James Webb Launches, Pluto’s Polygons and the Cosmic “Cow”

James Webb Launches, Pluto’s Polygons and the Cosmic “Cow”
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James Webb Space Telescope Launched – Shortly after noon local time, December 25, the Ariane 5 rocket carrying the James Webb Space Telescope lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guyana. The infrared telescope is now starting its month-long journey towards its ultimate home, orbiting Earth’s L2 Lagrange point, about a million miles away.… Continue reading.

Imagination and the Astronomical League

Imagination and the Astronomical League
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“A Dragon Lives forever, but not so girls and boys.”

Three quarters of a century ago, during the Second World War, the famous Harvard astronomer Harlow Shapley, along with Charles Federer, founding editor of Sky and Telescope Magazine, launched an association of astronomy clubs across the United States.… Continue reading.

A Warped Accretion Disk, a Circumbinary Planet and Colliding Planets

A Warped Accretion Disk, a Circumbinary Planet and Colliding Planets
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Hubble Resumes Observing – In late October, a computer onboard the Hubble Space Telescope detected that communications between computers and instruments were missing critical synchronization messages. All instruments were placed in safe mode so ground controllers could troubleshoot the problem. They tested each instrument independently and found all operating correctly, meaning the fault was likely somewhere in the communications, though they’re still investigating the root cause.… Continue reading.

Daffy Duck

Daffy Duck
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Agreed, this seems like an awfully daffy title for an astronomy article. But there is method to the madness, and there is a story. During the late summer of 2019 there was a star party in southeast Arizona that featured a dark sky and five perfect back-to-back nights.… Continue reading.

President’s November Updates

President’s November Updates
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Hello, fellow DAS members. The President’s corner is back and there’s a lot to catch up on.

First, a big thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the recent Member Survey. We on the executive board are excited to receive your input, and are weighing how to best answer your questions and address the issues that were raised.… Continue reading.

Astro Update – October

Astro Update – October
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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

Skyward – October
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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.
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