Astro Update – November 2021

by Editor on November 1, 2021 with No Comments

Mars Floods – The Mars rover Perseverance has been studying the western delta fan, which was built up by layers of sediment dropped into Jezero Crater by a river, back when the crater was a lake, about 3.7 billion years ago.… Continue reading.

“It was just me and the infinite” – Jennifer Jones

by Editor on October 31, 2021 with No Comments

Jennifer Jones makes her living teaching astronomy, something few Denver Astronomical Society members can say. As the Astronomy Program Chair at Arapahoe Community College (ACC), she spends her days exploring the mysteries of the cosmos with her students. It’s the culmination of a lifelong love of science and discovery.… Continue reading.

Galaxies, just for the sake of argument

by Editor on October 24, 2021 with No Comments

A few weeks ago, I received a message from Cameron Gillis, an amateur astronomer who wrote that he liked galaxies. Just for fun, I decided to take the opposite approach, a philosophical reversal. If he likes galaxies, then I hate them.… Continue reading.

Astro Update – October

by Editor on October 1, 2021 with No Comments

After its first, unsuccessful attempt to store a drilled sample of Martian rock and soil, the Mars rover Perseverance made two successful samplings of a flat Martian rock nicknamed “Rochette.” Both are now sealed in titanium tubes for a future mission to collect and return to Earth. Continue reading.

Skyward – October

by Editor on September 16, 2021 with No Comments

One clear evening during the summer of 2019, I was using Pegasus, one of my childhood friend Carl’s telescopes, at our annual Adirondack Astronomy Retreat. When my cellphone began to ring, I picked it up with some surprise. At the other end of the line was Carolyn Shoemaker. Continue reading.

Astro Update – September

by Editor on September 3, 2021 with No Comments

Carolyn Shoemaker, discoverer of dozens of comets and hundreds of asteroids, has died at age 92. Many of her discoveries were shared with her husband Gene Shoemaker, who for many years headed a project to search for near-Earth objects using the small Palomar Schmidt camera. Continue reading.

Skyward – September

by Editor on August 21, 2021 with No Comments

During the last almost two years I have been busier than ever, meeting many new people, giving lectures, quoting poetry, and advocating observing the night sky. And Wendee and I have barely left home. Continue reading.

Astro Update – August

by Editor on August 11, 2021 with No Comments

The Hubble Space Telescope shut down all observations on June 13 because of a failure in its payload computer, which controls all its onboard instruments. On the ground, operators switched the telescope to use the backup payload computer, but that didn’t fix the issue. Continue reading.

Skyward – August

by Editor on July 24, 2021 with No Comments

“How would you like to go to prison?” was one of the first things that Frank Lopez asked me. My stunned expression prompted Frank to clarify: “The Federal prison off Wilmot Road has an astronomy club.” That was enough... Continue reading.

Astro Update – July

by Editor on July 1, 2021 with No Comments

All solar panels sent to the surface of Mars eventually collect enough dust to seriously degrade the power generated. Sometimes a passing windstorm or dust devil will clean some of the dust off, restoring power. Unfortunately, nature has not cleaned the solar panels on the InSight lander... Continue reading.