Benjamin Banneker: An American Astronomer.

Early depiction of Banneker.

In today’s fast-paced day and age, most of us have access to nearly limitless information and knowledge. None of us can consume it all, but the flow of data is wide open for all who chose it.
 But what of those in the past that had the mental capacity and the thirst for [...]

Flashback: Remembering the Great Comet of 1910.

The “other” comet in 1910…(Credit: Lowell Observatory).

1910 was a heady year both in astronomy and the world at large. The nationalism that would lead to World War I was still fermenting in Europe; the radio was the hot new IPod of the age, and silent movies were yet to be replaced by “talkies” over a decade [...]

The Oldest Observatory in South America.

An 18th century observatory in the heart of Quito, Ecuador! (All photos by author).

An undiscovered astronomical gem sits in the downtown heart of Quito, Ecuador. Amid the high altitude urban bustle stands the Quito Observatory, a three turreted victorian style complex in triangular La Alameda park. Built in 1875, this observatory now serves as a [...]

Remembering Carl.

(Editor’s note: Some may think that this week’s big post and book review are redundant, because they both cover the same famed scientist. Faithful followers of this site will however recall that we’ve done the same for such similar greats in the past, most recently Robert Burnham Jr. We’d like to think that the book [...]

Searching for Robert Burnham.

Sometimes, the quietest minds among us also have the most to share with the world.
Last month, on a warm summer’s day in August, the East Valley Astronomy Club, in connection with the Robert Burnham Jr. Memorial Fund, honored a man with the dedication of a small plaque placed on the Pluto walk at the [...]

Remembering the Super Flare of 1859.

This coming Tuesday marks the 150th anniversary of a unique astronomical event that has repercussions even today. On the morning of September 1st, 1859, Astronomer Richard Carrington found his routine of carefully drawing and recording the transit times of sunspot groups disrupted by an odd phenomenon emerging on the face of the Sun. The day [...]

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