing the "I predict Comet ISON's brightness contest"!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
I’m delighted to announce a new contest starting today centered on Comet ISON. How bright do you really think the comet will get at its greatest? Comet ISON has polarized the astronomy world, drawing raves from some (“This is going to be brighter than the Full Moon!”) and a total lack of respect from others (“It’s already fizzled.”) The Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union predicts the comet will shine around magnitude –4.5, about ...
0

How to see Comet ISON this week!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
The time has finally come to step out under the stars and see the latest comet the outer solar system has thrown at us. Comet ISON (C/2012 S1), discovered more than a year ago, has engendered huge interest from those who think it may be terrifically bright and also from some who believe it will be nothing special. The burst of excitement came from the realization that ISON will swoop quite close to the Sun on November 28, some 1.1 million miles (1.8 million kilometers) from our star’s surf...
1

Win stereo astro cards signed by Brian May!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
Most readers of Astronomy know Brian May, Ph.D. astrophysicist and guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist of the legendary rock band Queen. Brian is a good friend of the magazine and serves on its Editorial Advisory Board. One of Brian’s interests, you may also know, is stereophotography (see the January 2012 issue of Astronomy). Well, Brian and his London Stereoscopic Company have recently produced a second set of astronomically themed stereo cards that dramatically allow you to see objects ...
0

Azurite and malachite at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds that are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks ...
0

Giant fluorite at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds that are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks ...
0

Watch my Harvard talk online

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
For anyone without anything better to do with 42 minutes, you can now watch the talk I delivered at Harvard University in September online. The talk was delivered in two halves, if you will, one of which discussed 10 great astronomical advances in history and another half that quickly covered basic info about comets, with ISON rapidly approaching. The event took place on Thursday, September 19, in the historic Phillips Auditorium of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, M...
0

Amethyst and Rose Quartz at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds that are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks ...
0

Quartz at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds that are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks ...
0

All set for the Arizona Science and Astronomy Expo!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
A month from now, I’ll have the pleasure of joining a number of other speakers at the Arizona Science and Astronomy Expo in Tucson, the second annual such event, established and run by the inexhaustible Alan Traino. The two-day event will take place Saturday and Sunday, November 16 and 17, at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 South Church Avenue, in downtown Tucson. The event is the largest telescope and astronomy show in the West and offers a great lineup of talks, as well as dozens of co...
0

Fluorite at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds that are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks ...
0

Sulfur and iron at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds that are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks ...
0

Join me next spring in Chile!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
Next May, I’ll be privileged to lead a group of Astronomy readers to the greatest site for astronomical observing on the planet, Chile’s Atacama Desert. Please join me on what will be a sensational adventure along with our travel partner, MWT Associates, as we explore the Southern Hemisphere skies. As the great astronomer Bart Bok used to say, “That’s where all the good stuff is,” and that wasn’t much of an exaggeration. For anyone who has seen the Carina Nebu...
0

Comets and the meaning of life - an excerpt from my book COMETS!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
The science world is turning its attention to the skies as a comet closes in that may be dramatically bright beginning next month. Comet ISON (C/2012 S1), discovered a year ago, will graze past the Sun at a distance of just 1.1 million miles (1.8 million kilometers) November 28 and already has been heralded as “set to be the brightest comet anyone has ever seen” or billed as “a dud that has already fizzled out.” The truth likely lies in between these extremes.You can...
0

Gold and silver minerals at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks call rocks...
0

Rare meteorites from London's Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. What a great treat it was while I was in England to visit Caroline Smith, collections manager of the Earth Sciences Department, Mineral and Planetary Sciences Division, of London’s famous Natural History Museum. Caroline graciously spent time showing treasures of the meteorite collection, and we shot several videos showing a number of represe...
0

An Okie-Tex Star Party photo gallery

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
This past week, some 409 amateur astronomers gathered at a remote camp in the Panhandle of Oklahoma near the tiny village of Kenton for the 30th Okie-Tex Star Party. I was privileged to be invited as the keynote speaker on Saturday night, and spent Thursday through Sunday at the event, traveling from Milwaukee to Dallas to Amarillo and then on up to Kenton. The experience was great, the people wonderful, and the enthusiasm for amateur astronomy unbridled. I’m sharing some great images shot...
0

Minerals of southeastern England at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks call rocks...
0

British minerals at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds that are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks call ...
0

Imilac meteorite from London's Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. 

What a great treat it was while I was in England to visit Caroline Smith, collections manager of the Earth Sciences Department, Mineral and Planetary Sciences Division, of London’s famous Natural History Museum. Caroline graciously spent time showing treasures of the meteorite collection, and we shot several videos showing a number of ...
0

The 2013 Okie-Tex Star Party

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
This past week, some 409 amateur astronomers gathered at a remote camp in the Panhandle of Oklahoma near the tiny village of Kenton for the 30th Okie-Tex Star Party. I was privileged to be invited as the keynote speaker on Saturday night, and spent Thursday through Sunday at the event, traveling from Milwaukee to Dallas to Amarillo and then on up to Kenton. Following on the heels of trips to speak at Harvard University and for deep observing sessions at the Arizona Sky Village the previous two w...
0

Campo del Cielo meteorite at the Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. At the Natural History Museum in London, the famous mineralogist Jolyon Ralph met me for a few video walk-throughs showing highlights of the collection. Now, if you’re wondering what minerals have to do with astronomy, the universe makes minerals as elements and compounds that are attracted by electrical charges and form what most folks call ...
0

Tissint meteorite from London's Natural History Museum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher
On Astronomy’s August tour of London, some 25 readers and I had the great pleasure of seeing many important astronomical sites in England. What a great treat it was while I was in England to visit Caroline Smith, collections manager of the Earth Sciences Department, Mineral and Planetary Sciences Division of London’s famous Natural History Museum. Caroline graciously spent time showing treasures of the meteorite collection, and we shot several videos showing a number of represen...
Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

ADVERTISEMENT
FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Receive news, sky-event information, observing tips, and more from Astronomy's weekly email newsletter. View our Privacy Policy.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Find us on Facebook