By Peter Higgins, PhD
Isaac Newton lived from 1642 (the year Galileo died) until 1727. He was considered both the first of the age of reason, joining the likes of Laplace, and the last of the alchemists-astrologers who bedazzled Europe’s royalty.1
He was a lonely figure, and a mystic, envied by many.… Continue reading.
by Dan Acker
I had the opportunity to get out to a dark sky site recently for some much-needed deep sky observing so I jumped at the chance. When I arrived at the site (not the DAS Kline site), I was greeted by members of the astronomy club I belong to, and 10 members of two other area clubs.… Continue reading.
The Van Natten-Hansen Scholarship applications are opening as of April 1st. In July, the VNH Scholarship Committee will award scholarships to deserving students who will be studying at an accredited college here in the United States in the fall of 2023, and who are (or intend to) major in the STEM fields, especially in astronomy or astrophysics. … Continue reading.
Astronomy and space news summarized by Don Lynn from NASA and other sources
Most Massive Black Hole Merger – The largest black holes ever observed to merge were detected by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors. The black holes were 85 and 66 times the Sun’s mass and merged to form one of 142 solar masses.… Continue reading.
Astronomy and space news summarized by Don Lynn from NASA and other sources
Dense Exoplanet – Observations by astronomers at the Pennsylvania State University found an unusually dense exoplanet orbiting a star in the Hyades open star cluster. Known as K2-25b, it is slightly smaller than Neptune but about 1.5 times as massive.… Continue reading.
Astronomy and space news summarized by Don Lynn from NASA and other sources
General Relativity – While Newton’s formula for gravity yields elliptical shapes for orbits, Einstein’s theory of general relativity dictates that orbiting bodies follow an ellipse that moves. Each time around an orbit, the perihelion of the ellipse advances a little bit, rotating about the main mass.… Continue reading.
Astronomy and space news summarized by Don Lynn from NASA and other sources
Neutron Star Found – In 1987, astronomers witnessed the nearest supernova in hundreds of years explode in the nearby dwarf galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud. Being the first observed of the year, the astronomical event was named SN 1987A.… Continue reading.
By Donald S. Lynn
How To Build It
More than 30 years ago I was attending the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference and Celestron was selling scrapped telescope parts at their booth. They were probably cleaning out their factory of stuff that customers had broken and brought in to be repaired.… Continue reading.
by Zachary Singer
My Friends,
It’s been four years since I came on as the Denver Observer’s editor and (soon after) writer of the “Monthly Skies” column. When I started, we were still putting out an eight-page PDF—it was accompanied by a printed black-and-white edition.… Continue reading.
by Jeff Kanipe
This month, we have a wonderful surprise for you—a tour of the southern sky, as seen from Chile, by Jeff Kanipe, author of the highly regarded series, Annals of the Deep Sky.… Continue reading.