http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net Our round up of the top Amateur Astronomy news stories of the day on the Top Listed Network Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=1 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=1 ]]> On Sunday, May 20, the Moon will pass between the Earth and the Sun, creating a solar eclipse. However, this isn?t your usual event: because the Moon will be at apogee (the farthest point in its orbit), it won?t completely cover the face of the Sun. Instead of the Sun being totally blocked and the ethereal glow of its corona visible , we?ll see an annular eclipse , also called a "Ring of Fire ... The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=2 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=2 ]]> One of the things I love about the internet, and specifically Twitter, is how an offhand comment turns into awesome. And it happens within seconds. For some reason, a super-hi-res picture of the Earth is making the rounds right now. It?s a gorgeous pic, and lots of people are sending me the link via email and Twitter. The thing is, I wrote about this picture back in April , on Earth Day. But ... The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=3 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=3 ]]> The Southwest's canyon country is going to be filled with astronomy buffs Sunday afternoon. The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=4 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=4 ]]> Every now again I get surprised by a photo, showing me something I didn?t know about. And I love it even more when that surprise is from an object I thought I knew! So check out this incredible image of the nearby galaxy Centaurus A, a nearby galaxy harboring a whole slew of surprises: [Click to galactinate, or get the 4000 x 4000 pixel version , or, if you're feeling frisky, cram this onto your ... The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=5 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=5 ]]> Author Sergio Correa attempts to unravel some of the mysteries of the universe (PRWeb May 16, 2012) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9504204.htm The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=6 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=6 ]]> I do a roughly monthly segment with astronomer Seth Shostak on Big Picture Science, a radio show/podcast done by The SETI Institute. This month, Seth and I talked about the American Airlines dustup when they were planning to run an interview with reality-impaired antivaxxer Meryl Dorey . This story is a great victory for reality, and I?ve already written about the back story . Never forget: this ... The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=7 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320726&element=7 ]]> I worked with Hubble Space Telescope data for about ten years, and one of the most amazing things about that was seeing the images fresh off the mirror. Knowing that no human on Earth had ever seen that particular object that sharply was a thrill. Not every Hubble observation gets turned into a gorgeous image, though. A lot of them don?t need to be for scientific publications, for one thing, and ... The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320727&element=8 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320727&element=8 ]]> A little while back, I was at Utah State University to give a public talk about the threat from asteroid impacts and what we can do to stop them (PLUG ALERT: if you want me to come talk at your venue, my agent would love to hear from you ). While I was there I was interviewed by Utah Public Radio, and that interview is online . I was also chatted up by the local TV station, KSL. I think it went ... The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320727&element=9 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320727&element=9 ]]> When I?m getting the mid-afternoon drowsies, and looking for a comfortable, warm, cozy place to take a nap, what could possibly be better than? the impact crater-scarred surface of the Moon? This may be the greatest blanket throw in the history of blankets. Who wouldn?t want to cuddle up in a little regolith? And ZOMFSM and it comes with matching pillows ! And there?s a floor cushion ! Supermoon ... The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320727&element=10 http://amateurastronomy.toplisted.net/news.php?article=1337320727&element=10 ]]> The view from the International Space Station is always pretty cool, but when an astronaut points the camera at the Earth?s horizon and takes a series of short exposures, adding them together gives a view right out of Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s: [Click to psilocybinate.] Whoa, man! Astronaut Don Petit took the pictures to make this composite. Basically, it?s a series of eighteen 30-second ... The Toplisted Network (http://www.toplisted.net) rssWebmaster@toplisted.net Fri, 18 May 2012 06:58:47 +0100