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: The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder.
Out this September from Pyr Books! The science fiction subgenre known as Steampunk has certainly matured in its brief 20+ year existence. True skill in the field has challenged writers to do the historical...
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Astro-Challenge: See Saturn’s Moons in 1 to 7 Order.
Saturn's moons on July 31st. (Created by the Author in Starry Night). This week’s challenge may also give you a unique photographic opportunity. On the evening of July 31st (my birthday!) Saturn’s moons...
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Book Review: This Crooked Way
Morlock Ambrosius, the focal point of this story, is an old, odd, bent over man, who is simultaneously mysterious and transparent; pleasant and gruff; helpful and in the way. Whatever one might say about Morlock, he does weave...
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Astro-Event: A Planetary-Galactic Pairing.
An interesting pairing of Saturn & NGC 4073. (Created by the Author in Starry Night). This week’s astro-challenge may test your skills as a “visual athlete;” a close visual conjunction of the planet Saturn...
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Review: Voyager by Stephen J. Pyne.
Out July 23rd from Viking Press! Ours may be an age of discovery like no other. This week, we look at Voyager: Seeking Newer Worlds in the Third Great Age of Discovery, by Stephen J. Pyne, out July 26th, 2010 from Viking...
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Astro-Challenge: Spot Neptune in its Original Discovery Position!
Neptune on the Aquarius-Capricornus border on July 17th, 2010. (Created by Author with Microsoft's WWT). In this week’s astro-event, we challenge you, the sky watching public, to view the planet Neptune as it...
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Review: The Transits of Venus by William Sheehan & John Westfall.
Out from Prometheus Books! In less than a year’s time, an event will happen that none of us will live to see again; a transit across the face of the Sun by the planet Venus. In this regard, this week’s review...
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Astro Event: A South Pacific Eclipse.
Path of the solar eclipse…click for animation. (Credit: A.T. Sinclair/NASA). This year’s big ticket astronomical event occurs over a sparsely populated but beautiful track of our planet; we’re talking about July...
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Review: Microsoft’s World Wide Telescope.
World Wide Telescope Logo. The market for astronomical online software has really exploded in the past few years, and amateur astronomers and educators have reaped the benefit. What was offered by many companies for prices...
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July 2010: Life in the Astro-blogosphere.
The Return of… Stove Pipe Scope! (Photo by Author). (Editor’s Note: As of July 1st, we are ramping down our output and limiting ourselves to the AstroEvent & Review of the Week in our quest to wrap up our...
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