Donald W. Olson

Bulletin at a Glance News Observing This Week’s Sky at a Glance Community

Titanic‘s Celestial Connections

April 13, 2012 | The ill-fated ship — and the movie of the same name — were influenced by the heavens in a number of ways. > read more

Sky & Telescope‘s New Moon Globe

April 9, 2012 | The year-long effort was time consuming and tedious, but S&T‘s staff is proud to unveil the first wholly new globe of the lunar surface in more than four decades. > read more

Dark Energy BOSSes Around the Universe

April 12, 2012 | Astronomers are honing in on the nature of dark energy, a mysterious, repulsive energy that pervades all of space. Among the questions they’re trying to answer: does dark energy exist? > read more

Far-out Black Hole Hints

April 12, 2012 | “Star cities” orbiting galaxies may reveal the mass of the gargantuan black hole hidden deep in the galaxy’s heart. The new relation could be more evidence for a large-scale black hole-galaxy link — or, it could mean one of the latest revolutions in astrophysics isn’t the full story. > read more

New ALMA Images Stoke Exoplanet Flame

April 10, 2012 | Astronomers have released the first new science results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a still-under-construction network of 66 antennas in northern Chile. The new observations suggest the contentious Fomalhaut star system may have two small planets shepherding its gigantic ring. > read more

Sky & Telescope diagram / source: Stellarium

Comet Pan-STARRS: Still on Track

April 12, 2012 | The inbound comet C/2011 L4, discovered last year, has been brightening steadily the past few months. It could still fizzle — or it could become a pretty bauble in post-sunset skies next March. > read more

Tour April’s Sky by Eye and Ear!

March 29, 2012 | April stands to be a great month for planet-watching. Venus and Jupiter are over in the west, Mars is high up in the southeast, and Saturn pairs with the bright star Spica low over the eastern horizon. > read more

Mars Takes Center Stage

March 5, 2012 | The Red Planet (actually yellow-orange) is the brilliant “star” climbing steadily in the east these evenings. Now’s your best chance to examine our next-out planetary neighbor. > read more

Sky & Telescope diagram

This Week’s Sky at a Glance

April 13, 2012 | Venus is attaining its greatest height and brilliance in twilight, while Jupiter slinks away far below. Elsewhere in the evening sky, Mars pairs with Regulus and Saturn pairs with Spica. > read more

C. Mayhew & R. Simmon (NASA / GSFC), NOAA / NGDC, DMSP Digital Archive

International Dark Sky Week

April 13, 2012 | Light pollution affects more than just astronomy. Learn what you can do to save energy and baby sea turtles — and keep our skies dark. > read more

The World Celebrates Astronomy

March 28, 2012 | People are coming together this April for Global Astronomy Month 2012, a planetwide celebration of astronomy designed to bring people together through star parties, music and artistic performances, online observing events, and much more. > read more

Hubble’s Hidden Treasures Competition

March 28, 2012 | Try your hand at creating a beautiful Hubble image and you might win an Apple iPod Touch or iPad. > read more