Check out this fireball cloud

I just got an e-mail from Canadian amateur astronomer Matt Ayerst III. On November 24, 2008, he used a Canon PowerShot A710 IS with a 35mm lens to photograph the debris cloud of a fireball (brilliant meteor) over Vancouver. Here is the text of his e-mail:

Hello, my name is Matt Ayerst III. I live in Vancouver, British Columbia. I have been subscribing to your magazine for 3 years now. Great stuff. I took this picture with my little handheld camera 2 years ago from the top of Burnaby Mountain at Simon Fraser University. In the background is Vancouver Island. The following day I read in the paper that a falling “fireball” was discovered in Alberta. Seems like a far shot (pun intended), but I figured if anyone would know, you guys would. I hope the quality is acceptable.

Thank you, Matt, for a great report and photo.

Off to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show 2010

On Monday, my dad and I will fly to Tucson for the annual Gem and Mineral Show, the worldwide mecca for meteorite and mineral collectors. I’ll write two stories for the magazine from the show: a summary of the state of meteorite collecting and dealing for an upcoming issue, as well as an observing feature based on nights of viewing at Rancho Hidalgo, where Astronomy magazine has its observatory.

I also will submit daily reports from the gem show, including videos shot with some of the leading meteorite dealers to show you some of their current stock. I’ll visit with Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold who operate Aerolite Meteorites in Tucson. You may know them better as the Science Channel’s Meteorite Men, a beautifully produced and entertaining show I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

I’ll also visit with Anne Black of Impactika Meteorites, Luc Labenne of Labenne Meteorites, Michael Farmer of Meteoritehunter.com/Michael Farmer Meteorites, and others. Stay tuned for “live” reports via Facebook, Twitter (@AstronomyMag), and MySpace from the show.

I’ll not only check out meteorites, but also minerals, as I love to collect and study them, too. They represent the chemistry and crystallization not only of Earth minerals, but perhaps of other planets spread out there, as well. (Chemistry and physics are pretty consistent throughout the universe, as far as we can observe, ya know.) Through it all, I’ll have an expert with me: Although he became an organic chemist, my dad taught mineralogy while he was at Purdue prior to his days on the Manhattan Project in New York.  

So stay tuned for updates from the gem show next week and some blogs from our observatory at Rancho Hidalgo next weekend, where we hope clear skies will grace us when we visit Gene Turner, Loy Guzman, and the whole gang near Animas, New Mexico. Senior Editor Rich Talcott and Associate Editor Liz Kruesi will be on hand at the ranch, too, and I’m sure they’ll share their impressions of big-scope, dark-sky viewing with you.

Related blog: 

Falling stars: A preview of the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, by Mike Reynolds, contributing editor

NASA unveils latest robot

Given that we have no flying cars, laser guns, or even time machines (1985-era technology!), it’s easy to forget sometimes that we’re living in the future. But, once again, NASA’s done its job and reminded us just what century we live in.

On Thursday, NASA announced the next iteration of its brand of robots, built and designed with cooperation from GM. Their press release doesn’t focus merely on the fact that we now have reasonably sophisticated humanoid robots that can use their hands; it also emphasizes how advanced this new type of robot is over older models.

“Robonaut 2, or R2, is a faster, more dexterous, and more technologically advanced robot,” the press release declares. Even the name seems designed to evoke sci-fi, futuristic images of cute, snarky robots.

The rest of the announcement raves about how well R2 can work alongside people or on missions too dangerous for humans. “This new-generation robot can use its hands to do work beyond the scope of prior humanoid machines,” the release gushes. Just what kinds of work this may be everyone seems reticent to share, beyond vague mentions of assisting astronauts and helping GM build safer cars.

Safety actually comes up a lot, presumably to reassure us of both the necessity of these tough robots and the relative unlikelihood of their turning into evil, terminating machines. Of course, the original Robonaut’s been around 10 years or so, and there’s been no uprising so far.

So, when you’re despondent about how we haven’t been to the Moon in almost 40 years (and are unlikely to return for at least another 20), or you wish that Mr. Fusion would hurry up and get himself invented, remember R2. If nothing else, NASA does try hard to make some of our science-fiction dreams come true, even if they’re not our top choices.

What do you think of R2? An awesome development and good news for science? Or, meh, another robot?

Orion introduces line of giant telescopes

Here at Astronomy magazine, several of us have been observers for decades. Needless to say, it takes pretty big news to surprise us on the amateur astronomy front. Well, today a spectacular announcement from Orion Telescopes & Binoculars stunned us: The company is introducing three new large Dobsonian-mounted reflectors.

Did I say large? The smallest has a mirror 36 inches across! The mid-size model sports a 40-inch mirror, and the top-of-the-line version touts an aperture of 50 inches.

The stats of the Orion 50 Monster Dobsonian are staggering. The crated mirror weighs some 500 pounds; the mirror support is a 36-point floatation system; five cooling fans work to bring the mirror to ambient temperature; and the mirror has a focal length of 4,763mm. This means a 20mm eyepiece will deliver 238x, a 9mm eyepiece provides 529x, and a 3mm Orion Edge-On Planetary Eyepiece will blow your mind at 1,588x!

Master optician Normand Fullum will hand-figure each Monster Dobsonian’s primary mirror. Orion chose low-expansion borosilicate glass with a honeycomb pattern to reduce weight.

Orion says the 36-inch model will be available in mid-2010, the 40-inch at the end of 2010, and the 50-inch in mid-2011. The scopes’ prices reflect (pun intended) what these products are — high-quality, mammoth telescopes. The “small” one lists for $55,600, the 40-inch is $80,000, and the 50-inch goes for $123,000. I had to chuckle while perusing Orion’s web site because the page for each of these telescopes has a prominent “Add to Cart” button. If you’re able to click that button, I want to be your friend.

Starting today, I’m going to beg, plead, and cajole everyone here and at Orion to let me write the review for (at least) the Orion 50 Monster Dobsonian Telescope. Mentally, I’m already compiling an observing list. In saying this, I apologize in advance to all the wonderful reviewers I work with through the magazine. Sorry, folks. This one’s mine.

To the Moon

I’m old enough to remember when, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would land an American on the Moon by the end of the decade. The 1960s were difficult years, with the assassinations of President Kennedy and his brother Robert as well as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The turmoil continued with race riots in many major cities and, of course, a seemingly endless war in Vietnam.

Nonetheless, as President Kennedy had promised, we did manage to land astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon July 20, 1969, nearly 6 months before JFK’s deadline.

Now we have another young president who has declared just the opposite of JFK: We will NOT go to the Moon by the end of the decade. This, when we already have a program under way to accomplish that mission objective, declared by President George W. Bush in 2004. We’ve already spent 6 years in preparation along with several billion dollars, and have launched a prototype of one of the rockets that would get us there.

The money needed to go to the Moon would be little (estimated at upward of $50 billion) compared to the more than $1 trillion shoveled into financial bailout and stimulus programs. Besides, a return to the Moon would keep our nation on the upward slope in terms of scientific accomplishments. It would open the door to go to Mars if we want to. It would require us to push the envelope of technological development, which has paid tremendous dividends in the past.

During the past couple of years, I have attended presentations by leaders in the aerospace field decrying the fact that, for nearly 40 years, the United States has sent astronauts nowhere in space but to low-Earth orbit. Why haven’t we returned to the Moon? Why haven’t we gone to Mars by now?

This is a pivotal time for space exploration. It will take a concerted effort to overcome the inertia of remaining in low Earth orbit. Literally, until we make the determination to continue with human exploration, we will keep going around in circles.

Let’s not make it another 40 years. We need to have another 1960s-style effort in space to move beyond our current lack of direction. The rockets are well on their way to being ready.

The American people and the international community are ready. Congress needs to step in and make the declaration that Kennedy did nearly a half-century ago: We’re going to the Moon this decade!

Related news article:

NASA selects commercial firms to develop human spaceflight technology