Posted on by Fraser Cain

What’s Up this Week: January 8 – January 14, 2007

Betelgeuse. Image credit: Hubble
Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! It’s time to take on the Hunter as we have a look at the Orion region for the unaided eye, binoculars and telescope. From Project Diana to the mightly Betelgeuse, it’s time to head for the stars because…

Here’s what’s up!

Monday, January 8 – On this day in 1942 – precisely 300 years after the death of Galileo, Stephen Hawking was born. The British theoretical astrophysicist, despite his physical limitations, became one of the world’s foremost leaders in cosmological theory and his book “A Brief History of Time” remains one of the best written on the subject.Also born on this day in 1587 was Johannes Fabricius, son of the discoverer of variable star Mira, David Fabricius. Like many father and son teams, the pair went on to study astronomy together, and some of their most frightening work dealt with viewing sunspots through an unfiltered telescope – a practice which eventually blinded Galileo!
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Posted on by Mark Mortimer

Book Review: Apollo – The Definitive Sourcebook

Apollo - The Definitive SourcebookOur Moon has been visited by men, yet this fact may seem like fiction to many people. Over an incredibly short span, people of one nation came together, developed a technology and achieved the goal of walking on the lunar surface. For those wanting a reference for this momentous event, Richard Orloff and David Harland provide their book, Apollo – The Definitive Sourcebook. In it are the facts and figures regarding the events surrounding the people and hardware of this amazing achievement.
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Posted on by R. Jay Gabany

Astrophoto: Orion Deep field by Robert Gendler

m42.jpgWe live in an age filled with robots- both those that respond to commands issued by a person and those that autonomously respond to a program placed within their operating system. Regardless of how they function, and more fundamentally, robots are tools meant to perform tasks that are repetitive or dangerous, often in situations requiring high precision or to serve as human proxy. Interestingly, robots have also been a staple in fiction since antiquity- one of the earliest examples was the bronze giant, Talos, in Homer’s IIiad. They have also been used as an elaborate metaphor for humankind’s relationship with technology. So, whether the term “robot” conjures up a vision of Frankenstein or Tickle Me Elmo, they no longer are just a figment of fertile imaginations and humankind’s reliance is growing exponentially. For example, robots are increasingly playing a significant role in amateur astronomy- the image that accompanies this discussion was produced through robotic assistance.
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Posted on by Fraser Cain

What’s Up this Week: January 1 – January 7, 2007

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers… Welcome to the new year and 365 more nights with you! Thanks to everyone for their kind words about the new edition and how great the softcover book turned out. The sky is at the limit as we begin 2007 exploring the Moon and keep on reaching for the stars. Now, let’s head out into the night because…

Here’s what’s up!
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