Review: The Sun Kings by Stuart Clark

We here at Astroguyz love a good read about the “secret history” of astronomy… sure, everybody knows the exploits of Galileo and Copernicus, but how many have heard of the trials of 18th century British astronomer Richard Carrington? The Sun Kings, The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How Modern Astronomy Began, [...]

Review: Heaven’s Touch by James B. Kaler

Out now from Princeton University Press!
Everyone seems to be in a “Death from Above” mood this year. At the happier end of the cosmic spectrum, I give you Heavens Touch, by professor James B. Kaler and out recently courtesy of Princeton Press. Ever wonder were the elemental boron in your laundry cleaner came from? This [...]

Death by Superflare?

A close runner-up in the pantheon of cosmic catastrophes is a killer flare courtesy of our Sun. While this may not be as lethal as a giant space rock, its also much more likely over the span of our short lifetimes. But what is the exact potential hazard posed by this threat? What has happened [...]

AstroEvent of the Week:08.06.09:the STS-127 Launch.

Endeavor posed for Launch! (Credit NASA/Kim Shiflett).
(Hey, can you believe that we’ve been doing “Event of the Week” for exactly a year now without missing a beat? I thought that next week’s Summer Solstice post rang a bell… ironically, our first “event” post was also a Shuttle launch!)
The shuttle Endeavor is once again vaulting into [...]