An Old Tin Star
December 23, 2011
Today we visit a star made not of hydrogen, but of tin. It glows not through nuclear fusion, but by reflected light. And it sits not in the night sky, but on a Christmas tree.
Archive for the 'Miscellaneous' Category
9 Good Astronomy Reads
December 12, 2011
Got some time to read over the holidays? Here are some suggestions for armchair astronomers and clouded-out stargazers who need a good astronomy fix. I’ve read and enjoyed every one of these books this year, and I think you’ll enjoy them too…
Best Books for Astronomy – “Seeing in the Dark”
February 13, 2011
We begin an occasional series of short reviews of outstanding astronomy books with one of my favourites, Seeing in the Dark by Timothy Ferris. Written by a lifelong amateur astronomer who happens to be one of the finest science writers alive, this book outlines how a diligent group of amateur astronomers are contributing to cutting-edge science, and connects a state-of-the-art review of astronomical knowledge with the deeply human experience of stargazing.
A Little Night Music
April 1, 2010
Music has soothed many a deep thinker over the centuries. Pythagoras discovered the principles of musical harmony. Einstein played the violin. And Thomas Edison tried his best to master the piano. This is unsurprising, perhaps, as both science and music are, at their best, creative arts. But while many scientists have become excellent amateur musicians, few musicians have made ground-breaking discoveries in astronomy. The exception? William Herschel. This great astronomer was surely one of the few to excel in both fields. We’ve already outlined his scientific work. Today, a sample of his music…
Odds and Ends for 2009
December 30, 2009
Here are some odds and ends for you today on our final message of 2009…
We’ve finally posted the entire 20-part video series about choosing telescopes and observing equipment. We’ve had so many requests about telescope advice over the past couple of years, we thought this was the best way to get all the information in one place. These videos are produced by Anacortes Telescope; they are the best brief summaries we’ve seen about how to select a telescope and accessories.
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The Sky This Month – December 2009
December 3, 2009
Despite the colder weather, the constellation Orion is always a welcome sight this time of year. The great mythical hunter bounds over the eastern horizon shield-first not long after sunset, facing Taurus, the angry V-shaped celestial bull with its glowing red eye, the star Aldebaran. Because of its location in the plane of the Milky Way, this constellation is full of enough fascinating sights for an entire winter of stargazing. To quote from our own Binocular Tour of the Night Sky:
“To the naked eye, to binoculars, and to the telescope, Orion is a gold mine of wonders. This great constellation embraces almost every variety of interesting phenomena that the heavens contain. Here we have the grandest of the nebulae, some of the largest and most beautifully colored stars, starstreams, star-clusters, nebulous stars, variable stars.”
If the first seasonal appearance of mighty Orion fails to stir your imagination, it may be time to turn in your telescope. But not this year, I hope.
5 Ways Astronomy Can Help You Live To 100
November 12, 2009
You need not look far to see books, blogs, and all kinds of health gurus talking about the latest ways you might live to 100 years of age.
Meditation. Exercise. The “Okinawa Diet”. De-stress. Keep your mind active, and so on. All good ideas, no doubt.
But it got me thinking… doesn’t stargazing help you live a healthy lifestyle worthy someone who might live to 100 years old… and beyond?
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Things That Go “Growl” in the Night
October 28, 2009
Like many skywatchers, I’ve run up against some unexpected visitors in the night. Rowdy kids and drunks. Racoons and skunks. Even an occassional armed officer of the law, wondering what the heck I was doing in the middle of a city park, aiming a long white tube over the roofs of a quiet neighborhood at two in the morning.
But these sights are nothing compared to what you’ll find in the deep wilds, far away from city lights.
Who Ever Said Science Was Dull?
September 28, 2009
Not surprisingly, our article on solar activity and global warming touched a nerve. You just don’t get this kind of feedback about observing emission nebulae in Perseus…
Some feedback from our loyal subscribers…
A Busy Week for Skywatchers
July 24, 2009
Last Monday marked the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon, an event schoolkids will read about a thousand years from now, after most of the trivia and follies of the 20th century have turned to dust.
There were just 66 years between the first flight of the Wright brother’s wood-and-cloth glider with a strapped-on 30 horsepower engine to the 3,300 ton Saturn V rocket that carried Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins to the moon. The event still staggers the imagination.
Special Edition: The 100th “Carnival of Space”
April 27, 2009
Today, One-Minute Astronomer is honored to host the 100th Carnival of Space, a showcase of online articles about space and astronomy organized by the team at Universe Today.
For our regular subscribers, today is a little different. Instead of a short article about astronomy or the practical details of how to see the night sky, we’ve got fascinating stories and insights from around the web related to astronomy, space science, and space exploration.
And for those of you who’ve never been here before… welcome! There’s a lot to cover this week, so let’s get started…
The Best That We Could Do…
April 3, 2009
Not much time to write this week since we’re off celebrating the 100 Hours of Astronomy (100HA). This morning, we’re tuned into the live webcast from the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii to kick off “Around the World in 80 Telescopes”.
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The Astronomy Party of a Lifetime…
March 28, 2009
One of the best ways to enjoy astronomy is to share your interest and knowledge with others. And next week, from April 2-5, you’ll get perhaps the best chance of your lifetime to do just that during an international event called “100 Hours of Astronomy”, a key event that’s part of the International Year of Astronomy.
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Two More Ways To Sustain Your Interest In Astronomy
December 10, 2008
Based on the huge amount of feedback we received from the last issue, it seems a lot of us have struggled from time to time to maintain our enthusiasm for astronomy.
Today (with thanks to all of you who suggested these ideas) I’d like to share two additional strategies to sharpen your interest in this wonderful pastime.
In fact, these two activities might not only rekindle your interest in the night sky, but also give you a true sense of practical accomplishment.
7 Ways To Sustain Your Interest In Astronomy
December 5, 2008
“Better to do a little well than a great deal badly.”
- Socrates
When you first start out in astronomy, you’re giddy with excitement at seeing the wonders of the universe with your own eyes. You pore over astronomy books, spend hours on the internet searching for the right equipment, and enjoy long sessions outside with your new binoculars or telescope.
Then, the novelty fades.
After a few months, dragging your scope outside seems like work. You’ve seen most of the easy showpiece objects and they’re getting a little dull. And you wonder if you’ve made a terrible mistake spending hundreds or thousand of dollars on a new telescope.
But don’t despair. And don’t feel guilty. Here are seven strategies to help you sustain your enthusiasm for stargazing after the initial thrill wears off.
25 Tips For The Frugal Astronomer
November 21, 2008
“We haven’t got the money, so we’ve got to think!”
- Sir Ernest Rutherford
While economics is not our metier here at One-Minute Astronomer, we know times are getting tough and thrift is coming back into style. So if you’re long on interest in astronomy but short on cash, then this issue is for you. Here are 25 tips and resources that are almost entirely free to help you enjoy astronomy on a tight budget.
