61–80 of 212 results

Astronomy and Society

The (Almost) Re-Opening of the Yerkes Observatory

Yerkes Observatory, a historic, castle-like building built to house a gigantic telescope, may soon reopen if all goes according to plan.

Astronomy and Society

Nobel Prize Honors Exoplanets, Big Bang Discoveries

The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to James Peebles and to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz. The prize, which will be split in half, honors discoveries that have offered new perspectives on our place in the universe.

Thirty Meter Telescope at night

Professional Telescopes

Maunakea Observatories Shuttered Amid Protests (Update: Observatories Have Reopened)

As protests against the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope continue, the directors of Maunakea Observatories have taken the unprecedented move of closing all observatories atop the mountain.

Ed Fendell

Astronomy and Society

Live from the Moon: How Earth Saw the First Steps of Apollo 11

Neil Armstrong's and Buzz Aldrin's first steps on the Moon changed the world. But that the world would see them wasn't a given.

Solar Eclipse in 1900

Astronomy and Society

Amateur Filmmaker Captured Solar Eclipse — in 1900

In 1900, a man named John Nevil Maskelyne filmed a solar eclipse — the first of its kind.

Starfall students

Astronomy and Society

Teens Hunt for Meteorites . . . Underwater

Students and a sled named Starfall are on the hunt for underwater meteorites, dropped as a bolide fragmented over Lake Michigan last year.

green flash

Astronomy and Society

We Don’t Really Know When the Sun Rises

Hundreds of sunrise and sunset times reveal that there’s something amiss with our calculations.

24-hour clock with telescopes

Astronomy and Society

Daylight-Saving Time? Bah, Humbug!

Still controversial, the annual switch to daylight saving time is annoying to backyard astronomers — and probably doesn't save any energy after all.

Astronomy and Society

Official Names Approved for 86 More Stars

The International Astronomical Union has given its official approval for 86 star names, following up on last year's announcement of 227 official star names.

Solar Eclipse 2017

Astronomy and Society

Eye Damage Reported from August's Eclipse

For a young woman who stared too long on August 21st, the partially eclipsed Sun left a lasting impression — on her retinas.

Milan (before change to LED lights)

Astronomy and Society

The Lost LED Revolution: Light Pollution Is Increasing

The transition from sodium lights to LEDs, the so-called “lighting revolution”, was supposed to reduce energy consumption and bring back the starry sky, but new satellite data indicate it’s not working out that way.

Solar Eclipse 2017

Astronomy and Society

Millions of Americans Viewed August Solar Eclipse

The 2017 solar eclipse could easily be the most watched event in US history. Can we learn something from it?

Astronomy and Society

Eclipse Aftermath Brings Lawsuit Against Amazon

Counterfeit eclipse glasses created great confusion in the days prior to the solar eclipse. Luckily few cases of eye damage have been reported.

Pro-Am Collaboration

The Eclipse as Seen by Citizen Scientists

Some academic and citizen-science groups came up with neat initiatives for eclipse day. Let’s find out how they did.

Covers of The Strolling Astronomer

Stargazer's Corner: Adventures Under the Night Sky

The Strolling Astronomer Celebrates 70 Years

Still active today, the Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers and its journal got their start on March 1, 1947.

Rooftop micrometeoroids

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

Micrometeorites Found on City Rooftops

A recent study found micrometeorites in piles of dirt collected from urban European rooftops.

Students watching a solar eclipse

Astronomy and Society

Get Funds for 2017 Eclipse Outreach Projects

Thanks to some timely NSF support, the American Astronomical Society is offering dozens of small grants to U.S. groups that offer outreach programs tied to the 2017 s

Clock

Astronomy and Society

The Year 2016 Will Be One Second Longer

Do you think 2016 has seemed unusually long? An international agency has decided to make it even longer.

Vera Rubin in 1965

Astronomy and Society

Vera Rubin, "Mother of Dark Matter" (1928–2016)

Astronomer Vera Rubin, known for her revolutionary work confirming the existence of dark matter, died on December 25th. She was 88.

Orion StarBlast 4.5 in a library

Astronomy and Society

"Library Telescope" Program Takes Off

From humble beginnings in 2008, a simple idea — equipping libraries with loaner telescopes — has caught on across the United States.