 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ball
|
|
|
WISE mission assembled and preparing for launch
Among the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer expected finds are hundreds of thousands of asteroids in our solar system’s asteroid belt and hundreds of additional asteroids that come near Earth. Read more. |
 |
|
Cristina Ryan
|
|
|
Red giant star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion is mysteriously shrinking
Over 15 years Betelgeuse has decreased in size about 15 percent, changing smoothly, but faster as the years progressed. Read more.
|
 |
|
NASA/JPL-Caltech/E. Churchwell (Univ. of Wisconsin)
|
|
|
A sleeping giant
The Submillimeter Array finds a massive core in a cold, dark cloud. Read more. |
 |
|
NRAO
|
|
|
New technique improves estimates of pulsar ages
To improve the accuracy of the standard technique, astronomers incorporated additional constraints that arise from the spin-up process and physical limits on the maximum spin period. Read more. |
 |
|
Adam Block
|
|
|
Texas-sized computer finds most massive black hole in galaxy M87
The Lonestar supercomputer result was a larger mass for M87’s black hole than what previous models have found. Read more. |
|
|
|
| 1800DESTINY……………………………………………………(Advertisement) |
|
|
|
|
|
Manufacturers of Curved Vane Telescope Spiders and accessories
Our spiders have been installed in small home scopes to large professional-grade telescopes. Our designs are proven, and stable; our selection is diverse enough to fit almost any application.
www.1800destiny.com or call
1-800-337-8469.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June sky highlights - Venus blazes before dawn
|
 |
|
Mike Salway
|
|
|
|
|
Both inner planets gather in June’s morning sky. Mercury and, in particular, Venus put on fine displays as twilight commences. The warm evenings typical of June offer great conditions to show off the solar system’s most beautiful planet, Saturn. Go ahead and invite some neighbors over for their first view of the ringed planet through a telescope. Meanwhile, the overnight hours belong to Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
As darkness falls, one lone planet graces the star-filled sky. Saturn stands more than one-third of the way from the southwestern horizon to the zenith shortly after sunset. It sets shortly before 2 a.m. in early June and by midnight at month’s end.
|
***The weekly podcast is available to registered members of Astronomy.com. Registration is FREE, so sign up at Astronomy.com/register to make sure you don’t miss an episode!***
Each week, Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Michael Bakich, a master at explaining how to observe, posts a podcast about three objects or events you can see in the sky.
|
|
Targets for June 12-19, 2009
Naked eye: Butterfly Cluster
Small telescope: Globular cluster M107
Large telescope: Spiral galaxy NGC 6207
Listen to podcast.
This week’s podcast is sponsored by Celestron.
|
|
|
|
| Don’t miss this special issue! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Astronomy magazine equipment reviews now available online
Posted by Michael E. Bakich, Senior Editor
|
|
Astronomy’s reviews have entered the virtual universe as part of our new Equipment Review database. Subscribers to Astronomy magazine now have immediate access to downloadable PDF files that are exact copies of all reviews and roundups we’ve published since 2003. You can read them on screen or print them out to read later.
But you don’t have to be a subscriber to explore the archive. Anyone can search the database. We’ve also posted two full reviews as samples.
Read more.
Read all of the editors’ blog posts here.
|
|
Thomas Arrington took this image May 21, 2009, from Columbia, Missouri.
|
|
John Bunyan pointed his camera at the North Star and captured this image of star trails.
|
|
Astronomy.com member “Gunter” captured this image April 22, 2009, from Peoria, Arizona.
|
On average, how often do you observe the Sun? Vote here. |
|
|
|
| Join Astronomy’s 2010 eclipse safari |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How to use Astronomy.com’s StarDome Plus
Astronomy magazine subscribers have access to a slew of cool functions with the interactive star chart StarDome Plus. Senior Editor Rich Talcott shows off the highlights to this great program.
Watch it here.
See all Astronomy’s videos here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
