David Dickinson
Comet A1 Siding Spring vs Mars: Views in Space and Time
Oh, to be a stranded astronaut on the surface of the planet Mars this week. There’s a great scene from…
Get Ready for the Fireballs of October
On October 31st 2005, trick-or-treaters across the central U.S. eastern seaboard were treated to a brilliant fireball, a celestial spectacle…
REAL Images of Eclipses Seen From Space
That 'amazing astro-shot that isn’t' is making the rounds of 'ye ole web again. You know the one. “See an…
Our Complete Guide to the October 8th “Hunter’s Moon” Total Lunar Eclipse
October 2014 means eclipse season 2 of 2 for the year is upon us. Don’t fear the ‘Blood Moon’ that’s…
A Triple Occultation Bonanza: A Challenging Series of Occultations This Weekend and More
Got clear skies? This week’s equinox means the return of astronomical Fall for northern hemisphere observers and a slow but…
Stalking Uranus: A Complete Guide to the 2014 Opposition Season
It’s no joke… now is the time to begin searching the much-maligned (and mispronounced) planet Uranus as it reaches opposition…
Tales (Tails?) Of Three Comets
As the Chinese proverb says, “May you live in interesting times,” and while the promise of Comet ISON dazzling observers…
The Nicaragua Crater: The Result of a Meteorite Impact or Not?
By now, you’ve seen the pictures. As astronomers tracked the close pass of Near Earth Asteroid 2014 RC this weekend,…
Get Set for the Super (or Do You Say Harvest?) Full Moon 3 of 3 for 2014
Time to dust off those ‘what is a perigee Full Moon’ explainer posts… the supermoon once again cometh this weekend…
Hunting for “Minimoons” Orbiting Earth
It’s an engaging thought experiment. What if Earth had multiple moons? Our world has one large natural satellite, just over…