Dave's Universe - Astronomy Magazine - Interactive Star Charts, Planets, Meteors, Comets, Telescopes

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The Tunguska event: an excerpt from my upcoming book

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

My book, Comets: Visitors from Deep Space, will be published this fall by Cambridge University Press. Here’s a taste of an introductory chapter that describes the impact dangers from near-Earth objects, and specifically, in this chunk, the famous Tunguska event of 1908 . . . Enjoy! What’s come to be known as the Tunguska event occurred along the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in central Siberia, in the present-day subject of Krasnoyarsk Krai, a region occupying 13 percent of Russia&rsqu...

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Michael Bakich and Dave Eicher to attend Celestron Perspective

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Some 60 people will attend an event next month in Los Angeles that is the first of its kind. Telescope manufacturer Celestron will put on an event called Perspective in which they host an invitation-only audience of telescope dealers and astroimagers at a fancy oceanfront hotel in Redondo Beach. The two-day conference, slated for June 19 and 20, will include talks and seminars by well-known astrophotographers including John Davis, Christopher Go, and Warren Keller. The event also will feature wo...

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Eclipse report from Jay Pasachoff

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Today’s annular eclipse was visible widely across Australia and other areas of the South Pacific, and early reports have it as a big success. I take pleasure in sharing the report sent by Jay Pasachoff, astronomer at Williams College and a longtime contributor to Astronomy: We can report good success in observing 4 minutes 20 seconds of annularity at the eclipse today, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) north of Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. On one side of the road, ther...

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Another Brian May 3-D image of Comet PANSTARRS!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Yesterday, I shared a cool 3-D image of Comet PANSTARRS sent by Ph.D. astronomer, Queen guitarist, and Astronomy Editorial Advisory Board member Brian May. Today, I have the good fortune to share another image Brian sent me. You may know that Brian is very much into stereo photography (see “Brian May’s world of stereo astro imaging,” Astronomy, January 2012), and he has produced these very cool shots with images taken by a number of astroimagers. You can view them by relax...

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Brian May’s amazing 3-D image of Comet PANSTARRS

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Ph.D. astronomer, Queen guitarist, and Astronomy Editorial Advisory Board member Brian May sent some 3-D images of Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4) the other day. These are absolutely incredible and will blow your mind when you see them in the right way. You may know that Brian is very much into stereo photography (see “Brian May’s world of stereo astro imaging,” Astronomy, January 2012) and he has produced these very cool shots with images taken by a number of astroimagers. Yo...

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Uwingu announces Adopt-a-Planet Campaign

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

I think most of you are familiar with Uwingu, the company started by planetary scientist Alan Stern and friends that are raising grant money to fund astronomical research. Astronomy magazine is a partner in this project and strongly supports Uwingu’s activities. Please see the following release sent to me by Alan — and please support it if you can. It is a highly valuable resource for the future of astronomy. Thanks. Uwingu Launches World’s First “Adopt-a-Planet...

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Seneca on comets: an excerpt from “Comets: Visitors From Deep Space”

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

My book, Comets: Visitors From Deep Space, will be published this fall by Cambridge University Press. Here’s a taste of a historical chapter centering on observations by the Roman philosopher Seneca . . .Enjoy! The Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, aka Seneca the Younger (ca. 4 B.C.–A.D. 65), summarized the early take on comets — as opposed to the always visible parts of the heavens, the Sun, Moon, etc. — in one of his writings. “No man is so utterl...

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Astronomy Foundation seeks corporate fundraiser

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

The Astronomy Foundation, the nonprofit entity started as a telescope industry association to promote the astronomy hobby, seeks a volunteer person to help with corporate fundraising. The position would involve seeking and building funds for the group from corporate and private donations in order to build its treasury and enable astronomy-related activities such as outreach, star parties, assisting astronomy clubs with projects, and the like. If you are such a person or may know of a perso...

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Guest blog: Audrey Fischer on the International Starry Night

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

The International Starry Night celebration will take place August 10, 2013, coinciding with the Perseid meteor shower.[/caption]Amateur astronomer and activist Audrey Fischer of Chicago is well known as an influential friend who combats light pollution tirelessly. Now, Audrey, Michael Uberty, and collaborators are putting on a terrific event slated to coincide with the Perseid meteor shower this year — the International Starry Night. And there’s also Starlight Week. Audrey has b...

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Astronomical League searches for young astronomers

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

When I was at NEAF in New York last weekend, Astronomical League Vice President John Goss asked me about young people in amateur astronomy. He showed me a copy of the March issue of Reflector, the league’s monthly publication, with the theme of “You and Astronomy.” I hadn’t seen the issue, having been on several recent trips, but was glad to read it carefully. For some years, astronomy enthusiasts have noticed the regular meetings and star parties they’ve atte...

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Sony Pictures and XPRIZE launch "After Earth" Challenge

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Our good friends who work with Sony Pictures, Warren Betts and Brian Boothe, yesterday sent word of a new contest called the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge. This contest will engage students in science, mathematics, and technology to enter a robotics competition to win a large array of prizes, all relating to XPRIZE and Sony Pictures’ motion picture After Earth, starring Jaden Smith and Will Smith, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film will be in theaters May 31, and producers have al...

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News from the Astronomy Foundation

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Over the past three weeks, I’ve taken a vacation down the Mississippi River, speaking about the Civil War on the American Queen riverboat, and also gone to the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), the biggest astronomy expo in the United States, in Suffern, New York. I am very tired, but glad to be back finally in the normal routine. NEAF was terrific, and I enjoyed meeting many of you there — thanks for all the great comments on the magazine and everything that’s going on h...

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A younger crowd and fascinating talks at the 2013 Northeast Astronomy Forum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Sunday always starts a little later at the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), the largest telescope trade show in the United States. But by 10 a.m., the show cranked up after a successful day Saturday, and 100 exhibitors showed off their wares — telescopes, binoculars, CCD cameras, books, filters, accessories, meteorites, and practically everything astronomical you could imagine. It was a day again filled with many hundreds of visitors in the Eugene Levy Fieldhouse at Rockland Community Col...

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The hobby is alive and well at the 2013 Northeast Astronomy Forum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Following on the heels of the very successful two-day Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference, the world’s largest telescope show and expo — the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) — got off with a bang Saturday, April 20. As usual, the event took place at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, about an hour outside of New York City, and was hosted by the Rockland Astronomy Club. Some 110 exhibitors showed off their latest telescopes, binoculars, accessories, books, and ...

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More image processing at the 2013 Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

The second day of the Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference (NEAIC), held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Suffern, New York, kicked off early on April 19, 2013, and brought more than 150 astroimagers together for many amazing talks and presentations. Among the second day’s speakers were Joe DePasquale of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who is the principal image processor for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Joe’s tips and tricks on image processing, used with some images as ...

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Image-processing rules at the Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

The 8th annual Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference (NEAIC), one of the premier events for astrophotographers, kicked off Thursday morning, April 18, 2013, at the Crowne Plaza Conference Center in Suffern, New York. NEAIC precedes the major telescope show in North America, the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), which begins on Saturday, April 20. New York’s Rockland Astronomy Club is the key organizing body for both events.When I arrived at NEAIC on Thursday, a couple hundred skyshooters were...

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Counting down the days to NEAF 2013

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

We’re now just a shade more than three weeks away from the big East Coast astronomy meeting of the year: the Northeast Astronomy Forum. Not only will Astronomy again be sponsoring NEAF this year, but I’ll also be at the Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference beginning Thursday, April 18. The 22nd NEAF will take place April 20–21, 2013, at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, and is, as always, put on by the Rockland Astronomy Club. Preceding NEAF, the 8th Annual Northea...

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NASA outreach/education caught in sequestration morass

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

You know, I can remember when the American government worked — at least at times. The recent standoff with regard to budget in Washington and the resulting sequestration mess underscores the functionality of Congress at an all-time low. It’s really ridiculous, given the nation’s history, but so be it. For the time being, another victim of the sequestration fiasco is the slate of educational and outreach programs put on by NASA, which are now in a state of suspension. NASA ...

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Name a planet for science!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Our solar system may be down one planet from the good old days, but astronomers have now found more than 860 worlds orbiting stars near us in the Milky Way Galaxy. More than 1,000 other candidates are likely planet detections that astronomers have not yet fully analyzed. That’s an astonishing feat, taking human knowledge of the vast realm of space beyond our local neighborhood that philosophers only could have dreamed about a generation ago.Despite such incredible advances in astronomy, ho...

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Help restore the Lowell Clark Telescope!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

A couple days ago, I first blogged about a new campaign underway to raise funds for the restoration and renovation of the famous 24-inch Clark refractor at Lowell Observatory. I’m mentioning it again because it’s a tremendously valuable and worthwhile effort that deserves immense support from the amateur astronomy community. I urge you to check out the site here to see more details, and I am posting a Lowell press release below. Please check out the links and explore them this weeken...

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Pi Day — and a little more

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Yesterday at noon, the staffs of Astronomy and Discover magazines got together down in our company’s lunchroom and had a very nerdy lunch — by celebrating everything that was round. Yes, Pi Day struck us large again. Liz Kruesi, our associate editor, is the chief instigator, and everyone brought a huge splash of round stuff, savory and sweet, to mercilessly cast into our stomachs. We stood around and joked and had a generally good time as we were taking a brief break from the ve...

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Fred Espenak’s latest incredible Comet PANSTARRS movie

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

A couple days ago, I shared a movie of Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4) shot by Fred Espenak over the Doz Cabezas Mountains in southern Arizona. Now, Fred has produced another terrific movie showing the comet setting last night over Antelope Pass, also in southern Arizona. Check it out. It‘s amazing! cs_setInnerHtml('video_8b51da4f-6bf4-4995-9831-0469146bc877',''); Thanks, Fred....

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Lowell Observatory launches Clark Telescope Renovation Campaign

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Few institutions in astronomy have the kind of ethereal sense of history that comes from Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Established by Percival Lowell in 1896 and featuring one of the great refractors on Earth, the 24-inch Clark used by Lowell and others, the observatory is famous for its research on Mars and many other areas. One of the great unsung moments in the history of astrophysics happened at Lowell when in 1912 astronomer Vesto M. Slipher was the first to notice shifts in th...

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Fred Espenak’s great PANSTARRS movie!

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

You probably know him as “Mr. Eclipse” — or maybe as a contributor to Astronomy magazine, or as a NASA scientist. However you know him, Fred Espenak of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is a key member of the planetary science community. This morning, Fred sent along the link to a fabulous movie he made of Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4), currently zipping its way northward, as it set last evening over the Dos Cabezas Mountains in southern Arizon...

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IDA’s great new light pollution video, "Losing the Dark"

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

An old friend, Carolyn Collins Petersen, sent me the link to a beautiful new film produced by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and Loch Ness Productions. (The latter is the planetarium production company owned by Carolyn and her husband, Mark.) This is really a terrific new short film. It’s narrated by Carolyn and lasts 6.5 minutes, describing the challenges we now face with increased light pollution and the many problems for human beings caused by it. If you have not already s...

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Miriam Kramer and Dave Eicher talk comets on SPACE.com

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

A few days ago, SPACE.com correspondent Miriam Kramer and I discussed a lot of cometary stuff, from ISON to PANSTARRS, to other things, and today Miriam posted a news story based on our discussion on SPACE.com. We are on the cusp of some really exciting stuff. Today or tomorrow, most of us northerners will be able to observe PANSTARRS for the first time, as it continues shooting northward through Aquarius and neighboring constellations. A note to you astroimagers out there: please send us your i...

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Steve O'Meara, Botswana, and Comet PANSTARRS

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Astronomy magazine columnist Steve O’Meara is currently traveling in Botswana, a country in southern Africa. Early this morning, he emailed me to update his observations of Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4), and the paragraph was so beautifully composed I thought I’d share it with you. Enjoy as we wait for the comet to emerge for us northerners. “I got my first view of Comet 2011 L/4 (PANSTARRS) last night (3/5/13 LT) and was amazed. At the moment, from the pioneer village of Maun (t...

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Dave Eicher Comet ISON blog on “The Huffington Post”

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

“Living our 2-D lives on planet Earth, arguing over Sequestration and who has the remote, we tend to forget that the solar system is a cosmic shooting gallery. The point returns on rare occasions like last month's Russian meteorite fall, but we are generally oblivious to the number of rocks and dirty iceballs floating around our cosmic territory that could see planet Earth as an opportunistic target.”So starts my blog written about the prospects for Comet ISON, which I was asked to w...

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"Astronomy" to sponsor 2013 Northeast Astronomy Forum

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

I’m proud to announce that again this year Astronomy magazine will be sponsoring the world’s largest consumer telescope show, the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF). The 22nd NEAF will take place April 20–21, 2013, at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, and is, as always, put on by the Rockland Astronomy Club. Preceding NEAF, the 8th Annual Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference (NEAIC) will take place April 18–19, 2013, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Suffern, New Yo...

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On the road: The 2013 Tucson Public Star Party

Posted 11 years ago by David Eicher

Saturday night, February 16, 2013, Astronomy magazine joined a partnership to bring a terrific public star party to the astronomy capital of the United States, Tucson, Arizona. It was a great night of observing, fellowship, and sharing stories about space and astronomy for more than 100 people who showed up to enjoy the night skies. The event took place at Pima Community College’s East Campus on the eastern edge of Tucson, and as darkness fell, more than two dozen telescopes were set up fo...

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