Proper Pronunciation: Do you say Beetlejuice or Betelguase?
Quaoar: An Artist's Conception- Courtesy of NASA. The astronomical world has its share of tongue twisting names. Much of this is no doubt due to the hodge-podge system that has been cobbled together over the ages... current convention gives us Roman planets, Greek constellations and Arabic star names.
Meteor Shower Observing.
Stand outside on any clear, moonless night, and watch the sky. Odds are within a few minutes a meteor will slide silently by. While most things in universe and astronomy seem to happen on geological time scales, meteors are quick and fleeting, and a meteor storm can be one of the most awesome spectacles, such as the great Leonid outburst in 1833 and 1966.
Making a Newtonian Reflecting Telescope for less than 50$USD
Stove-pipe Telescope plus Lab! (All Photos by Author). Most amateur astronomers harbor a secret passion to, at some point, build their own telescope. Constructing a telescope puts you in a select realm of Amateur Telescope Makers (ATMS), and gives you intimate knowledge of how telescopes and optics really work. Another plus is as with anything, be it a house or a scope, if you want features to your own exact specifications, your always best off to build it yourself. Mass produced equipment generally means compromise. And until about the 1950s (when the concept of mass producing everything first came in ...
Astro News & Commentary
Review: NASA’s Moonbase Alpha.
It’s hard to weld in a spacesuit… This week, we take a look at Moonbase Alpha. No, this isn’t a resurrection of the 70’s TV series Space: 1999 re-imagined, but NASA’s new online interactive...
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AstroEvent of the Week: Spotting Iridium Flares.
Photo by Author. Looking up at the dawn or dusk skies, it’s not uncommon to see a satellite brighten, flare up, and the abruptly disappear from view. What you’ve just seen is an Iridium flare, a glint of...
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Review: The Calculus Diaries by Jennifer Ouellette.
Out August 31st from Penguin Press! There’s a wonderful anecdote told by Stephen Hawking about the completion of A Brief History of Time. His publisher admonished him not to include any mathematical equations,...
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Review: Denialism by Michael Specter.
A crucial work... What’s the harm? This is the statement often echoed in today’s world anytime an exception is raised to pseudoscience. The current atmosphere in society seems to be that there’s no danger in at least...
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Astro event: A Close Planetary Conjunction.
Mars & venus at closest conjunction. (Created by Author in Starry Night). The dusk planetary action continues this week with a close conjunction of the planets Mars and Venus. Our two nearest planetary neighbors in...
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The 2010 Rhysling Anthology.
The year's best in Sci-Fi poetry! This week, we present to you that most vaunted of science fiction awards: The 2010 Ryslings, as presented within the 2010 Rhysling Anthology: The Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and...
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Astro-Event: Venus at Greatest Elongation.
Venus earlier this year as seen from Astroguyz HQ. (Photo by Author). Our nearest planetary neighbor is about to put on a brilliant dusk showing. The planet Venus reaches greatest elongation, or its maximum separation...
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Astro-Event: The Perseid Meteor Shower.
looking Northwest at about 2AM. (Created by the Author in Starry Night). This week sees a yearly summer astronomical event that may be termed “The old faithful of meteor showers;” the Perseid meteors. Other showers...
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Review: Unscientific America by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum.
Out from Basic Books! All too often these days, we’ve heard it said that America is in danger of losing its competitive edge in the world scientific arena. This is inevitably blamed on education, political agendas,...
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Astro Event of the Week: The Heliacal Rising of Sirius.
Sirius Rising as seen from Astroguyz HQ on August 1st, at Lat. 28 North...Radio Telescopes pending! (Created in Starry night). August is traditionally a real roaster for the northern hemisphere. This month usually sees...
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