Satellite Spotting: A Quick How-to Guide.

 

Two objects you can see tonite; the Hubble Space Telescope & (if it’s in orbit) the Space Shuttle! (Credit: Art Explosion).

Go out any reasonably clear night around dawn or dusk and look up. Chances are, after a few minutes, a moving “star” will drift silently by. What you’ve just seen is a satellite in low [...]

Carl Sagan: A Biography by Ray Spangenburg & Kit Moser.

(Editor’s Note; This post is part of our ongoing tribute to Carl Sagan, the man and scientist.)
Think you know Carl Sagan? The recently published Carl Sagan: A Biography by Ray Spangenburg & Kit Moser out earlier this year courtesy of Prometheus Books will show you otherwise. Don’t forget, long before there was Carl Sagan [...]

The Moon joins a Planetary Three-Way.

Three planets and one Moon. (Credit: Stellarium).
Early risers this week will awaken to a fine sight; a three way dance between Mercury, Saturn, and Venus, joined by the waning crescent Moon on the 16th. Look towards the east, about a half hour before local sunrise. Mercury has just passed greatest elongation on the 6th [...]

July09: News & Notes.

Teen supernova discoverer extraordinare Caroline Moore (Credit: iOptron News).

- Teenage Supernova Discovery: Ah…who says you can’t engage kids in science anymore? Supernova 2008ha was recently discovered by Caroline Moore of Warwick, New York. Discovery actually occurred back in November 7th of last year, and buzz has just passed around the Internet as this is one [...]

AstroEvent of the Week: 04.20.09: A Morning of Moons and Meteors!

Venus & the Moon Earlier this Year…(note the Ashen Light!) Photo by Author.
There are two reasons to set your alarm this week; one is the annual Lyrid meteor shower, and the second is the lunar/planetary action in the dawn sky. First, the shower. The Lyrids break the lull we’ve had in meteor showers [...]

April 2009 News & Notes.

Kepler’s Launch as seen from Jetty Pier. (Credit: JoanneW./Flickr).
The Successful Launch of Kepler: The Kepler space telescope launched successfully last month on March 6th, during a spectacular night launch. Sporting one of the biggest CCD imagers ever to leave Earth, Kepler is bound for an Earth-trailing, heliospheric orbit. Kepler will spend several months staring at [...]

Next Page »