RECENT ARTICLES
Journey to the Stars with the WorldWide Telescope
As the snow drifts past my window under cloudy skies, I'm counting the days until I can take my telescope out again and prowl the night sky. What did the groundhog say - two more weeks of winter? I think he was mistaken... For those of us in need of some armchair...
Take a Trip to Venus this Valentine’s Day
It may be cold outside, but it's always nice and toasty on Venus! This Valentine's Day, take a virtual tour of our sister planet, named after the goddess of love. Just try to ignore the immense pressure and the acid rain... Here is a selection of interesting Venus...
Size Does Matter: Pluto is Still Bigger Than Eris
It looks as though another chapter is about to be added to the Pluto debate. When Michael E. Brown (Caltech) discovered the dwarf planet Eris in 2005, he was convinced that this Kuiper Belt object was larger than Pluto. In fact, he believes that his discovery may have...
Here Comes Ophiuchus
One of the challenges facing amateur astronomers when explaining their hobby to the general public is that we often get mixed up with astrologers. No, it's not the same thing! How often have I had to insist "AstroNomy, not astroLogy. Telescopes, not horoscopes!" For...
Spring Glow: The Zodiacal Lightshow is Here!
It's that time of year again: starting around February 20th until about March 6, look toward the west during the evening and morning twilight and you may be able to see a faint, roughly triangular, whitish glow stretching up from the horizon. This is the zodiacal...
RECENT ARTICLES
Journey to the Stars with the WorldWide Telescope
As the snow drifts past my window under cloudy skies, I'm counting the days until I can take my telescope out again and prowl the night sky. What did the groundhog say - two more weeks of winter? I think he was mistaken... For those of us in need of some armchair...
Take a Trip to Venus this Valentine’s Day
It may be cold outside, but it's always nice and toasty on Venus! This Valentine's Day, take a virtual tour of our sister planet, named after the goddess of love. Just try to ignore the immense pressure and the acid rain... Here is a selection of interesting Venus...
Size Does Matter: Pluto is Still Bigger Than Eris
It looks as though another chapter is about to be added to the Pluto debate. When Michael E. Brown (Caltech) discovered the dwarf planet Eris in 2005, he was convinced that this Kuiper Belt object was larger than Pluto. In fact, he believes that his discovery may have...
Here Comes Ophiuchus
One of the challenges facing amateur astronomers when explaining their hobby to the general public is that we often get mixed up with astrologers. No, it's not the same thing! How often have I had to insist "AstroNomy, not astroLogy. Telescopes, not horoscopes!" For...
Spring Glow: The Zodiacal Lightshow is Here!
It's that time of year again: starting around February 20th until about March 6, look toward the west during the evening and morning twilight and you may be able to see a faint, roughly triangular, whitish glow stretching up from the horizon. This is the zodiacal...