Review: Burnham’s Celestial Handbook.

A few decades back, I mentioned to a friend at a local planetarium of my enduring interest in astronomy. “Surely, then, “ he said pulling out a three volume set, “you have these…” I did not at the time, but I had indeed heard the legends. The books were Burnham’s Celestial Handbook, a three volume [...]

Review: Bang!

Think hard rock and astrophysics don’t mix? Think again. Recently, we had the pleasure of reading Bang! The Complete History of the Universe,” by astronomy heavyweights Brian May, Patrick Moore, and Chris Lincott…

December 2008: News & Notes.

A gamma ray burst is born. (Credit: Nicole Ranger Fuller/NSF).
Mysterious Missing Gamma Rays: Gamma rays have been “hot” (pun intended) in the news as of late. Now, decades after their initial discovery, scientists are asking themselves; where are they? Specifically, long term bursts, those lasting seconds or more seem to be missing from the universes’ earliest [...]

My Personal Connection with the Universe

Even since I was young, I’ve looked towards the stars. One of my earliest memories was looking up at the cresent moon, in conjunction with some bright planet (probably Venus) as my Aunt Lorraine carried me up to our apartment in Mapleton, Maine. Not that I knew what any of these objects were. I just [...]