Stars and Astronomy

Chinese astronomers have signed on to participate in the development of the world's largest telescope that will be built atop a Hawaii volcano, a group said Tuesday. The Thirty Meter Telescope, the group spearheading the project, said the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has joined as an observer. It is the first step of a process expected to lead to the NAOC becoming a full partner and financial contributor. "We believe that the Thirty Meter Telescope will provide an otherwise unattainable opportunity for the Chinese astronomical community to make significant discoveries, perform cutting-edge science, and advance technological development," Jun Yan, ... Read Full Story

Rudimentary telescopes, celestial globes and original manuscripts by Galileo are going on view at the Vatican Museums as part of an exhibit marking the 400th anniversary of the astronomer's first celestial observations. "Astrum 2009: Astronomy and Instruments" traces the history of astronomy through its tools, from a 3rd century A.D. globe of the zodiac to the increasingly complicated telescopes used in more recent times to gaze at the stars. At a briefing to launch the exhibit Tuesday, Monsignor Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's top culture official, declined to revisit the Church's 17th century condemnation of Galileo for his discovery that the Earth revolved around the ... Read Full Story

Rudimentary telescopes, celestial globes and original manuscripts by Galileo are going on view at the Vatican Museums as part of an exhibit marking the 400th anniversary of the astronomer's first celestial observations. "Astrum 2009: Astronomy and Instruments" traces the history of astronomy through its tools, from a 3rd century A.D. globe of the zodiac to the increasingly complicated telescopes used in more recent times to gaze at the stars. At a briefing to launch the exhibit Tuesday, Monsignor Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's top culture official, declined to revisit the Church's 17th century condemnation of Galileo for his discovery that the Earth revolved around the ... Read Full Story

The Vatican will commemorate physicist and philosopher Galileo Galilei, who was prosecuted by the Inquisition in the 17th century, in an exhibition opening Thursday. The Vatican scrapped plans in January to put up a statue of the inventor of the telescope, who was also convicted of "grave suspicion of heresy" in 1633. The president of the Italy's National Institute of Astrophysics, Tommaso Maccacaro, said the exhibition "will present a selection of instruments that show astronomy's trajectory and progress. Particular attention falls on Galileo's telescope." Photographs from Italian astronomy expeditions, notably to India in 1874, are also on display in the exhibition to mark International ... Read Full Story

Loyal podcast listeners, Starting June 4, Michael Bakich's weekly observing podcast will be available to registered members of Astronomy.com. The podcast remains free, so please register with the site to make sure you don't miss an episode! We now return to our regularly scheduled program... --- Here is the transcript for my podcast about how to see the star V Hydrae, globular cluster NGC 5634, and the Ursa Minor Dwarf this week. Check out the Astronomy.com's interactive star chart — StarDome — to see an accurate map of your sky. It'll help you locate some of this week's key targets. Astronomy magazine subscribers have ... Read Full Story

Here is the transcript for my podcast about how to see the partial constellation Serpens Caput, M40, and lenticular galaxy M85 this week. Check out the Astronomy.com's interactive star chart — StarDome — to see an accurate map of your sky. It'll help you locate some of this week's key targets. Astronomy magazine subscribers have access to a slew of cool functions with StarDome PLUS. Each week, I highlight three different night-sky targets for you to see: One object you can find with your naked eyes or through binoculars One object to find with a small telescope One deep-sky object to find with an ... Read Full Story

At sunset on Thursday, astronomers around the world will be limbering up for a 100-hour marathon aimed at celebrating the night sky and nurturing the Galileos of tomorrow. The exercise has been "400 years in the making," says the Paris-based International Astronomical Union (IAU), referring to observations made in 1609 by the Italian genius that swept away our conception of the Universe. "It is a sense of discovery and awe that astronomers wish to share with our fellow citizens all over the world," says IAU president Catherine Cesarsky. With more than 1,500 events in 130 countries, the mass view-in could draw more than a ... Read Full Story