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Category Archives: Student Astronomy
Astronomy Fall Final Exam Info
The fall 2010 astronomy final has 45 multiple-choice questions and it’s open notes. I reserve the right to refuse non-hand-written notes or anything else I don’t like during the exam. There is a review question-set but it is NOT a … Continue reading
CAST Days 2 and 3
Friday I started out the day at “Space Weather” presented by 2 UT Dallas scientists – Dr. Mary Urquhart and Dr. Mark Hairston. Their work is based on the CINDI instruments on board a orbiting satellite C/NOFS. One VERY cool … Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, exoplanets, moon, NASA, observing, physics, robotic astronomy, solar astronomy, solar system, space, star names, stellar astronomy, Student Astronomy, sun, urban skies
Tagged C/NOFS, CAST, CAST2010, CINDI, ImageJ, Mark Hairston, Mary Kay Hemenway, Mary Urquhart, McDonald Observatory, MONET, UT Dallas
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InOMN @ Bellaire HS Rain or Shine!
The clouds won’t keep us from celebrating International Observe the Moon Night tonight from 7pm – 9pm at Bellaire High School. We have a large space reserved for some virtual moon observing inside the school. I have booked the multipurpose … Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, constellations, Houston, Lunar Exploration, Lunar Planetary Institute, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, Social Networking, solar system, space, Student Astronomy, urban skies
Tagged #InOMN10, InOMN
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Lunar Research Project
Bellaire will be participating in the Lunar and Planetary Institute lunar research program which gets students involved in actual lunar science research work and a chance to publish the results. This program is designed to get high school students involved … Continue reading
Free Astronomy Tools
My latest Houston public library sidewalk astronomy event was moved indoors to the “program place” on the 4th floor so I thought I would throw together some free and easy astronomy tips to share. When the weather won’t cooperate there … Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, asterisms, astronomical history, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, constellations, Houston, Lunar Exploration, Mars, meteor shower, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, sidewalk astronomy, solar astronomy, solar system, space, star names, stellar astronomy, Student Astronomy, sun, urban skies
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Sidewalk Astronomy Daytime Edition 7-19 & 8-16 at HPL Central
Sidewalk Astronomy at HPL Central July 19 and Aug 16th. Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, Houston, Library Science, Lunar Exploration, moon, observing, sidewalk astronomy, solar astronomy, solar system, space, stellar astronomy, Student Astronomy, urban skies
Tagged Houston Public Library, HPL Central, moon, sidewalk astronomy, sun
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Greater Houston Astronomy Coaltion
The Houston Public Library was kind enough to let me put together a display for the 2nd floor. Hopefully people will see the display and discover the Houston astronomy community. There are several area clubs each serving a different part … Continue reading
Solar Dynamics Observatory Online!
The Solar Dynamics Observatory is open for business and man are the first light images amazing!! Be sure to see the videos which are better-than-HD quality. share
Posted in Astronomy, astronomy eduction, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, space, stellar astronomy, Student Astronomy, sun
Tagged first light, SDO, Solar Dynamics Observatory
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Solar Observing Online
Big Bear Solar Observatory SOHO Spacecraft STEREO Spacecraft The sun will become more and more active as it the 11-year solar cycle swings from the slow and quiet to the loud and wild. You can follow along using some online … Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, astro blogs, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, observing, software, space, Student Astronomy, sun, urban skies
Tagged Big Bear Solar Observatory, SOHO, STEREO
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Spring Break Star Party
Come out to the Bellaire High School track this Wednesday from 7pm – 9pm for some solar observing and some star gazing! share
SkyandTelescope.com – News Blog – The Big Dipper Adds a Star
SkyandTelescope.com – News Blog – The Big Dipper Adds a Star. One my favorite targets for me and for star parties is the optical pair Alcor & Mizar and Mizar is also a binary system itself which is apparent through … Continue reading
Awesome Mars Express view of Phobos and Deimos together – The Planetary Society Blog | The Planetary Society
Awesome Mars Express view of Phobos and Deimos together – The Planetary Society Blog | The Planetary Society. share
Posted in astro blogs, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, IYA, Mars, NASA, observing, Planetary Society, robotic astronomy, space, Student Astronomy
Tagged Deimos, Phobos, Planetary Society
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How has the internet changed amateur astronomy?
When someone becomes interested in astronomy those of us that are more experienced generally have some advice: 1) Don’t buy too little or too much telescope meaning make sure you get a good quality but get something you will actually … Continue reading
Tips for Viewing the Geminid Meteor Shower | Universe Today
Tips for Viewing the Geminid Meteor Shower | Universe Today Here are some tips for viewing the upcoming Geminid meteor shower from Sean Welton from Universe Today Occurring every year in mid-December, the Geminid meteor shower is commonly referred to … Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, astro blogs, Astronomy, IYA, meteor shower, observing, sidewalk astronomy, space, Student Astronomy, Universe Today, urban skies
Tagged Geminids, Sean Welton
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Astronomy Education Gets It Right – Interactive is Better
I just finished reading an article published in the October 2009 issue of Physics Today by Prather, Rudolph, and Brissenden titled Teaching and learning astronomy in the 21st century. As a high school astronomy teacher I have benefited from the … Continue reading
LRO Sees Bouncing, Rolling Boulders on the Moon | Universe Today
I saw a really cool post over on Universe Today about the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and yet another close-up of the moon. This time there is evidence that really big boulders rolled down the slopes of the Tsiolkovskiy Crater You … Continue reading
Posted in astro blogs, Astronomy, Lunar Exploration, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, space, Student Astronomy
Tagged LRO, Tsiolkovskiy Crater
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LRO Images of Apollo Landing Sites
Amateur astronomers are often asked if one can see the Apollo landing sites with their telescope and the answer is no. Even with Hubble we can’t get the needed resolution for such small scale structures. But the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance … Continue reading
Posted in astronomical history, IYA, Lunar Exploration, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, space, Student Astronomy
Tagged Apollo Landings, LCROSS, LRO
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Galileoscope
So a few months ago I ordered a Galileoscope so I could have a new toy and also to see if the simple scope is good for my astronomy classes. Today it showed up on my doorstep and I put … Continue reading
Posted in astronomical history, IYA, moon, observing, space, Student Astronomy, urban skies
Tagged Galileoscope
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Gibbous July Moon
The moon goes through a 28-day cycle with each phase lasting 7 days. Recently I set out to catch the moon during the waxing gibbous phase just a few days before full moon. Gibbous means that more than half the … Continue reading
Posted in Lunar Exploration, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, space, Student Astronomy, urban skies
Tagged LCROSS, LRO, lunar phases, NASA
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Sidewalk Astronomy at Houston Downtown Library 6-29-09
Come out on Monday June 29th to the downtown Houston Public Library Central location for some sidewalk astronomy from 6pm – 8pm. The location is the plaza outside the downtown Houston public library. The library has an underground parking garage … Continue reading
Posted in moon, observing, sidewalk astronomy, space, Student Astronomy, sun, urban skies
Tagged Houston Public Library, HPL Central, HPL Central Plaza
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